MUSICAL TERMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND SIGNS

Accelerando. . . . . . . . . • . Gradually faster pp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pianissimo

Adagio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slowly
Ad libitum . . . . . . . . . . . . At liberty
Allargando............ Louder and slower
Allegretto....... . . . . . . Moderately fast;
slower than allegro
Allegro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lively; quick; brisk
Andante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moderately slow
Andantino . . . . . . . . . . . . Literally slower than
Andante, but now used
to mean faster than
Andante.
Animato. . . . . . . . . . . . . . With animation; with life
A tempo.............. In the original tempo
Cantabile . . . . . . . . . . . . . In a song-like style
Chromatic . . . . . . . . . . . . Proceeding by half tones
Coda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ending
Con brio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With spirit
Con moto. . . . . . . . . . . . . With motion
Crescendo. . . . . . . • . . . . . Gradually louder
Da Capo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Return to the beginning
Dal Segno. • • . . . . . . . . . . From the sign
Decrescendo . . . . . • • . . . Gradually softer
Diminuendo . . . . . . . . . . . Gradually diminish sound
Dolce . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . Sweetly
Fine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The end
Forte ................ wud
Fortissimo . . . . . • . . . . . . Very loud
Forzando . . . . . . • . . . . . . With sudden emphasis
Giocoso . . . . • . • . . . . . . . Humorously; playfully
Largo . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . The slowest tempo mark
Legato . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . In a smooth, connected style
Leggiero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light; swift
Lento . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . Slowly, between Andante and Largo
L 'istesso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In the same time or tempo
Maestoso . . . . . . . . . . . . . Majestically; with dignity
Ma non troppo . . . . . . . . . But not too much
Marcato .............. Marked; accented
Marcia . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . In a march style
Me no mosso . . . . . . . . . . . Less movement; slower
Mezzo piano ..... ~ . . . . . Moderately soft
p .................... Piano
mp . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . Mezzo Piano
mf .................. Mezzo Forte
f .................... Forte
ff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fortissimo
fz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forzando
sfz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sforzando
Rit.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ritardando
Rall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rallentando
Accel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accelerando
Cresc................ . Crescendo
Dim ................. Diminuendo
Decresc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decrescendo
Tr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1'rill
D. S. . . . . • • . . . . . • • . • . . Dal Segno
D.C..........••••...• Da Capo
I":\ Fermata; hold
X Repeat preceding measure
~ Sign
$ To Coda
X Double sqarp
bb Double flat
--==:::::: Crescendo
====--- Decrescendo
Play one octave
Bva
higher
' Breath mark

Mezzo forte . . . . . . . . . . . Moderately loud i Repeat preceding

Moderato ............. Moderately two measures
Molto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Much; very
> Accent
Morendo . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dying away
Pianissimo. . . . . . . . . . . . . Very soft
Piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Softly TEMPOS ON METRONOMES
Poco a poco . . . . . . . . . . . Little by little
Presto ................ Very quick; faster than Allegro
Rallentando . . . . . . . . . . . Gradually slower 40-60 Largo
Ritardando ............ Retarding; holding back 60-66 Larghetto
Ritenuto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Retarding; holding back 66-76 Adagio
Simile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In the same manner 76-108 Andante
Solo ••............... For one performer 108-120 Moderato
Soli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For all
120-168 Allegro
Staccato .............. Separated; disconnected
Tutti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All; together 168-200 Presto
Valse . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . Waltz 200-208 Prestissimo
Vivace . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . Lively; sprightly
 MusiCAL TERMS
You SHOULD KNow

For proper understanding and interpretation of music, you must know the meaning of many terms which are in common use.
There are hundreds of such terms, but the following may be considered a minimum which every music student should know.

Accelerando ............ ..................... Increase Speed
Adagio .................. ... .............. ....Slowly; Leisurely
Allegretto ............ ...... ..... .. ........... Moderately Fast
Allegro .. ............... ............ .................. Lively; Brisk
Andante ......... ..... ....................... Moderately Slow
Animato ..................................... With Animation
Arco ................ ................................. With the Bow
A Tempo ..................................... Original Tempo
Coda ............. ......................... Supplement at End
Crescendo .......................... . Increasing Loudness
Da Capo (D.C.) ............. .... ........ From Beginning
Dal Segno (D.S.) ........... ..................... From Sign
Decrescendo ....................... Decreasing Strength
Diminuendo ............................. Gradually Softer
Divisi ...... ..................... For Separate Instruments
Dolce ...... .................. ..................... Softly, Sweetly
Etude................... .................. ................. ... A Study
Fermata ...... ......... ............. ......... . A Hold or Pause
Fortissimo ( ff) .. ....................... ............ Very Loud
Forzando (fz) ......... ................ Strongly Accented
Forte (f) .... ..... ........ ......... .............................. Loud
Grandioso ... ..... ......... .... ............. Grand, Majestic
Largo ......................... ..... ..... ............... Broad, Slow
Legato ......................................... .......... Smoothly
Lento ...... .................. .......................... Very Slowly
Mezzo ............................... .... .... Half, Moderately
Moderato .... ......... ............. .................. Moderately
Obbligato ...... .....:....... .... .......... . Counter Melody
Opus .. .... ......... ............. .... ............. ............ A Work
CONN - SELM ER,
Pesante .. ........................ Heavily; With Emphasis
Pianissimo (pp) ..... ...... ...................... Very Softly
Piano (p) ........ .... ......................................... Softly
Pizzacato ................. .. .... ........ .... Pluck the Strings
Poco or Un Poco .. .................................... A Little
Pui Moso .. ..... ................ ....... ................... Quicker
Poco Piu Mosso .... ............. .. ........ .. A Little Faster
Pomposo .................. ......... ....... Pompous, Grand
Presto .. .............................. .................. Very Quick
Rallentando ..... ........ .... ............ Gradually Slower
Ritardando ............... ................ Gradually Slower
Scherzo .. ............................................ ..... Playfully
Solo ..... ................................... For O ne Performer
Soli.. .. .......................... . One Performer Each Part
Sordino ........................................................ Mute
Sostenuto ... ................ ....... Sustained, Prolonged
Spirito ............ .... ....................................... Spirited
Staccato ................................. Detached, Separate
Stringendo ................................. Gradually Faster
Tacet.. ........ ............................ ........ ........ "Is Silent"
Tempo ............................................ Rate of Speed
Tempo Primo ............................. Original Tempo
Tenuto ........ ................................ . Held Full Value
Trio ........................................... Three Performers
Triplet.. ............ ................. Group ofThree Notes
Tutti ................... .............. ............ All Instruments
Veloce ................ ..... ................ ... ........... .. Very Fast
Vibrato ........... .... ..... ............ Wavering Tone Effect
Vivace .................... ... .. ....... ..With Vivacity; Lively
AV7519
INC .

~
SCHERL & ROTH.
~ Mak, L,gmth.
Conn-Selmer, Inc. , A Sreinway Musical Insrrumenrs Company
P.O. Box310, Elkhm, TN 465 15
www.conn-sclmer.corn
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WM LEwis & SON