Music Theory Words to Know

Larghetto: not quite as broadly as largo

Largo: broadly

Legato: smoothly

Lento: slowly

Libretto: literary portion or text of an opera, cantata, or oratorio

Marcato: marked or accented

Meno: less (minus) [meno mosso = slower, literally "less motion"]

Moderato: moderately

Molto: much (very)

Non troppo: not too much

Pesante: heavily

Pianissimo: extremely quietly

Piano: softly

Piu: more (plus) [piu andante = faster, literally "more going"]

Pizzicato: plucked

Placido: peacefully

Poco: a little, somewhat

Presto: quickly

Prima, primo: first

Quasi: almost; like

Rallentando, ritardando: becoming gradually slower

Rubato: not in strict time (lingering)

Sans: without

Scherzando: playfully, jokingly

Scherzo: quick, playful movement in ¾ time

Segue: continue; proceed to the next movement without pause

Sempre: always

Spiccato: bounce the bow off the strings

Staccato: short, separated

Stringendo: hurrying

Subito: suddenly

Troppo: too much (non troppo = not too much; ma non troppo = but not too much)

Tutti: all

Vivace: lively

Volti subito, V.S.: turn the page quickly (literally "sudden time")

A capella: unaccompanied

Accelerando: accelerating

Adagio: slowly

Agitato: agitated

Allargando: slowing gradually

Allegro: cheerfully (fast)

Allegretto: moderately fast

Andante: walking speed

Animato: animated, lively

Appassionato: passionately

Arco: with the bow (bowed)

Aria: a solo song in an opera, cantata, or oratorio

Assai: very

A tempo: back to original tempo

Attaca: without pause

Cadenza: improvisatory solo passage

Cantabile: in a singing style

Col legno: with the wood of the bow

Con brio: vigorously

Concerto: solo feature piece with large ensemble accompaniment

Con sordino: with a mute

Crescendo: becoming louder

Da capo, D.C.: return to the "head" (beginning) of a piece

Detache: detached

Divisi: divided parts

Diminuendo: becoming quieter

Dolce: sweetly

Espressivo: expressively

Fine: the end

Falsetto: artificially high male voice

Finale: final movement of a composition or final act of an opera

Forte: strong (loud)

Fortepiano: loud then immediately soft

Fortissimo: very loudly

Glissando: sliding up or down a scale or part of a scale

Grave: gravely (seriously)