Grade 1 Terms & Signs Flashcards
1
Q
accelerando / accel.
A
gradually getting quicker
2
Q
adagio
A
slow
3
Q
allegretto
A
fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)
4
Q
allegro
A
quick
5
Q
andante
A
at a medium (walking) speed
6
Q
cantabile
A
in a singing style
7
Q
crescendo / cresc. /
A
gradually getting louder
8
Q
da capo / D.C.
A
repeat from the beginning
9
Q
dal segno / D.S.
A
repeat from the sign
10
Q
decrescendo / decresc.
A
gradually getting quieter
11
Q
diminuendo / dim. /
A
gradually getting quieter
12
Q
fine
A
the end
13
Q
forte
A
loud
14
Q
fortissimo
A
very loud
15
Q
legato
A
smoothly
16
Q
lento
A
slow
17
Q
mezzo
A
half
18
Q
mezzo forte
A
moderately loud
19
Q
mezzo piano
A
moderately quiet
20
Q
moderato
A
moderately
21
Q
piano
A
quiet
22
Q
pianissimo
A
very quiet
23
Q
poco
A
a little
24
Q
rallentando / rall.
A
gradually getting slower
25
ritardando / rit.
gradually getting slower
26
ritenuto / rit.
held back
27
staccato / stacc.
detached
28
tempo
speed, time (a tempo: in time)
29
8va
octave
30
play an octave higher
NB va may be omitted
31
play an octave lower
NB vb may be omitted or even replaced
32
pause on the note
33
72 crochet beats in a minute
or
34
accent (placed over or under a note)
35
slur (joining two different notes)
36
dot over / under note = staccato
37
repeat marks – at the second sign go back to the first sign and repeat the music from there (if the first sign is missed out, repeat from the beginning)
