MUSIC THEORY
accelerando (or accel.) - gradually getting quicker
adagio - slow
allegretto - fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)
allegro - quick (literally "cheerful")
andante - at a medium "walking" speed
cantabile - in a singing style
crescendo (or cresc.) - gradually getting louder
da capo (or D.C.) - repeat from the beginning
dal segno (or D.S.) - repeat from the sign
decrescendo (or decresc.) - gradually getting quieter
diminuendo (or dim.) - gradually getting quieter
fine - the end
f (forte) - loud
ff (fortissimo) - very loud
legato - smoothly
lento - slow
mezzo - half
mf (mezzo forte) - moderately loud (literally "half" loud)
mp (mezzo piano) - moderately quiet (literally "half" quiet)
moderato - moderately (ex: allegro moderato = moderately quick)
p (piano) - quiet
pp (pianissimo) - very quiet
poco - a little
rallentando (or rall.) - gradually getting slower
ritardando (or ritard. or rit.) - gradually getting slower
ritenuto (or riten. or rit.) - held back
staccato (or stacc.) - detached
tempo - speed, time (ex: a tempo = in time)
fermata - pause on note or rest
repeat marks - at the second sign, go back to the first sign and repeat the music from there (the first sign is left out if the music is repeated from the beginning)
8va (ottava) - If above notes, perform an octave higher; if below notes, perform an octave lower
a - at, to, by, for, in, in the style of
al, alla - to the, in the manner of (ex: alla marcia = in the style of a march)
allargando - broadening (getting a little slower and probably a little louder)
andantino - slow, slightly faster than andante
assai - very (ex: allegro assai = very quick)
con, col - with
dolce - sweet, soft
e, ed - and
espressivo (or espress. or espr.) - expressive
fp (fortepiano) - loud, then immediately soft
giocoso - playful, merry
grave - very slow, solemn
grazioso - graceful
larghetto - rather slow (but not as slow as largo)
largo - slow, stately
ma - but
maestoso - majestic
meno - less
molto - very, much
mosso, moto - movement (ex: meno mosso = slower, con moto = with movement)
non - not
più - more
presto fast (faster than allegro)
senza without
sf, sfz (sforzando or sforzato) forced, accented
simile (or sim.) in the same way
sostenuto sustained
tenuto held
troppo too much (ex: non troppo = not too much)
vivace, vivo lively, quick
Marcato (^) very strong accent
Staccatissimo note is to be played as breifly as possible and perhaps accented as well
Adagietto rather slow (but faster than adagio)
ad libitum, ad lib. at choice, meaning a passage may be played freely
agitato agitated
alla breve with a minim (half note) beat, implying a faster tempo than the note values might otherwise suggest
amore love (ex: amoroso = loving)
anima soul, spirit, (ex: con anima can mean "with feeling" or "spirited")
animato animated, lively (ex: animando = becoming more lively)
ben well
brio vigour (ex: con brio = with vigour, lively)
comodo convenient (tempo comodo: at a comfortable speed)
deciso with determination
delicato delicate
energico energetic
forza force
largamente broadly
leggiero light, nimble
marcato, marc. emphatic, accented
marziale in a military style
mesto sad
pesante heavy
prima, primo first
risoluto bold, strong
ritmico rhythmically
rubato, tempo rubato with some freedom of time
scherzando, scherzoso playful, joking
seconda, secondo second
semplice simple, plain
sempre always
stringendo gradually getting faster
subito suddenly
tanto so much
tranquilo calm
triste, tristamente sad, sorrowful
volta time (prima volta: first time; seconda volta: second time)
affetuoso tenderly
affrettando hurrying
amabile amiable, pleasant
appassionato with passion
calando getting softer, dying away (and usually slowing down)
cantando singing
come as, similar to (come prima: as before; come sopra: as above)
facile easy
fuoco fire
giusto proper, exact (tempo giusto: in strict time)
l'istesso the same (l'istesso tempo: at the same speed)
morendo dying away
niente nothing
nobilmente nobly
perdendosi dying away
possibile possible (presto possibile: as fast as possible)
quasi as if, resembling
sonoro resonant, with rich tone
sopra apove
sotto below (sotta voce: in an undertone)
veloce swift
voce voice
