ABRSM Music Theory Vocabulary

50 key ABRSM music theory terms with concise definitions for exam practice.

Grave

Very slowly, roughly 25–45 beats per minute.

Largo

Broadly; 40–60 bpm.

Lento

Slowly; 45–60 bpm.

Adagio

Slow and stately; 66–76 bpm.

Larghetto

Rather broadly (slightly faster than Largo).

Andante

At a walking pace; 76–108 bpm.

Andantino

Slightly faster than Andante (occasionally a bit slower); 80–108 bpm.

Moderato

Moderately; 108–120 bpm.

Allegretto

Moderately fast; 112–120 bpm.

Allegro

Fast and bright; 120–168 bpm.

Vivace

Lively and fast; 168–176 bpm.

Presto

Very, very fast; 168–200 bpm.

Accelerando

Gradually getting faster.

Rallentando

Gradually slowing down.

Ritardando

Gradually slowing down, but to a lesser extent than rallentando.

Ritenuto

Immediately slower (held back).

Giocoso

Playful, merry.

Maestoso

Majestic, stately.

Sostenuto

Sustained.

Allargando

Becoming broader and slower, often near the end of a piece.

Meno Mosso

With less motion (slower).

Piu Mosso

With more motion (faster).

Moto

Motion.

A tempo

Return to the original tempo.

Portato

A ‘sticky staccato’; notes slightly detached yet smoothly connected.

Tenuto

Hold the note for its full value; indicated by a horizontal line.

Marcato

Marked, emphasized; shown with a wedge-shaped accent.

Major Scale Formula

Tone–Tone–Semitone–Tone–Tone–Tone–Semitone (T T S T T T S).

Natural Minor Scale

Tone–Semitone–Tone–Tone–Semitone–Tone–Tone (T S T T S T T); same ascending and descending.

How do you get a Harmonic Minor Scale

Natural minor with the 7th degree raised; same up and down.

Melodic Minor Scale

Natural minor with 6th and 7th degrees raised ascending and restored when descending.

Compound Time Signature

Meter in which each beat divides naturally into three sub-beats (e.g., 6/8, 9/8, 12/8).

Grouping in 6/8

Eighth notes are beamed in two groups of three to preserve the two main beats.

Grouping in 9/8

Eighth notes are beamed in three groups of three to reflect the triple compound meter.

Rest Grouping in Compound Time

Rests must respect big-beat boundaries; dotted quarter rests or quarter+eighth rest combinations are used.

Perfect Fourth

An interval spanning five semitones; classified as perfect in both major and minor keys.

Perfect Fifth

An interval spanning seven semitones; tonic to scale degree 5.

Perfect Octave

An interval of eight notes with twelve semitones between; also called perfect 8ve.

Major Second

Whole-step interval (two semitones).

Minor Second

Half-step interval (one semitone).

Major Third

Interval of two whole tones (four semitones).

Minor Third

Interval of three semitones.

Major Sixth

Interval of nine semitones.

Minor Sixth

Interval of eight semitones.

Major Seventh

Interval of eleven semitones.

Minor Seventh

Interval of ten semitones.

Transposition

Moving a set of notes up or down by a constant interval.

Anacrusis

An upbeat; introductory notes that precede the first full bar.

Alla breve

Cut time; the beat is felt in half-notes, as in 2/2 meter.

Leggiero

Lightly and nimble.

Marziale

 Military style- super rhythmically

Mesto

Sad

Pesante

Heavy

Primo e secondo

First and second

Rubato

Freedom in tempo

Ritmico

Rhythmically

Scherzando

Playfully/jokingly

Semplice

Simply

Sempre

Always

Stringendo

Gradually becoming faster/more hectic

Subito

Suddenly

Tanto

So much

Tranquillo

Calm

Triste/Tristamente

Sad

Volta

Time/instance