Musical Theory Terms From Preliminary To Gr. 2

Front 1

a tempo

Back 1

return to the previous tempo

Front 2

accelerando

Back 2

becoming quicker

Front 3

accent

Back 3

stressed note or chord

Front 4

adagio

Back 4

a slow tempo (between andante and largo)

Front 5

ad libitum

Back 5

at the liberty of the performer

Front 6

agitato

Back 6

agitated

Front 7

alla, all'

Back 7

in the manner of

Front 8

allargando

Back 8

broadening, becoming slower

Front 9

allegretto

Back 9

fairly fast (a little slower than allegro_

Front 10

allegro

Back 10

fast

Front 11

andante

Back 11

moderately slowly; at a walking pace

Front 12

andantino

Back 12

a little faster than andante

Front 13

animato

Back 13

lively, animated

Front 14

arco

Back 14

for stringed instruments: resume bowing after a pizzicato passage

Front 15

assai

Back 15

much, very much (for example, allegro assai: very fast)

Front 16

attaca

Back 16

proceed without a break

Front 17

ben, bene

Back 17

well (for example, ben marcato: well marked)

Front 18

bewegt

Back 18

agitated, excited

Front 19

blues scale

Back 19

a major scale in which the 3rd, the 7th, and sometimes the 5th degrees are lowered

Front 20

brillante

Back 20

brilliant

Front 21

cantabile

Back 21

in a singing style

Front 22

clusters

Back 22

chords consisting of a combination of at least three adjacent notes of any scale

Front 23

col, coll', colla, colle

Back 23

with (for example, coll'ottava: with an added octave)

Front 24

comodo, commodo

Back 24

at a comfortable, easy tempo

Front 25

con

Back 25

with

Front 26

con arco

Back 26

with the bow

Front 27

con brio

Back 27

with vigour or spirit

Front 28

con espressione

Back 28

with expression

Front 29

con fuoco

Back 29

with fire

Front 30

con grazia

Back 30

with grace

Front 31

con moto

Back 31

with movement

Front 32

con pedale, Ped.

Back 32

with pedal

Front 33

con sordino

Back 33

with mute

Front 34

crescendo, cresc.

Back 34

becoming louder

Front 35

da capo, D.C.

Back 35

from the beginning

Front 36

dal segno, D.S.

Back 36

from the sign

Front 37

decrescendo, decresc.

Back 37

becoming softer

Front 38

diminuendo, dim.

Back 38

becoming softer

Front 39

dolce

Back 39

sweet

Front 40

dolente

Back 40

sad

Front 41

e, ed

Back 41

and

Front 42

espressivo

Back 42

expression, with expression

Front 43

fermata

Back 43

pause; hold note or rest longer than written value

Front 44

fine

Back 44

the end

Front 45

forte

Back 45

loud

Front 46

fortepiano

Back 46

loud, then suddenly soft

Front 47

fortissimo

Back 47

very loud

Front 48

giocoso

Back 48

humorous, joyful

Front 49

grandioso

Back 49

grand, grandiose

Front 50

grave

Back 50

slow and solemn

Front 51

grazioso

Back 51

graceful

Front 52

langsam

Back 52

slow

Front 53

largamente

Back 53

broadly

Front 54

larghetto

Back 54

not as slow as largo

Front 55

largo

Back 55

very slow and broad

Front 56

legato

Back 56

smoothly

Front 57

leger

Back 57

light, lightly

Front 58

leggiero

Back 58

light, nimble, quick

Front 59

lentement

Back 59

slowly

Front 60

lento

Back 60

slow

Front 61

l'istesso tempo

Back 61

the same tempo

Front 62

loco

Back 62

return to normal register

Front 63

ma

Back 63

but (for example, ma non troppo: but not too much)

Front 64

maestoso

Back 64

majestic

Front 65

mano destra, M.D.

Back 65

right hand

Front 66

mano sinistra, M.S.

