Theory Music Terms

animé

animated, lively French

douce

sweet french

lent

slow

modéré

at a moderate speed french

retenu

held back

vite

quick french

sforzando, sforzato (sf, sfz)

forced, accented

andantino

slightly faster or slower than andante

agitato

agitated

animato

animated, lively italian

con forza

with force

energico

energetic

giocoso

playful, merry

leggiero

light

maestoso

majestic

marcato(marc.)

marked, accented

pesante

heavy

risoluto

bold, strong

scherzando

playful, joking

semplice

simple, plain

sostenuto (sost.)

sustained

tranquillo

calm

triste, tristamente

sad, sorrowful

ben

well

prima, primo

first

sempre

always

simile

in the same way

subito

suddenly

à

at, to, by, for, in the style of

accelerando (or accel.)

gradually getting faster

adagio

slow, leisurely

affettuoso

tenderly

alla

in the style of

Alla marcia

in the style of a march

Allargando

broadening out

allegretto

slightly slower than allegro

allegro

lively, reasonably fast

amabile

amiable, pleasant

Andante

walking pace (73-77BPM)

apassionata

with passion

assai

very

attacca

go on immediately

a tempo

resume normal speed

Cantando or cantible

in a singing style

col, con

with

con brio

with vigour

con moto

with movement

con spirito

with spirit, life energy

crescendo (cres. or long "

getting gradually louder

da capo (or D.C.)

repeat from the beginning

das segno

from the sign diagonal S with slash and two dots

deciso

with determination

decrescendo (or decresc.)

gradually getting softer

diminuendo (or dim.)

gradually getting softer

dolore

grief, sorrow

dolce

sweet Italian

Expressivo

with expression, feeling

fortepiano (fp)

loud then immediately soft

fine

the end

forte (f)

loud

fortissimo (ff)

very loud

grave

very slow (20-40BPM)

grazioso

gracefully

Langsam

slow german

largemente

in a broad style

larghetto

faster than largo

largo

slow & stately, broad (45-50BPM)

lebhaft

lively german

legato

smoothly

lento

slowly

ma

but

Mässig

at a moderate speed German

meno

less

meno mosso

less movement

mesto

sadly

mezzo forte（mf）

moderately loud

mezzo piano（mp）

moderately soft

misterioso

mysteriously

moderato

at a moderate speed Italian

molto

much

morendo, perdendosi, smorzando

dying away

non Troppo

not too much

pianissimo

very soft

piano

soft

Piu

more french

poco a poco

little by little

Prestissimo

as fast as possible

presto

very fast

quasi

as if, resembling

rallentando (or rall.) / ritardando (or ritard, or rit.)

gradually getting slower

ritenuto (or riten. or rit.)

hold back, slower at once

ritmico

rhythmically

Ruhig

peaceful german

schnell

fast german

senza

without

sonoro

in a rich tone

sotto voce

in an undertone

staccato (or stacc.)

short and detached

Stringendo

gradually getting faster

Taurig

sad german