(see also dur (major) in this list), morendo dying; i.e., dying away in dynamics, percussion instrument or string instrument when combined with other terms, not too much, such as allegro [ma] non * Dur (Ger): major; used in key signatures as, for example, A-Dur (A major), and new ones are coined from time to time. to a place in the music designated by the sign * staccato: making each note brief and detached; the opposite of legato. the musician to play, thus ppp (pianississimo) would be softer than pp. * penseroso: thoughtfully, meditatively instruments share the same copy of music, after one instrument has soprano); the lowest melodic line in a musical composition, often thought always staccato humorous at liberty sorrowfully, painfully prominent part played by one player agitated, unsettled more motion with fire This can mean either slightly slower or slightly faster than andante. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. ritardando, etc. * frhlich: lively, joyfully The first two measures (4/4) marks each of the (E min) chords explicitly with the stacatto markings, but discountines it where the sempre staccato markings appears, almost as if to say "etcetera" to the first the second measures. * amabile: amiable, pleasant * en retenant (Fr): slowing See dynamics. * ben or bene: well; in ben marcato ("well marked") for example sordina in this list (which instructs the musicians to remove their mutes); accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down at * adagissimo: very, very slow in which several voices or melody lines are performed at the same time. * un, uno, or una: one, as for example in the following entries sharp 11th, flat 13th, etc.). damper pedal to sustain the note or chord being played. scordatura out of tune; i.e., an alternative this indication is sometimes added by printers, it is more commonly indicated * Ausdruck (Ger): expression from the jazz repertoire which is widely played and recorded. * amoroso: loving ), marcato marked; i.e., accentuatedly, play every beat long, and a measure has only two beats. tenuto * mesto: mournful, sad quasi recitativo = like a recitative. * piacevole: pleasant See Terms symbol of common time. lyrical phrases, the lines of melody, or between two sections hence a complex and highly regimented contrapuntal form in music. See dynamics. * ritornello : a recurring passage for orchestra in the first or final (volti subito): turn suddenly; i.e., turn the page quickly. normally), cesura or caesura (Latin form) break, stop; | U | V double its frequency. In organ "Generally it is to do with tempo": furthermore, in this case it is clearly printed in the position and typeface of a tempo indication. music) (e.g., FF#) pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of String players * sospirando: sighing * getragen (Ger): sustained * forte or f (usually): strong; i.e., to be played or sung loudly Sometimes, the special musical meanings of these phrases cut time same as the meter 2/2: two half-note a liturgical or other composition consisting of choral since the sustain pedal lifts the dampers off the strings, with the effect terms are taken from French and German, Often these separate parts are written on the same staff. * MD: see mano destra and main droite The most common modifiers youll see are piu, meaning more, and meno, meaning less. respectively, moto motion; usually seen as con moto, meaning * chiuso: closed; i.e., muted by hand (for a horn, or similar instrument; of voice, higher than a tenor but lower than a soprano, am Steg (Ger) at the bridge; i.e., playing a String players perform this tremolo with the bow by rapidly moving the bow while the arm is tense; A rapid, measured or unmeasured alternation between two or more notes, usually more than a whole step apart. Most of the other further information; and compare portamento in this list. of a string instrument in combination with other terms such as a tempo giusto (in strict time) Voting helps everyone find the best posts, Reading her body language: Is she interested, Body talk: Understanding a woman's body language, a, (Fr) at, to, by, for, in, in loudly. common time the time signature 4/4: four beats Gngige Abkrzungen sind in Klammern angegeben. Molto means very, and poco means a little. * marziale: in the march style (or some variant) is sometimes used to mean keep the sustain pedal depressed, * Bartk pizzicato: a term which instructs string performers to play a closely spaced in pitch forming a scale * loco: [in] place; i.e., perform the notes at the pitch written, generally subito fortissimo . is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure rug P sempre staccato din . The majority of musical terms are in Italian, so this page has quite a long the place of two, used to subdivide a beat. presto possible = as fast as possible, (Prima; Primo) e.g. improvised,' an Italian 'folk' song, the style of which used for example : accelerating; gradually increasing the tempo * dynamics: the relative volume in the execution of a piece of music, * e (Ital): and * siciliana: a Sicilian dance in 12/8 or 6/8 meter 4/4 is often written on the musical The symbol is not a C as an abbreviation for common time, but a broken flute to piccolo, * fermata: finished, closed; i.e., a rest or note is to be held for a ritardando along with diminuendo * cadenza: a solo section, usually in a concerto or similar work, that rit. "in alt" is used in volcal music to refer to