Musical Definitions
Terms relating to TEMPO
(Listed in order form very slow to very fast):
GRAVE
Very slow and solemn
LARGO
Very slow and broad, with dignity
LENT or LENTO
Very slow
ADAGIO
Very slow and expressive
LARGHETTO
Not as slow as LARGO, but slower than ANDANTE
ANDANTE
Rather slow, but with a flowing movement ("Walking tempo")
ANDANTINO
A little quicker than ANDANTE
MODERATO
Moderate speed- not fast, not slow
ALLEGRETTO
Light and cheerful, but not as fast as ALLEGRO
ALLEGRO
"Merry", quick, lively, bright
VIVO
Lively, brisk (usually with ALLEGRO, as ALLEGRO VIVO
VIVACE
Vivacious, faster than ALLEGRO
PRESTO
Very quick, faster than VIVACE
Terms relating to CHANGE OF TEMPO:
ACCELERANDO
Abbreviated: accel. To increase the speed gradually
STRINGENDO
Abbreviated: string. To increase intensity by increasing tempo
AFFRETTANDO
To increase the speed gradually
ALLARGANDO
Abbreviated: allarg. Slower and louder
RITARDANDO
Abbreviated: Ritard. or Rit. Gradually slackening the speed.
RALLENTANDO
Abbreviated: Rall. Slowing down, gradually.
RUBATO
Literally means "Robbed"- a lingering on some notes and
hurrying of others; free from strict tempo, but preserving the value of
the rhythmic notation.
A TEMPO
Return to original tempo after a RITARD
TEMPO I (PRIMO)
Return to original tempo after a RITARD
Words that often accompany TEMPO Markings:
MOLTO
Very much; e.g., MOLTO RITARD means to slow down exceedingly
MENO
Less; e.g., MENO MOSSO means less fast (slower)
PIU
More
NON TROPPO
Not too much, e.g., ALLEGRO NON TROPPO means fast, but not
too fast
POCO A POCO
literally "little by little". Used in combination with tempo
markings. e.g., ACCEL. POCO A POCO means to increase the speed
gradually over a span of measures.
Terms relating to DYNAMICS (from soft to loud):
PIANISSIMO
(abbr: pp). Very soft
PIANO
(abbr: p). Soft
MEZZO
Medium or moderately
MEZZO PIANO
(abbr: mp). Medium soft
MEZZO FORTE
(abbr: mf). Moderately loud
FORTE
(abbr: f). Loud
FORTISSIMO
(abbr: ff) Very loud
DIMINUENDO
(abbr: dim.) or the sign means gradually getting
softer
CRESCENDO
(abbr: cresc.) or the sign means
gradually getting louder
POCO A POCO
"Little by little". Indicates a gradual increase or decrease
in volume of sound; e.g., CRESC> POCO A POCO means to increase
the volume gradually.
ACCENT
A stress on notes so marked
SFORZANDO
(abbr: sfz) A strongly accented note or chord
SFORZATO
(abbr: sfp) strongly accented by then immediately PIANO
SUBITO
Suddenly. Usually to indicate a dramatically sudden change in
dynamic level of sound; e.g., from pp to SUBITO ff.
Terms relating to STYLE:
AGITATO
With agitation- excitedly
ALLA
In the style of (always used with other words) e.g., ALLA
MARCIA- in the style of a march.
