Tempo
| Adagio |
Slow, leisurely |
| Allegretto |
A little slower than allegro |
| Allegro |
Moderately fast |
| Andante |
Moving with a moderate tempo |
| Andantino |
Faster than andante |
| Larghetto |
Not as slow as largo |
| Largo |
Very slow |
| Lento |
Slow |
| Moderato |
Moderate |
| Prestissimo |
Very rapidly |
| Presto |
Fast, rapid |
| Vivace |
Lively, animated, brisk |
Dynamics
| Crescendo |
Increasing in loudness |
| Decrescendo |
decreasing in loudness |
| Diminuendo |
diminishing in loudness |
| Forte |
Loud |
| Fortissimo |
Very loud |
| Mezzo forte |
Moderately loud |
| Mezzo piano |
Moderately soft |
| Pianissimo |
Very soft |
| Piano |
Soft |
| Rinforzando |
sudden increase in loudness |
| Sforzando |
play the note with sudden emphasis |
Style
| Animato |
animated; lively |
| Cantabile |
in a singing style |
| Con Brio |
with vigor and spirit |
| Deciso |
decisively |
| Dolce |
sweetly |
| Espressivo |
expressively |
| Furioso |
furious |
| Grandioso |
with grandeur |
| Legato |
smooth and connected |
| Marcato |
marked and stressed |
| Morendo |
dying away |
| Pesante |
heavy |
| Rubato |
taken out of tempo |
| Sempre |
always, continuously |
| Soto voce |
in an undertone |
| Staccato |
short and detached |
| Tenuto |
sustained, held for full value |
Articulation
• Accent: An accent placed above or below the note means to emphasise the not.
• Breath Mark: An apostrophe placed above the staff means to take a breath.
• Slur: A curved line either above or below notes that connects two different pitches that are to be played smoothly.
• Staccato: A dot placed above or below a note means to play it short.
• Tenuto: A line above or below the note means to play the full value of the note.
• Tie: A curved line either above or below two of the same notes indicating not to attack the second note.
Clarity Terms
| Assai |
very |
| Con |
with |
| L'istesso tempo |
same tempo |
| Meno |
less |
| Mosso |
moved, agitated |
| Non troppo |
not too much |
| Piu mosso |
faster |
| Poco |
little |
| Poco a poco |
little by little |
| Sempre |
always |
| Simile |
in the same manner |
| Subito |
suddenly |
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Music Theory