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This is a list of musical terms that are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian (see also Italian musical terms used in English), in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings of these phrases differ from the original or current Italian meanings. Most of the other terms are taken from French and German, indicated by "Fr." and "Ger.", respectively.

Unless specified, the terms are Italian or English. The list can never be complete: some terms are common, and others are used only occasionally, and new ones are coined from time to time. Some composers prefer terms from their own language rather than the standard terms listed here.

0–9

On these organ stops, some of the knobs have numbers indicating the length in feet of the longest (the lowest note) organ pipe of the stop

I 

in violin family instrument music, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the highest-pitched, thinnest string

1′ 

"Sifflet" or one foot organ stop

​1 ³⁄₅′ 

Tierce organ stop

2′ 

Two feet – pipe organ indication; see Organ stop § Pitch and length

II 

in violin family instrument music, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the string adjacent to the highest-pitched, thinnest string

​2 ²⁄₃′

Pipe organ stop for the twelfth interval

IV–VI 

Mixture stop on pipe organ

II 

Cymbal stop on pipe organ

III 

in violin family instrument music, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on string adjacent to (but higher in pitch) than the lowest-pitched, thickest string

IV 

in violin family instrument music, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the lowest-pitched, thickest string

4′

Four feet – pipe organ rank that speaks one octave higher than 8′

8′ 

Eight foot pipe – pipe organ indication

16′ 

Sixteen foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for one octave below 8′

32′ 

Thirty-two foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for two octaves below 8′, also called sub-bass (on most organs this is the lowest, deepest pitch)

64′ 

Sixty-four foot pipe – pipe organ indication (only a few organs have this deep a pitch)

A

a or à (Fr.) 

at, to, by, for, in, in the style of...

a battuta 

Return to normal tempo after a deviation. Not recommended in string parts, due to possible confusion with battuto (qv.); use a tempo, which means the same thing.

a bene placito 

Up to the performer

a cappella 

(i.e. without instrumental accompaniment)

a capriccio 

A free and capricious approach to tempo

a due (a 2)

intended as a duet; for two voices or instruments; together; two instruments are to play in unison after a solo passage for one of the instruments

a niente

To nothing; indicating a diminuendo which fades completely away

a piacere 

At pleasure (i.e. the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly, for example in a cadenza)

a prima vista 

lit. "at first sight". Sight-reading (i.e. played or sung from written notation but without prior review of the written material. Refer to the figure.)

a tempo 

In time (i.e. the performer should return to the main tempo of the piece, such as after an accelerando or ritardando); also may be found in combination with other terms such as a tempo giusto (in strict time) or a tempo di menuetto (at the speed of a minuet)

ab (Ger.) 

off, organ stops or mutes

abafando (Port.) 

muffled, muted

abandon or avec (Fr.) 

free, unrestrained, passionate

abbandonatamente, con abbandono 

free, relaxed

aber (Ger.) 

but

accarezzevole 

Expressive and caressing

accelerando (accel.) 

Accelerating; gradually increasing the tempo

accelerato 

suddenly increasing the tempo

accent 

Emphasize

accentato/accentuato 

Accented; with emphasis

acceso 

Ignited, on fire

accessible 

Music that is easy to listen to/understand

acciaccato 

Broken down, crushed; the sounding of the notes of a chord not quite simultaneously, but from bottom to top.

acciaccatura 

Crushing (i.e. a very fast grace note that is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure)

accompagnato 

Accompanied (i.e. with the accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down at will)

accuratezza 

Precision; accuracy. con accuratezza: with precision

acoustic 

Relating to music produced by instruments, as opposed to electric or electronic means

ad libitum (commonly ad lib; Latin) 

At liberty (i.e. the speed and manner of execution are left to the performer. It can also mean improvisation.)

adagietto 

Fairly slow (but faster than adagio)

adagio 

At ease (i.e. play slowly)

adagissimo 

Very, very slow

affannato, affannoso 

Anguished

affetto or con affetto

with affect (that is, with emotion)

affettuoso, affettuosamente, or affectueusement (Fr.) 

With affect (that is, with emotion); see also con affetto

affrettando 

Hurrying, pressing onwards

agile 

Swiftly

agitato 

Agitated

al or alla 

To the, in the manner of (al before masculine nouns, alla before feminine)

alcuna licenza 

Used in con alcuna licenza, meaning (play) with some freedom in the time, see rubato

all' ottava 

"at the octave", see ottava

alla breve 

In cut-time; two beats per measure or the equivalent thereof

alla marcia 

In the style of a march

alla polacca 

In the style of a Polonaise, a 3/4 dance

allargando 

Broadening, becoming a little slower each time

allegretto 

A little lively, moderately fast

allegretto vivace 

A moderately quick tempo

allegrezza 

Cheerfulness, joyfulness

allegrissimo 

Very fast, though slower than presto

allegro 

Cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as lively, fast

alt (Eng.), alt dom, or altered dominant 

A jazz term which instructs chord-playing musicians such as a jazz pianist or jazz guitarist to perform a dominant (V7) chord with at least one (often both) altered (sharpened or flattened) 5th or 9th

altissimo 

Very high; see also in altissimo.

alto 

High; often refers to a particular range of voice, higher than a tenor but lower than a soprano

alzate sordini 

Lift or raise the mutes (i.e. remove mutes)

am Steg (Ger.) 

At the bridge (i.e. playing a bowed string instrument near its bridge, which produces a heavier, stronger tone). See sul ponticello.

amabile 

Amiable, pleasant

ambitus 

Range between highest and lowest note

amore or amor (in Spanish/Portuguese and sometimes in Italian) 

Love, con amore: with love, tenderly

amoroso 

Loving

anacrusis 

A note or notes that precede the first full bar; a pickup

andamento 

Used to refer to a fugue subject of above-average length

andante 

At a walking pace (i.e. at a moderate tempo)

andantino 

Slightly faster than andante (but earlier it is sometimes used to mean slightly slower than andante)

ängstlich (Ger.) 

Anxiously

anima 

Life; feeling. con anima: with feeling

animandosi 

Animated, lively

animato 

Animated, lively

antiphon 

A liturgical or other composition consisting of choral responses, sometimes between two choirs; a passage of this nature forming part of another composition; a repeated passage in a psalm or other liturgical piece, similar to a refrain.^[1]

antiphonal

A style of composition in which two sections of singers or instrumentalists exchange sections or music one after the other; typically the performers are on different sides of a hall or venue

apaisé (Fr.) 

Calmed

appassionato 

Passionately

appoggiatura or leaning note 

One or more grace notes that take up some note value of the next full note.

arco 

The bow used for playing some string instrument (i.e. played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato, in music for bowed instruments); normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction

aria 

Self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment (which may be provided by a pianist using an orchestral reduction)

arietta 

A short aria

arioso 

Airy, or like an air (a melody) (i.e. in the manner of an aria); melodious

armonioso 

Harmoniously

arpeggio, arpeggiato

like a harp (i.e. the notes of the chords are to be played quickly one after another instead of simultaneously). In music for piano, this is sometimes a solution in playing a wide-ranging chord whose notes cannot be played otherwise. Arpeggios are frequently used as an accompaniment. See also broken chord.

articulato 

Articulately

assai 

Much, Very much

assez (Fr.) 

