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332 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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a (Italian), à (French) |
at, to, by, for, in, in the style of |
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|
aber (German) |
but |
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|
a cappella (Italian) |
unaccompanied (referring to choral music - lit. "in church style") |
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accelerando, accel. (Italian) |
gradually getting faster
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adagietto (Italian) |
rather slow, but faster than adagio |
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adagio (Italian) |
slow (lit. "at ease"), generally held to indicate a tempo between andante and largo |
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|
à deux, à 2 (French), a due, a 2 (Italian) |
for two performers or instruments (in orchestral or band music, it means that a part is to be played in unison by two instruments) |
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ad libitum, ad lib. (Latin) |
at choice, meaning either that a passage may be performed freely or that an instrument in a score may be ommited |
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affettuoso (Italian) |
tenderly |
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affrettando, affret. (Italian) |
hurrying |
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agitato (Italian) |
agitated |
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al, alla (Italian) |
to the, in the manner of |
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à la pointe (French) |
use the bow (of a string instrument) at the point, i.e. the end opposite to that held by the player |
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alla breve (Italian) |
with a minim beat, equivalent to 2/2 time signature; i.e. implying a faster tempo than the notes might otherwise suggest |
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alla marcia (Italian) |
in the style of a march |
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allargando (Italian) |
broadening, i.e. getting a little slower and probably also a little louder |
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allegretto (Italian) |
fairly quick, but not quite as quick as allegro |
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allegro (Italian) |
quick (lit. "cheerful")
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als (German) |
than |
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alt (Italian) |
high (in alt is used in vocal music to refer to notes in the octave above the treble stave, starting with the G; in altissimo, in the octave above that)
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al tallone (Italian) |
see au talon |
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amabile (Italian) |
amiable, pleasant |
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am Frosch (German) |
see au talon |
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amore (Italian), amour (French) |
love |
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amoroso (Italian) |
loving |
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andante (Italian) |
at a walking pace (lit. "going"), indicating a medium speed (più andante and molto andante are somewhat slower) |
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andantino (Italian) |
slightly faster than andante (but it can also mean slightly slower: the term is ambiguous)
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an der Spitze (German) |
see à la pointe |
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anima (Italian) |
soul, spirit (con anima is ambiguous, meaning either "with feeling" or "spirited") |
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animando (Italian) |
becoming more lively
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animato (Italian), animé (French) |
animated, lively |
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apaisé (French) |
calmed |
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a piacere (Italian) |
at pleasure, meaning that the performer is not bound to follow the given rhythm exactly |
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appassionato (Italian) |
with passion
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a punto d'arco (Italian) |
see à la pointe |
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arco (Italian) |
bow of a string instrument, a direction after pizzicato |
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assai (Italian) |
very, extremely (but sometimes used in the same sense as assez) |
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assez (French) |
enough, sufficiently (but sometimes used in the same sense as assai) |
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a tempo (Italian) |
in time, indicating a return to the original speed after e.g. rit., rall. |
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attacca (Italian) |
go straight on, indicating an immediate move to the next section of music |
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Ausdruck (German) |
expression (ausdrucksvoll: expressively) |
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au talon (French) |
use the bow (of a string instrument) at the heel, i.e. the end held by the player |
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avec (French) |
with |
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ben, bene (Italian) |
well, very |
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bestimmt (German) |
with decision, definite |
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bewegt (German) |
with movement, agitated |
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bis (Italian) |
twice, indicating the repetition of a short passage |
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bravura (Italian) |
skill, brilliance (con bravura: in a brilliant style) |
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breit (German) |
broad, expansive |
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brillante (Italian), brillant (French) |
brilliant |
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brio (Italian) |
vigour, animation, (brioso, con brio: with vigour) |
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calando (Italian) |
getting softer, dying away (and usually slowing down) |
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calmato (Italian), calme (French) |
calm, tranquil |
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cantabile (Italian) |
in a singing style |
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cantando (Italian) |
singing |
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capriccioso (Italian), capricieux (French) |
in a whimsical, fanciful style |
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cédez (French) |
yield, relax the speed |
