Musical Terms and Instructions Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering tempo, expression, score-reading, vocal, and brass terminology in Italian, German, French, and English.

Accelerando

To gradually speed up.

A piacere

At one's liberty or discretion.

A tempo

To tempo.

Adagio

A slow procession-like tempo.

Allegro

Happy.

Andante

Walking tempo.

Calando

Decreasing dynamics and tempo.

Con moto

With motion.

Con spirito

With Spirit.

Grave

Solemn or somber.

L'istesso tempo

The same tempo.

Largo

Slow.

Lento

Slow.

Meno mosso

Slower.

Moderato

Moderate.

Più mosso

Faster.

Presto

Quick.

Ritardando

To slow down.

Rubato

Flexible tempo, to rob time.

Scherzo

Playful.

Stringendo

speed up.

Vivace

Lively.

Bewegt

Rather fast, agitated.

Fröhlich

Happy.

Geschwind

Quick.

Im Zeitmass

Tempo I.

Langsam

Slow.

Lebhaft

Brisk or lively.

Mässig

Moderate.

Munter

Brisk.

Rasch

Fast.

Schnell

Fast.

Zurückhalten

Hold back.

Cédez

To slow down.

Lent

Slow.

Modéré

Moderate.

Vif

Lively.

Vite

Quickly.

A Niente

To nothing.

Affettuoso

Tender.

Agitato

Agitated.

Animato

Animated.

Appassionato

Impassioned or intense.

Brillante

Brilliant.

Decisivo

Decisive.

Dolce

Sweet.

Espressivo

Expressive.

Fuoco

Fiery.

Giocoso

Light, playful, merry.

Grazia

Graceful.

Lunatico

Wild or like a lunatic.

Robusto

Robust.

Scherzando

Light, playful, merry.

Semplice

Simply.

Teneramente

Tender.

Triste

Sad.

Ausdrucksvoll

Expressive.

Breit

Broad, stately.

Feierlich

Solemn.

Fliessend

Flowing.

Kräftig

Strong or robust.

Ruhig

Calm.

Marziale

Martial.

Misterioso

Mysterious.

Morendo

Dying away.

Pesante

Heavy.

Piacevole

Pleasant.

Zart

Tender.

Doux

Sweet.

A due (a 2)

To be played by both, as by first and second flute.

Colla parte

With the other part; playing with the soloist at that place in the score.

Come prima

As before.

En dehors

Out in front of; means the parts marked should be projected through the ensemble; it must be heard.

Erstes Mal

The first time.

Forte possibile

As loud as possible.

Frappé; Frapper

The downbeat; to beat time.

Glissez; glisser

To slide.

Ossia

Otherwise; refers to a simplified part.

Partitur; Partitura

Full score.

Pult

Desk or music stand.

Sec, secco

Dry, very short, no after-ring.

Segue

Follow, continue in the same manner.

Smorzando

Suddenly dying away.

Sotto voce

Soft voice (or whispered/unvoiced)

Stentato

Labored.

Stimme

A single voice or part in a score.

Strepitoso

Noisily.

Subito

Suddenly.

Tutti

The whole ensemble, everybody.

Vide

A cut; VI is printed where the cut starts and DE is shown at the end of the cut, thus: VI…DE.

Colla Voce

With the voice the voice will sing in a free manner and the accompaniment should keep pace.

Falsetto

notated with a diamond shaped note head.

Messa di voce

crescendo and diminuendo on one sustained pitch.

Mezza voce

Half voice, subdued tone.

Portamento or glissando

To sweep or glide from one pitch to another.

Sprechstimme

An expressionist vocal technique halfway between speech and singing used primarily in the works of Schönberg.

Tenor transposition

When tenor parts appear in treble clef the pitches sound an octave lower than written.

Bell up

French:

Pavillon en l'air in

Italian: Campana in aria

German; Schalltrichter auf

or Schalltrichter in die Höhe

Brassy

French: Cuivre

Italian: Metallico

German: Schmetternd

or Blechern

Mute

French: Sourdine

Italian: Sordino

German: Dämpfer