Accelerando – increasing gradually in tempo. May be marked accel.

al fine – Literally, “To the end.” Used to mark the end following a D.C or D.S.

allargando – growing broader and slowing down. Sort of like a ritardando.

arrangement – an adaptation of a given composition into a form other than what it was

originally written for, usually indicated as: Mozart/Wykoski or arr. Wykoski.

arco – with the hair of the bow

a tempo – back to the original tempo

cantabile – singingly

coda - the closing few measures of a composition, added to the end to give the composition

closure

col legno – strike the strings with the wood of the bow

con – with. For example, “con sordino” means “with mute.”

con gusto – with energy

cue notes – very small notes written in a part to indicate what other players are playing,

the purpose is to aid the player in keeping their place in the music

da capo – back to the beginning of the piece; indicated by D.C. Literally, “The head.”

dal segno – go back to the sign. Usually followed by an indication to stop at the fine or jump

to a coda.

Diminuendo – Getting softer. Opposite of crescendo.

divisi – divide the parts or notes; in a two note chord the outside player plays the top note

and the inside player plays the bottom note

dolce – sweetly

ensemble - group of musicians that perform as a unit

grace note – A quick, ornamental note placed before the main note. Usually appears on the

page smaller than normal notes.

harmonic - Notes that are achieved when the performer lightly places his finger on nodes

along the string. The resulting sound is very clear and pristine.

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Legato – Smooth and connected. No separation at all.

L’istesso tempo - the same tempo, an indication in a composition that indicates the beat remains

constant when the meter changes, in the case of 2/4 to 6/8, the meter is still counted with two beats

per measure but the tempo or speed of the beat stays the same

marcato – marked, accented, and usually a bit shorter. Played by using a martele bow

stroke.

meno – less (i.e. meno mosso means less motion or slower)

meter - measure of time, the grouping of beats into regular patterns, 4/4, 2/4 and 3/4 are

the most common meters

molto - very much, a great deal. As in “molto meno mosso: Much less motion”

morendo – dies away, diminishes in volume

mosso – motion

niente – nothing. A dynamic mark that most often will appear at the end of a decrescendo,

indicating that the performer should decrease volume until the note is no longer sounding.

Often written as n

overture – the introductory music for an opera, ballet, oratorio, musical, or other work.

Pesante – heavy.

piu – more. As in “piu mosso: More motion”

pizzicato – pluck string with fingers

poco a poco – little by little

quartet – four players

quintet – five players

ritardando – slowing in tempo

scordatura - the practice of tuning the strings of a stringed instrument differently than the

standard tuning. Scordatura is generally used to extend an instrument's range, or to make certain

passages easier or more possible to perform.

Sempre – Always. “Sempre crescendo” means always building in volume.

senza – without (senza vibrato means without vibrato, senza sordino means take off the

mute)

septet – seven players

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sextet – six players

simile – in a similar manner. Continue the established pattern of bowing or articulation.

soli – the entire section, but playing in a solo-like manner

solo - a single performer

sordino – mute

subito – suddenly or instantly. Subito forte is a sudden change to forte from another

dynamic.

staccato – Separated. Not connected.

Stringendo- accelerating. Another word for accelerando.

sul ponticello - a directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition by bowing the

strings as close as possible to the bridge of the instrument. May appear Sul pont.

sul tasto – a directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition by bowing the

strings close to or directly over the fingerboard of the instrument.

suite – a set of songs or dances. Most popular in the Baroque, but also in modern settings

where selections from operas or musicals are performed.

tempo - the speed of the beat. Tempo is sometimes measured according to beats per

minute.

Tenuto – A very soft accent, often played with quite a bit of length

tremolo – playing the note over and over within the indicated note value. Can be measured

or unmeasured

trio – three players

tutti – all instruments together

una corda – literally “one string.” Indication to play a passage entirely on one string

(shifting), instead of crossing higher or lower.

Detache – the standard bow stroke we all learned as beginners. Even though it sounds like

“detached,” this bow stroke is actually smooth and connected. The “detached” part of the

word originated from the idea that it is not slurred, therefore, each note is detached.

Hooked bow – a bowing where two or more notes are played with the bow in the same

direction, but with a brief pause between each note. i.e. “up up”

Louree – A hooked bowing where the bow does not stop, but each note is caused to sound by

adding weight with the index finger. Also called portato.

Martele – a strong, accented bow stroke. This is the term used to describe the bow stroke

that plays marcato.

spiccato – bouncing, off the string

Slur – Multiple notes played under one bow, with no break of any kind in the sound.