CON
With (as a connecting word), e.g., ANDANTE CON AMORE- slowly,
with tenderness
ANIMATO
With animation, in a spirited manner
APPASSIONATO
With intensity and depth of feeling
BRILLANTE
Bright, sparkling, brilliant
BRIO
Vigor, spirit
CANTABILE
In a singing style
DOLCE
Sweetly and softly
ENERGICO, CON
With expression
FUOCO, CON
With fire or much energy
GRANDIOSO
In a noble, elevated style
GRAZIA, CON
With a graceful, flowing style
LEGATO
Smooth and connected, in a flowing manner (Opposite of
STACCATO)
MAESTOSO
With majesty and grandeur
MARCATO
In a marked and emphatic style
PESANTE
Heavily, every note with marked emphasis
QUASI
In the manner of; e.g., QUASI UNA FANTASIA- in the style of a
fantasia
SCHERZANDO
In a light playful and sportive manner
SCHERZO
A jest, one of the movements of certain symphonies, a
composition of light and playful character
SECCO
Dry, plain, without ornamentation
SEMPRE
Always; e.g., SEMPRE STACCATO- to continue playing in a short
and detached style
SPIRITO, CON
With spirit, or animation
STACCATO
Short and detached, with distinct precision (the opposite of
LEGATO)
TENUTO
Sustained for the full time-value
TRANQUILLO
With tranquility, quietly, restfully
Combinations of terms (Tempo and Style):
LARGO MA NON TROPPO
Slow, but not too slow (ma = but)
ADAGIO CANTABILE E SOSTENUTO
('e' = and) Very slow and in a sustained and singing style
ANDANTINO, CON AFFETUOSO
Faster than ANDANTE, with tender feeling
ALLEGRETTO CON GRAZIA
A moving tempo with a graceful flowing style
ALLEGRO AGITATO
Quick with agitation
POCO PIU MOSSO
A little quicker
ALLEGRO CON MOLTO SPIRITO
Fast with much spirit
ANDANTE MAESTOSO
Rather slow-moving tempo, majestic feeling
PRESTO CON LEGGIEREZZA
Very fast with lightness and delicacy
*NOTE: Many more combinations are possible. Combine some tempo and
style terms on your own.
Miscellaneous Terms:
ACCIDENTALS
Flats and double flats, naturals, sharps and double sharps
ALLA BREVE
"Cut time" The half-note is the unit of the meter
ARPEGGIO
A broken chord (Each note of the chord played in succession)
ATTACCA
Begin the next movement immediately
CADENCE
The close or ending of a phrase
CADENZA
An elaborate solo passage with fancy embellishments to
display the proficiency of a performer.
CHROMATIC
Proceeding by semitones
CODA
Literally "A tail"- the closing measures of a piece of music
CON
With; e.g., CON SORDINO means "with mute"
DA CAPO
(abbr: D.C.) from the beginning
DAL SEGNO
(abbr: D.S.) to the sign
DIVISI
Divided, one performer plays the upper notes, the other plays
the lower notes
FERMATA
A pause, marked
FINE
The end
G.P.
General Pause; a dramatic moment of silence for the entire
ensemble
SEGUE
To the next piece without pause
SENZA
Without; e.g., SENZA SORDINO means without mute
SORDINO
A mute (used by brass and string players)
TACET
Be silent
TEMPO PRIMO
(Sometimes TEMPO I), means to return to the original tempo
after a RITARD or ACCEL.
V.S.
Abbreviation found at the lower right corner of a music page,
which stands for "Volti-subito" and means to turn the page quickly.
COL LEGNO
Applies to string instruments. Bowing or tapping the string
with the wood of the bow instead of the hair.
GLISSANDO
To slide. Pulling or drawing the finger quickly up or down a
series of adjacent notes. Also poss. on trombone and other inst.