Enough, sufficiently

attacca 

Attack or attach; go straight on (i.e. at the end of a movement, a direction to attach the next movement to the previous one, without a gap or pause)

Ausdruck (Ger.) 

Expression

ausdrucksvoll or mit Ausdruck (Ger.) 

Expressively, with expression

avec (Fr.) 

With or with another

B

B 

German for B flat (also in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, Croatian, Estonian and Hungarian); H in German is B natural

ballabile 

(from the Italian Ballabile meaning "danceable") In ballet the term refers to a dance performed by the corps de ballet. The term Grand ballabile is used if nearly all participants (including principal characters) of a particular scene in a full-length work perform a large-scale dance.

bar, or measure 

unit of music containing a number of beats as indicated by a time signature; also the vertical bar enclosing it.

barbaro 

Barbarous (notably used in Allegro barbaro by Béla Bartók)

Bartók pizzicato 

A term that instructs string performers to play a pizzicato note to pull the string away from the fingerboard so that it snaps back percussively on the fingerboard.

bass 

The lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano); the lowest melodic line in a musical composition, often thought of as defining and supporting the harmony; in an orchestral context, the term usually refers to the double bass.

basso continuo 

Continuous bass (i.e. a bass accompaniment part played continuously throughout a piece by a chordal instrument (pipe organ, harpischord, lute, etc.), often with a bass instrument, to give harmonic structure), used especially in the Baroque period

battement (Fr.) 

Used in the 17th-century to refer to ornaments consisting of two adjacent notes, such as trills or mordents

battuto (Ital.) 

To strike the strings with the bow (on a bowed stringed instrument)

beam 

Horizontal or diagonal line used to connect multiple consecutive notes.

beat 

1. The pronounced rhythm of music

2. One single stroke of a rhythmic accent

belebt or belebter (Ger.) 

Spirited, vivacious, lively

bellicoso 

Warlike, aggressive (English cognate is "bellicose")

ben or bene 

Well; in ben marcato ("well marked") for example

bend 

Jazz term referring either to establishing a pitch, sliding down half a step and returning to the original pitch or sliding up half a step from the original note.

beschleunigte (Ger.) 

Accelerated, as in mit beschleunigter Geschwindigkeit, at an accelerated tempo

bewegt (Ger.) 

Moved, with speed

binary 

A musical form in two sections: AB

bird's eye 

A slang term for fermata, which instructs the performer to hold a note or chord as long as they wish of following cues from a conductor

bis (Lat.) 

Twice (i.e. repeat the relevant action or passage)

bisbigliando 

Whispering (i.e. a special tremolo effect on the harp where a chord or note is rapidly repeated at a low volume)

bocca chiusa

with closed mouth (sometimes abbreviated B.C.)

bravura 

Boldness; as in con bravura, boldly

breit (Ger.) 

Broad

bridge 

1. Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition, or between two A sections (e.g., in an A/B/A form).

2. Part of a violin family or guitar/lute stringed instrument that holds the strings in place and transmits their vibrations to the resonant body of the instrument.

brillante 

Brilliantly, with sparkle. Play in a showy and spirited style.

brio or brioso 

Vigour; usually in con brio: with spirit or vigour

broken chord 

A chord in which the notes are not all played at once, but in some more or less consistent sequence. They may follow singly one after the other, or two notes may be immediately followed by another two, for example. See also arpeggio, which as an accompaniment pattern may be seen as a kind of broken chord; see Alberti bass.

bruscamente 

Brusquely

C

cabaletta

The concluding, rapid, audience-rousing section of an aria

cadence 

A melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of resolution

cadenza 

A solo section, usually in a concerto or similar work, that is used to display the performer's technique, sometimes at considerable length

calando 

Falling away, or lowering (i.e. getting slower and quieter; ritardando along with diminuendo)

calma 

Calm; so con calma, calmly. Also calmato meaning calmed, relaxed

calore 

Warmth; so con calore, warmly

cambiare 

To change (i.e. any change, such as to a new instrument)

canon or kanon (Ger.) 

A theme that is repeated and imitated and built upon by other instruments with a time delay, creating a layered effect; see Pachelbel's Canon.

cantabile or cantando 

In a singing style. In instrumental music, a style of playing that imitates the way the human voice might express the music, with a measured tempo and flexible, legato.

canto 

Chorus; choral; chant

cantus mensuratus or cantus figuratus (Lat.)

Meaning respectively "measured song" or "figured song". Originally used by medieval music theorists, it refers to polyphonic song with exactly measured notes and is used in contrast to cantus planus. A later term for cantus mensuratus or cantus figuratus is cantus musicus ("musical song").^[2][3]

capo 

1. capo (short for capotasto: "nut") : A key-changing device for stringed instruments (e.g. guitars and banjos)

2. head (i.e. the beginning, as in da capo)

capriccio 

"A humorous, fanciful, or bizarre, composition, often characterized by an idiosyncratic departure from current stylistic norms."^[4]See also: Capriccio (disambiguation)

capriccioso 

Capriciously, unpredictable, volatile

cavalleresco 

Chivalrous (used in Carl Nielsen's violin concerto)

cédez (Fr.) 

Yield, give way

cesura or caesura (Lat.) 

Break, stop; (i.e. a complete break in sound) (sometimes nicknamed "railroad tracks" in reference to their appearance)

chiuso 

Closed (i.e. muted by hand) (for a horn, or similar instrument; but see also bocca chiusa, which uses the feminine form)

coda 

A tail (i.e. a closing section appended to a movement)

codetta 

A small coda, but usually applied to a passage appended to a section of a movement, not to a whole movement

col or colla

with the (col before a masculine noun, colla before a feminine noun); (see next for example)

col legno 

With the wood (i.e. the strings) (for example, of a violin) are to be struck with the wood of the bow, making a percussive sound; also battuta col legno: beaten with the wood

col pugno 

With the fist (i.e. bang the piano with the fist)

coll'ottava 

With the addition of the octave note above or below the written note; abbreviated as col 8, coll' 8, and c. 8va

colla parte 

With the soloist; as an instruction in an orchestral score or part, it instructs the conductor or orchestral musician to follow the rhythm and tempo of a solo performer (usually for a short passage)

colla voce 

With the voice; as an instruction in a choral music/opera score or orchestral part, it instructs the conductor or orchestral musician to follow the rhythm and tempo of a solo singer (usually for a short passage)

coloratura 

Coloration (i.e. elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line, or a soprano voice that is well-suited to such elaboration)

colossale 

Tremendously

come prima 

Like the first (time) (i.e. as before, typically referring to an earlier tempo)

come sopra 

As above (i.e. like the previous tempo)

common time 

The time signature ⁴
₄: four beats per measure, each beat a quarter note (a crotchet) in length. ⁴
₄ is often written on the musical staff as . The symbol is not a C as an abbreviation for common time, but a broken circle; the full circle at one time stood for triple time, ³
₄.

comodo 

Comfortable (i.e. at moderate speed); also, allegro comodo, tempo comodo, etc.

comp 

1. abbreviation of accompanying, accompanying music, accompaniment

2. describes the chords, rhythms, and countermelodies that instrumental players used to support a musician's melody and improvised solos.

