50 Musical Terms

Musical terms and their definitions.

Largo

Very slow and broad.

Adagio

Slow and stately, often conveying a lyrical quality.

Lento

Slowly; similar to largo but with a slightly less grand character.

Andante

A walking pace—moderately slow, flowing.

Moderato

At a moderate speed, between andante and allegro.

Allegro

Fast, lively, and bright.

Vivace

Very lively and quick—often a bit faster than allegro.

Presto

Extremely fast.

Prestissimo

As fast as possible—faster than presto.

Accelerando

Gradually increasing in speed.

Ritardando

Gradually slowing down.

Rubato

Flexible timing; stretching and compressing notes for expression.

Staccato

Notes played short and detached.

Legato

Notes played smoothly, connected with no perceptible gap.

Tenuto

Hold each note for its full value, sometimes slightly emphasized.

Portato

Gentle separation between notes—more connected than staccato but lighter than legato.

Marcato

Strongly accented or marked.

Sforzando (sfz)

A sudden, strong accent on a single note or chord.

Accento

A short, sharp emphasis—accented.

Slur

A curved line indicating that notes under it are to be played legato.

Pianissimo (pp)

Very soft.

Piano (p)

Soft.

Mezzo-piano (mp)

Moderately soft.

Mezzo-forte (mf)

Moderately loud.

Forte (f)

Loud.

Fortissimo (ff)

Very loud.

Crescendo (cresc.)

Gradually getting louder.

Diminuendo (dim.) / Decrescendo (decresc.)

Gradually getting softer.

Rinforzando (rfz)

A sudden reinforcement of volume—a brief accent.

Subito

Suddenly (e.g., subito piano: suddenly soft).

Cantabile

In a singing, lyrical style.

Dolce

Sweetly and softly.

Espressivo

Expressively, with feeling.

Maestoso

Majestic, stately, dignified.

Grazioso

Gracefully, with smooth elegance.

Con brio

With vigor and vivacity (“brio” = spirit).

Misterioso

In a mysterious or secretive manner.

Affettuoso

With tenderness and affection.

Sostenuto

Sustained; notes held to full value with a smooth, connected feel.

Animato

Animated and lively.

Vivacissimo

Extremely lively—faster than vivace.

Fortepiano (fp)

Loud attack immediately followed by soft playing.

Molto

Very; used to intensify another term (e.g., molto allegro: very fast).

Poco a poco

Little by little; gradually (e.g., poco a poco crescendo: gradually louder).

Meno mosso

Less motion; slower.

Fermata

A hold or pause on a note or rest beyond its written duration.

Caesura

A complete, silent interruption in the music; also called “railroad tracks.”

A tempo

Return to the original tempo after a deviation.

Da capo (D.C.)

From the head; repeat from the beginning of the piece.

Fine

The end; marks the conclusion of a piece or movement.