Conservatory Canada Theory 3.1 Flashcards
A tempo
Return to the original speed
Accelerando (accel.)
Gradually get faster
Accent
Emphasize the note
Ad libitum (ad lib.)
At the performer’s pleasure
Adagio
Slow, at ease; not as slow as Largo, but slower than Andante
Agitato
Excited, restless
Alla
In the style of
Allargando (allarg.)
Gradually get slower and broader
Allegretto
Rather lively & moderately fast; but not as fast as Allegro
Allegro
Quick & lively
Andante
At a walking pace
Animato
Animated, with increased life
Arco
Use the bow
Assai
Very
Attacca
Go on to the next… without a break
Ausdrucksvoll
Expressively
Ben or bene
Well, good
Bewegt
Moved, either in speed or in emotion
Brilliante
Brilliant, bright, sparkling
Brio
Life, spirit
Cantabile
In a singing style
Coll’ 8va
Add an octave; play in octaves
Colla or col or coll’
With the
Commodo
Easily, without hurry
Con brio
With life, sprit
Con espressione
With expression
Con fuoco
With fire
Con grazia
With grace, elegance
Con moto
With motion
Con pedale (con ped.)
With the damper pedal
Con sordino (con sord.)
With the mute
Crescendo (cresc.)
Gradually getting louder
Da capo (D.C.)
Repeat from the beginning
Dal segno (D.S.)
Repeat from the sign
Decrescendo
Gradually getting softer
Diminuendo
Gradually getting softer
Dolce
Sweetly
Dolente
Sorrowful, plaintive, sad
Dur
Major (key)
E or ed
And
Espressivo
Expressively
Fermata
Pause; hold the note or rest for longer than its written value
Fine
The end; end the piece here
Forte (f)
Loud, strong
Forte-Piano (fp)
Loud, then immediately soft
Fortissimo (ff)
Very loud
Giocoso
Joyful, merry
Grandioso
With grandeur, in a lofty style
Grave
Slow, extremely solemn and serious
Grazioso
In a graceful, elegant style
L’istesso tempo
The same time (use at a change of time signature)
Langsam
Slowly
Largamente
Broadly
Larghetto
Rather slow, but not as slow as Largo
Largo
Broad, slow & stately
Lebhaft
Lively
Legato
Smoothly and connected
Leggiero
Lightly, nimble
Lento
Slow
Loco
Return to the original pitch (used after 8va & 8vb)
Ma
But
Maestoso
Majestically; with dignity
Mano destra (M.D.)
Right hand
Mano Sinistra (M.S.)
Left hand
Marcato
Marked, accented
Martellato
Strongly marked, sharply accented
Mässig
Moderately
Meno
Less
Meno mosso
Less movement
Mesto
Pensive, sad, mournful
Mezzo forte (mf)
Moderato loud
Mezzo piano (mp)
Moderately soft
Moderato
At a moderate pace, between Andante and Allegro
Moll
Minor (key)
Molto
Much, very
Morendo
Dying away in tone and tempo
Mosso
Movement
Moto
Motion
Non
Not
Non troppo
Not too much
Ottava
An octave; interval of 8th
Ottava Alta (8va)
Play one octave higher
Ottava Bassa (8vb)
Play one octave lower
Pesante
Heavily
Pianissimo (pp)
Very soft
Piano (p)
Soft
Più
More
Più mosso
More movement
Pizzicato (pizz.)
Pluck the string with the finger
Poco
Little
Poco a poco
Little by little
Prestissimo
Extremely fast
Presto
Fast; faster than Allegro
Quasi
In the style of; or (when used for tempo) almost
Rallentando (rall.)
Gradually get slower
Repeat sign
Repeat the music inside the double bars
Ritardando (rit.)
Gradually get slower, holding back
Ritenuto (Riten.)
Immediately hold back; at a slower rate of speed
Ruhig
Quiet, calm
Scherzando
Playful, light and lively
Schnell
Quick
Semplice
In a simple style
Sempre
Always
Senza
Without
Simile
Like; the same as
Sonore
Noisy, boisterous
Sostenuto
Sustained
Sforzando (sfz)
Emphasize the note or chord
Staccato
Detached; separated
Strepitoso
Noisy, boisterous
Stringendo
Pressing forward; gradually getting quicker
Subito
Suddenly
Sul ponticello
Play with the bow near the bridge
Tempo giusto
In strict time
Tempo primo
Return to the original or first speed
Tempo rubato
Flexible tempo; not in strict time
Tenuto (ten.)
Held, sustained
Tranquillo
In a quiet, calm style
Tre corde
Release the soft pedal
Troppo
Too much
Una corda
Depress the soft pedal
Vivace
Animated, briskly
Vivo
Lively, spirited, briskly
Volti subito (V.S.)
Turn the page over quickly
