piano terms Flashcards
1
Q
a cappella
A
unaccompanied
2
Q
accelerando
A
gradually getting faster
3
Q
adagio
A
slow
4
Q
agitato
A
agitated
5
Q
alla marcia
A
in the style of a march
6
Q
allargando
A
broadening getting slower and louder
7
Q
allegretto
A
fairly quick slower than allegro
8
Q
al tallone
A
use the bow at the heel
9
Q
animato
A
animated lively
10
Q
apassionato
A
with passion
11
Q
assai
A
extremely
12
Q
arco
A
bow of a string instrument a direction after pizzicato
13
Q
a tempo
A
in time
14
Q
attaca
A
straight on, go straight to next section
15
Q
bravura
A
skill brilliance
16
Q
con bravura
A
in a brilliant style
17
Q
brillant/e
A
brilliant
18
Q
brio
A
vigoour,animation
19
Q
calando
A
getting softer dying away
20
Q
cantando
A
singing
21
Q
capriccioso
A
in a whimsical fanciful style
22
Q
cappricieux
A
in a whimsical fanciful style
23
Q
cédez
A
yield,relax speed
24
Q
coll coll colla col
A
with with the
25
con
with
26
crescendo
gradually getting louder
27
da
from
28
da capo DC
from the beginning
29
dal segno
from the sign
30
deciso
with determination
31
decrescendo
gradually getting softer
32
delicato
delicate
33
diminuendo
getting softer
34
divisi
divided, a direction to orchestral plays to divide into groups
35
dolce
sweet
36
dolento
sad mournful
37
dolore
grief
38
dopplo movimento
twice as fast
39
douce doux
soft sweet
40
einfach
simple
41
en cédant
yielding
42
en dehors
prominent
43
etwas
somewhat
44
facile
easy
45
felice
happy
46
fin,fine
end
47
forte
loud
48
fortissimo
very loud
49
fortepiano
loud then immediately soft
50
forza
force
51
frisch
vigourous
52
fröhlich
cheerful,joyful
53
fuuoco
fire
54
furioso
furious frenzied
55
giocoso
playful humorous
56
giusto
proper exact
57
glissando gliss
a rapid scale produced by moving thumb up all piano or moving hand up all strings of harp or liding finger along string instrument
58
grave
very solemn slow
59
grazioso
graceful
60
immer
always
61
incalzando
getting quicker
62
innig
heartfelt,sincere
63
joyeux
joyful
64
lacrimoso lagrimando lagrimoso
sad,tearful
65
langsam
slow
66
largamente
broadly
67
largo
slow stately
68
legato
smooth
69
lunga
long
70
ma
but
71
maestoso
majestic
72
marcato
emphatic accented
73
marziale
in a military style
74
mässif
at a moderate speed
75
meno
less
76
mesto
sad
77
mezzo,mezza
half
78
misura
measure
79
moins
less
80
molto
very much
81
morendo
dying away
82
non
not
83
nuovo
new
84
perdendosi
dying aqay
85
pesante
heavy
86
peu
little
87
più
more
88
pizzicato
plucked
89
plus
more
90
pochettino
rather little
91
pochissimo
very little
92
ponticello
bridge on a string instrument
93
portamento
slide from one note to the next for a trombone voice or bow instrument but not keyboard as they play in steps of the semitone
94
presto
fast faster than allegro
95
prestissimo
very fast
96
prima,primo
first
97
quasi
as if
98
rallentando
gradually getting slower
99
retenu
held back
100
rigoroso
strict
101
risoluto
bold strong
102
ritardando,ritard,rit
gadually getting slower
103
ruhig
peaceful
104
rubato
with some freedom of time
105
scherzando,scherzoso
playful joking, implies a fast speed
106
sec secco
crisp, do not allow the sound to reverberate
107
segue
go straight on
108
semplice
simple plaine
109
sehr
very
110
sempre
always
111
senza
without
112
seul
alone
113
smorz
dying away in tone and speed
114
sforzando
accented forced
115
sonoramente,sonoro.sonore
resonant rich tone
116
sordino/e
mute
117
sospirando
sighing
118
sostenuto
sustained
119
sotto
bellow play one hand bellow the other on a keyboard
120
sotto voce
in undertown
121
stretto
quickening the speed
122
stringendo
gradually getting faster
123
subito sub
suddenly
124
spiccato
detached(bouncing bow on string instruments)
125
staccato
detached
126
spiritoso
spirited
127
sul,sulla
on the
128
süss
sweet
129
tacet
silent
130
tanto
so much
131
tempo
speed
132
teneramente
tenderly
133
traurig
sad
134
tranquillo
calm
135
troppo
too much
136
tutti
all everyone
137
una un
one string, a directions for pianists to press the pedal
138
veloce
swift
139
vif
lively
140
vite
quick
141
vivace,vivo.vivement
lively,quick
142
volti
turn the page at once
143
voix,voce
voice
144
wenig
little
145
zu
too
146
zart
tender delicate