à to, at
animé animated, lively
assez enough, sufficiently
avec with
cédez yield, relax the speed
dolce sweet
en dehors prominent (a direction to make a melody stand out)
et and
légèrement light
lent slow
mais but
moins -------- less
modéré ------- at a moderate speed
non ------- not
peu -------- little
plus -------- more
presser -------- hurry (en pressant: hurrying on)
ralentir --------- slow down
retenu ------ held back (en retenant: holding back, slowing a little)
sans without
très ------- very
un, une -------- one
vif lively
vite ---------- quick
attaca ----- go straight on to the next seccion of music
dolente ----------- sad, mournful
doppio movimento ----------- twice as fast
estinto ------------ as soft as possible, lifeless
dolore -------- grief (doloroso: sorrowful)
incalzando ----- getting quicker
lacrimoso --------- sad
loco -------- at the normal pitch (used to cancel an 8va direction)
lunga ------ long (lunga pausa: long pause)
lusingando ------ coaxing, in a sweet and persuasive style
misura ------ measure (alla misura: in strict time; senza misura: in free time)
ossia ------ or, alternatively
piacevole ------- pleasant
piangevole ------ plaintive, in the style of a lament
pochettino, poch. ------ rather little
rinforzando, rf, rfz ------- reinforcing
segue go straight on
smorzando, smorz --------- dying away in tone and speed
teneramente, tenerezza ------- tenderly, tenderness
tosto -------- swift, rapid (but often used in the same sense as troppo)
volante -------- flying, fast
aber----- but
Ausdruck ------- expression
bewegt --------- with movement, agitated
breit -------- broad, expansive
ein a, einfach ------- simple
etwas -------- somewhat, rather
fröhlich -------- cheerful, joyful
immer -------- always
langsam-------- slow
lebhaft --------- lively
mässig ------- at a moderate speed
mit ----- with
nicht not
ohne without
ruhig peaceful
schnell fast
sehr very
süss sweet
traurig sad
und and
voll full
wenig little
wieder again
zart tender, delicate
zu to, too
Meaning - Burlesco
(Italian) burlesque, jocular, in a playful style. This is the most common meaning when it is used as a musical term. Burlesco means "funny" in Spanish.
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Please open the link below for the Music terminology for ABRSM students
which are also helpful for AMEB theory students.
http://i.imgur.com/1KCgkiZ.png
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TERMS FOR MUSIC CRAFT
PRELIMINARY
TERMS MEANING
TEMPO TIME, SPEED OR PACE
ANDANTE AT AN EASY WALKING PACE
PIANO (p) SOFT
FORTE (f) LOUD
LEGATO TO BE PLAYED SMOOTH AND CONNECTED
STACCATO TO BE PLAYED IN A SHORT AND DETACHED MANNER
MODERATO AT A MODERATE SPEED / PACE
MEZZO FORTE (mf) MODERATELY LOUD
ALLEGRO FAST AND LIVELY (CHEERFUL)
PIANISSIMO (pp) VERY SOFT
ADAGIO AT EASE / AT A LEISURELY PACE
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FIRST GRADE
TERMS MEANING
ACCELERANDO INCREASE THE TEMPO GRADUALLY
A TEMPO - RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL TEMPO/SPEED
TEMPO PRIMO - RETURN TO THE ORIGINALTEMPO/SPEED
RITARDANDO (rit.) - GRADUAL SLOWING OF THE TEMPO
RALLENTANDO (rall.) - GRADUAL SLOWING OF THE TEMPO
MEZZO PIANO (mp) - MODERATELY SOFT
RITENUTO (riten.) - IMMEDIATE SLOWING OF THE TEMPO
LEGATO ARTICULATION (short slur) - DROP & ROLL TECHNIQUE
LEGATO PHRASING (long slur) - INDICATES PHRASING, smooth & connected
TIE - CONNECT TWO NOTES OF THE SAME PITCH
PLAY THE 1ST NOTE & HOLD FOR THE VALUE OF BOTH NOTES
ANACRUSIS (UPBEAT / PICK UP) - AN INCOMPLETE BAR USED TO COMMENCE A MUSICAL PHRASE
CRESCENDO - GRADUAL INCREASE IN VOLUME
DECRESCENDO - GRADUAL DECREASE IN VOLUME
LENTO - SLOW
PRESTO - VERY FAST
SYNCOPATION - Is a displacement / disturbance of the normal accent. RHYTHMIC DEVICE
THAT CONTRADICTS THE EXPECTED REGULARITY OF STRESSED AND UNSTRESSED BEATS
CAESURA - A SHORT BREAK IN THE FLOW OF THE MUSIC
FERMATA (PAUSE SIGN) - HOLD THE NOTE, CHORD OR REST BEYOND ITS NORMAL LENGHT
SYMBOLS > AND ^ - SIGNIFIES AN ACCENT (^ ) IS A HEAVIER ACCENT THAN (>)
sforzando (sf) - A STRONG ACCENT,"FORCING"
sforzato (sfz) - A SUDDEN STRONG ACCENT, ˜FORCED
rinforzando (rf) - REINFORCING THE TONE (LESS HEAVY ACCENT THAN sf)
