Terminology Flashcards
a tempo
return to the original tempo (the speed at which the piece began)
accelerando
accelerate; gradually faster
accidental
a sharp, flat or natural written before a note
adagio
slowly
allargando
broadening; gradually slower
allegro
fast, quick, cheerfully, merrily
allegretto
slightly slower than Allegro; faster than Andante
andante
walking tempo
andantino
slightly faster than andante
animato
animated; with spirit
articulation
the manner in which notes are executed, including, but not limited to, staccato and legato
arpeggio
notes of a chord played in succession (broken)
cantabile
in a singing style
coda
an extended ending
codetta
a coda at the end of an exposition
con
with
con brio
with vigor or spirit (with brilliance)
con fuoco
with fire or fury
con moto
with motion
crescendo
gradually louder
D.C. al fine
go back to the beginning of the piece, and play until the word fine
damper pedal
the piano pedal located on the right, used for sustaining the notes
decrescendo/diminuendo
gradually softer
dolce
sweetly
doloroso
sadly; sorrowfully
enharmonic
two different names for the same pitch, e.g C# and Db
espressivo
expressively
fine
the end
f
forte: loud
ff
fortissimo: very loud
fff
fortississimo: very, very loud
fp
forte-piano: loud followed immediately by soft
𝄐
fermata: hold the note longer than its value
giocoso
merrily, with humor
gracioso
gracefully
hemiola
a shift of the rhythmic pulse from a division of 2 to a division of 3
largo
very slowly; “large”
legato
connected
leggiero
lightly, delicately
lento
slowly
m.d.
mano destra: use the right hand
m.s.
mano sinistra: use the left hand
marcato
stressed, marked
meno
less
meno mosso
less motion; slower
mf
mezzo forte: medium loud
mp
mezzo piano: medium soft
moderato
a moderate or medium tempo
molto
much; very
Opus
a word used to indicate the chronological order in which a composer’s music was written
Parallel Major/minor
major and minor keys with the same letter names, e.g. C Major and c minor
p
piano: soft
pp
pianissimo: very soft
ppp
pianississimo: very, very soft
pesante
heavily
Phrase
a musical sentence, often four measures long
piu
more
piu mosso
more motion; faster
poco
little
presto
very fast
rallentando
gradually slower
Relative Major and minor
Major and minor keys which have the same key signature
ritardando
slow down gradually
ritenuto
immediately slower
robusto
robustly, boldly
rubato
“robbed time”; the practice of varying the rhythm of a phrase by slowing or rushing the music
scherzando
playfully, jokingly
sempre
always
senza
without
sf, fz, sfz
sforzando: A sudden, sharp accent
smorzando
dying away
simile
continue in the same style
spiritoso
spirited; with spirit
sostenuto
sustained
sotto voce
in a low voice
staccato
play crisply or detached
subito
suddenly at once
syncopation
a momentary contradiction of the meter
tempo
the speed at which to play the music
tenuto
hold the note for its full value; may also mean to play the note with a slight emphasis
toccata
a virtuoso piece common during the Baroque Period, written in free style with many scales and rapid passages
tranquillo
tranquilly, peacefully, calmly
tre corde
release the una corda pedal (soft pedal; left pedal)
una corda
press the left or soft pedal
vivace
quick, lively
vivo
brisk, lively
