Band Exam Review

2025

Accelerando

gradually speed up

Accent

emphasize a note

Adagio

slow

Allegro

fast tempo

Andante

walking tempo

Crescendo

gradually get louder

Cantabile

in a singing style

Decrescendo

gradually get softer

Dolce

sweetly

Espressivo

expressively

Fermata

hold the note out of time

Fine

the end

Flat

lowers a note by one half step

Forte

loud, strong

Fortissimo

very loud, very strong

Grazioso

gracefully

Largo

very slow

Marcato

heavy, marked, march-like

Mezzo Forte

moderately loud

Mezzo Piano

moderately soft

Moderato

moderate tempo

Natural

cancels a flat or sharp

Pianissimo

very soft

Piano

soft

Poco a Poco

little by little

Rallantando

gradually slowing down

Ritardando

gradually slowing down

Del Segno

the sign

Sempre

always

Sharp

raises a note by one half step

Staccato

light and separated

Tempo

the speed of the music

Vivace

very fast and lively