piano signs and terms

a tempo

return to the original tempo

accent

play the note louder than the others

accelerando

accelerate; gradually faster

adagio

slowly

allargando

broadening; gradually slower

allegro

fast or quick, cheerfully, merrily

allegretto

slightly slower than allegro, faster than andante

andante

a moderate walking tempo

andantino

slightly faster than andante; some composers use it to mean slower than andante

animato

animated; with spirit

appoggiatura

play the first note as half the value of the second note

articulation

the manner in which notes are executed

arpeggio

a broken chord

atonality

no specific key or tonality

bitonality

the use of two different keys at the same time

canon

a strict form of contrapuntal writing in which each voice exactly imitates the melody of the first voice

cantabile

in a singing style

coda

an extended ending

codetta

a short coda, or a short section of music that connects two other sections but is not part of either

con

with

con brio

with vigor or spirit, with brilliance

con fuoco

with fire or fury

con moto

with motion

crescendo (cresc.)

gradually louder

D.C. al fine

go back to the beginning and play to fine

damper pedal

press the pedal located on the right

decrescendo (decresc.) or diminuendo (dim.)

gradually softer

dolce

sweetly

doloroso

sadly; sorrowfully

double flat

two flats placed before a note, indicating to lower the note a whole step

double sharp

the symbol “x” placed before a note, indicating to raise the note a whole step

dynamics

letters or symbols which tell how loudly or softly to play the music

enharmonic

two different names for the same pitch, such as C# and D flat

expressivo

expressively

fine

the end

forte

loud

fortissimo

very loud

fortississimo

very, very loud

forte-piano

loud followed immediately by soft

fermata

hold the note longer than its value

first and second ending

play the music with the first ending (under the 1). then repeat the music; the second time through, skip the first ending and play the second ending (under 2).

giocoso

merrily, with humor

gracioso

gracefully

largo

very slowly

legato

play smoothly; connect the notes

leggiero

lightly, delicately

lento

slowly

m.d.

*mano destra;* use the right hand

m.s.

*mano sinistra;* use the left hand

marcato

stressed, marked

meno

less

meno mosso

less motion; slower

mezzo forte

medium loud

mezzo piano

medium soft

moderato

a moderate or medium tempo

molto

much; very

mordent

an ornament in which the written note is played, followed by the note below the written note and the written note again

octave sign (8va)

play the notes an octave higher (or lower if below the notes)

opus

a word used to indicate the chronological order in which a composer’s music was written

ostinato

a persistently repeated pattern

parallel Major/minor

major and minor keys with the same letter names, such as C Major and c minor

piano

soft

pianimissimo

very soft

pianississimo

very, very soft

pesante

heavily

phrase

a musical sentence, often but not always four measures long

piu

more

piu mosso

more motion; faster

pofo

little

polytonality

the use of several different keys at the same time

presto

very fast

rallentando (rall.)

gradually slower

relative Major and minor

Major and minor keys which have the same key signature

repeat sign

repeat the previous sections of music; go back to the nearest repeat sign or to the beginning if there is none

ritardando (ritard., rit.,)

gradually slower

ritenuto (riten.)

immediately slower

robusto

robustly, boldy

rubato

the practice of varying the rhythm of a phrase by slowing or rushing the tempo, making up the changed time elsewhere in the phrase; “robbed time”

scherzando

playfully, jokingly

sempre

always

senza

without

sforzando

a sudden sharp accent

smorzando

dying away

simile

continuing in the same style

slur

curved line indicating to play legato

spiritoso

spirited; with spirit

sostenuto

sustained

sotto voce

in a low voice

staccato

play crisply or detached

subito

suddenly; at once

syncopation

a momentary contradiction of the meter or pulse, often by changing strong and weak beats within a measure

tempo

the speed at which to play the music.

tenuto

hold the note for its full value; may also mean to stress the note

tie

hold the second note; do not play it

toccata

a virtuoso piece common during the Baroque Period, written in free style with many scales and rapid passages

tranquillo

tranquilly, peacefully, calmly

tre corde (t.c.)

release the una corda pedal (soft pedal; left pedal)

trill

an ornament in which the written note is alternated with the note above

* baroque/classical - begin on the note above the written note
* romantic - begin on written note

trill with prefix

a trill performed with an added beginning from above or below

turn

an ornament in which the written note is surrounded by its upper and lower neighbors