music theory vocab (1-3)

accelerando (accel.)

gradually get quicker

adagio

slow

allegretto

fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)

allegro

quick

andante

at a medium (‘walking’) speed

cantabile

in a singing style

crescendo

gradually get louder

da capo (D.C.)

repeat from the beginning

dal segno (D.S.)

repeat from the sign

decrescendo

gradually getting quieter

diminuendo

gradually getting quieter

fine

the end

forte

loud

fortissimo

very loud

legato

smoothly

lento

slow

mezzo

half

mezzo forte

moderately loud

mezzo piano

moderately quiet

piano

quiet

pianissimo

very quiet

poco

a little

rallentando (rall.), ritardando

gradually getting slower

ritenuto

held back

staccato

detached

tempo

speed, time (a tempo = in time)

crescendo

gradually get louder

diminuendo

gradually get quieter

slur

over two different notes or a group of notes, perform the notes smoothly

octave

octave

over a note or notes

perform an octave higher

under a note or notes

perform an octave lower

dot over/under notes

staccato

> over or under notes

accent

over a note, under a note

pause on the note

repeat marks, reprisa

go back to the first sign and repeat the music from there
if the first sign is left out, repeat from the beginning

M.M. ♩= 72 OR ♩= 72

72 quarter-note beats per measure

a

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

al, alla

to the, in the manner of, (all Marcia: in the style of a march)

andantino

slightly faster than andante (but may also mean slightly slower)

con, col

with

dolce

sweet, soft

e, ed

and

espressive (espress, espr)

expressive

fortepiano

loud, then immediately soft

giocoso

playful, merry

grave

very slow, solemn

grazioso

graceful

larghetto

rather slow(but not as slow as largo)

largo

slow, stately

ma

but

maestoso

majestic

meno

less

molto

very, much

mosso, moto

movement (meno mosso: slower; con moto: with movement)

non

not

più

more

presto

fast (faster than allegro)

senza

without

sforzando, sforzato (sf, sfz)

forced, accented

simile (sim.)

in the same way

sostenuto

sustained

tenuto

held

troppo

too much

vivace, vivo

lively quick

᭴ over or under

means the same, or even stronger accents

dots inside a slur

means the notes should be slightly separated (semi-staccato), but less separated than notes with ordinary staccato dots

a

at, to, by, for

al, alla

in the manner of

allargando

broadening

andantino

slightly faster than Adante

assai

very

con, col

with

dolce

sweet

e, ed

and

espressivo

expressive

fp

loud then soft

giocoso

playful

grave

solemn

grazioso

graceful

larghetto

rather slow

largo

slow

ma

but

maestoso

majestic

meno

less

molto

very, much

mosso, moto

movement

non

not

più

more

presto

fast

senza

without

sf, sfz (sforzando)

forced

simile

in the same way

sostenuto

sustained

tenuto

held

troppo

too much

vivace, vivo

lively, quick

adagietto

rather slow

ad libitum, ad lib.

at choice

agitato

agitated