Musical Terms
Speed (Tempo)

Adagietto- rather slow
Adagio - Leisurely
Adagissimo - very slow
Andante - "Walking" Tempo
Andantino - A little faster than Andante
Anime - Animated, lively
Allegretto - Fairly fast
Allegro - Fast
Allegro assai - Very quick
Bewegt - With Movement, agitated
Grave - Very Slow, Solemn
Langsam -Slow
Largo,Lento - Slow
Larghetto - Rather broardly
Larghissimo- Very broardly
Lebhaft - Lively
Lent - Slow
Lento - Slowly
Massig - at a moderate speed
Moderato - at a moderate speed
Modere - at a moderate speed
Presto - Very Fast
Presto possibile - As fast as possible
Prestissimo - As fast as possible
Presser - hurry
En pressant - hurrying on
Schnell - fast
Tempo comodo - at a comfortable speed
Vif - lively
Vite - quick
Vivace - lively
Vivo - lively
Vivacissimo- Very lively

Increase or Decrease of Speed (Tempo)

accelerando (accel.)- becoming gradually faster
ad libitum- not strictly in time, freely
affrettando- hurrying
allargando (allarg.) - broardening
calcando- hurrying
Cedez - relax the speed
Doppio movimento - double the speed
meno mosso - less motion; slower
meno allegro- less fast
piu mosso - more movement, faster at once
piu lento- more slowly
rallentando (rall.) - gradually slower
ritardando (rit.) - Becoming gradually slower
ritenuto (riten) - in a slower tempo; held back
rubato - freely played, improvisatory with time
stringendo (string.) - pressing; accelerating the tempo
slargando - broardening
slentando- getting slower
tenuto (ten) - held for the full time

Other Speed Terms (some include tone)

a piacere - at pleasure, freely
a tempo - in the original tempo
calando - gradually softer and slower
l'istesso tempo - at the tempo of the previous passage or movement
Veloce - Swift



Intensity (Dynamic)

Pianississimo ppp - Very Very Soft
Pianissimo pp- Very Soft
Piano p- Soft
Mezzo Piano mp- Medium Soft
Mezzo Forte mf- Medium Loud
Forte f- Loud
Fortissimo ff- Very Loud
Fortississimo fff- Very Very Loud
Crescendo cresc. <- Becoming gradually louder
Decrescendo decresc. >- Becoming gradually softer
Diminuendo dim. >- Becoming gradually softer
Messa di voce <>- Becoming louder then softer
Forte-piano fp- accented, then immediately soft
Forzando fz- strongly accented
Sforzando sfz- with sudden force or emphasis
Rinforzando rfz- reinforced; emphasized

Other Common Terms

a- to, at, in
Aber- but
a capella- without instrumental accompaniment
adirato- angry, wrathful
ad libitum- not strictly in time, freely
affettuoso- with feeling and emotion
affabilmente- sweetly and gracefully; suavely
affannato- uneasily, distressfully
affettuoso- with passion, emotion, feeling
afflitto- melancholy, sad
agitato- agitated
al fine- to the end
alla- in the style of
alla breve- "cut-time"; two beats per measure, a half note gets a beat
alla marcia - in the style of a march
alla polacca - in the style of a Polonaise
allargando - broadening out allegrettino- a little slower than allegretto
allentato- slower
altieramente- in a lofty style
amabile- sweet, tender
amoroso- affectionately
animato- animated, with spirit
animoso- animated, spirited
appassionato- with passion and emotion
arco- with the bow
aria- an air, song
arpeggio- notes of a chord played consecutively, i.e. one at a time
assai- very
assez - enough, sufficiently
a tempo- in the original tempo
attaca- begin the next section without pause
ausdruck - expression
avec - with
a volonte- at pleasure
bassa. low- 8va bass is to play the bass an octave lower
ben or bene- well
bis- repeat the passage
bravura- boldness
breit - broard, expansive
breve- note equal to two whole notes
brillante- brilliant
brio- vigor, spirit
cadenza- an elaborate solo passage, frequently unaccompanied
cantabile - in a singing style
cantando - in a singing style
capriccio- in a fanciful style
coda- a closing section
con, col- with
con anima- with animation and boldness
con brio- with vigor and brilliancy
con espressione- with expression
con fuoco- with fire and passion
con moto- with motion
con sprito- with spirit
da- from
da capo (D.C.).- from the beginning
D.C. al fine. - from the beginning to the word Fine
dal segno (D.S.). - from the sign to the word Fine
deciso - with determination
delicato - delicately
divisi (div). - divided; each part to be played by a separate instrument
dolce - sweetly
dolcissimo- very sweetly
dolente - sadly
dolore - grief, sorrow
doloroso- sadly
douce - sweet
ein - a, one
einfach - simple
elegante- elegant, graceful
en dehors - prominent
energico- energetic
espressione - expression
espressivo- expressively
et - and
etwas - somewhat, rather
facile - easy
fermata- a pause or hold
finale- final movement
fine- the end
forza- force, power, strength
forzando (fz)
frohlich - cheerful, joyful
fuoco- fire, energy
furioso- furious
giocoso- humorous
giojoso- joyous
giusto- exact, in time
glissando- gliding together
grandioso- in a grand manner
grazioso- gracefully
immer - always
impetuoso- impetuous
lacrimoso - tearfully
lamentoso- lamenting, sad
largamente- broadly
legatissimo - as smoothly as possible
legato - smoothlyas smoothly as possible
legerement - lightly
leggiero- lightly
loco- as written
ma- but
ma non troppo- but not too much so
maestoso- majestic, dignified
maggiore- the major key
marcato- in a marked, emphatic style
marcia- a march
meno- less
mezzo- medium, half
minore- in the minor key
misterioso- mysteriously
morendo- dying away; softer and softer
Molto - Very
mosso- movement
moto- motion
non- not
non tanto- not too much
obbligato- a counter-melody, in counterpoint to the main theme and continues throughout.
opus- a work or composition; the chronological number of a work
ossia- another way to play the passage
ottava (8va)- to be played an octave higher or lower
passionato- with passion
patetico- pathetically
penderosi- gradually softer and slower; dying away
perdendosi - dying away
pesante - heavily
peu - little
piu- more
pizzicato (pizz.) - plucked
plus - more
poco- a little
poco a poco- little by little
pomposo- pompous, grand
possibile - possible
presto- very fast
primo- the first
quasi - in the style of
recitativo (recit.)- like natural speech
replica - repetition
risoluto- in a resolute and bold manner
rubato- freely played, improvisatory with time
scherzando- playfully
segue- continues
semplice- in a simple, unaffected manner
sempre- always
senza- without
simile- similarly, in a like manner
smorzando (smorz). - suddenly dying away
sordino (sord).- a mute
sostenuto (sos).- sustained
sotto voce- in a quiet, subdued tone
staccato- short and detached
subito- immediately, suddenly
tacet- to be silent; do not play
tempo- rate of speed
tranquillo- quietly, calmly
Traurig - sad
Tres - very
trill- a rapid alternation of the printed note and the next note above
Triste, Tristament - sad, sorrowful
troppo- too much
tutti - all together
un - a, one, an
und - and
Vibrato - vibrating
Voce - voice
Voll - full
Volta - time
Prima volta - first time
Seconda volta - second time
Volti subito (V.S.) - quickly turn the page
Wenig - little
Wieder - again
Zart - delicate
Zu - to, too