A
con abbandono with abandonment
con bocca chiusa humming, with mouth closed
a cappella for choir, without instrument
a capriccio capricious, whimsical
accelerando becoming faster
acciaccatura crushed note, short appogiatura
adagietto somewhat faster and lighter than adagio
adagio - adagissimo slow - extremely slow
ad libitum at one's pleasure
a due (voci)(a tre, a quattro) with two voices (three, four)
affettuoso, con affetto lovingly
affrettando hastening
con agilità with agility
agitato agitated
con alcuna licenza with freedom in execution
al fine to the end (e.g., D.C. al fine)
alla breve minim beat
alla caccia lyrics and music illustrate hunt
allargando broadening
allegramente briskly
allegretto not as fast as allegro
allegro - allegrissimo lively, cheerful
al luogo sounding as written (see also loco)
a(l) piacere at pleasure
al segno to the mark (sign), repeat
alta high
alternativo alternately
altro other
amabile amiable
amoroso, con amore with love, lovingly
anche too, also
ancora still, again
ancora una volta once again
andante moving along, walking pace
andantino somewhat quicker or slower than andante
con anima with soul, with feeling
animando becoming more animated
animato animated, lively
appassionato, passionato passionate
appena scarcely
appogiatura grace-note
a (prima) vista at sight, to play directly from the sheet
arco bow; indicates play with the bow
arioso aria-like
arpeggio arpeggio, battery
assai enough, rather, very (with tempo, e.g.,
allegro-assai)
a tempo to previous tempo after deviation
attacca "attack!", begin, go on (e.g., between two
movements)
B
basso low, bass (one octave lower)
basso ostinato ground bass (that is repeated)
battuta beat, bar
ben, bene well (e.g., ben tenuto = well held)
con bravura with skill
brillante brilliant
con brio with vigour
buffo comical, funny
burlando joking
burlesca, alla burla burlesque
C
cadenza solo improvisation, concluding harmonic sequence
calando becoming softer, waning
calmato, calmo calm
cantabile, cantando in a singing style
canto song, melody
cappriccioso capricious, whimsical
carezzando, carezzevole caressing
coda "tail", final part
colla parte with the part (follow the main part)
col legno with the wood (of the violin bow)
come prima, come sopra as before (previous tempo)
commodo, comodo comfortably, at ease
concertante concertante
coperto muffled (e.g., when playing the timpani)
coro choir
crescendo/decrescendo growing louder/decreasing
D
da capo from the beginning
dal segno (repeat) from the sign
deciso/indeciso decided/undecided
delicato, delicatemente,
con delicatezza delicate, delicately, with delicacy
diminuendo, dim, dimin diminishing
disperato desperate
distinto distinct
divisi divided (choir or orchestra parts)
dolce - dolcissimo sweet, soft - very soft
dolente, doloroso, con dolore in pain, painful, with pain
dopo after, afterwards
doppio movimento double the speed
con duolo with pain
durata duration
E
e, ed and
egualmente equally, in a similar way
elegiaco elegiac, mournful
eroico heroic
espressivo, con espressione expressive
F
facile easy
feroce ferocius
festivo festive
fioritura florid ornaments (of melody)
forte - fortissimo -
forte fortissimo strong, loud - very loud - even louder
forza force
forzando, forzato, fz forcing, forced
fugato in fugal style
funèbre mournful, funereal
fuocoso, con fuoco fiery, with fire
furioso furious
G
gaio gay, full of mirth
gioioso joyful
giusto, giustamente perfect, suitably
glissando sliding
gran great, much, big
grandioso, con grandezza grandiose
grave very slow; heavy
grazioso, con grazia graceful, with grace
gusto taste
I
impetuoso impetous
incalzando pressing
in modo di in the same mode (modus, style) as
innocenza (con) with innocence, unpretentiously
intermezzo interlude
istesso the same
L
lacrimoso, lagrimoso tearful
lamentoso lamenting
languendo, languido languishing
largamente broadly
larghetto somewhat quicker and lighter than largo