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col, coll', colla, colle (Italian) |
with, with the |
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colla parte (Italian) |
keep with the soloist, a direction to an accompanist |
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colla voce (Italian) |
keep with the singer, a direction to an accompanist |
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col legno (Italian) |
with the wood, a direction to a string player to play with the wood of the bow rather than with the hair |
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coll' ottova (Italian) |
with the octave, a direction to a keyboard player to double notes an octave higher, or lower if bassa is added |
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come (Italian), comme (French) |
as, similar to |
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come prima (Italian) |
as before (not necessarily as at the beginning) |
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come sopra (Italian) |
as above (= come prima) |
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comodo (Italian) |
convenient (tempo comodo: at a comfortable speed) |
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con (Italian) |
with |
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corda, corde (Italian) |
string, strings (see una corda, tre corde) |
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crescendo, cresc., cres. (Italian) |
gradually getting louder |
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da (Italian) |
from |
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da capo, D.C. (Italian) |
from the beginning |
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dal segno, D.S. (Italian) |
from the sign |
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Dämpfer (German) |
mute |
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deciso (Italian) |
with determination |
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decrescendo, decresc., decres. (Italian) |
gradually getting softer
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delicato (Italian) |
delicate |
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détaché (French) |
detached, usually applying to bowing on string instruments
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diminuendo, dimin., dim. (Italian)
|
gradually getting softer |
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divis, div. (Italian) |
divided, a direction to orchestral players (usually strings) to divide into two or more groups |
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doch (German) |
however, yet
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dolce (Italian) |
sweet, soft (dolcissimo, dolciss.: as sweetly as possible) |
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dolente (Italian)
|
sad, mournful
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dolore (Italian) |
grief (doloroso: sorrowful) |
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doppio movimento (Italian) |
twice as fast |
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dounce, doux (French) |
soft, sweet (doucement: softly, sweetly) |
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duolo (Italian)
|
= dolore |
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e, ed (Italian) |
and
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égal (French), eguale (Italian) |
equal |
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ein (German) |
a |
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einfach (German) |
simple |
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Empfindung (German) |
emotion, feeling (empfindungsvoll: with feeling) |
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emporté (French) |
fiery, impertuous |
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en animant (French) |
becoming more lively
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en cédant (French) |
yielding |
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en dehors (French) |
prominent (lit. "outside"), a direction to make a melody stand out |
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energico (Italian) |
energetic |
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enlevez (French) |
take up, take off, a direction for a pedal or a mute |
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en mesure (French) |
in time |
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en pressant (French) |
hurrying on |
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en retenant (French) |
holding back (slowing a little) |
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en serrant (French) |
becoming quicker |
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espressione (Italian) |
expression |
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espressivo, espress., espr. (Italian), expressif (French) |
expressive |
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estinto (Italian) |
as soft as possible, lifeless |
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et (French) |
and |
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etwas (German) |
somewhat, rather |
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f |
see forte |
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facile (Italian, French) |
easy |
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felice (Italian) |
happy |
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feroce (Italian) |
fierce |
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feurig (German) |
fiery |
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fin (French), fine (Italian) |
end |
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Flatterzunge, Flzg. (German) |
flutter-tonguing, a direction for wind instruments |
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flautato, flautando (Italian) |
flute-like, a direction for natural harmonics on string instruments |
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flessibile (Italian) |
flexible, i.e. not in strict tempo
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fliessend (German) |
flowing |
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flottant (French) |
floating |
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forte, f (Italian) |
loud (fortissimo, ff, fff: very loud) |
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fortepiano, fp (Italian) |
loud, then immediately soft |
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forza (Italian) |
force (forzando, forzato, fz: forcing, strongly accenting) |
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frei (German) |
free |
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fretta (Italian) |
haste |
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frisch (German) |
vigorous |
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fröhlich (German) |
cheerful, joyful |
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fuoco (Italian) |
fire |
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furioso (Italian) |
