Musical Terminology, Glossary, Definitions
This is a list of musical terms that are likely to be encountered in printed scores. Most of the terms are Italian (see also Italian musical terms used in English), in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions.
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
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
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
Table of General Musical Markings by origin
Italian
a (Italian) for, at, in, etc.
a cappella (Italian) for choral music without accompaniment
a capriccio (Italian) in a humorous manner
accelerando (accel.) (Italian) gradually getting faster
ad libitum (Italian) as the performer wishes
affettuoso (Italian) affectionate, with tender warmth
agitato (Italian) agitated, excited
alla (Italian) in the style of
alla breve (Italian) the half note (minim) rather than the quarter note (crotchet) takes the beat
allargando (Italian) growing broader
amabile (Italian) sweet, amiable, lovable
amoroso (Italian) loving
ancora (Italian) again
animato (Italian) with spirit
a piacere (Italian) at the performer's discretion
appassionato (Italian) impassioned
arioso (Italian) a short solo in the style of an air
arpeggio (Italian) the notes of a chord are played in succession rather than simultaneously
assai (Italian) very
ben, bene (Italian) well
brillante (Italian) with brilliance or vivacity
cadenza (Italian) a passage for solo instrument in free, improvisatory style
calando (Italian) diminishing in dynamic and speed
cambiare (Italian) to change
cantabile (Italian) in a singing style
chiuso (Italian) stopped, in horn playing
col, colla (Italian) with the
come (Italian) like, as
comodo (Italian) comfortable, easy
con (Italian) with
con brio (Italian) with brilliance or vivacity
con dolore (Italian) with sorrow
con forza (Italian) with force or strength
con fuoco (Italian) with fire
con giusto (Italian) with taste, fitting mood and tempo
con passione (Italian) with passion
con spirito (Italian) with spirit
coro (Italian) chorus
crescendo (Italian) gradually get louder
dal (Italian) from the
decrescendo (Italian) gradually get softer
decisivo (Italian) with decision
delicato (Italian) delicately
diminuendo (Italian) gradually get softer
dolce (Italian) sweetly
dolente (Italian) doleful, sorrowful
doppio movimento (Italian) double the preceeding speed
e, ed (Italian) and
e poi (Italian) and then
espressivo (Italian) expressive
facilmente (Italian) easily, without strain
feroce (Italian) ferocious
fine (Italian) end, close
furioso (Italian) furiously
giocoso (Italian) gay, playful
grandioso (Italian) grandly
grazioso (Italian) graceful
il, la (Italian) the
impetuoso (Italian) in an energetic manner
lacrimoso (Italian) tearfully
lamentoso (Italian) in a mournful style
largamente (Italian) in a dignified manner
legato (Italian) smoothly
leggiero (Italian) light and graceful
lusingando (Italian) alluring, flattering
ma (Italian) but
maestoso (Italian) majestically
mancando (Italian) dying away
marcato (Italian) emphasized
martellato (Italian) hammered stroke played with very short bows at the point
marziale (Italian) march-like
meno (Italian) less
meno mosso (Italian) less movement, slower
mesto (Italian) mournful, sad
mezzo (Italian) half
misterioso (Italian) mysteriously
molto (Italian) much, very
morendo (Italian) dying away and becoming slower
nobilmente (Italian) nobly
non (Italian) not
ossia (Italian) or
parlando (Italian) singing in speaking style
parlante (Italian) singing in speaking style
pateticamente (Italian) pathetically
perdendosi (Italian) dying away and becoming slower
pesante (Italian) heavy, weighting
piacevole (Italian) agreeable
piangevole (Italian) plaintively
piu (Italian) more
pizzicato (Italian) pluck the string with the finger
placidamente (Italian) peacefully
pochetto (Italian) very little
poco (Italian) little, a little
poco a poco (Italian) little by little
poi (Italian) then
pomposo (Italian) pompous
quasi (Italian) almost
rallentando (rall.) (Italian) gradually getting slower
religioso (Italian) with devotion
replica (Italian) repeat
risoluto (Italian) resolutely
ritardando (rit.) (Italian) gradually getting slower
ritenuto (riten.) (Italian) suddenly slower, held back
ritmico (Italian) rhythmical
rubato (Italian) robbed time, speeding up and slowing down
scherzando (Italian) playfully
secco (Italian) dry, short
sempre (Italian) always
semplice (Italian) simple
senza (Italian) without
serioso (Italian) serious
simili (Italian) the same
sino al (Italian) up to the..
