Italian Musical Terms

General Music Terms (Notation & Basics)

     Bar Line – A vertical line that divides the staff into bars (measures)

     Beat – The regular pulse of the music

     Clef – A symbol that defines the pitch of the notes on the staff

     Treble Clef – A clef used for higher-pitched instruments and voices; also called the G clef

     Bass Clef – A clef used for lower-pitched instruments and voices; also called the F clef

     Double Bar Line – Two vertical lines indicating the end of a section or piece

     Flat (♭) – A symbol that lowers a note by a semitone

     Ledger Lines – Short lines used to notate pitches above or below the staff

     Natural (♮) – A symbol that cancels a sharp or flat

     Note – A symbol indicating pitch and duration

     Octave – The distance between one note and the next note of the same name, higher or lower

     Sharp (♯) – A symbol that raises a note by a semitone

     Staff (or Stave) – The five horizontal lines on which music is written

     Tempo – The speed of the music

     Time Signature – A symbol that tells how many beats are in each bar and what kind of note gets one beat

Rhythm

     Backbeat – A strong accent on beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time, common in pop and rock

     Beat – The basic unit of time or pulse in music

     Compound Time – A time signature where each beat divides into three (e.g. 6/8, 9/8)    

     Crotchet – A quarter note (1 beat in 4/4 time)

     Dotted Note – A note with a dot that increases its value by half

     Dotted Rhythm – A rhythm that includes dotted notes, extending note lengths by half

     Downbeat – The first beat of the bar, usually the strongest

     Duple Time – A time signature with two beats per bar (e.g. 2/4)

     Eighth Note (Quaver) – A note lasting half a beat in 4/4 time

     Half Note (Minim) – A note lasting two beats in 4/4 time

     Meter – The grouping of beats into regular patterns, shown by the time signature

     Note Value – Indicates the duration of a note (e.g. whole, half, quarter)

     Offbeat – The weak or unaccented part of the beat

     Polyrhythm – Two or more contrasting rhythms played simultaneously

     Pulse – The steady, underlying beat of a piece

     Rest – A symbol indicating a silence for a specific duration

     Rhythm – The pattern of sounds and silences in music

     Semibreve (Whole Note) – A note lasting four beats in 4/4 time

     Semiquaver (Sixteenth Note) – A note lasting one-quarter of a beat in 4/4 time

     Simple Time – Time signatures where the beat divides into two (e.g. 2/4, 3/4, 4/4)

     Sixteenth Note (Semiquaver) – A note lasting one-quarter of a beat

     Swing – A rhythm with a long-short feel, common in jazz

     Syncopation – Accenting the weak part of the beat or placing rhythms off the expected pulse

     Tie – A curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch to combine their duration

     Time Signature – A symbol indicating how many beats are in each bar and what note value gets one beat

     Triplet – Three notes played in the time of two of the same value

     Upbeat – A weak beat that leads into a strong downbeat; often the last beat of the bar

Italian Musical Terms: Pronunciations & Meanings

Tempo

     Adagio (ah-DAH-joh) – Slow and expressive (adag.)

     Allegretto (ah-leh-GREHT-toh) – Moderately fast, slightly slower than allegro

     Allegro (ah-LEH-groh) – Fast and lively

     Allargando (ahl-lar-GAHN-doh) – Broadening the tempo; slowing down and becoming fuller

     Andante (ahn-DAN-teh) – At a walking pace

     Animato (ah-nee-MAH-toh) – Animated, lively

     Grave (GRAH-veh) – Very slow and solemn

     Largamente (lar-gah-MEN-teh) – Broadly

     Largo (LAR-go) – Very slow and broad

     Lento (LEN-toh) – Slow

     Maestoso (mah-eh-STOH-soh) – Majestic, often with a grand tempo

     Meno mosso (MEH-noh MOHS-soh) – Less motion; slower

     Moderato (moh-deh-RAH-toh) – Moderate speed

     Piu mosso (pyoo MOHS-soh) – More motion; faster

     Presto (PREH-stoh) – Very fast

     Prestissimo (preh-STEE-see-moh) – As fast as possible

     Tempo commodo (TEM-poh KOM-moh-doh) – At a comfortable, relaxed tempo

     Tempo giusto (TEM-poh JOOS-toh) – In strict, exact time

     Tranquillo (trahn-KWEE-loh) – Calm, peaceful tempo

     Vivace (vee-VAH-cheh) – Lively and quick

Expression & Style

     Assai (ah-SAH-ee) – Very (e.g. allegro assai = very fast)

