ITALIAN MUSICAL TERMS

A tempo - in the original tempo Grandioso - grand style Grave- extremely slow,
A tempo giusto - in strict and exact time solemn, slower than largo
Abbandono - unrestrained, free Grazioso - gracefully
Accelerando - with gradually increasing velocity Grosso - big
of movement Gruppetto - a group of notes, a turn
Acciaccatura - note rapidly “crushed” into Impetuoso - impetuously
principal note Larghetto - slow, but not so slow as largo
Ad libitum - at will, pleasure or discretion Largo - very slow
Adagio - moderately slow Legato - smooth, connected
Affettato - affected, artificial Lento - slow
Affettuoso - tender and affecting Maestoso - majestically
Affrettando - hastening, hurrying Marcato - in strong marked style
Agitato - with agitation, anxiously Marziale - martial
Allegramente - gaily, joyously Meno - less
Allegretto - not as fast as allegro Moderato - in moderate time
Allegro - fast, lively Molto - much or very
Amabile - sweet, agreeable Morendo - gradually dying away
Amoroso - loving, amorous Mosso - motion
Ancora - yet, still, again Non - not
Andante - moderately, walking tempo Pesante - heavily
Andantino - somewhat faster than andante Piacere - at will, with pleasure
Animato - with animation and spirit Pianissimo - very soft
Appogiatura - a rhythmically strong dissonant Piano - soft
note Piu - more
Aria - on air or song Poco a poco - little by little
Arioso - in the style of a song Poco - a little
Assai - very, extremely Precipitato - hurried
Ben - well Prestissimo - as fast as possible
Brio or Brillante - brilliant, sparkling, spirited Presto - very fast
Cadenza - a free fanciful embellished section Primo - first
Calando - softer and usually slower Quasi - almost
Cantabile - singing style Rallentando - slowing gradually
Capo - head or beginning Rinforzando - suddenly increasing in power
Coda - an added ending Risoluto - resolved, determined
Con - with Ritardando - slowing gradually
Crescendo - gradually increasing the volume Segno - sign
Dal segno - from the sign Segue - follows
Decrescendo - gradually decreasing the volume Semplice - Simple
Delicato - delicately Sempre - always, throughout
Diminuendo - gradually diminishing the volume Sforzando - sudden accent
Dolce - soft, sweet, delicate Smorzando - dying away by degrees
Dolente or Doloroso - mournful, pathetic Sostenuto - sustained
Dolore - pain, anguish Sotto - subdued
Eguale - equal, like, uniform Spirito - with spirit, lively
Elegante - with elegance Staccato - short, detached, distinct
Energico - with energy Stretto - hurried or speeding up imitation within
Expressivo - with expression various parts
Fine, Fin or Finale- the end of a movement Stringendo - accelerating the degree of
Forte - loud movement
Fortissimo - very loud Subito - suddenly, at once
Forza - strength, force Tacet - silent
Fuoco - fire, animation Tempo - speed
Furioso - passionately, furious Tenuto - sustained, full value notes
Giusto - in strict time Troppo - too much
Glissando - to slide Tutti - full ensemble
Veloce - Quick rapid
Vivace - quick
Vivo - lively, intense
Voce – voice, part
Volti subito - turn page quickly