furious, frenzied |
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gebunden (German) |
joined |
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gehend (German) |
at a steady speed (lit. "going"), equivalent to andante |
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gesangvoll (German) |
in a singing style, equivalent to cantabile |
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geschwind (German) |
quick |
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giocoso (Italian) |
playful, humorous |
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giojoso (Italian) |
joyful, merry |
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giusto (Italian) |
proper, exact (tempo giusto: in strict time) |
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glissando, gliss. (pseudo-Italian) |
slide (a rapid scale passage produced by e.g. drawing a thumb or finger-tip along the white keys of a piano, or by sweeping the fingers across the strings of a harp or by sliding the finger along a string of string instrument) |
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G.P. (German - Generalpause) |
an indication to individual performers that all are silent |
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gracieux (French) |
graceful |
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grandioso (Italian) |
grandly |
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grave (Italian, French) |
very slow, solemn |
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grazioso (Italian) |
graceful |
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immer (German) |
always |
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impetuoso (Italian) |
impetuous |
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incalzando (Italian) |
getting quicker (lit. "pressing forward") |
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innig (German) |
heartfelt, sincere |
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inquieto (Italian) |
restless |
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in relievo (Italian) |
prominent (lit. "in relief"), a direction to make a melody stand out |
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joyeux (French) |
joyful |
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kräftig (German) |
strong |
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lacrimoso, lagrimando, lagrimoso (Italian) |
sad (lit. "tearful") |
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lamentoso (Italian) |
lamenting |
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langsam (German) |
slow, equivalent to adagio and lento |
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largamente (Italian) |
broadly |
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larghetto (Italian) |
rather slow, but slightly faster than largo |
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largo (Italian) |
slow, stately |
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lebhaft (German) |
lively, equiavlent to vivace |
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legato (Italian) |
smooth (lit. "bound", "tied"), indicating no break between notes (legatissimo: as smooth as possible) |
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légèrement (French), leggiero (Italian), leicht (German) |
light, nimble |
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Leid (German) |
grief, pain (leidvoll, leidensvoll: sorrowful) |
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Leidenschaft (German) |
passion (leidenschaftlich: passionate) |
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leise (German) |
soft, gentle |
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lent (French), lento (Italian) |
slow (lentement: slowly) |
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liberamente (Italian), librement (French) |
freely |
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licenza (Italian) |
licence, freedom (con alcuna licenza: with some freedom particularly with regard to tempo and rhythm) |
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lieblich (German) |
lovely |
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l'istesso (Italian) |
the same (l'istesso tempo: at the same speed)l |
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loco (Italian)
|
at the normal pitch (used to cancel an 8va direction or to confirm that one is not intended) |
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lointain (French), lontano (Italian) |
distant
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lourd (French) |
heavy, equivalent to pesante |
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lugubre (Italian) |
mournful |
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lunga (Italian) |
long (lunga pausa: long pause) |
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lusingando (Italian) |
coaxing; in a sweet, persuasive style |
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lustig (German) |
cheerful |
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m |
see main, mano, mezza |
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ma (Italian) |
but (e,g, allegro ma non troppo: quick but not too quick) |
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maestoso (Italian) |
majestic |
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main (French) |
hand (main gauche, m.g.: left hand; main droite, m.d.: right hand) |
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mais (French) |
but |
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mano (Italian) |
hand (mano sinistra, m.s.: left hand; mano destra, m.d.: right hand) |
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mancando (Italian) |
fading away |
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marcato, marc. (Italian) |
emphatic, accented |
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martelé (French), martellato (Italian) |
strongly accented (lit. "hammered"), generally used in string music to denote a particular type of bowing, but can also be applied to music for piano or other instruments |
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marziale (Italian) |
in a military style |
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mässig (German) |
at a moderate speed |
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meno (Italian) |
less |
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mesto (Italian) |
sad |
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mezza, mezzo (Italian) |
half (mezzo forte, mf: moderately loud; mezzo piano, mp: moderately soft; mezza voce: in an undertone)
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misterioso (Italian) |
mysterious |
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misura (Italian) |
measure (alla misura: in strict time; senza misura: in free time) |
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mit (German) |
with |
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moderato (Italian), modéré (French) |
