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Details Title Music Terminology Description Music terms and definitions Total Cards 169 Subject Music Created 12/15/2008

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Term A cappella	Definition Designation for Choral music without instrumental accompaniment
Term Abandon, Abbandono	Definition Free, passionate
Term Accelerando (accel.)	Definition Increase tempo
Term Acoustic	Definition A non-amplified, or non-electric instrument
Term Adagio	Definition A slow tempo, between andante and largo
Term A due (a2)	Definition Both performers, following a section with only one performer on the part
Term Ad libitum (ad lib.)	Definition an indication given the performer to vary from strict tempo, or to add or omit a part
Term Afflitto	Definition Sad, melancholy
Term Agitato	Definition Excited, agitated
Term Al fine	Definition To the end
Term Alla breve	Definition Quick duple time
Term Allargando (allarg.)	Definition Becoming broader, slowing
Term Alle	Definition all
Term Allegretto	Definition Moderately fast
Term Allegro	Definition Quick, rapid tempo, rather fast.
Term Anacrusis	Definition Upbeat or pickup
Term Andante	Definition at a walking pace, at a moderate speed
Term Animato	Definition Animated, lively
Term Appassionato	Definition Passionately
Term Appogiando	Definition Emphasized
Term Arco	Definition with the bow
Term Arpeggio (arpeg)	Definition Roll the chord in harp style
Term ASCAP	Definition american society of Composers Authors and Publishers
Term A tempo	Definition resume original tempo
Term Attacca	Definition Begin the next section without pausing
Term Axe	Definition slang for musical instrument
Term Ballo	Definition Dance
Term Beat	Definition Unit of measurement or rhythmic time
Term Bellicose	Definition Warlike, martial
Term Bewegt	Definition agitated
Term Blues notes	Definition Lowered third, seventh, and sometimes fifth, degrees of a major scale that create the characteristic sound of the blues
Term Bouche	Definition Muted French Horn using the hand, indicated by +
Term Bravura	Definition Boldness
Term Breit	Definition Broadly, grandly
Term Brio	Definition Vigor, spirit
Term Caccia	Definition Chase or hunt
Term Caesura	Definition A symbol // indicating a sudden pause in the music
Term Cadenza	Definition Solo vocal or instrumental passage
Term Cantabile	Definition Songlike, singing
Term Capo	Definition From the beginning
Term Chiuso	Definition Muted french horn, with the hand
Term Clam	Definition Slang for wrong note
Term Colla parte	Definition with another part
Term Col legno	Definition with the stick of the bow
Term Con	Definition with
Term Coro	Definition Chorus
Term Crescendo	Definition Increasing in loudness
Term Da capo	Definition repeat from the beginning
Term Dal Segno	Definition go back and play from the sign
Term Dampfer	Definition mute
Term Decrescendo	Definition Decrease in loudness
Term Diminuendo (dim)	Definition Gradually becoming softer
Term Divisi	Definition Indicates that when two or more notes are written on one staff, they are to be played by separate performers.
Term Dolce	Definition Sweetly
Term Estinto	Definition Barely audible, as soft as possible
Term Etwas	Definition Somewhat
Term Facile	Definition easy
Term Fiero	Definition Fiercely
Term Fine	Definition end
Term Flattenzunge	Definition Flutter tongue. Make a rapid articulation, similar in sound to a rolled r.
Term Forte	Definition loud
Term Fortissimo	Definition Very loud
Term Forza	Definition with force
Term Furioso	Definition Furiously, wildly
Term Gedampft	Definition Muted
Term Gemendo	Definition lementing
Term Gestopft	Definition Muted French horn, with the hand
Term Gig	Definition slang for musical job
Term Giocoso	Definition Humorous
Term Giusto	Definition Keeping a strict beat
Term Giusto	Definition Keeping a strict beat
Term Glissando (glissez, glisser)	Definition Sliding up and down the scale
Term Grave	Definition Slowly, sloemnly
Term H	Definition german name for B natural
Term Hemiola	Definition The rhythmic relationship of three notes in the time of two, or two notes in the time of three. It is usually the alteration of 6/8 and 3/4 time.
Term Holz	Definition Woodwinds
Term Immer	Definition Always; for example-immer in tempo, always in tempo
Term jete	Definition The bouncing of the bow on the string during a down bow so as to play a series of repeated notes
Term Jubiloso	Definition Jubilant
Term Kraftig	Definition Vigorous
Term Labhaft	Definition lively
Term Langsam	Definition slowly
Term Largamente	Definition broadly
Term Largando	Definition Gradually slowing down
Term Larghetto	Definition A little largo, not as slow as largo
Term Largo	Definition very slowly
Term Leggero, Leggiero	Definition lightly, delicately
Term Lento (lent)	Definition Slow
Term Lesto	Definition Lively, quickly.
