Way of Musiking II

Music terminology, First year Skills

A tempo

Return to original tempo (first)

Accelerando

become quicker

Accent

stressed note or chord

Adagio

a slow tempo (between Andante and Largo)

Ad libitum

at liberty of performer

agitato

agitated

alla/all ___

in the manner of ___

allargando

broadening, becoming slower

allegretto

fairly fast (slower then Allegro)

allegro

fast

andante

moderately slow; walking pace

andantino

faster than andante

animato

lively/animated

arco

(of stringed instruments) Resume bowing after pizzicato passage

assai

much / very much

attaca

proceed without a break

ben / bene

well

Bewegt

agitated / excited

brilliante

brilliant

calando

becoming slower and softer

Cantabile

in a singing style

cedez

yield; hold back tempo

cluster

chords consisting of a combination of at least 3 diatonically adjacent notes

col/coll’/ Con

With

con brio

with spirit/vigor

con espressione

with expression

con fuoco

with fire

con grazia

with grace

con moto

with movement

con pedale

with pedal

con sordino

with mute

crescendo

become louder

da capo / D.C.

from the beginning

da capo al Fine

repeat from the beginning, end at Fine

dal segno D.S

from the sign (often has segno symbol)

Decresendo/Diminuendo

become softer

Dolce

Sweetly

Dolente

Sad

e, ed

and

espressivo

expressively

fermata

pause, hold

fine

the end

fortepiano (fp)

loud, then suddenly soft

Fortissimo (ff)

very loud

giocoso

Humorous, joyful

grandioso

grand

grave

Slow and solemn (funeral march)

Grazioso

graceful

langsam

Slow (german)

largamente

broadly

larghetto

not as slow as largo

Legato

smooth

léger

lightly (german)

leggiero

light, nimble, quick

lentement

slowly

lento

slow

l’istesso tempo

the same tempo

loco

return to normal register

ma

but

maestoso

majestic

mano destra M.D.

Right hand

mano sinstra M.S.

Left hand

marcato

mark/stressed

martellato

hammered

mässig

moderately (German)

meno

less

meno mosso

less movement, slower

mesto

sad, mournful

mezzo forte (mf)

moderately loud

mezzo piano

moderately soft

mit

with (German)

mit ausdruck

with expression (German)

M.M.

metronome marking

moderato

at a moderate tempo

modéré

moderate tempo (French)

molto

very much

morendo

dying / fading away

mouvement

tempo, motion

non

not

non troppo

not too much

Ottava

octave

pesante

weighty, with emphasis

pianissimo

very soft

piano

soft

piu

more

piu mosso

more movement, quicker

pizzicato

(for stringed instruments) pluck the strings

poco

little

poco a poco

little by little

polychord

combination of two more different chords

prestissimo

as fast as possible

presto

very fast

prima, primo

first, the upper part of a duet

prima volta

first time

quartal chord

chord built on a series of fourths

quindicesima alta (15ma)

two octaves higher

quasi

almost / as if

rallentando

slowing down

resoluto

resolute

ritardando

slowing down gradually