at a moderate speed
|
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moins (French) |
less |
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molto (Italian) |
very, much |
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morendo (Italian) |
dying away |
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mosso (Italian) |
with motion, animated |
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moto, movimento (Italian) |
movement, motion |
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mouvement, mouvt (French) |
movement, motion (au mouvement: in time; premier (1er) mouvement: original tempo) |
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munter (German) |
lively |
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muta (Italian) |
change, e.g. as in changing the tuning of a kettle drum or in transferring from one instrument to another |
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nach und nach (German) |
gradually |
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naturale, nat. (Italian) |
in the ordinary way, a direction to a singer or instrumentalist to resume the normal method of performance (e.g. after a col legno passage in string music) |
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nicht (German) |
not |
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niente (Italian) |
nothing |
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nobilmente (Italian) |
nobly |
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noch (German) |
still, yet |
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non (Italian, French) |
not |
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nuovo (Italian) |
new (di nuovo: again) |
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obbligato (Italian) |
obligatory, indicating that an instrument has a special role and is essential (though the word is sometimes incorrectly used to mean "optional") |
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ohne (German) |
without |
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ossia (Italian) |
or, alternatively (often used to indicate a simpler version of a difficult passage) |
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|
ostinato (Italian) |
persistent, generally referring to a persistently repeated rhythm or melodic figure (a basso ostinato is a bass line with this feature) |
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ottava, ott. (Italian) |
octave (ottava bassa: octave lower; ottava alta: octave higher) |
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p |
see piano |
|
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parlando (Italian) |
speaking, a direction to sing in a conversational style |
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patetico (Italian) |
with deep feeling, with pathos (not "pathetic" in the sense of feeble!) |
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pausa (Italian) |
a pause |
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|
pedale (Italian), pédale (French) |
pedal |
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per (Italian) |
by, for, through, to |
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perdendosi (Italian) |
dying away |
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|
pesante (Italian) |
heavy |
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peu (French) |
little (peu à peu: little by little, gradually) |
|
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piacevole (Italian) |
pleasant |
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piangevole (Italian) |
plaintive, in the style of a lament |
|
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piano, p (Italian) |
quiet (pianissimo, pp, ppp: very quiet) |
|
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pietoso, pietosamente (Italian) |
tenderly (lit. "pitifully") |
|
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più (Italian) |
more |
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pizzicato, pizz. (Italian) |
plucked, a direction for plucking the strings of a bowed instrument |
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placido (Italian) |
calm, peaceful |
|
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plus (French) |
more |
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pochettino, poch. (Italian) |
very little |
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poco (Italian) |
little, slightly (poco a poco: little by little, gradually) |
|
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poi (Italian) |
then |
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ponticello (Italian) |
bridge (on a string instrument) |
|
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portamento (Italian) |
slide from one note to the next (lit. "carrying"), a direction to a voice, bowed instrument or trombone (but not to keyboard instruments since they always play in "steps" of at least a semitone) |
|
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possibile (Italian) |
possible (e.g. presto possibile: as fast as possible) |
|
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precipitando, precipitato, precipitoso (Italian) |
rushing, headlong
|
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presser, pressez (French) |
hurry |
|
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presto (Italian) |
fast, a tempo faster than allegro (prestissimo: very fast) |
|
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prima, primo (Italian) |
first (prima volta: first time, used to distinguish between two different interpretations of a repeated section of music; tempo primo, first speed, used to revert to the opening tempo of a piece of music |
|
|
quasi (Italian, Latin) |
as if, resembling (e.g. quasi recitativo: like a recitative)
|
|
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ralentir (French) |
slacken, slow down |
|
|
rallentando, rall. (Italian) |
gradually getting slower |
|
|
rasch (German) |
quick (rascher: quicker) |
|
|
repetizione, replica (Italian) |
repetition |
|
|
retenu (French) |
held back, i.e. a little slower |
|
|
rigoroso (Italian) |
strict |
|
|
rinforzando, rinforzato, rinf. rfz, rf (Italian) |
reinforcing |
|
|
risoluto (Italian) |
bold, strong |
|
|
ritardando, ritard., rit. (Italian) |
gradually getting slower |
|
|
ritenuto, riten., rit. (Italian) |
held back |
|
|
ritmico (Italian) |
rhythmically |
|
|
rubato, tempo rubato (Italian) |
with some freedom of time (lit. "robbed") |
|
|
ruhig (German) |
peaceful |
|
|
saltando, saltato (Italian) |
see sautillé |
|
|
sans (French) |
without |
|
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sautillé (French) |
springing, a lightly bouncing bow technique on string instruments
|
|
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scherzando, scherzsoso (Italian) |
playful, joking (scherzo: a joke, implies a fast speed) |
|
|
schleppen, schleppend (German) |
dragging |
|
|
schnell (German) |
fast (schneller: faster) |
|
|
schwach (German) |