3. Ostinato

comping 

1. to comp ; action of accompanying.

con 

With; used in very many musical directions, for example con allegrezza (with liveliness), con amore (with tenderness); (see also col and colla)

con sordina or con sordine (plural) 

With a mute, or with mutes. Frequently seen in music as (incorrect Italian) con sordino, or con sordini (plural).

conjunct 

An adjective applied to a melodic line that moves by step (intervals of a 2nd) rather in disjunct motion (by leap).

contralto 

Lowest female singing voice type

contrapuntalism 

See counterpoint

coperti 

(plural of coperto) covered (i.e. on a drum, muted with a cloth)

corda 

String. On piano refers to use of the soft pedal which controls whether the hammer strikes one or three strings; see una corda, tre corde below.

count 

Series of regularly occurring sounds to assist with ready identification of beat

crescendo 

Growing; (i.e. progressively louder) (contrast diminuendo)

cuivré 

Brassy. Used almost exclusively as a French Horn technique to indicate a forced, rough tone. A note marked both stopped and loud will be cuivré automatically^[1]

custos 

Symbol at the very end of a staff of music which indicates the pitch for the first note of the next line as a warning of what is to come. The custos was commonly used in handwritten Renaissance and typeset Baroque music.

cut time 

Same as the meter ²
₂: two half-note (minim) beats per measure. Notated and executed like common time (⁴
₄), except with the beat lengths doubled. Indicated by . This comes from a literal cut of the symbol of common time. Thus, a quarter note in cut time is only half a beat long, and a measure has only two beats. See also alla breve.

D

da capo 

From the head (i.e. from the beginning) (see also capo)

Dal segno (D.S.) 

From the sign ()

dal segno al coda (D.S. al coda) 

Repeat to the sign and continue to the coda sign, then play coda

dal segno al fine (D.S. al fine) 

From the sign to the end (i.e. return to a place in the music designated by the sign and continue to the end of the piece)

dal segno segno al coda (D.S.S. al coda) 

Same as D.S. al coda, but with a double segno

dal segno segno al fine (D.S.S. al fine) 

From the double sign to the end (i.e. return to place in the music designated by the double sign (see D.S. al coda) and continue to the end of the piece)

decelerando 

Slowing down; decelerating; opposite of accelerando (same as ritardando or rallentando)

deciso 

Decisively

declamando 

Solemn, expressive, impassioned

decrescendo (decresc.) 

Gradually decreasing volume (same as diminuendo)

deest 

From the Latin deesse meaning to be missing; placed after a catalogue abbreviation to indicate that this particular work does not appear in it.^[5] The plural, desunt, is used when referring to several works.

delicatamente or delicato 

Delicately

détaché (Fr.) 

Act of playing notes separately

devoto 

Religiously

diminuendo, dim. 

Dwindling (i.e. with gradually decreasing volume) (same as decrescendo)

disjunct 

An adjective applied to a melodic line which moves by leap (intervals of more than a 2nd) as opposed to conjunct motion (by step)

di 

Of

dissonante 

Dissonant

divisi (div.) 

Divided (i.e. in a part in which several musicians normally play exactly the same notes they are instead to split the playing of the written simultaneous notes among themselves). It is most often used for string instruments, since with them another means of execution is often possible. (The return from divisi is marked unisono.)

doit 

Jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically upwards.

dolce 

Sweetly

dolcissimo 

Very sweetly

dolente 

Sorrowfully, plaintively

dolore 

Pain, distress, sorrow, grief con dolore: with sadness

doloroso 

Sorrowfully, plaintively

doppio movimento 

Twice as fast

double dot 

Two dots placed side by side after a note to indicate that it is to be lengthened by three quarters of its value.

double stop 

The technique of playing two notes simultaneously on a bowed string instrument

downtempo 

A slow, moody, or decreased tempo or played or done in such a tempo. It also refers to a genre of electronic music based on this (downtempo).

drammatico 

Dramatically

drone 

Bass note or chord performed continuously throughout a composition

drop 

Jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically downwards

duolo 

(Ital.) grief

dumpf (Ger.) 

Dull

Dur (Ger.)

major; used in key signatures as, for example, A-Dur (A major), B-Dur (B♭ major), or H-Dur (B major). (see also Moll (minor).)

dynamics 

The relative volume in the execution of a piece of music

E

e (Ital.) or ed (Ital., – used before vowels) 

And

eco 

The Italian word for "echo"; an effect in which a group of notes is repeated, usually more softly, and perhaps at a different octave, to create an echo effect

ein wenig (Ger.) 

A little

Empfindung (Ger.) 

Feeling

en dehors (Fr.) 

Prominently

en pressant (Fr.) 

Hurrying forward

en retenant (Fr.) 

Slowing

encore (Fr.) 

Again (i.e. perform the relevant passage once more); a performer returning to the stage to perform an unlisted piece

energico 

Energetic, strong

enfatico 

Emphatically

eroico 

Heroically

espansivo 

Effusive; excessive in emotional expression; gushy.

espirando 

Expiring (i.e. dying away)

espressione 

Expression; expressively (e.g. con (gran, molta) espressione: with (great, much) expression)

espressivo, espress. or espr. 

(Italian) Expressively

estinto 

Extinct, extinguished (i.e. as soft as possible, lifeless, barely audible)

esultazione 

With Exultation

etwas (Ger.) 

Somewhat

F

facile 

Easily, without fuss

fall 

Jazz term describing a note of definite pitch sliding downwards to another note of definite pitch.

falsetto 

vocal register above the normal voice

fantasia 

A piece not adhering to any strict musical form. Can also be used in con fantasia: with imagination

feierlich (Ger.) 

Solemn, solemnly

fermata 

Finished, closed (i.e. a rest or note is to be held for a duration that is at the discretion of the performer or conductor) (sometimes called bird's eye); a fermata at the end of a first or intermediate movement or section is usually moderately prolonged, but the final fermata of a symphony may be prolonged for longer than the note's value, typically twice its printed length or more for dramatic effect.

feroce 

Ferociously

festivamente 

Cheerfully, celebratory

feurig (Ger.) 

Fiery

fieramente 

Proudly

fil di voce 

"thread of voice", very quiet, pianissimo

fill (Eng.) 