     Calando (kah-LAHN-doh) – Getting softer and slower

     Con anima (kohn AH-nee-mah) – With spirit or soul

     Con brio (kohn BREE-oh) – With energy, vigorously

     Con forza (kohn FOR-tsah) – With force or strength

     Dolce (DOHL-cheh) – Sweetly

     Dolente (doh-LEN-teh) – Sorrowfully or mournfully

     Espressivo (es-press-SEE-voh) – Expressively

     Giocoso (joh-KOH-soh) – Playfully, cheerfully

     Grave (GRAH-veh) – Very slow and solemn

     Grazioso (grah-tzee-OH-soh) – Gracefully

     Molto (MOHL-toh) – Very (e.g. molto allegro)

     Non troppo (non TROP-poh) – Not too much (e.g. allegro non troppo)

     Perdendosi (pehr-den-DOH-see) – Gradually fading away

     Piacevole (pyah-cheh-VOH-leh) – Pleasantly, agreeably

     Poco (POH-koh) – A little (e.g. poco a poco)

     Quasi (KWAH-zee) – Almost, as if (e.g. quasi una fantasia)

     Rubato (roo-BAH-toh) – Flexible tempo, expressive timing ("stolen time")

     Sempre (SEM-preh) – Always (e.g. sempre legato)

     Smorzando (smor-TSAHN-doh) – Fading away

     Sotto voce (SOH-toh VOH-cheh) – In a soft or subdued voice

     Tranquillo (trahn-KWEE-loh) – Calmly, peacefully

Dynamics & Articulation

     Crescendo (kreh-SHEN-doh) – Gradually getting louder (cresc.)

     Decrescendo (day-kreh-SHEN-doh) – Gradually getting softer (decresc.)

     Diminuendo (dee-mee-noo-EN-doh) – Gradually getting softer (dim.)

     Fermata (fehr-MAH-tah) – A pause or hold on a note or rest

     Forte (FOR-teh) – Loud (f)

     Fortissimo (for-TEE-see-moh) – Very loud (ff)

     Legato (leh-GAH-toh) – Smooth and connected

     Marcato (mar-KAH-toh) – Marked, accented

     Mezzo forte (MEHT-tsoh FOR-teh) – Moderately loud (mf)

     Mezzo piano (MEHT-tsoh pee-AH-noh) – Moderately soft (mp)

     Mezzo staccato (MEHT-tsoh stah-KAH-toh) – Moderately detached, between legato and staccato

     Morendo (mo-REN-doh) – Dying away softly and slowly

     Pesante (peh-ZAHN-teh) – Heavy and weighty

     Pianissimo (pee-ah-NEE-see-moh) – Very soft (pp)

     Piano (pee-AH-noh) – Soft (p)

     Portamento (por-tah-MEN-toh) – A smooth slide between two notes

     Sforzando (sfor-TSAHN-doh) – Sudden, strong accent (sfz)

     Smorzando (smor-TSAHN-doh) – Fading away or extinguishing the sound

     Sostenuto (soh-steh-NOO-toh) – Sustained

     Staccato (stah-KAH-toh) – Short and detached

     Staccatissimo (stah-ka-TEE-see-moh) – Extremely short and detached

     Tenuto (teh-NOO-toh) – Held for full value or slightly stressed

     Trill (Trillo) (TREE-loh) – A rapid alternation between two adjacent notes

Performance Directions

     A tempo (ah TEM-poh) – Return to the original tempo

     Accelerando (ah-cheh-leh-RAHN-doh) – Gradually speeding up (abbreviation: accel.)

     Ad libitum (ad LEE-bee-toom) – Freely, at the performer's discretion (abbreviation: ad lib.)

     Attacca (ah-TAK-kah) – Continue to the next section without pause

     Coda (KOH-dah) – A concluding passage or section

     Da capo (dah KAH-poh) – Return to the beginning (abbrev: D.C.)

     Dal segno (dahl SEHN-yoh) – Return to the sign (abbrev: D.S.)

     Fine (FEE-neh) – The end

     L’istesso tempo (lees-TESS-soh TEM-poh) – The same tempo as before, despite a change in time signature

     Loco (LOH-koh) – Play as written (cancel octave shift)

     Main droite (man drwaht) – Right hand (French term)

     Main gauche (man gosh) – Left hand (French term)

     Rallentando (rahl-len-TAHN-doh) – Gradually slowing down, usually expressively (rall.)

     Ritardando (ree-tar-DAHN-doh) – Gradually slowing down in a more measured way (rit.)

     Ritenuto (ree-teh-NOO-toh) – Suddenly held back; an abrupt slowing (rit.)

     Risoluto (ree-soh-LOO-toh) – Boldly, with determination

     Senza (SEN-tsah) – Without (e.g. senza pedale)

     Stringendo (streen-JEN-doh) – Gradually getting faster; pressing forward

     Subito (SOO-bee-toh) – Suddenly or immediately

Instrument Techniques

     Arco (AHR-koh) – With the bow (strings)

     Pizzicato (peet-tsee-KAH-toh) – Plucked (strings)

     Tre corde (TREH KOR-deh) – Release soft pedal (piano)

     Una corda (OO-nah KOR-dah) – Use soft pedal (piano)