| Question | Answer |
| Accelerando | Gradually growing faster |
| Accidental | Alteration of a note from the key signature until the next bar line |
| Ad libitum | at pleasure |
| a due | for two parts |
| affetuoso | ternderly, with feeling |
| alla breve ( | 2/2 time, cut time |
| Allargando | getting slower and louder |
| Amoroso | with love, warm feeling |
| animato/ con anima | lively, animated |
| appassionato/passione | passionate, fervent |
| Assai | much, very |
| a tempo | return to the original tempo |
| attacca | continue without pause |
| bravura | great technical skill, virtuosity |
| brillante | sparkling, spirited |
| cadenza | a brilliant highly technical solo |
| cadence | the close melodic or harmonic phrase |
| calmando/calmato | quieting down |
| cantando/cantabile | in singing style |
| capriccioso | fanciful, freely |
| coda | a concluding passage added to the form proper |
| con | with |
| con brio | with vigor |
| con forza | with force |
| con fuoco | with fire |
| con sordino | with mute |
| con spirito | with spirit |
| crescendo | becoming louder |
| da capo (D.C.) | from the beginning |
| dal segno (D.S.) | from the sign % |
| decrescendo | becoming softer |
| diatonic | notes within a given scale |
| diminuendo (decresc.) | becoming softer |
| divisi | divided parts where there is normally one |
| dolce | sweet, gentle |
| doppio movimento | twice as fast |
| double flat | lower by one full step |
| double sharp | raise by one full step |
| dynamics | the level of loudness |
| pianississimo (ppp) | very very soft |
| pianissimo (pp) | very soft |
| piano (p) | soft |
| mezzo piano (mp) | medium soft |
| mezzo forte (mf) | medium loud |
| forte (f) | loud |
| fortissimo (ff) | very loud |
| fortississimo (fff) | very very floud |
| e, ed, et | and |
| espressivo | with feeling, with expression |
| etude | a study or exercise focusing on a particular technical or musical problem |
| fermata | a pause or hold |
| finale | last movement |
| fine | the end |
| forzando | a strong accent |
| giocoso | humorous, playful |
| giusto | exact, usual tempo |
| glissando | a glide from one note to the next |
| grazioso | graceful |
| interval | pitch difference between two notes |
| key signature | sharps or flats placed at the beginning of a selection indicating its key |
| largamente | broadly |
| legato | smooth, even without breaks between notes |
| l'istesso tempo | at the same tempo |
| loco | return to normal position |
| maestoso | majestic |
| marcato | accented, stressed |
| marcia | march |
| meno | less |
| molto | very much |
| morendo | fading away |
| mosso/moto | moved, motion |
| non | no, do not |
| nuance | subtle shading in style |
| ossia | an alternate version |
| pesante | weighty |
| piu | more |
| pochissimo | as little as possible |
| poco a poco | little by little |
| pomposo | stately, pompous |
| quasi | almost, as if |
| rallentando (rall.) | becoming slower |
| ritardando (ritard. or rit.) | becoming slower |
| ritenuto (riten.) | immediately slower |
| rinforzando (rfz) | a sudden accent |
| rubato | free use of accel. and rit. within a measure without altering the duration of the measure as a whole |
| sans/senza | without |
| scherzando | playfully |
| segue | continue without pausing |
| sempre | always, throughout |
| sforzando (sfz) | a sudden accent |
| simile | in the same manner |
| soli | a section solo, a group of soloists |
| solo | one performer |
| sonore | resounding loud |
| sordino | mute |
| sostenuto (sost) | sustained |
| staccato | detached |
| stringendo (string) | growing faster |
| subito (sub) | suddenly, at once |
| tacet | be silent |
| tempo | rate of speed |
| grave | solemn, very very slow |
| largo | very slow |
| adagio, lento, larghetto | slow |
| andante | moderately slow |
| andantino | slightly faster than andante |
| moderato | moderate, neither fast or slow |
| allegretto | moderately fast |
| allegro | fast lively |
| vivo, vivace | very fast and intense |
| presto | the fastest conventional tempo |
| prestissimo | as fast as possible |
| tenuto (ten) | held, sustained for full value |
| timbre | tone, color |
| tranquillo | quiet peaceful |
| trill (tr) | a rapid alteration between the written note and the diatonic second above it |
| troppo | too much |
| tutti | all, with all performers |
| un, uno, uno | one |
| unison | together on the same part or in octaves |