A jazz or rock term which instructs performers to improvise a scalar passage or riff to "fill in" the brief time between lyrical phrases, the lines of melody, or between two sections

fine 

The end, often in phrases like al fine (to the end)

flat 

A symbol (♭) that lowers the pitch of a note by a semitone. The term may also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where a singer or musician is performing a note in which the intonation is an eighth or a quarter of a semitone too low.

flautando or flautendo 

Flutelike; used especially for string instruments to indicate a light, rapid bowing over the fingerboard

flebile 

Mournfully

flessibile 

flexible^[6]

focoso or fuocoso 

Fiery (i.e. passionately)

forte (f) 

Strong (i.e. to be played or sung loudly)

forte piano (fp) 

Strong-gentle (i.e. loud, then immediately soft (see dynamics), or an early pianoforte)

fortissimo (ff) 

Very loud (see note at pianissimo)

fortississimo (fff) 

As loud as possible

forza 

Musical force con forza: with force

forzando (fz) 

See sforzando

freddo 

Cold(ly); hence depressive, unemotional

fresco 

Freshly

fröhlich (Ger.)

Lively, joyfully

fugue (Fr.), fuga (Latin and Italian) 

Literally "flight"; hence a complex and highly regimented contrapuntal form in music. A short theme (the subject) is introduced in one voice (or part) alone, then in others, with imitation and characteristic development as the piece progresses.

funebre 

Funeral; often seen as marcia funebre (funeral march), indicating a stately and plodding tempo.

fuoco 

Fire; con fuoco: with fire, in a fiery manner

furia 

Fury

furioso 

Furiously

G

G.P. 

Grand Pause, General Pause; indicates to the performers that the entire ensemble has a rest of indeterminate length, often as a dramatic effect during a loud section

gaudioso 

With joy

gemächlich (Ger.) 

Unhurried, at a leisurely pace

gemendo 

Groaningly

gentile 

Gently

geschwind (Ger.) 

Quickly

geteilt (Ger.) 

See divisi

getragen (Ger.) 

Solemnly, in a stately tempo

giocoso or gioioso 

Gaily

giusto 

Strictly, exactly (e.g. tempo giusto in strict time)

glissando 

A continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a true glissando), or an incidental scale executed while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando). See glissando for further information; and compare portamento.

grace note 

An extra note added as an embellishment and not essential to the harmony or melody.

grandioso 

Grandly

grave 

Slowly and seriously

grazioso 

Gracefully

guerriero 

War-like, militarily

gustoso 

With happy emphasis and forcefulness

H

H 

German for B natural; B in German means B flat

Hauptstimme (Ger.) 

Main voice, chief part (i.e. the contrapuntal line of primary importance, in opposition to Nebenstimme)

hemiola (English, from Greek) 

The imposition of a pattern of rhythm or articulation other than that implied by the time signature; specifically, in triple time (for example in ³
₄) the imposition of a duple pattern (as if the time signature were, for example, ²
₄). See Syncopation.

hervortretend (Ger.) 

Prominent, pronounced

Hold, see Fermata

Homophony 

A musical texture with one voice (or melody line) accompanied by subordinate chords; also used as an adjective (homophonic). Compare with polyphony, in which several independent voices or melody lines are performed at the same time.

I

immer (Ger.) 

Always

imperioso 

Imperiously

impetuoso 

Impetuously

improvvisando 

With improvisation

improvvisato 

Improvised, or as if improvised

improvise 

To create music at the spur of the moment, spontaneously, and without preparation (often over a given harmonic framework or chord progression)

in alt 

octave above the treble staff, G₅ to F₆^[7]

in altissimo 

Octave above the in alt octave, G₆ to F₇

in modo di 

In the art of, in the style of

in stand 

A term for brass players that requires them to direct the bell of their instrument into the music stand, instead of up and toward the audience, thus muting the sound but without changing the timbre as a mute would^[8]

incalzando 

Getting faster and louder

innig 

Intimately, heartfelt

insistendo 

Insistently, deliberate

intimo 

Intimately

intro 

Opening section of a piece

irato 

Angrily

-issimamente 

A suffix meaning as ... as can be (e.g. leggerissimamente, meaning as light as can be)

-issimo 

A suffix meaning extremely (e.g. fortissimo or prestissimo)

J

Jazz standard (or simply "standard") 

A well-known composition from the jazz repertoire which is widely played and recorded.

jete (Fr. jeté) 

Jump; a bowing technique in which the player is instructed to let the bow bounce or jump off the strings.

K

keyboardist (Eng.) 

A musician who plays any instrument with a keyboard. In Classical music, this may refer to instruments such as the piano, pipe organ, harpsichord, and so on. In a jazz or popular music context, this may refer to instruments such as the piano, electric piano, synthesizer, Hammond organ, and so on.

Klangfarbenmelodie (Ger.) 

"tone-color-melody", distribution of pitch or melody among instruments, varying timbre

kräftig (Ger.) 

Strongly

L

lacrimoso or lagrimoso 

Tearfully (i.e. sadly)

laissez vibrer, l.v. (Fr.) 

French for lasciare suonare ("let vibrate").

lamentando 

Lamenting, mournfully

lamentoso 

Lamenting, mournfully

langsam (Ger.) 

Slowly

largamente 

Broadly (i.e. slowly) (same as largo)

larghetto 

Somewhat slowly; not as slow as largo

larghezza 

Broadness; con larghezza: with broadness; broadly

larghissimo 

Very slowly; slower than largo

largo 

Broadly (i.e. slowly)

lasciare suonare 

"Let ring", meaning allow the sound to continue, do not damp; used frequently in harp or guitar music, occasionally in piano or percussion. Abbreviated "lasc. suon."

leap or skip 

A melodic interval greater than a major 2nd, as opposed to a step. Melodies which move by a leap are called "disjunct". Octave leaps are not uncommon in florid vocal music.

lebhaft (Ger.) 

Briskly, lively

legato 

Joined (i.e. smoothly, in a connected manner) (see also articulation)

leggierissimo 

Very lightly and delicately

leggiero, leggiermente or leggiadro 

Lightly, delicately (The different forms of this word, including leggierezza, "lightness", are properly spelled without the i in Italian, i.e. leggero, leggerissimo, leggermente or leggerezza.)

leidenschaftlich(er) (Ger.) 

Passionately

lent (Fr.) 

Slowly

lentando 

Gradual slowing and softer

lentissimo 

Very slowly

lento 

Slowly

liberamente 

Freely

libero 

Free, freely

lilt 

A jaunty rhythm

l'istesso, l'istesso tempo, or lo stesso tempo 

The same tempo, despite changes of time signature, see metric modulation^[9]

lo stesso 

The same; applied to the manner of articulation, tempo, etc.

loco 

[in] place (i.e. perform the notes at the pitch written, generally used to cancel an 8va or 8vb direction). In string music, also used to indicate return to normal playing position (see Playing the violin).^[1]

long accent 

Hit hard and keep full value of note (>)

lontano 

From a distance; distantly

lugubre 

Lugubrious, mournful

luminoso 

Luminously

lunga 

Long (often applied to a fermata)

lusingando, lusinghiero 

Coaxingly, flatteringly, caressingly

M

ma 

But

ma non troppo, ma non tanto 

But not too much

maestoso 

Majestically, in a stately fashion

maggiore 

The major key

magico 

Magically

magnifico 

Magnificent

main droite (Fr.) 