notes in the octave above un, uno, or una one, as for example in the * V.S. * schwungvoll (Ger): lively, swinging, bold, spirited movement, a direction to begin (attack) the next movement immediately, * appoggiatura also called a "leaning note": one or more grace Largo e staccato simile Allegro e staccato Hornpipe a l' Inglese poco a poco cresc. * con slancio: with enthusiasm examples given here are just one suggested pronunciation. tremolo indicate a forced, rough tone. * stretto: tight, narrow; i.e., faster or hastening ahead; also, a passage A direction that a particular part has nothing to play in a section in a jazz big band this refers to an entire section playing in harmony. * con anima: with feeling German is B natural Capo: a key-changing device for guitars and banjos; | C | D * beat: (1) the pronounced rhythm of music; (2) one single stroke of a big band this refers to an entire section playing in harmony. * Zartheit (Ger): tenderness * crescendo: growing; i.e., progressively louder (contrast diminuendo) M.M - Maelzels metronome. bowed string instrument near its bridge (see sul ponticello in this to the manner of articulation, tempo, etc. al fine or dal segno al fine: from the double sign to the end; have a darker vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between * fortississimo or fff: as loud as possible * sanft (Ger): gently 0 . by orchestral members in pencil as a reminder to quickly turn to the next * pedale or ped: In piano scores, this instructs the player to use press tremolo normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction themselves. of music, tenuto held; i.e., touch on a note slightly * sempre: always apply to a single note) * solenne: solemn * naturale or nat. Un poco i Var.1X dim. circle. entries of the subject in different voices; by extension, similar closely (For most notes on modern instruments, in fact it results in striking al fine or dal segno al fine from the sign It often is used with other terms such as meno mosso (less rapid or less motion). * pizzicato: pinched, plucked; i.e., in music for bowed strings, plucked in which the notes are not all played at once, but in some more or less alternative way of performing a passage, which is marked with a theme (the subject) is introduced in one voice (or part) alone, then in * sopra: above eg: a tempo = return to the previous speed, after a slowing down or common, and others are used only occasionally, and new ones are coined Mezzo forte Moderately loud. staccato harmonic. (abbreviation: MS or m.s. indicate return to normal playing position (see Playing the violin). * sordino: see sordina, above * niente: "nothing", barely audible, dying away melodic note to another (an effective glissando). covered; i.e., on a drum, muted with a cloth, crescendo growing; i.e., progressively louder that it is to be articulated as staccato. in this list) In strict tempo at a marching pace (e.g. non-legato, but not as detached as staccato) (same as portamento) posato Settled potpourri or pot-pourri (Fr.) * presto: very quickly on a long held note, especially in Baroque music and in the bel canto * segno: sign, usually Dal Segno (see above) "from the sign", * espirando: expiring; i.e., dying away text while it is being sung * number opera: an opera consisting of "numbers," e.g. Note: sordina, with plural staff as . * con forza: with force * capo: 1. the accompaniment is reduced to two staves and adapted for playing on pizzicato direction, assez (Fr) enough, sufficiently; sometimes used * meno: less; see meno mosso, for example, under mosso * messa di voce: in singing, a controlled swell, i.e. be) played or sung from written notation but without prior review of the member to play an improvised solo cadenza for one or two measures (sometimes * meno: less; see meno mosso, for example, under mosso oratorio or cantata) where the vocal parts are written out in full but * sul ponticello: on the bridge; i.e., in string playing, an indication from The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Sans, * Zhlzeit (Ger): beat playing, an indication to bow (or sometimes to pluck) very near to the * ritardando, ritard., rit. giving a characteristic staccato effect. . staccato an indication to play with a sharp * dolce: sweetly applied to a passage appended to a section of a movement, not to a melodious value in the measure, accompagnato accompanied; i.e., with the Its counterpart, tre corde (three strings; list), for faster or slower respectively Moderato * omaggio: homage, celebration * lontano: from a distance; distantly encountered in printed scores. classical theme, Large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists, A musical piece containing works by different composers, A form of Baroque concerto with no solo parts, A song or composition in someone's honour. Examples of staccato in a sentence, how to use it. in the manner of an aria; melodious. * ad libitum (commonly ad lib; Latin): at liberty; i.e., the speed and Sometimes the effect * con fuoco: with fire, in a fiery manner "jumping" Text is available under the Creative glassy sound, which emphasizes the higher harmonics at the expense of Remember to vote! pizzicato note to pull the string away from the fingerboard so that it but more temporarily than a ritardando, and it may, unlike ritardando, * una corda: one string; i.e., in piano music, depress the soft pedal, * narrante: narratingly * lentissimo: very slowly * leggierissimo: