SLHS Orchestra Vocab

pizzicato

pluck on a stringed instrument

arco

bow on a stringed instrument

solo

1 performer plays; a piece for 1 musician

ensemble

a group of musicians play; a piece for a group

crescendo

gradually become louder

decrescendo

gradually become softer

scale

a series of consecutive ascending and descending notes that start and end on the same pitch.

half step

smallest interval between two notes

whole step

two half steps

dynamics

varying degrees of volume

piano

soft

forte

loud

mezzo

medium

allegro

quick and cheerful

andante

slow, walking tempo

ritardando

gradually become slower

tempo

rate of speed

ledger lines

lines that extend the musical staff

tie

curved lines that connect notes of the same pitch

slur

curved lines that connect notes of different pitches

simile

similarly

cantabile

songlike

dolce

sweet

rallentando

gradually slowing down

fermata

hold a note/rest until director indicates

adagio

slow tempo

fine

end

divisi

divide chord between players

accidental

sharp/flat/natural not in key signature

luftpaus

lift and pause

con

with

senza

without

sordino

mute

da capo

from the beginning

dal segnore

from the sign

coda

tag

moderato

moderate tempo

al fine

to the end

syncopation

stressing the weak beat

andantino

slightly slower or faster than andante

molto

much

piu

more

a tempo

back to original tempo

accelerando

accelerate

GP

whole orchestra stops playing

poco

little

sul

on/near

trill

rapid oscillation between 2 notes

enharmonic

2 same notes spelled differently

ponticello

bridge

tasto

fingerboard

maestoso

majestically

agitato

agitated

espressivo

expressive

subito

suddenly

presto

very fast tempo

tranquillo

tranquil

tonic

1st scale degree

dominant

5th scale degree

duet

2 people play together; a piece written for 2 people

volta

time/turn

appassionata

with passion/passionately

tutti

everyone plays

niente

fade to nothing

allargando

stretched passage

tenuto

stress/stretch the note

sempre

throughout always

morendo

gradual decrescendo dying away

largo

very slow

pesante

heavy

cadenza

an elaborate flourish or showy solo passage

glissando

slide between 2 notes

interval

distance between pitches

tacet

silence

major scale

scale that follows WWHWWWH

meno

less

mosso/moto

motion

turn

embellishment of secondary tone that revolves around primary tone

grace note

embellishment that precedes/succeeds primary tone

leading

7th scale degree

non troppo

not too much

con brio

with vigor

con fuoco

with fire

attaca

continue to next section without pause

prima

first

leggiero

lightly

grazioso

gracefully

assai

very

stringendo

to press forward

sforzando

second degree accent

scherzando

playful

adagietto

slightly slower or faster than adagio

mediant

3rd scale degree

submediant

6th scale degree

hemiola

three v two

natural minor scale

scale with pattern WHWWHWW

harmonic minor scale

natural minor with raised 7 degrees

melodic minor scale

natural minor scale with raised 6 and 7 degrees ascending and lowered descending

gusto

with relish, zest

con calore

warming up the sound