[played with the] right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)

main gauche (Fr.) 

[played with the] left hand (abbreviation: MG or m.g.)

malinconico 

Melancholic

mancando 

Dying away

mano destra 

[played with the] right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)

mano sinistra 

[played with the] left hand (abbreviation: MS or m.s.)

marcatissimo 

With much accentuation

marcato, marc. 

Marked (i.e. with accentuation, execute every note as if it were to be accented)

marcia 

A march; alla marcia means in the manner of a march

martellato 

Hammered out

marziale 

Martial, solemn and fierce

mäßig (Ger.) 

(sometimes given as "mässig", "maessig") Moderately

MD 

See mano destra or main droite

measure (Eng.) 

Also "bar" the period of a musical piece that encompasses a complete cycle of the time signature (e.g. in ⁴
₄ time, a measure has four quarter note beats)

medesimo tempo 

Same tempo, despite changes of time signature

medley 

Piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping.

melancolico 

Melancholic

melisma 

The technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is being sung

meno 

Less; see meno mosso, for example, less mosso

messa di voce 

In singing, a controlled swell (i.e. crescendo then diminuendo, on a long held note, especially in Baroque music and in the bel canto period)^[1]

mesto 

Mournful, sad

meter or metre 

The pattern of a music piece's rhythm of strong and weak beats

mezza voce 

Half voice (i.e. with subdued or moderated volume)

mezzo 

Half; used in combinations like mezzo forte (mf), meaning moderately loud

mezzo forte (mf) 

Half loudly (i.e. moderately loudly). See dynamics.

mezzo piano (mp) 

Half softly (i.e. moderately softly). See dynamics.

mezzo-soprano 

A female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that of a soprano and that of a contralto.

MG 

See main gauche

minore 

Minor key

misterioso 

Mysteriously

mit Dämpfer (Ger.) 

With a mute

M.M. 

Metronome Marking. Formerly "Mälzel Metronome."^[10]

mobile 

Flexible, changeable

moderato 

Moderate; often combined with other terms, usually relating to tempo; for example, allegro moderato

modéré (Fr.) 

Moderately

modesto 

Modest

modulation 

The act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal center) to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature.

Moll (Ger.) 

minor; used in key signatures as, for example, a-Moll (A minor), b-Moll (B♭ minor), or h-Moll (B minor) (see also Dur (major))

molto 

Very

mordent 

Rapid alternation of a note with the note immediately below or above it in the scale, sometimes further distinguished as lower mordent and upper mordent. The term "inverted mordent" usually refers to the upper mordent.

morendo 

Dying (i.e. dying away in dynamics, and perhaps also in tempo)

mosso 

Moved, moving; used with a preceding più or meno, for faster or slower respectively

moto 

Motion; usually seen as con moto, meaning with motion or quickly

movement 

A section of a musical composition (such as a sonata or concerto)

MS 

See mano sinistra

munter (Ger.) 

Lively

Musette (Fr.) 

A dance or tune of a drone-bass character, originally played by a musette

muta [in...] 

Change: either a change of instrument (e.g. flute to piccolo, horn in F to horn in B♭); or a change of tuning (e.g. guitar muta 6 in D). Note: does not mean "mute", for which con sordina or con sordino is used.^[1]Muta comes from the Italian verb mutare (to change into something).

N

nach und nach (Ger.) 

Literally "more and more" with an increasing feeling. Ex. "nach und nach belebter und leidenschaftlicher" (with increasing animation and passion)

narrante 

Narratingly

natural 

A symbol (♮) that cancels the effect of a sharp or a flat

naturale (nat.) 

Natural (i.e. discontinue a special effect, such as col legno, sul tasto, sul ponticello, or playing in harmonics)

N.C. 

No chord, written in the chord row of music notation to show there is no chord being played, and no implied harmony

Nebenstimme (Ger.) 

Secondary part (i.e. a secondary contrapuntal part, always occurring simultaneously with, and subsidiary to, the Hauptstimme)

nicht (Ger.) 

Not

niente 

"nothing", barely audible, dying away, sometimes indicated with a dynamic n

nobile or nobilmente (Ital.) or Noblement (Fr.) 

In a noble fashion

noblezza 

Nobility

nocturne (Fr.) 

A piece written for the night

notes inégales (Fr.) 

Unequal notes; a principally Baroque performance practice of applying long-short rhythms to pairs of notes written as equal; see also swung note

notturno 

See nocturne.

number opera 

An opera consisting of "numbers" (e.g. arias, intermixed with recitative)

O

obbligato 

Required, indispensable

octave 

Interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. Twelve semitones equals an octave, so does the first and eighth (hence "oct"ave) note in a major or minor scale.

ohne Dämpfer (Ger.) 

Without a mute

omaggio 

Homage, celebration

one-voice-per-part (OVPP) 

The practice of using solo voices on each musical line or part in choral music.

ordinario (ord.) (Ital.) or position ordinaire (Fr.)

In bowed string music, an indication to discontinue extended techniques such as sul ponticello, sul tasto or col legno, and return to normal playing. The same as "naturale".

organ trio 

In jazz or rock, a group of three musicians which includes a Hammond organ player and two other instruments, often an electric guitar player and a drummer.

ossia or oppure 

Or instead (i.e. according to some specified alternative way of performing a passage, which is marked with a footnote, additional small notes, or an additional staff)

ostinato 

Obstinate, persistent (i.e. a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition)

ottava 

Octave (e.g. ottava bassa: an octave lower)

overture 

An orchestral composition forming the prelude or introduction to an opera, oratorio, etc.

P

parlando or parlante 

Like speech, enunciated

Partitur (Ger.) 

Full orchestral score

passionato 

Passionately

pastorale 

In a pastoral style, peaceful and simple

patetico 

Passionately, with great emotion. A related term is Pathetique: A name attributed to certain works with an emotional focus such as Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony.

pausa 

rest

pedale or ped 

In piano scores, this instructs the player to press the damper pedal to sustain the note or chord being played. The player may be instructed to release the pedal with an asterisk marking (*). In organ scores, it tells the organist that a section is to be performed on the bass pedalboard with the feet.

penseroso 

Thoughtfully, meditatively

perdendosi 

Dying away; decrease in dynamics, perhaps also in tempo

pesante 

Heavy, ponderous

peu à peu (Fr.) 