weak (schwächer: weaker) |
|
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sec (French), secco (Italian) |
crisp (lit. "dry"), suppress the sound as quickly as possible - do not allow it to continue to reverberate |
|
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seconda, secondo (Italian) |
second (seconda volta: second time) |
|
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segue (Italian) |
go straight on (lit. "follow") |
|
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sehr (German) |
very |
|
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semplice (Italian) |
simple, plain |
|
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sempre (Italian) |
always |
|
|
senza (Italian) |
without (e.g. senza rigore: freely, lit. "without strictness") |
|
|
seul (French) |
alone |
|
|
serrer, serrez (French) |
hurry, quicken, equivalent to stringendo |
|
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sforzando, sforzato, sfz, sf (Italian) |
accented, forced |
|
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simile, sim. (Italian) |
continue in the same way |
|
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sino, sin' (Italian) |
until, up to (sin' al fine: until the end) |
|
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slargando, slentando (Italian) |
getting slower |
|
|
slancio (Italian) |
enthusiasm, impetus (con slancio: with impetuosity) |
|
|
smorzando, smorz. (Italian) |
dying away in tone and speed |
|
|
soave (Italian) |
gentle, smooth |
|
|
solenne (Italian) |
solemn, grave |
|
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sonoramente (Italian), sonore (French), sonoro (Italian) |
resonant, with rich tone |
|
|
sopra (Italian) |
above, on, e.g. a direction for keyboard players to place one hand over the other (see also come sopra) |
|
|
sordino, sord. (Italian) |
mute (con sordini: with mutes; senza sordini: without mutes) |
|
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sospirando (Italian) |
sighing |
|
|
sostenuto, sost. (Italian) |
sustained |
|
|
sotto (Italian) |
below, e.g. a direction for keyboard players to place one hand below the other |
|
|
sotto voce (Italian) |
in an undertone (lit. "below the voice") |
|
|
sourdine (French) |
mute
|
|
|
sous (French) |
under |
|
|
spicatto (Italian) |
detached (lit. "clearly articulated") a bouncing bow technique on string instruments |
|
|
spiritoso (Italian) |
spirited |
|
|
staccato, stacc. (Italian) |
detached, short (staccatissimo: very short) |
|
|
stark (German) |
strong |
|
|
strepitoso (Italian) |
noisy, boisterous |
|
|
stretto (Italian) |
quickening the speed (also means overlapping entries of a fugue subject) |
|
|
stringendo (Italian) |
gradually getting faster |
|
|
subito, sub. (Italian) |
suddenly |
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sul, sulla (Italian) |
on the (e.g. sul G: on the G string; sul ponticello: near (lit. "on") the bridge) |
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süss (German) |
sweet
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tacet (Latin) |
silent, a direction that a particular part has nothing to play in a section of music |
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tanto (Italian) |
so much |
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tasto (Italian) |
the fingerboard of a string instrument (sul tasto: on the fingerboard) or the key of a keyboard (tasto soo: T.S.: a direction to a continuo player not to add anything above the given bass) |
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tempo (Italian) |
speed (a tempo: in time) |
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teneramente (Italian) |
tenderly |
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tenerezza (Italian) |
tenderness |
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tenuto, ten. (Italian) |
held |
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tosto (Italian) |
swift, rapid (but often used in the same sense as troppo) |
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tranquillo (Italian)
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calm |
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traurig (German) |
sad |
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tre (Italian) |
three (tre corde: three strings, a direction to pianists to release the left pedal) |
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tremolando, tremolo, trem. (Italian) |
trembling, a direction for the rapid reiterations of a single note or alternations of different notes |
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très (French) |
very |
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trionfale (Italian) |
triumphant |
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tristamente (Italian), triste (Italian, French) |
sad |
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troppo (Italian) |
too much |
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tutti (Italian) |
all, everyone |
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un (French), una, uno (Italian) |
one (una corda: one string, a direction for pianists to press the left pedal) |
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und (German) |
and |
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unisono, unis. (Italian) |
in unison, with everyone performing the same notes, a direction to cancel divisi |
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veloce (Italian) |
swift |
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vibrato (Italian) |
vibrating |
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viel (German) |
much |
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vif (French) |
lively |
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vigoroso (Italian) |
vigorous, strong |
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vite (French) |
quick |
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vivace (Italian), vivement (French), vivo (Italian) |
lively, quick
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voce (Italian), voix (French) |
voice (mezza voce: in an undertone, softly) |
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volante (Italian) |
flying, fastv |
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voll (German) |
full
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volta (Italian) |
time (prima volta: first time_ |
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volti subito, V.S. (Italian) |
turn (the page) at once |
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vorgetragen (German) |
brought out, prominent |
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wening (German) |
little |
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wieder (German) |
again |
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zart (German) |
tender, delicate |
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ziemlich (German) |
moderately |
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zu (German) |
to, too |