rinforzato(rfz) - SUDDEN REINFORCED OF THE TONE
TENUTO mark (-) - HOLD THE NOTE FOR ITS FULL RHYTHMIC VALUE
fortissimo (ff) - VERY LOUD
ALLEGRETTO - MODERATELY FAST AND LIVELY
VIVACE - LIVELY & SPIRITED (FASTER THAN ALLEGRO)
Da capo (D.C) - REPEAT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PIECE
Dal segno (D.S) - REPEAT FROM THE SIGN
FINE - THE END OF THE MUSICAL COMPOSITION
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SECOND GRADE
TERMS - MEANING
MAESTOSO - MAJESTICALLY
SOSTENUTO - SUSTAINED
PIZZICATO - PLUCKED
ARCO - PLAY WITH THE BOW
CANTABILE - IN A SINGING STYLE
ESPRESSIVO - EXPRESSIVELY
POCO - LITTLE
MOLTO - VERY OR MUCH
LEGGIERO - LIGHTLY
Mezzo Staccato - Moderately detached
SEMPRE - ALWAYS
SENZA - WITHOUT
LARGO - BROADLY, THE SLOWEST STANDARD TEMPO MARKING
LARGHETTO - SOMEWHAT BROAD, NOT AS SLOW AS LARGO, SLOWER THAN LENTO
LARGAMENTE - BROADLY
ALLARGANDO - BROADENING OUT
CON MOTO - WITH MOTION
PIU MOSSO - MORE MOTION
MENO MOSSO - LESS MOTION
VIVO - LIVELY, SPIRITED (same as VIVACE)
PRESTISSIMO - AS FAST AS POSSIBLE or VERY QUICK
8, or 8va (OTTAVA) - OCTAVE (PLAY AN OCTAVE HIGHER IN THE TREBLE OR AN OCTAVE LOWER IN BASS CLEF).
8va, (can be OTTAVA ALTA) - PLAY AN OCTAVE HIGHER THAN Written
(OTTAVA BASSA) 8vb / 8ba / 8va sotto - PLAY AN OCTAVE LOWER THAN WRITTEN
LOCO - IN PLACE" - PLAY AT THE WRITTEN PITCH after 8va
BINARY (AB) - TWO SECTIONS COMPOSITION, EACH MAY BE REPEATED
TERNARY (ABA) - THREE SECTIONS COMPOSITION :- STATEMENT - CONTRAST -RESTATEMENT
PHRASE - A unit of melody like a musical sentence, with some degree
of completeness in harmonic direction and cadence.
Motif - A small, recognisable unit of melody and/or rhythm, shorter
than a phrase & subjected to repetition development or variation.
LEGATO PHRASING (long slur) - A unit of melody to be played in a smooth and connected manner.
LEGATO ARTICULATION (2 note slur) - To be played with the "drop-roll" technique.
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THIRD GRADE
TERMS MEANING
STRINGENDO - squeezing, increase the speed rapidly.
CALANDO "lowering", To allow the volume to gradually becoming softer while gradually
slowing down, such as fading away.
MORENDO - "dying", To allow the volume to gradually becoming softer while gradually
slowing down, such as fading away.
15ma, QUINDICESIMA / QUINTA DICESIMA - A double octave or a 15th (A la quindicesima - played at a double octave).
ANHANG (German) - Appendix. A supplement, or in musicological terminology
a section to a critical edition of a work and containing variant readings.
fp, forte piano - an accent followed immediately by a piano dynamic level.
subito piano (subito p) - dramatic, sudden decrease of dynamic level to piano.
simple intervals - intervals from the unison through the octave (P1 to P8).
compound intervals - intervals larger than an octave.
parallel period - melodic repetition of bars in both opening an 2nd phrase with
slight variation in the ending of the second phrase.
'antecedent phrase' - first phrase.
'consequent phrase' - second phrase.
pesante - 'heavy', 'weighty', 'massive' or 'ponderous' A solid & heavy sound.
Resulting a louder dynamic level a little slower tempo.
rubato - 'stolen time'. Play a passage with rhythmic flexibility and freedom.
"song form" - structure of composition AABA
"Sentence form" - many sections or subsections - aab
NCT non-chord tone , - not members of the chords in effect at the time.
Contribute colour & interest to the overall harmony.
Texture - refers to relationship between voices in terms of time & register
Polyrhythmic texture - voices with different rhythms
Polyphonic texture - separate parts that are rhythmically & melodically independent
Homorhythmic texture - voices that move in the same rhythm
Cadential six-four - device used to delay the dominant chord - embelilishment
A hyphen - used to indicate melodic movement within a single voice.
"exposed octaves/fifths" - similar motion to a P5 or P8 in outer voices of chord
where the soprano moves by leap is unacceptable.
P5 to d5 (unequal fifths) - in harmony & voice leading is acceptable
d5 to P5 (unequal fifths) - in harmony & voice leading is unacceptable.
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