ACCENT: emphasize, or stress
AD LIBITUM: at the pleasure of the performer
ADAGIO: slow, or at leisure
ALLA BREVE: two beats to the measure; one beat to each half-note
ALLA MARCIA: in the manner of a march
ALLARGANDO: a slackening of the tempo
ALLEGRETTO: gay and moderately lively
ALLEGRO: quick, lively, cheerful
ANDANTE: slow, graceful; walking
ANDANTINO: a little faster than andante
ANIMATO: animated, to make alive; to give spirit
ARPEGGIATED CHORD: when a wavy line is placed beside a chord, that chord is arpeggiated, which means rolled, or broken: play the lowest note, then the middle note, then the highest note
A TEMPO or TEMPO 1: return to the first rate of speed
BEN MARCATO: accented strongly and distinctly
BLOCK CHORD: a chord in which all of the notes in the chord are played at the same time, as opposed to a block chord
BROKEN CHORD: a chord in which the notes are played one at a time, one note after the other; in a broken style
CANTABILE: in a singing style; return to the original speed
CHROMATIC: proceeding by half-steps
CON ANIMA: brightly
CON BRIO: with vigor, spirit; forcefully
CON ESPRESSIONE: with expression
CON GRAZIA: with grace
CON MOTO: with spirited movement
CON SPIRITO: with spirit, energy
CRESCENDO: gradually increasing the tone
D.C. AL FINE: an abbreviation for Da Capo al Fine (fee-nay), which means to go back to the beginning and repeat to the word Fine (end)
DIMINUENDO: gradually lessening the tone
DOLCE: sweet, soft
DOMINANT: the fifth degree of the scale
ENERGICO: energetic; with force
ESPRESSIVO: with expression
FORTE (f): loud
FORTISSIMO (ff): very loud
GIOCOSO: humorous, playful
GIOJOSO: joyous
GRACE NOTES: little notes added as ornaments to give a graceful effect
GRAZIOSO: graceful, elegant
LARGHETTO: rather slow; large
LARGO: slow; broad
LEGATO: even, continuous, flowing
LEGGIERO: light
LENTO: slow
MAESTOSO: with dignity, majesty
MARCATO: distinct; emphasized
MENO MOSSO: less speed
MEZZO FORTE (mf): half loud
MISTERIOSO: mysteriously
MODERATO: moderate
MOLTO: much; very
MEZZO PIANO (mp): half soft
PIANO (p): soft
PIANISSIMO (pp): very soft
POCO A POCO: little by little
POCO MENO MOSSO: little less rapidly
POCO PIU MOTO: somewhat faster
POCO RITENUTO: hold a little
PRESTO: quick, rapid; nimble
RALLENTANDO: becoming slower; abating
RITARDANDO (rit): slower, retarding
ROMANZA: romance; song without words
SCHERZANDO: sportively, gayly, playfully
SEMPLICE: simple
SEMPRE: always, continually
SFORZANDO (sfz): the sudden accenting of a note or chord
SIMILE: similar
SOSTENUTO: sustained; to keep up
SPIRITOSO: animated; with spirit
STACCATO: detached; cut short in performing
SYNCOPATION: a shifting of the regular accent
TEMPO DI VALSE: waltz time
TRANQUILLAMENTE, or TRANQUILLO: calmy, quietly
VIVACE: gay, lively
Emily Sigers
emily@thepianopages.com
If you have ANY questions or comments, please e-mail me at:
emily@thepianopages.com
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