Italian Musical Terms Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

allegro

A

at a fast or bright tempo (“joyful; lively and fast”)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

f (forte)

A

loud

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

ff (fortissimo)

A

very loud

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

crescendo (cresc.)

A

a gradual increase in loudness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

mp (mezzo piano)

A

moderately quiet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

diminuendo (dim.), decrescendo (decresc.)

A

a gradual decrease in loudness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

pp (pianissimo)

A

very quiet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

andante

A

at a moderately slow or walking tempo (“at a walking pace”)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

largo

A

at a slow or broad tempo

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

p (piano)

A

quiet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

staccato

A

articulation marking to play notes detached or separated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

dolce

A

sweetly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

energico

A

energetic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

vivace

A

at a lively and fast tempo

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

fp (forte-piano)

A

play loud and then immediately soft

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

cantabile

A

in a singing style

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

presto

A

at a rapid or very fast tempo, more than allegro (“soon, quickly”)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

allargando

A

broadening

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

animato

A

animated, lively

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

(con) brio

A

(with) vigour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

sfz, sf (sforzando)

A

suddenly forced, accented

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

con bravura

A

boldly, brilliantly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

da capo (D.C.)

A

repeat from the beginning (literally “from the head”)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

dal signo (D.S.)

A

repeat from the sign

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

tacet

A

silent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

sostenuto

A

sustained

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

fermata 𝄐

A

mark on a note meaning pause for an unspecified amount of time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

fine

A

the end

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

ppp (pianississimo)

A

very very quiet

30
Q

grave

A

at a very slow or solemn tempo (“solemn”)

31
Q

lento

A

at a slow tempo (“slowly”)

32
Q

accelerando (accel.)

A

accelerating, becoming faster

33
Q

adagio

A

at a slow tempo, but not as much as largo (“at ease”)

34
Q

ritardando (rit.)

A

gradually becoming slower

35
Q

moderato

A

at a moderate tempo (“moderately”)

36
Q

expressivo

A

expressive

37
Q

fff (fortississimo)

A

very very loud

38
Q

maestoso

A

majestic, stately

39
Q

glissando

A

a glide from one pitch to another

40
Q

tenuto

A

the holding or sustaining, or increased smoothness of a note

41
Q

rallentando (rall.)

A

gradually becoming slower

42
Q

scherzando

A

playfully

43
Q

mf (mezzo forte)

A

moderately loud

44
Q

ostinato

A

a repeated motif or phrase in music

45
Q

pizzicato (pizz.)

A

play a stringed instrument by plucking strings

46
Q

rubato

A

a temporary section of rhythmic freedom and expressiveness (“robbed of time”)

47
Q

legato

A

to play a series of notes smoothly or connected

48
Q

alla marcia

A

in style of a march

49
Q

arpeggio

A

a chord broken into a sequence of notes

50
Q

lacrimoso

A

tearfully, sadly

51
Q

pesante

A

heavy, slowly, sadly

52
Q

l’istesso tempo

A

at same speed

53
Q

(con) moto

A

(with) movement

54
Q

(con) amore

A

(with) love

55
Q

a tempo

A

return to previous tempo

56
Q

agitato

A

agitated, excited and fast

57
Q

altissimo

A

very high; the highest register on woodwinds

58
Q

sotto

A

subdued

59
Q

marcato

A

play note / passage with emphasis, markedly

60
Q

festoso

A

happily

61
Q

furioso

A

with passion, furiously

62
Q

ritmico

A

rhythmically

63
Q

simile (sim.)

A

in the same way

64
Q

risoluto

A

bold, strong, resolute

65
Q

misterioso

A

mysteriously

66
Q

con sordino, con sordini

A

with mute

67
Q

tranquillo

A

calmly

68
Q

grazioso

A

gracefully

69
Q

grandioso

A

grandly

70
Q

mosso

A

as a direction: moved, agitated
with “pui”: more motion
with “meno”: less motion