Italian Terms (Grade 4)

Question 1

Tempo commodo

Answer 1

at a comfortable speed

Question 2

Tempo giusto

Answer 2

at a consistent speed

Question 3

L’ istesso tempo

Answer 3

at the same speed

Question 4

Non troppo

Answer 4

not too much

Question 5

Grave

Answer 5

slow and solemn

Question 6

Rumato

Answer 6

with some freedom in the time

Question 7

Stringendo

Answer 7

pressing on faster

Question 8

Perdendosi

Answer 8

fading away

Question 9

Smorzando

Answer 9

dying away

Question 10

Rinforzando

Answer 10

reinforcing the tone

Question 11

Pesante

Answer 11

heavily

Question 12

Cantando

Answer 12

in a singing style

Question 13

Tenuto

Answer 13

held

Question 14

Piacevole

Answer 14

pleasant, agreeable

Question 15

Portamento

Answer 15

a smooth gliding from one note to another (as in singing or string playing)

Question 16

Dolente/Doloroso

Answer 16

sadly, plaintively

Question 17

Sotto voce

Answer 17

softly in an undertone

Question 18

Giocoso

Answer 18

gay, merry

Question 19

Grazioso

Answer 19

gracefully

Question 20

Assai

Answer 20

very

Question 21

Quasi

Answer 21

as if, as it were

Question 22

Scherzando

Answer 22

playfully

Question 23

Subito

Answer 23

suddenly

Question 24

Sul polticello

Answer 24

bow on or near the bridge

Question 25

Sul tasto

Answer 25

bow on or near the finger board

Question 26

Tremolo

Answer 26

bowing very rapidly to produce a shimmering or wavering effect

Question 27

Pizzicato

Answer 27

pluck the string with the finger

Question 28

Arco

Answer 28

with the bow (used after a pizz. sign)

Question 29

Counterpoint

Answer 29

a compositional technique in which two or more independent melodies are combined

Question 30

Cotrapuntal

Answer 30

the adjective used to describe music which combines two or more independent melodies (counterpoint)

Question 31

Chromatic

Answer 31

1. two notes a semitone apart with the same letter name
2. a series of 12 notes moving in semitones

Question 32

Diatonic

Answer 32

an interval or scale in which each note has a different letter name