Compound Italian Musical Terms

Adagio cantabile - moderately slow and singing

style
Adagio ma non troppo - moderately slow but not
too slow
Allegro agitato - quick or lively, with agitation
Allegro assai- very quickly or lively
Allegro con brio - quickly or lively, with
brilliancy
Allegro con spirito - quickly or lively, with spirit
Con fuoco - with fire
Sotto voce - under the voice
FRENCH MUSICAL TERMS
Abandonné - with abandon; unrestrained
Accusé - with emphasis
Agréments - grace notes; embellishments
Allégrements - gaily, joyously
Allonger - to slacken in speed
Âme - soul, feeling, emotion
Animé - animated
Assez - rather, somewhat
Augmentez - to increase, to enlarge
Avec - with
Bref - short
Caprieux - caricious, whimsically
Cédez - ritard
Chaleur - warmth- fervor
Chantant - in a singing style
Chef d’attaque - concertmaster
Chef d’orchestre - conductor
Comme - as, like, as if, in the way of
Court - short, brief, concise
Cuivre - forced, brassy
Doigt - finger
Douce/doux - sweet
Doucement - softly, sweetly
Éclatant - brilliant, piecing
Élargissant - broadening
Encore - again, yet, besides
Et - and
Exalté - excites
Expressif - expressive
Fougueux - impetuous
Frappant- hitting, marking
Froidenment - coldly, objectively
Gai - gay
Gracieux - graceful
Jeu - play, diversion
Largement - broad
Largeur - more breadth
Léger - light
Lent - slow
Liaison - a bind, tie, slur
Libre - free, at liberty
Lointain - in the distance
Mais - but
Même - same
Mineur - minor
Modéré - moderate
Moins - less
Morceau - piece; composition
Mouvement - movement of a piece; tempo
Partition - score
Pas - not, no none
Pesamment - heavily
Plainte - lamentation, complaint
Plus - more
Pour - for
Précipité - hurried
Premiere - first performance, first
Pressez - to hasten, hurry
Presque - almost, nearly
Puissant - powerful, loud, mighty
Quatuor - quartet
Récit - in recitative style
Renforcer - to reinforce, to increase
Reprise - repeat
Retenant/Retenu - holding back (immediately)
Sans - without
Septuor - septet
Seztour - sextet
Silence - rest
Soufflet - breath
Soupirant - sighing, plaintive
Subit - sudden
Temps - time, beat
Tenu - held, sustained
Timbre - tone quality
Touche - touch
Toujours - always, ever
Trainér - dragged, held back
Trés - very, very much
Triste - sad
Trop - too much, too many
Un peu animé - a little more lively
Valse - waltz
Vif - lively
Vite -quick
Voilé - veiled, subdued
Voix - voice
Compound French Musical Terms
Á la fin - at the end
Á deux - for two
Au mouvement - with movement
En dehors - to make prominent
En serrent - moving ahead
Encore plus anime - go faster next time
Pas trop vite - not too fast
Peu á peu - little by little
GERMAN MUSICAL TERMS Hauptstimme - important part
Hell - bright, clear
Abgestossen (Abgestoßen) - staccato Hervortretend - to the fore (soloistic)
Abnehmend - decreasing, diminuendo Immer - always
Abreissung (Abreißung)- a sudden pause Innig - heartfelt
Absetzung - to separate (either notes or phrases) Klagend - Lamenting
Affektvoll - with passion, fervor Klein - little, small, minute
Ähnlich - similar, like Kräftig - strong, powerful
Allein - alone Langsam - slow
Allmählich - gradually Lebhaft - lively, vivacious
Anfang - beginning, start Leicht - soft
Anhalten - to hold Mächtig - mighty, powerful
Anhang - coda Marklert - accented
Anmutig - gracefully Mässig (Mäßig ) - moderate
Ansatz - embouchure Nachlassend (Nachlaßend )- slackening,
Anschwellend - crescendo diminishing
Anwachsend - increasing, swelling Nebenstimme - subordinate part
Artikulieren - to articulate Partitur - score
Auf - on, upon, at, near Plötzlich - suddenly
Ausdrucksfull - full of expression Prachtvoll - grand, pompous
Ausgehalten - sustained Rausch - rushing, uproar
Ausgelassen (Ausgelaßen)- exuberant Ruhig - quiet
Bearbeitet - adapted, arranged Satz - a movement
Bedächtig - unhurried, deliberate Schlag - beat
Bedeutend - significant, important Schleppend - dragging
Begleiten - to accompany Schluss (Schluß)- conclusion, cadence
Beruhigend - calming, quieting Schnell - quick
Betonen - to emphasize Sehr - very
Bewegt - with agility Seufzend - sighing
Bindung - slur, tie Sofort – Immediately
Breit - broad Später - later
Das doppelt Langsamer - twice as slow Spielen - to play
Deutlich - clear, distinct Sterbend - dying away
Doppelzunge -double tonguing Stimme - a voice, part
Drängend - pressing, hastening Stück - piece, composition
Dringen - pushing forward Stürmisch - stormy, passionate
Eilend - hurrying Tanz - dance
Ein - a, an Trauer - sorrow, grief
Engang - entrance, introduction Trauermusik - funeral music
Entfernung - distance Übung - practice, exercise
Erfrig - zealous, passionate, warm Verdoppelt - doubled
Etwas - somewhat Verlag - publication
Feirerlich - in a solemn, holy mood Viel - much, many
Feurig - fiery Vom Anfang - da capo, to the beginning
Flatterzunge - flutter tonguing Vorspiel - prelude
Fliessend (Fließend ) - flowing Wider - again
Fröhlich - happy, joyful Zeitmass (Zeitmaß ) - tempo
Gehalten - sustained Ziemlich -rather, somewhat
Geheimnisvoll- mysterious Zurückhalten - to hold back
Geistlich - spiritual
Gelassen (Gelaßen)- quiet, calm
Gemächlich - unhurried, gently flowing
Gemässigt (Gemäßigt ) - moderate
Geschwind - quick
Gross (Groß)- large, great
Halb - half