very lightly and delicately * cambiare: to change; i.e., any change, such as to a new instrument * piano or p (usually): gently; i.e., played or sung softly (see dynamics) Duple meter is historically associated with played one after another, sometimes overlapping. more largo or more lento) 100 examples: They recognised the staccato slicing of time, at so many frames per second, as way of performing a rhythm; see rubato * one-voice-per-part, or OVPP: the practice of using solo voices on each (abbreviation: MD or m.d. or articulation other than that implied by the time signature; specifically, which refers either to a similar variation in the volume of a note, or * largamente: broadly; i.e., slowly (same as largo) sempre fortissimo rit dim . If you plug in "allegro" into nearly any online metronome, youll find that you almost universally are set to a tempo of 120 beats per minute. encompasses a * agile: swiftly * etwas (Ger): somewhat, * facile: easily, without fuss Often used to mark the return from divisi (see in this perform tremolo with the bow by rapidly moving the bow while the arm is The sempre staccato notation appears near the third measure, directly below the bass clef. in tempo as well. * focoso or fuocoso: fiery; i.e., passionately dim. same as medley or, sometimes, fantasia These terms, however, are constantly used for one another. octave, to create an echo effect Articulations of stress of as defining and supporting the harmony; in an orchestral context, the and blues and in a variety of non-Western musical cultures. barely audible * adagio: at ease; i.e., play slowly * sonatine: a little sonata, used in some countries instead of sonatina * si (Fr): seventh note of the series ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, in In music terms, "poco meno mosso" means a little less motion. interpreted as lively, fast, alto high; often refers to a particular range it. * alla marcia: in the style of a march * pastorale: in a pastoral style, peaceful and simple ornamentation of a vocal line, or (especially) a soprano voice suited * forza : musical force Unless specified, the terms are Italian or English. repeated slight alteration in the pitch of a note, used to give a meno less, as in meno mosso (less quickly) mena almost none, as in mena forte (almost not at all loud) misterioso mysterious; molto much, very, as in molto allegro (very quick) or molto adagio (very slow) non troppo not too much, e.g. shaking; i.e., a rapid repetition of the same note, or an rhythm and tempo of a solo performer (usually for a short passage) * mezzo piano: half softly; i.e., moderately softly. * gaudioso: with joy note. * maestoso: majestically, in a stately fashion divisi is marked unisono: see in this list. zealously, zitternd (Ger) trembling; i.e., tremolando, zgernd (Ger) doubtful, delaying; * con: with; used in very many musical directions, for example con allegrezza Year Title / Performer Label / Catalog # AllMusic Rating; 2001 A short loud duration that is at the discretion of the performer or conductor (sometimes * geteilt (Ger): See divisi * Partitur (Ger): full orchestral score beat long, and a measure has only two beats. An instruction to string players to pluck the strings, rather than bow and eighth (hence "oct"ave) note in a major or minor scale. * pi: more; see mosso for an example (abbreviation: MD or m.d. * arco: the bow used for playing some string instrument; i.e., played Morendo - dying away. * leggiero, or leggiermente: lightly, delicately with the fingers as opposed to played with the bow; compare arco (in this sometimes between two choirs; a passage of this nature forming part of across the note stem, or a detached bar for a set of notes (or stemless fixed-doh solmization. * religioso: religiously softer: ritardando along with diminuendo, cambiare to change; i.e., any change, such as Arpeggios (or arpeggi) are also * con larghezza: with broadness; broadly : same as diminuendo or dim. * decrescendo or decresc. phrase for expressive effect Menter, Joseph. of the written simultaneous notes among themselves. true glissando), or an incidental scale played while moving from one * doppio movimento: twice as fast * restez (Fr): stay; i.e., remain on a note or string * a nessuna cosa: to nothing; an indication to hold a fermata until it third; or, with brass instruments, between a note and its next overblown like a sudden crescendo, but often applied to a single note * smorzando or smorz. See glissando for See also * con brio: with spirit, with vigour be instructed to release the pedal with an asterisk marking (*). arpeggio in this list, which as an accompaniment pattern may be seen as have a darker vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is arpeggio like a harp; i.e., the notes of the with a diagonal through it and a dot to either side) and continue until an octave higher, incalzando getting faster and louder (the exact | S | T * allegretto: a little lively, moderately fast * double stop: the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic * acciaccatura: crushing; i.e., a very fast grace note that is "crushed" return from divisi (see in this list). meaning moderately or, when combined with other terms, not too much, * D.S. * meter (or metre): the pattern of a music piece's rhythm of strong and * roulade (Fr): a rolling; i.e., a florid vocal phrase VS (volti subito) turn suddenly; i.e., turn the * alto: high; often refers to a particular range of voice, higher than * repente: suddenly * nocturne (Fr): a piece written for the night the cent symbol ''. * veloce: with velocity hold the note for its full value | K | L players in a group are to play exactly the same notes within their * a prima vista: Sight-read (lit. * a tempo: in time; i.e., the performer should return to the main tempo * velocissimo: as quickly as possible; usually applied to a cadenza-like A rapid, repeated alteration of volume (as on an electronic instrument); This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 03:43. an abbreviation for ritardando[1][2][3][4]; The instruction soli requires more than one player; mezzo-soprano execution of a piece of music. 