A tempo- return to the original tempo after some deviation

Accelerando – becoming gradually faster

Allargando- slowing of tempo, usually with increasing volume; most frequently occurs toward the end of a piece

Allegro con spirito- fast tempo with spirit

Anacrusis – upbeat or pickup

Andante- rather slow, at a moderate walking speed

Arpeggio- the notes of the chord played in succession to one another, rather than simultaneously; a broken chord

Bel canto- “beautiful singing”; an Italian Opera term

Binary form- AB- form of a composition that has two distinctsections

Cantabile- in a singing style; singable

Chromatic- motion by half steps; also describes harmony or melody that employs some of the sequential 12 pitches (semi-tones) in an octave

D. C. or Da Capo- repeat from the beginning of the composition

Descant – a high obligato part above the melody

Divisi- performers singing the same part are divided to sing different parts.

Dolce- sweetly, usually also softly

Espressivo- to play or sing with expression

Falsetto- type of vocal phonation that enables the singer to sing notes beyond the normal vocal range.

Fermata- a pause or hold

Form – the organization and structure of a composition

Grandioso – grand, majestic

Improvisation – music that is created spontaneously

Interval- the relationship between two pitches, the distance between an upper and a lower pitch

Largo- very slow and broad

Ledger lines – short horizontal lines used to extend a staff either higher or lower

Legato- to play or sing in a smooth, connected manner

L’istesso – the beat remains constant when the meter changes

Meno mosso- less motion

Meter- indicated by a time signature, can be simple or compound

Mezzo forte- medium loud

Modulation – to change key within a composition

Motif- a short musical idea or melodic theme, usually shorter than a musical phrase

Niente- dying away to nothing

Opera- a major vocal work that involves theatrical elements

Oratorio- large scale musical composition on a sacred subject.

Part song – an unaccompanied homophonic choral composition for three or more voices

Poco piu mosso- a little more motion

Presto- very fast; faster than allegro

Rallentando- gradually slowing down

Rubato- Making the established pulse flexible by accelerating and slowing down the tempo; an expressive device

Senza- without

Sforzando- strongly accented; forced

Solfege- a system used for teaching sight-singing (Do-Re-Mi)

Sotto voce- Softly; with subdued sound; performed in an undertone

Strophic- describes a song where the stanzas are all sung to the same music

Subito- suddenly; quickly

Tessitura- most widely used range of pitches in a piece of music

Tranquillo – to perform in a relaxed tempo

Triad- three note chord consisting of the root, third, and fifth

Vibrato – a rapid fluctuation of pitch slightly higher or lower than the main pitch

Vivace- lively; briskly