Performance Directions

TERMS MEANING

Accelerando, accel. Getting gradually faster

Adagio At ease. Slow (not as slow as largo but slower than andante)
Allegretto Fairly quick, but not quite as quick as allegro
Allegro Quick
Andante At a walking pace
Animato Animated, lively
Arco Bow
Articulation Musical shaping and phrasing. E.g. Staccato/legato
Cantabile In a singing style
Crescendo, cresc. (<) Gradually getting louder
Da capo, D.C. Repeat from the beginning until you reach the word fine
(end)
Dal segno, D.S. Repeat from the sign until you reach the word fine (end)
Decrescendo, decresc.( >) Gradually getting quieter
Diminuendo, dim.( >) Gradually getting quieter
Dolce Sweetly
Dynamics Volume. E.g. p, mf, f, cresc.
Forte, f Loud
Fortissimo, ff Very loud
G.P General Pause
Largo Broad, slow, stately
Legato Smooth
Lento Slow
Maestoso Majestic
Meno Less
Mezzo forte, mf Moderately loud
Mezzo piano, mp Moderately quiet
Misterioso Mysteriously
Moderato At a moderate speed
Mosso Moved. Eg. Meno mosso means less moved, i.e. slower
Piano Quiet
Pianissimo, pp Very quiet
Più More. E.g. più forte means louder
Pizzicato, pizz. Plucked
Poco A little
Presto Quick. Faster than allegro.
Rallentando, rall. Gradually getting slower
Ritardando, ritard., rit. Gradually getting slower
Ritenuto, riten., rit. Held back immediately, not gradually like rall. or ritard.
Staccato, stacc. Detached, short
Sforzando/sforzato, sf, sfz Accented/forced
Sfp Sforzando immediately followed by piano
Tempo Time(s). The speed at which the piece of music is
performed.
ARTICULATION DYNAMICS
Legato - smooth Piano, p - quiet
Staccato – detached/short Pianissimo, pp – very quiet
Mezzo piano, mp – moderately
quiet
Mezzo forte, mf – moderately
Forte – loud
Fortissimo – very loud
Cresecendo, cresc. – gradually get
louder
Decrescendo,
decresc./Diminuendo, dim. –
gradually get quieter
Sforzando, sf, sfz –
Accented/forced
Sfp – sforzando followed
immediately by piano
TEMPO
Largo – Broad, slow, stately
Lento – Slow
Adagio – At ease. Slow (not as
slow as largo but slower than
andante)
Andante – Walking pace
Moderato – At a moderate speed
Allegretto – Fairly quick but not
as quick as allegro
Allegro - Quick
Presto – Quick. Faster than
allegro
Rallentando, rall. - gradually
getting slower
Ritardando, ritard., rit.- gradually
getting slower
Ritenuto, riten., rit. - held back
immediately, not gradually like
rall. or ritard.
Accelerando, accel. – Getting
gradually faster
OTHER PERFORMANCE
DIRECTIONS
Pizzicato – plucked
Arco - bow
Da capo, D.C. - Repeat from the
beginning until you reach the word
fine (end)
Dal segno, D.S. - Repeat from the sign
until you re ach the word fine (end)
G.P. – General Pause
Animato – Animated, lively
Cantabile – in a singing style
Dolce – sweetly
Maestoso – Majestic
Misterioso - Mysteriously