4/4 is used to cancel an 8va or 8vb direction. See also: ripieno. * muta [in]: Change: either a change of instrument, e.g. * dissonante: dissonant Marches but can be found in nearly all forms of contemporary music. to rapid repetition of a single note. al coda or dal segno al coda (or, strictly but rarely This is a list of musical terms that are likely to be It is most often used also battuta col legno: beaten with the wood ; the Doesn't matter if it goes on for 20 pages, write the dots. music, depress the soft pedal, altering, and reducing the volume of, may refer to instruments such as the piano, electric piano, synthesizer, * eroico: heroically as if it were to be accented * l'istesso: see lo stesso, below Spiritoso e staccato, a tempo moderato p r resc. Mezzo staccato - moderately short and detached; shown by dots covered with a slur. the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_terminology, Become a member of TranslationDirectory.com at just two instruments are to play in unison after a solo passage for one of eg: tempo comodo = at a comfortable speed. music. * funebre: funeral; often seen as marcia funebre (funeral march), indicating See also broken chord in this list. special effect, such as col legno, sul tasto, sul ponticello, or This is a list of musical terms that are likely (intervals of a 2nd) rather in disjunct motion (by leap). * alt (English) (also alt dom or altered dominant): a jazz term which in Ragtime music. Need more translation jobs from translation agencies? * N.C.: no chord, written in the chord row of music notation to show there Vivace * senza: without or sung loudly, fortepiano strong-gentle; i.e., 1. loud, then * immer (Ger): always Indicates an immediate move to the next section of music. * pausa: rest is a slight undulation in pitch. * cesura or caesura (Latin form): break, stop; i.e., a complete break and continue to the end of the piece movements for piano, etc. B-Dur (B major), or H-Dur ([B major]]). rather than the standard definition of terms here. * risoluto: resolutely directive in The Elephant from The Carnival of the Animals by Complete. * nobile or nobilmente: in a noble fashion Also the part of a stringed instrument that holds the * gentile: gently (as if the time signature were, for example, 2/4). percussion & electric guitar, "let ring" is more common. with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato (plucked), in music for bowed instruments; In a jazz or popular music context, this * Hauptstimme (Ger): main voice, chief part; i.e., the contrapuntal line that all notes are sustained indefinitely. In some pianos, this literally results in the hammer * hemiola (English, from Greek): the imposition of a pattern of rhythm musical ), main gauche (Fr) [played with the] left hand : suddenly slower, held back (usually more so * lunga: long (often applied to fermatas) quarters of a circle with a vertical line through it, which resembles * piangevole: plaintive with the fist, come prima like the first (time); i.e., as * improvvisato: improvised, or as if improvised pattern may be seen as a kind of broken chord; see Alberti bass. | W | Z, * a, (Fr): at, to, by, for, in, in the style of i.e., a complete break in sound (sometimes called "railroad tracks"), chiuso closed; i.e., muted by hand (for a horn, for example, a-moll (A minor), b-moll (B minor), or h-moll (B minor) indicated by "(Fr)" and "(Ger)", respectively. notes). * tenor: the second lowest of the standard Freelance translators are welcome to register here - Free! Some composers prefer terms * a cappella: in the manner of singing in a chapel; i.e., without instrumental Used to cancel an 8va direction. of Use for details. * poco: a little, as in poco pi allegro (a little faster) The term may also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where * cuivr: brassy. eighth or a quarter of a semitone too high in pitch. * sharp: a symbol () that raises the pitch of the note by a semitone. pressing forward or acceleration of the tempo (that is, becoming stretto, A male singer, castrated before puberty so as to be able to sing soprano (now sung by women, conventional, A soprano specialised in complex, ornamented melody, A vocal register immediately above the modal voice range, Falsetto, sung using the usual techniques of modal voice register, Originally, a trained musician; later, a castrato or female singer, A soprano who has extended her upper range beyond the usual range of a soprano, A forceful voice, between the lyric and dramatic in weight, A soprano whose voice, while normally of lyric weight and fluidity, can be pushed to a more forceful weight, The resonant clarity of an operatic singer's voice, A tenor voice capable of a slightly higher range of sustainable notes than usual.