Musical Terminology
(see also Table of
General Musical Markings by origin)
A
cappella: Choral
music generally without accompaniment; literally - in the style of the
chapel
Accelerando
(Accel.) or Stringendo (String.): Gradually growing
faster
Accent:
Emphasis or stress on one tone over others
Ad
libitum (Ad lib.) or A placere: At pleasure; at will
Alla
Breve: Indicating 2/2 time or "cut time"; literally - on
the
breve (half note)
Allargando:
Growing broader, that is, louder and slower
Animato:
Animated; excited; with life and spirit
A
tempo: Return to the original tempo
Bravura:
With spirit and boldness
Caesura
(/ /): A break in the music
Cantabile:
In a singing (lyric) style
Coda:
A section added at the end of a composition or passage as a conclusion
Con:
A prefix meaning "with"
Con
anima: With animation
Con
forza: With force
Con
spirito: With spirit
Crescendo:
Increase in volume
Da
capo (D.C.): To return and perform from the beginning
Del
segno (D.S.): To return and perform from the sign
Decrescendo:
Decrease in volume
Diminuendo:
Gradually become softer
Diatonic:
Pertaining to the notes of a major or minor scale
Dissonance:
A relation or state of tension between various tones
Divisi:
To divide; as into parts
Dolce:
Sweetly
Double
flat ( bb ): Lower the
tone one full step
Double
sharp: ( ø ): Raise the tone one full step
Dynamics:
The level (amplitude) or loudness of sound
Pianissimo (pp) - very soft
Piano (p) - soft
Mezzo piano (mp) - medium soft
Mezzo forte (f) - medium loud
Forte (f) - loud
Fortissimo (ff) - very loud
e,
et,
ed: Meaning "and"
Enharmonic:
The same pitch given two different letter names, e.g., e natural and f
flat
Espressivo:
With expression
Fermata:
A sign that indicates the note or rest over which it is placed is to be
prolonged
Fine:
The end
Forzando
(fz): Forced
Interval:
The distance or relation between two pitches
Key
signature: A grouping of accidentals placed at the
beginning of a
composition or section to indicate key
Sharps (#):
Number Major Key Minor Key
0
C a
1
G e
2
D b
3
A f#
4
E c#
5
B g#
6
F# d#
7
C# a#
Flats (b): Major Key Minor Key
0
C a
1
F d
2
Bb g
3
Eb c
4
Ab f
5
Db bb
6
Gb eb
7
Cb ab
Legato:
Smooth and connected
L'istesso
tempo: In the tempo of the previous section
Maestoso:
Majestic
Marcato:
Marked, emphasized
Melisma:
Use of many notes on one syllable of text
Meno:
A prefix meaning "less"
Meno
mosso: Less motion
Modulation:
A change of key within a composition
Molto:
Much
Morendo:
Dying away
Mosso,
moto: Motion, movement
Motet:
In
Classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number
of highly varied choral musical compositions.
Niente:
Nothing
Non:
Not
Ornament:
Melodic decoration
Ossia:
Alternate version of a set of notes
Passione:
With fervent emotion or passion
Phrase:
A natural division of the melodic line with a cadence; comparable to a
clause or
sentence
Piu:
More
Poco
a poco: Little by little
Quasi:
As if, almost
Rallentando
(Rall.): Gradually slower
Ritardando
(Rit.): Gradually slower
Rubato:
Free use of accelerando and ritardando as an expressive device
Sans:
Without
SATB:
In music, SATB is an initialism for soprano, alto, tenor,
bass, defining the voices required by a chorus or choir to
perform a particular musical work. Pieces written for SATB,
the commonest combination and that used by most Hymn tunes,
can be sung by choruses of mixed genders, by choirs of men and
boys, or by four soloists.
Scherzando:
Playfully
Sempre:
Always
Senza:
Without
Sequence:
Repetition of a set of notes at a different scale degree
Sforzando
or Sforzato (sf or sfz): Forced or accented
Simile:
In a similar manner
Sotto
voce: Softly, with a subdued voice, literally "under the
voice"
Staccato:
Short and detached
Subito:
Suddenly
Tacet:
To be silent
Tempo:
The pace at which a composition is to
be performed; rate of speed
Tempo
Terms
from slowest to fastest
Grave very, very slow
Largo very slow
Larghetto less slow than largo
Adagio slow
Lento moderately slow
Andante moderate; walking tempo
Andantino less slow than andante
Moderato medium tempo
Allegretto less fast than allegro
Allegro fast
Vivace, Vivo very fast and lively
Presto extremely fast
Prestissimo as fast as possible
Tenuto:
Hold or sustain
Tessitura:
The location of the majority of pitches in a composition or section
Timbre:
The tone quality or color of a tone
Time
Signature: A symbol indicating the type of meter and the
unit of beat
Tonality:
All notes in a scale related to one central tone
Tranquillo:
Tranquil, peaceful
Tutti:
All
Unison:
Voices on the same pitch or mixed voices in octaves
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