Little by little

pezzo 

A composition

piacevole 

Pleasant, agreeable

piangendo 

Literally 'crying' (used in Liszt's La Lugubre Gondola no. 2).

piangevole 

Plaintive:

pianissimo (pp)

very gently (i.e. perform very softly, even softer than piano). This convention can be extended; the more ps that are written, the softer the composer wants the musician to play or sing, thus ppp (pianississimo) would be softer than pp. Dynamics in a piece should be interpreted relative to the other dynamics in the same piece. For example, pp should be executed as softly as possible, but if ppp is found later in the piece, pp should be markedly louder than ppp. More than three ps (ppp) or three fs (fff) are uncommon.

piano (p) 

Gently (i.e. played or sung softly) (see dynamics)

piano-vocal score 

The same as a vocal score, a piano arrangement along with the vocal parts of an opera, cantata, or similar

Picardy third 

A Picardy third, Picardy cadence (ˈpɪkərdi ) or, in French, tierce picarde is a harmonic device used in Western classical music.It refers to the use of a major chord of the tonic at the end of a musical section that is either modal or in a minor key.

piena 

Full, as, for example, a voce piena = "in full voice"

pietoso 

Pitiful, piteous

più 

More; see mosso

piuttosto 

Rather, somewhat (e.g. allegro piuttosto presto)

pizzicato 

Pinched, plucked (i.e. in music for bowed strings, plucked with the fingers as opposed to played with the bow; compare arco, which is inserted to cancel a pizzicato instruction; in music for guitar, to mute the strings by resting the palm on the bridge, simlulating the sound of pizz. of the bowed string instruments)

plop 

Jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically downwards.

pochettino or poch. 

Very little; diminutive of poco

pochissimo or pochiss.

Very little; superlative of poco

poco 

A little, as in poco più allegro (a little faster)

poco rall

a gradual decrease in speed

poco a poco 

Little by little

poetico 

Poetic discourse

poi 

Then, indicating a subsequent instruction in a sequence; diminuendo poi subito fortissimo, for example: getting softer then suddenly very loud

pomposo 

Pompous, ceremonious

ponticello (pont.) 

On the bridge (i.e. in string playing, an indication to bow or to pluck very near to the bridge, producing a characteristic glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of the fundamental); the opposite of sul tasto

portamento 

Carrying (i.e. 1. generally, sliding in pitch from one note to another, usually pausing just above or below the final pitch, then sliding quickly to that pitch. If no pause is executed, then it is a basic glissando; or 2. in piano music, an articulation between legato and staccato, like portato)

portato or louré 

Carried (i.e. non-legato, but not as detached as staccato) (same as portamento)

posato 

Settled

potpourri or pot-pourri (Fr.) 

Potpourri (as used in other senses in English) (i.e. a kind of musical form structured as ABCDEF... etc.; the same as medley or, sometimes, fantasia)

precipitato 

Precipitately

prelude, prélude (Fr.), preludio (It), praeludium (Lat.), präludium (Ger.) 

A musical introduction to subsequent movements during the Baroque era (1600s/17th century). It can also be a movement in its own right, which was more common in the Romantic era (mid-1700s/18th century)

prestissimo 

Extremely quickly, as fast as possible

presto 

Very quickly

prima or primo (the masculine form) 

First

prima donna 

Leading female singer in an opera company

prima volta 

The first time; for example prima volta senza accompagnamento (the first time without accompaniment)

Q

quartal 

Composed of the musical interval of the fourth; as in quartal harmony

quarter tone 

Half of a semitone; a pitch division not used in most Western music notation, except in some contemporary art music or experimental music. Quarter tones are used in Western popular music forms such as jazz and blues and in a variety of non-Western musical cultures.

quasi (Latin and Italian) 

As if, almost (e.g. quasi recitativo like a recitative in an opera, or quasi una fantasia like a fantasia)

quintal 

Composed of the musical interval of the fifth; as in quintal harmony

R

rallentando or rall. 

Broadening of the tempo (often not discernible from ritardando); progressively slower

rapide (Fr.) 

Fast

rapido 

Fast

rasch (Ger.) 

Fast

rasguedo (Spa) 

(on the guitar) to play strings with the back of the fingernail; esp. to fan the strings rapidly with the nails of multiple fingers

ravvivando (Ital., "reviving") 

Quicken pace (as "ravvivando il tempo", returning to a faster tempo that occurred earlier in the piece)^[11]

recitativo 

Recitatively; one voice without accompaniment

religioso 

Religiously

repente 

Suddenly

reprise 

Repeat a phrase or verse; return to the original theme

restez (Fr.) 

Stay in position, i.e., do not shift (string instruments)

retenu (Fr.) 

Hold back; same as the Italian ritenuto (see below)

ridicolosamente or ridicolo 

Humorously, inaccurate, and loosely

rilassato 

Relaxed

rinforzando (rf, rfz or rinf.) 

Reinforced (i.e. emphasized); sometimes like a sudden crescendo, but often applied to a single note

risoluto 

Resolutely

rit. 

An abbreviation for ritardando;^[12] also an abbreviation for ritenuto^[13]

ritardando, ritard., rit. 

Slowing down; decelerating; opposite of accelerando

ritenuto, riten., rit. 

Suddenly slower, held back (usually more so but more temporarily than a ritardando, and it may, unlike ritardando, apply to a single note); opposite of accelerato

ritmico 

Rhythmical

ritmo 

Rhythm (e.g. ritmo di # battute meaning a rhythm of # measures)

ritornello 

A recurring passage for orchestra in the first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria (also in works for chorus).

rolled chord 

See Arpeggio

rondo 

A musical form in which a certain section returns repeatedly, interspersed with other sections: ABACA is a typical structure or ABACABA

roulade (Fr.) 

A rolling (i.e. a florid vocal phrase)

rubato 

Robbed (i.e. flexible in tempo), applied to notes within a musical phrase for expressive effect

ruhig (Ger.) 

Calm, peaceful

run 

A rapid series of ascending or descending musical notes which are closely spaced in pitch forming a scale, arpeggio, or other such pattern. See: Fill (music).

ruvido 

Roughly

S

saltando 

Bouncing the bow as in a staccato arpeggio, literally means "jumping"

sanft (Ger.) 

Gently

scatenato 

Unchained, wildly^[14]

scherzando, scherzoso 

Playfully

scherzo 

A light, "joking" or playful musical form, originally and usually in fast triple metre, often replacing the minuet in the later Classical period and the Romantic period, in symphonies, sonatas, string quartets and the like; in the 19th century some scherzi were independent movements for piano, etc.

schleppend, schleppen (Ger.) 

In a dragging manner, to drag; usually nicht schleppen ("don't drag"), paired with nicht eilen ("don't hurry") in Gustav Mahler's scores

schnell (Ger.) 

Fast

schneller (Ger.) 

Faster

schwer (Ger.) 

Heavy

schwungvoll (Ger.) 