Term LH	Definition left hand
Term L'istesso tempo	Definition The same tempo
Term Marcato	Definition Marked, with emphasis.
Term Maestoso	Definition Majestic
Term Meno	Definition less
Term Mesto	Definition sad
Term Mezzo	Definition Half
Term Mezzo forte	Definition midway between loud and soft
Term MM	Definition Maelzel metronome; tempo indication; the number of beats per minute, expressed in a specific note value=72.
Term Moderato	Definition at moderate pace
Term Modo	Definition in manner of
Term Modo Ordinario	Definition In the usual manner
Term Molto	Definition much, very
Term Morendo	Definition dying away
Term Mosso	Definition Moving, agitated, animated
Term Muta, mutando	Definition change, mutate-indicates change in tuning of instrument or instruments, change of key of a brass instrument, or change from one instrument to another
Term Niente	Definition Nothing, silence
Term Ober	Definition higher
Term Oder	Definition Or
Term Ohne	Definition without
Term Ossia	Definition otherwise
Term Parlando, Parlante	Definition Sung in a speaking style
Term Partials	Definition notes of the harmonic series
Term Pesante	Definition heavy
Term petit	Definition little
Term Peu a Peu	Definition little by little
Term Pianissimo	Definition very soft
Term Pianississimo	Definition Very very soft
Term Piu	Definition more
Term Pio mosso	Definition more motion
Term poco	Definition little
Term Poco a poco	Definition little by little
Term pointillism	Definition A 20th century compositional style where emphasis is placed on single notes
Term Portando, portamento	Definition to carry the sound
Term Presto	Definition very quick tempo
Term Prestissimo	Definition the fastest tempo, extremely fast
Term Pulse	Definition a beat
Term Rallentando (rall)	Definition Slowing down
Term Retenu	Definition held back
Term RH	Definition Right hand
Term Riff	Definition A short repeated melodic pattern
Term Ripeno	Definition Similar to tutti, distinguishes accompanying instruments from the soloists
Term Ritardando (ritard, rit)	Definition Gradually slowing down
Term Ritenuto	Definition Held back; becoming slower immediately
Term Ruhig	Definition Quietly, tranquil
Term Sans timbres	Definition Without snares
Term Scherzo, scherzando	Definition playfully, like a joke, with humor
Term Schnell	Definition quickly, fast
Term secco, sec	Definition dry, simple; in percussion: dampen, do not let ring
Term Segue	Definition Proceed to next section without a break or a pause
Term Sehr	Definition very
Term Sempre	Definition always
Term Senza	Definition without
Term Sforzando, sforzato	Definition forced attack, with emphasis
Term Simile	Definition in similar or same manner
Term Smorzando	Definition fading away
Term sordino	Definition mute
Term Sostenuto	Definition sustained, in a smooth manner
Term sotto voce	Definition under the voice
Term staccato	Definition separated
Term Steso	Definition slow
Term Stesso	Definition same
Term Stimme	Definition voice or instrumental part
Term Stringendo (string)	Definition quickening of tempo
Term subito (sub)	Definition imidiately, suddenly
Term tacet, tacit	Definition indication that a particular performer or instrument has no part for a considerable time.
Term Tempo primo	Definition return to the original tempo
Term Tenuto (ten)	Definition direction that a note is to be fully sustained, held up to its full written time value
Term Tranquillo	Definition calmly quietly tranquil
Term Tremelo	Definition Quick repetition of the same note, or quick repetition between two different notes.
Term Trill (tr)	Definition Even and rapid alternation of two tones a major or minor second apart. the lower tone is the principal tone
Term Troppo	Definition Too much, non troppo-not too much
Term Tutti	Definition all, the entire ensemble
Term Vamp	Definition to improvise an instrumental accompaniment
Term vibrato	Definition rapid fluctuation of pitch slightly higher or lower than the main pitch.
Term Vivace, vivo	Definition Lively, animated, brisk
Term Volit subito (V.S.)	Definition turn page very quickly
Term Vorspiel	Definition German word for prelude or overture
Term Zart	Definition soft, tender
Term Rubato	Definition Expressive flexibility of tempo; tastefully slowing down and speeding up at the discretion of the performer/conductor

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