Musical Terms
The list of musical terms is also available in Swedish.
- Comma (
,) between two expressions indicates that they mean approximately the same thing. - Slash (
/) between two expressions indicates that they are each other's opposites. - Hyphen (
-) between two expressions indicates that the latter term is an amplification of the former.
Index
A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V
A
con abbandono with abandonment 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 bocca chiusa humming, with mouth closed 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 (in Finnish: hurjasti) 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 più 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 rubato (somewhat) free tempo 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 left 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
Source for English terms: Braccini, Roberto, Praktisches Wörterbuch der Musik, B. Schott's Söhne, Mainz, 1992, 431 p. ISBN 3-7957-8279-1. The page is maintained by Juha Takkinen, juhta@ida.liu.se.