Lively, swinging, bold, spirited

scioltezza 

Fluency, agility (used in con scioltezza)

sciolto

Fluently, with agility

scordatura 

Altered or alternative tuning used for the strings of a string instrument)

scorrendo, scorrevole 

Gliding from note to note

secco (sec) (Fr.)

Dry (sparse accompaniment, staccato, without resonance); with basso continuo accompaniment, this often means that only the chordal instrument will play, with the sustained bass instrument not playing

segno

sign, usually Dal segno (see above) "from the sign", indicating a return to the point marked by

segue 

Carry on to the next section without a pause

sehr (Ger.) 

Very

semitone 

The smallest pitch difference between notes (in most Western music) (e.g. F–F♯) (Note: some contemporary music, non-Western music, and blues and jazz uses microtonal divisions smaller than a semitone)

semplice 

Simply

sempre 

Always

sentimento 

Feeling, emotion

sentito 

Expressively

senza 

Without

senza misura 

Without measure

senza replica

Without repetition: "when a movement, repeated in the first instance, must, on the Da Capo, be played throughout without repetition."^[15]

senza sordina or senza sordine (plural) 

Without the mute. See sordina.

serioso 

Seriously

sforzando (sf or sfz) 

Made loud (i.e. a sudden strong accent)

shake 

A jazz term describing a trill between one note and its minor third; or, with brass instruments, between a note and its next overblown harmonic.

sharp 

A symbol (♯) that raises the pitch of the note by a semitone. The term may also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where a singer or musician is performing a note in which the intonation is somewhat too high in pitch.

short accent 

Hit the note hard and short (^)

si (Fr.) 

Seventh note of the series ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, in fixed-doh solmization.

siciliana 

A Sicilian dance in ¹²
₈ or ⁶
₈ meter^[16]

sign 

See segno

silenzio 

Silence (i.e. without reverberations)

simile 

Similarly (i.e. continue applying the preceding directive, whatever it was, to the following passage)

sipario 

Curtain (stage)

slancio 

Momentum, con slancio: with momentum; with enthusiasm

slargando or slentando 

Becoming broader or slower (that is, becoming more largo or more lento)

slur 

A symbol in Western musical notation (generally a curved line placed over the notes) indicating that the notes it embraces are to be played without separation (that is, with legato articulation).

smorzando (smorz.) 

Extinguishing or dampening; usually interpreted as a drop in dynamics, and very often in tempo as well

soave 

Smoothly, gently

sognando 

Dreamily

solenne 

Solemn

solo or soli (plural) 

Alone (i.e. executed by a single instrument or voice). The instruction soli requires more than one player or singer; in a jazz big band this refers to an entire section playing in harmony. In orchestral works, soli refers to a divided string section with only one player to a line.

solo break 

A jazz term that instructs a lead player or rhythm section member to play an improvised solo cadenza for one or two measures (sometimes abbreviated as "break"), without any accompaniment. The solo part is often played in a rhythmically free manner, until the player performs a pickup or lead-in line, at which time the band recommences playing in the original tempo.

somma (Ital.) 

Sum; total, con somma passione: with great passion

sonata 

A piece played as opposed to sung.

sonatina 

A little sonata

sonatine 

A little sonata, used in some countries instead of sonatina

sonore 

Sonorous (Deep or ringing sound)

sonoro 

Ringing

sopra 

Above

sopra una corda or sull'istessa corda 

To be played on one string

soprano 

The highest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano)

sordina, sordine (plural) 

A mute, Note: sordina, with plural sordine, is strictly correct Italian, but the forms sordino and sordini are much more commonly used as terms in music. Instruments can have their tone muted with wood, rubber, metal, or plastic devices, (for string instruments, mutes are clipped to the bridge; for brass instruments, mutes are inserted in the bell), or parts of the body (guitar; French Horn), or fabric (clarinet; timpani), among other means. In piano music (notably in Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata), senza sordini or senza sordina (or some variant) is sometimes used to mean keep the sustain pedal depressed, since the sustain pedal lifts the dampers off the strings, with the effect that all notes are sustained indefinitely.

sordino 

See sordina.

sortita 

A principal singer's first entrance in an opera

sospirando 

Sighing

sostendo (Galican)

holding back, (notably used in El Camino Real by Alfred Reed)

sostenuto 

Sustained, lengthened

sotto voce 

In an undertone (i.e. quietly)

spianato 

Smooth, even

spiccato 

Distinct, separated (i.e. a way of playing the violin and other bowed instruments by bouncing the bow on the string, giving a characteristic staccato effect)

spinto 

Literally "pushed"

spirito 

Spirit, con spirito: with spirit; with feeling

spiritoso 

Spiritedly

staccato 

Making each note brief and detached; the opposite of legato. In musical notation, a small dot under or over the head of the note indicates that it is to be articulated as staccato.

stanza 

A verse of a song

stem 

Vertical line that is directly connected to the [note] head.

stentando or stentato (sten. or stent.) 

Labored, heavy, in a dragging manner, holding back each note

stornello 

Originally truly 'improvised' now taken as 'appearing to be improvised,' an Italian 'folk' song, the style of which used for example by Puccini in certain of his operas.

strascinando or strascicante 

Indicating a passage should be played in a heavily slurred manner

strepitoso 

Noisy, forceful

stretto 

Tight, narrow (i.e. faster or hastening ahead); also, a passage in a fugue in which the contrapuntal texture is denser, with close overlapping entries of the subject in different voices; by extension, similar closely imitative passages in other compositions

stringendo 

Gradually getting faster (literally, tightening, narrowing) (i.e. with a pressing forward or acceleration of the tempo, that is, becoming stretto)

strisciando 

To be played with a smooth slur, a glissando

subito 

Suddenly (e.g. subito pp, which instructs the player to suddenly drop to pianissimo as an effect); often abbreviated as sub.

sul (Ital.) 

Literally, "on", as in sul ponticello (on the bridge); sul tasto (on the fingerboard); sul E (on the E string), etc.

sul E 

"on E", indicating a passage is to be played on the E string of a violin. Also seen: sul A, sul D, sul G, sul C, indicating a passage to be played on one of the other strings of a string instrument.

suono reale 

Actual sound. Primarily used with notated harmonics where the written pitch is also the sounding pitch.

sur la touche (Fr.) 

Sul tasto

syncopation 

A disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of downbeat rhythm with emphasis on the sub-division or up-beat (e.g. in Ragtime music).

T

tacet 

Silent; do not play

tasto or tastiera (tast.) 