Back 66

left hand

Front 67

marcato

Back 67

marked or stressed

Front 68

martellato

Back 68

strongly accented, hammered

Front 69

mässig

Back 69

moderate, moderately

Front 70

meno

Back 70

less

Front 71

meno mosso

Back 71

less movement, slower

Front 72

mesto

Back 72

sad, mournful

Front 73

mezzo forte

Back 73

moderately loud

Front 74

mezzo piano

Back 74

moderately soft

Front 75

mit

Back 75

with

Front 76

mit Ausdruck

Back 76

with expression

Front 77

M.M.

Back 77

metronome marking (Maelzel's Metronome)

Front 78

moderato

Back 78

at a moderate tempo

Front 79

modéré

Back 79

at a moderate tempo

Front 80

molto

Back 80

much, very

Front 81

morendo

Back 81

dying, fading away

Front 82

mouvement

Back 82

tempo, motion

Front 83

non

Back 83

not

Front 84

non troppo

Back 84

not too much

Front 85

ottava, 8va

Back 85

the interval of an octave

Front 86

octatonic scale

Back 86

an eight note scale consisting of a strict alternation of tones and semitones

Front 87

pedale, Ped.

Back 87

pedal

Front 88

pentatonic scale

Back 88

a five note scale (one example is found on the black keys of the keyboard)

Front 89

pesante

Back 89

weighty, with emphasis

Front 90

piano

Back 90

soft

Front 91

pianissimo

Back 91

very soft

Front 92

più

Back 92

more

Front 93

più mosso

Back 93

more movement, quicker

Front 94

pizzicato

Back 94

for stringed instruments: pluck the string instead of bowing

Front 95

poco

Back 95

little

Front 96

poco a poco

Back 96

little by little

Front 97

polychords

Back 97

a combination of two or more different chords

Front 98

presto

Back 98

very fast

Front 99

prestissimo

Back 99

as fast as possible

Front 100

prima, primo

Back 100

first; the upper part of a duet

Front 101

prima volta

Back 101

first time

Front 102

quartal chords

Back 102

chords built on a series of 4ths

Front 103

quasi

Back 103

almost, as if

Front 104

rallentando, rall.

Back 104

slowing down

Front 105

repeat signs

Back 105

repeat the music between the signs

Front 106

ritardando, rit.

Back 106

slowing down gradually

Front 107

ritenuto

Back 107

suddenly slower, held back

Front 108

rubato

Back 108

a flexible tempo using slight variations of speed to enhance musical expression

Front 109

scherzando

Back 109

playful

Front 110

schnell

Back 110

fast

Front 111

seconda, secondo

Back 111

second; the lower part of a duet

Front 112

seconda volta

Back 112

second time

Front 113

sehr

Back 113

very

Front 114

semplice

Back 114

simple

Front 115

sempre

Back 115

always, continuously

Front 116

senza

Back 116

without

Front 117

seventh (7th) chords

Back 117

chords consisting of a root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th

Front 118

sforzando, sf, sfz

Back 118

a sudden strong accent of a single note or chord

Front 119

simile

Back 119

continue in the same manner as indicated

Front 120

slur

Back 120

play the notes legato

Front 121

sonore

Back 121

sonorous

Front 122

sostenuto

Back 122

sustained

Front 123

sotto voce

Back 123

softly, subdued, under the breath

Front 124

staccato

Back 124

sharply detached

Front 125

strepitoso

Back 125

boisterous, noisy

Front 126

stringendo

Back 126

pressing, becoming faster

Front 127

subito

Back 127

suddenly

Front 128

tacet

Back 128

be silent

Front 129

tempo

Back 129

speed at which music is performed

Front 130

Tempo primo, Tempo I

Back 130

return to the original tempo

Front 131

tenuto

Back 131

held, sustained

Front 132

tie

Back 132

hold for the combined value of the notes

Front 133

tranquillo

Back 133

quiet, tranquil

Front 134

tre corde

Back 134

three strings: release the left piano pedal

Front 135

triad

Back 135

chord consisting of a root, 3rd, and 5th

Front 136

troppo

Back 136

too much

Front 137

tutti

Back 137

a passage for the entire ensemble

Front 138

una corda

Back 138

one string: depress the left piano pedal

Front 139

vite

Back 139

fast

Front 140

vivace

Back 140

lively, brisk

Front 141

vivo

Back 141

lively

Front 142

volta

Back 142

time

Front 143

volta subito

Back 143

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