largo broad
legato, ligato - legatissimo bound, tied
leggiero - leggierissimo light
lento slow
lesto rapid, quick, swift
liberamente freely
loco (in Latin) sounding as written (nullifies 8va)
lontano far away
lugubre gloomy
lungo, lunga long
lusingando, lusingato alluring, flattered
M
ma but
maestoso majestic
maggiore major
malinconico melancholic
mancando lacking
mano destra/mano sinistra right hand/left hand
ma non tanto but not so much
ma non troppo but not too much
marcato - marcatissimo marked
martellato hammered (with the tip of the bow)
marziale martial
meno less
meno andante! less walking pace; faster than andante
mesto sad
mezzo forte/mezzo piano half loud/half soft
mezza voce half voice
minore, menore minor
misura bar, measur, mensuration
misurato measured
mobile flexible
moderato moderate
molto much, very
morendo dying away
mormorando murmuring
mosso moving
con moto motion
moto perpetuo perpetual motion
muta change
N
niente nothing
non not
nuovo new
O
opera, opus (Latin) work
ordinario ordinary
ossia otherwise, alternatively
ostinato obstinate
ovvero or
P
parlando speaking
perdendo, perdendosi decreasing to nothing
pesante heavy
pezzo piece
piacevole pleasant
piangendo crying
piano - pianissimo -
piano pianissimo soft
più more
piú andante! at a more walking pace, slower than andante
pizzicato plucked (with fingers on string)
placido placid
pochetto, pochissimo,
un pochettino little
poco little, few
poco a poco little by little
poi then
poi a poi gradually
ponticello "bridge" (the bridge on a stringed instrument)
portamento (in choir music) carrying the voice
portato carried over
possibile (as) possible
precedente preceding
precipitando, precipitato hurrying
presto - prestissimo fast - very fast
prima volta/seconda volta first time/second time
Q
quasi almost, nearly, as if
questo, questa this, this one
quieto/inquieto quiet/restless
R
raddolcendo softening
rallentando, rall. getting slower, slowing down
rapido rapid
recitando reciting
replica repeat performance
rigoroso rigorous
rinforzando, rf, rfz, rinf. strengthening
ripresa repetition, repeat
risoluto/irresoluto resolute/irresolute
ritartando, rit, ritard. slowing down
ritenuto, riten. held back, slower than main tempo
ritornare return
rustico rustic
S
saltato jumped, detached staccato (bowing)
scherzando, scherzoso jesting
sciolto free and easy
scordatura deviating in tuning, retuning
secco dry, short touch
segue it follows
semplice simple
sempre always
sensibilmente sensitively
con sentimento with feeling
senza without
sereno serene
serioso seriously
sforzando, sforzato, sf, sfz forcing, forced
simile similar
sino, sin until
con slancio with verve
slentando loosening
smorzando subduing
soave suave
solenne solemn
solo alone, one part
sonoro sonorous
sopra on, above
sordino mute (the right pedal on the piano)
sordo deaf, muffled
sospirando, sostenuto sighing, sustained
sotto under
sottovoce "under the voice", in an undertone
spiccato detached staccato (bowing)
con spirito with spirit
staccato - stacatissimo detached
strepitoso uproarious
stretto drawn together
stringendo drawing together, tightening
subito at once, immediately
sul, sulla on, on the
suonare, sonare to play
suono sound
T
tacet (Latin) silent
tastiera keyboard, fingerboard, fretboard
tasto key, fret
tasto solo only the bass; not the harmonies
tempestoso stormy
tempo giusto appropriate speed, a tempo
teneramente tenderly
tenuto, ten. held
tranquillo calm
tre corde release the soft pedal of the piano
tremolando trembling
tremolo tremulant
trillo, trillato drill, shaken
triste sad
tutto, tutta, tutte, tutti all, everyboday
U
un, uno, una one, a little
una corda (due, tre corde) one string (on the piano: to play with the
left pedal)
V
veemente vehement
veloce, con velocità with velocity, speed
vide (Latin) see (from-to, concerning jumps)
vigoroso vigorous
violento violent
vivace - vivacissimo vivacious
vivo alive, lively
voce voice
volante flying