Tempo, Dynamics, Articulation and Clarity Terms
Tempo
Largo | Very slow |
Larghetto | Not as slow as largo |
Adagio | Slow, leisurely |
Lento | Slow |
Moderato | Moderate |
Andante | Moving with a moderate tempo |
Andantino | Faster than andante |
Allegretto | A little slower than allegro |
Allegro | Moderately fast |
Vivace | Lively, animated, brisk |
Presto | Fast, rapid |
Prestissimo | Very rapidly |
Dynamics
Pianissimo | Very soft |
Piano | Soft |
Mezzo piano | Moderately soft |
Mezzo forte | Moderately loud |
Forte | Loud |
Fortissimo | Very loud |
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Crescendo | Increasing in loudness |
Decrescendo | decreasing in loudness |
Diminuendo | diminishing in loudness |
Rinforzando | sudden increase in loudness |
Sforzando | play the note with sudden emphasis |
Style
Amoroso | tender and affectionate |
Animato | animated; lively |
Calando | gradually softer and slower |
Cantabile | in a singing style |
Con Anima | with life and animation |
Con Brio | with vigor and spirit |
Con Fuoco | with energy or passion |
Deciso | decisively |
Detache | detached |
Dolce | sweetly |
Doloroso | sorrowfully |
Espressivo | expressively |
Furioso | furious |
Giocoso | humorous |
Grandioso | with grandeur |
Grazioso | gracefully |
Legato | smooth and connected |
Leggiero | lightly |
Maestoso | majestically |
Marcato | marked and stressed |
Marzial | in the style of a march |
Morendo | dying away |
Perdendosi | dying away |
Pesante | heavy |
Religioso | religious, solemn |
Rubato | taken out of tempo |
Semplice | simple |
Sempre | always, continuously |
Sostenuto | sustained |
Soto voce | in an undertone |
Staccato | short and detached |
Tenuto | sustained, held for full value |
Tranquillo | tranquill |
Articulation
Staccato | a dot placed above or below a note means to play it short |
Slur | a curved line either above or below notes that connects two different pitches that are to be played smoothly |
Tie | a curved line either above or below two of the same notes indicating not to attack the second note |
Tenuto | a line above or below the note means to play the full value of the note |
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 |
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 |