slargando (Italian) broadening
slentando (Italian) getting slower
smorzando (Italian) smother dynamic to nothing
soave (Italian) suave, gentle
solennemente (Italian) solemnly
sonore (Italian) sound with full tone
sordino (Italian) mute
sostenuto (Italian) sustained
sotto voce (Italian) with a barely audible sound
spiccato (Italian) with a light bouncing motion of the bow
spiritoso (Italian) lively, with spirit
staccato (Italian) detached, short
stentando (Italian) delaying, retarding
strepitoso (Italian) noisy
stringendo (Italian) quickening
subito (Italian) suddenly
sul (Italian) on the..
suono (Italian) sound, tone
tanto (Italian) so much
tempo primo (Italian) return to original time
tempo rubato (Italian) robbed time
teneramente (Italian) tenderly
tenuto (Italian) held, sustained
tessitura (Italian) average range of a vocal part
tosto (Italian) rather
tranquillo (Italian) tranquil, quiet, calm
tremolo (Italian) a quick reiteration of the same tone on a string instrument
troppo (Italian) too much
tutti (Italian) all
un poco (Italian) a little
vibrato (Italian) slight change of pitch on same note
vigoroso (Italian) vigorous, strong
vivo (Italian) lively
German
aber (German) but
ausdrucksvoll (German) with expression
beruhigen (German) to calm, to quiet
bewegt (German) agitated
bewegter (German) more agitated
daher (German) from there
dämpfer (German) mute
drängend (German) pressing on
einleiten (German) to lead into
erschütterung (German) a violent shaking, deep emotion
etwas (German) somewhat, rather
flüchtig (German) fleeting, transient
frei (German) free
ganz (German) entirely, altogether
gebrochen (German) broken
gedehnt (German) held back
gemächlich (German) comfortable
geschlagen (German) struck
gesprochen (German) spoken
gesteigert (German) intensified
gestopft (German) stopped note by placing the hand in the bell of the horn
gewöhnlich (German) usual, customary
gleichmässig (German) equal, symmetrical
halbe (German) half
halt (German) stop, hold
hauptstimme (German) most important voice in the phrase
hauptzeitmass (German) original tempo
heftiger (German) more passionate, violent
hervortretend (German) prominently
hörbar (German) audible
immer (German) always
klangvoll (German) sonorous, full-sounding
klingen lassen (German) allow to sound
kräftig (German) strong, forceful
kurz (German) short
lebhaft (German) lively
leidenschaftlich (German) passionate
mit (German) with
nebenstimme (German) the second most important voice in the phrase
nehmen (German) to take
neue (German) new
nicht (German) not
noch (German) still, yet
ohne (German) without
plötzlich (German) suddenly
ruhig (German) calm
schleppend (German) dragging
schon (German) already
schwerer (German) heavier, more difficult
schwermütig (German) dejected, sad
sehr (German) very
sprechstimme (German) speaking voice
trauernd (German) mournfully
übertönend (German) drowning out
unterbrechung (German) interruption, suspension
verhalten (German) restrained, held back
verklingen lassen (German) let die away
verzweiflungsvoll (German) full of despair
vorwärts (German) forward, onward
weg (German) away, beyond
wieder (German) again
wie oben (German) as above, as before
zart (German) tenderly, delicately
ziemlich (German) suitable, fitting
zurückhaltend (German) slowing in speed
zurückkehrend zum (German) return to..
French
bien (French) very, well
come (French) like
détaché (French) detached
doux (French) soft, light
echoton (French) with an echo
éclatant (French) sparkling, brilliant
encore (French) again
en dehors (French) outside, emphasized
en fusée (French) dissolving in
et (French) and
fois (French) times, as in number of
laissez vibrer (French) let vibrate
lié (French) tied
main (French) hand (droite right; gauche left)
marqué (French) marked, with emphasis
pause (French) pause, rest
peu (French) little
plus (French) more
sans (French) without
seulement (French) only
sombre (French) somber, dark
son (French) sound
sourdine (French) mute
soutenu (French) held, sustained
sur (French) over, on
très (French) very
tristement (French) sadly
unison (unis.) (French) same pitches played by several instruments