On the fingerboard (i.e. in string playing, an indication to bow or to pluck over the fingerboard); playing over the fingerboard produces a duller, less harmonically rich, gentler tone. The opposite of sul ponticello.

tasto solo 

'single key'; used on a basso continuo part to indicate that the notes should be played only by the bass instrument, without harmony/chords played by the harpsichordist/organist

tempo 

Time (i.e. the overall speed of a piece of music)

tempo di marcia 

March tempo

tempo di mezzo 

The middle section of a double aria, commonly found in bel canto era Italian operas, especially those of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and their contemporaries as well in many early operas by Verdi. When present, the tempo di mezzo generally signals a shift in the drama from the slow cantabile of the first part to the cabaletta of the second, and this can take the form of some dramatic announcement or action to which the character(s) react in the cabaletta finale.^[17]

tempo di valse 

Waltz tempo

tempo giusto 

In strict time

tempo primo, tempo uno, or tempo I (sometimes tempo I° or tempo ^1ero) 

Resume the original speed

tempo rubato 

"Robbed time"; an expressive way of performing a rhythm; see rubato

ten. 

See tenuto

teneramente; tendre or tendrement (Fre) 

Tenderly

tenerezza 

Tenderness

tenor 

The second lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano)

tenuto 

Held (i.e. touch on a note slightly longer than usual, but without generally altering the note's value)

ternary 

Having three parts. In particular, referring to a three-part musical form with the parts represented by letters: ABA

tessitura 

The 'best' or most comfortable pitch range, generally used to identify the most prominent / common vocal range within a piece of music

Tierce de Picardie 

See Picardy third

timbre 

The quality of a musical tone that distinguishes voices and instruments

time 

In a jazz or rock score, after a rubato or rallentendo section, the term "time" indicates that performers should return to tempo (this is equivalent to the term "a tempo")

tosto 

Rapidly

tranquillo 

Calmly, peacefully

trattenuto (tratt.)

held back with a sustained tone, similar to ritardando

tre corde (tc) 

Three strings (i.e. release the soft pedal of the piano) (see una corda)

tremolo 

Shaking. As used in 1) and 2) below, it is notated by a strong diagonal bar (or bars) across the note stem, or a detached bar (or bars) for a set of notes.

1. A rapid, measured or unmeasured repetition of the same note. String players perform this tremolo with the bow by rapidly moving the bow while the arm is tense;


2. A rapid, measured or unmeasured alternation between two or more notes, usually more than a whole step apart. In older theory texts this form is sometimes referred to as a "trill-tremolo" (see trill).


3. A rapid, repeated alteration of volume (as on an electronic instrument);


4. 
   vibrato: an inaccurate usage, since vibrato is actually a slight undulation in a sustained pitch, rather than a repetition of the pitch, or variation in volume (see vibrato).

trill 

A rapid, usually unmeasured alternation between two harmonically adjacent notes (e.g. an interval of a semitone or a whole tone). A similar alternation using a wider interval is called a tremolo.

triplet (shown with a horizontal bracket and a '3') 

Three notes in the place of two, used to subdivide a beat.

triste 

Sad, wistful

tronco, tronca 

Broken off, truncated

troppo 

Too much; usually seen as non troppo, meaning moderately or, when combined with other terms, not too much, such as allegro [ma] non troppo (fast but not too fast)

turn 

Multi-note ornament above and below the main note; it may also be inverted. Also called gruppetto.

tutti 

All; all together, usually used in an orchestral or choral score when the orchestra or all of the voices come in at the same time, also seen in Baroque-era music where two instruments share the same copy of music, after one instrument has broken off to play a more advanced form: they both play together again at the point marked tutti. See also ripieno.

U

un, una, or uno 

One or "a" (indefinite article), as for example in the following entries

un poco or un peu (Fr.) 

A little

una corda 

One string (i.e. in piano music, depress the soft pedal, altering, and reducing the volume of, the sound). For most notes in modern pianos, this results in the hammer striking two strings rather than three. Its counterpart, tre corde (three strings), is the opposite: the soft pedal is to be released.

unisono (unis) (Fr.) 

In unison (i.e. several players in a group are to play exactly the same notes within their written part, as opposed to splitting simultaneous notes among themselves). Often used to mark the return from divisi.

uptempo 

A fast, lively, or increased tempo or played or done in such a tempo.^[18] It is also used as an umbrella term for a quick-paced electronic music style.

ut (Fr.) 

First note of the series ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, in fixed-do solmization.

V

vagans (Lat., "wandering"^[19]) 

The fifth part in a motet, named so most probably because it had no specific range

vamp

Improvised accompaniment, usually a repeating pattern played before next musical passage. See vamp till cue. See comp and comping.

vamp till cue 

A jazz, fusion, and musical theatre term which instructs rhythm section members to repeat and vary a short ostinato passage, riff, or "groove" until the band leader or conductor instructs them to move onto the next section

variazioni 

Variations, con variazioni: with variations/changes

veloce 

Velocity, con veloce: with velocity

velocissimo 

As quickly as possible; usually applied to a cadenza-like passage or run

via 

Away, out, off; as in via sordina or sordina via: 'mute off'

vibrato 

Vibrating (i.e. a more or less rapidly repeated slight variation in the pitch of a note, used as a means of expression). Often confused with tremolo, which refers either to a similar variation in the volume of a note, or to rapid repetition of a single note.

vif (Fr.) 

Quickly, lively

violoncello 

cello

virtuoso 

(noun or adjective) performing with exceptional ability, technique, or artistry

vite (Fr.) 

Fast

vittorioso 

Victoriously

vivace 

Very lively, up-tempo

vivacissimo 

Very lively

vivamente 

Quickly and lively

vivezza 

Liveliness, vivacity

vivo 

Lively, intense

vocal score or piano-vocal score 

A music score of an opera, or a vocal or choral composition with orchestra (like oratorio or cantata) where the vocal parts are written out in full but the accompaniment is reduced to two staves and adapted for playing on piano

voce 

Voice

volante 

Flying

volti subito (V.S.) 

Turn suddenly (i.e. turn the page quickly). While this indication is sometimes added by printers, it is more commonly indicated by orchestral members in pencil as a reminder to quickly turn to the next page.

W

wenig (Ger.) 

A little, not much

wolno (Pol.) 

Loose, slowly

Z

Zählzeit (Ger.) 

Beat

zart (Ger.) 

Tender

Zartheit (Ger.) 

Tenderness

zärtlich (Ger.) 

Tenderly

Zeichen (Ger.) 

Sign, mark

Zeitmaß or Zeitmass (Ger.) 

Time-measure (i.e. tempo)

zelo, zeloso, zelosamente 

Zeal, zealous, zealously

ziehen (Ger.) 

To draw out

ziemlich (Ger.) 

Fairly, quite, rather

zitternd (Ger.) 

Trembling (i.e. tremolando)

zögernd (Ger.) 

Hesitantly, delaying (i.e. rallentando)

zurückhalten (Ger.) 

Hold back

See also

• Glossary of jazz and popular music


• Glossary of Schenkerian analysis


• List of musical symbols

References

External links

• Classical musical terms


• Musical Terms Dictionary Definitions


• 
  Music Dictionary, Dolmetsch Online


• 
  Cole, Richard; Schwartz, Ed (October 22, 2012). "Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary". Virginia Tech Department of Music. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014.