grade 1 - performance directions

Question 1

accelerando (or accel.)

Answer 1

gradually getting quicker

Question 2

adagio

Answer 2

slow

Question 3

allegretto

Answer 3

fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)

Question 4

allegro

Answer 4

quick (literally ‘cheerful’)

Question 5

andante

Answer 5

at a medium (‘walking’) speed

Question 6

cantabile

Answer 6

in a singing style

Question 7

crescendo (or cresc.)

Answer 7

gradually getting louder

Question 8

da capo (or D.C)

Answer 8

repeat from the beginning

Question 9

dal segno (or D.S)

Answer 9

repeat from the sign (𝒇 with the two dots)

Question 10

decrescendo (or decresc.)

Answer 10

gradually getting quieter

Question 11

diminuendo (or dim.)

Answer 11

gradually getting quieter

Question 12

fine

Answer 12

the end

Question 13

‘𝒇’ (= forte)

Answer 13

loud

Question 14

‘𝒇𝒇’ (= fortissimo)

Answer 14

very loud

Question 15

legato

Answer 15

smoothly

Question 16

lento

Answer 16

slow

Question 17

mezzo

Answer 17

half

Question 18

𝒎𝒇 (= mezzo forte)

Answer 18

moderately loud (literally ‘half loud’)

Question 19

𝒎𝒑 (= mezzo piano)

Answer 19

moderately quiet (literally ‘half quiet’)

Question 20

moderato

Answer 20

moderately (allegro moderato: moderately quiet)

Question 21

𝒑 (= piano)

Answer 21

quiet

Question 22

𝒑𝒑 (= pianissimo)

Answer 22

very quiet

Question 23

poco

Answer 23

a little

Question 24

rallentando (or rall.)

Answer 24

gradually getting slower

Question 25

ritardando (or ritard. or rit.)

Answer 25

gradually getting slower

Question 26

ritenuto (riten. or rit.)

Answer 26

held back

Question 27

staccato (or stacc.)

Answer 27

detached

Question 28

tempo

Answer 28

speed,time (a tempo: in time)

Question 29

< (can be any size - shorter/longer)

Answer 29

crescendo (gradually getting louder)

Question 30

> (can be any size - shorter/longer)

Answer 30

diminuendo (gradually getting quieter)

Question 31

‘arch’ ( search online for the answer if your not sure)

Answer 31

slur (over two different notes - not to be confused with a tie- or over a group of notes is called a ‘slur’: perform note smoothly

Question 32

‘8va’

Answer 32

ottava (octave)

Question 33

‘8va(_______________)l’ the text in the brackets at the top, ignore brackets otherwise

Answer 33

(over a note or notes): perform an octave higher

Question 34

‘8(———————)l’ the text in the brackets at the top, ignore brackets otherwise

Answer 34

(over a note or notes): perform an octave higher

Question 35

‘8va______________l’

Answer 35

(under a note or notes): perform an octave lower

Question 36

‘8(——————–)’the text in the brackets at the bottom, ignore brackets otherwise

Answer 36

(under a note or notes): perform an octave lower

Question 37

’ • ‘

Answer 37

a dot over or under a note = staccato

Question 38

> (over or under a note)

Answer 38

over or under a note = accent

Question 39

(arch with a dot in it)

Answer 39

over or under a note = pause on the note

Question 40

(bar line with two dots nest to it)

Answer 40

repeat marks -at the second sign, go back to the fist sign and repeat the music from there (the first sign is left out if the music is repeated from the beginning)

Question 41

‘M.M.’ (crotchet) = 72

Answer 41

72 crotchet (quaver-note) beats in a minute 
(or just (crotchet) = 72 - M.M. is short for Maelzel's Metronome)