Basic Conducting Flashcards
(87 cards)
1
Q
Pianissimo (pp)
A
Very soft
2
Q
Piano (p)
A
Soft
3
Q
Mezzo piano (mp)
A
Moderately soft
4
Q
Mezzo forte (mf)
A
Moderately loud
5
Q
Forte (f)
A
Loud
6
Q
Fortissimo (ff)
A
Very loud
7
Q
Forte-piano (fp)
A
Loudly-softly
8
Q
Sforzando (sfz.)
A
Loudly accented
9
Q
Crescendo (cresc.)
A
Becoming louder
10
Q
Decrescendo (decresc.)
A
Becoming softer
11
Q
Diminuendo (dim.)
A
Diminishing
12
Q
Crescendo poco a poco
A
Louder little by little
13
Q
Subito piano (sub. p)
A
Suddenly soft
14
Q
Subito forte (sub. f)
A
Suddenly loud
15
Q
Crescendo molto (cresc. molto)
A
Becoming much louder
16
Q
crescendo e diminuendo (cresc. e dim.)
A
Gradually louder, then gradually softer
17
Q
Prestissimo
A
As fast as possible
18
Q
Presto
A
Very fast
19
Q
Allegro
A
Fast, quickly
20
Q
Allegretto
A
Moderately fast
21
Q
Moderato
A
Moderately paced
22
Q
Andantino
A
Moderately paced
23
Q
Andantino
A
Moderately slow
24
Q
Andante
A
Slow but moving
25
Adagio
Slow
26
Lento
Slow
27
Larghetto
Very slow but moving
28
Largo
Very slow and broad
29
Grave
Very slow and heavy
30
Ritardando
Gradually slower
31
Rallentando
Gradually slower and broader
32
Ritenudo
Sudenly slower
33
Allargando
Gradually slower and louder
34
Calando
Gradually slower and softer
35
Sostenuto
Sustaining
36
Accelerando
Gradually faster
37
Stringendo
Gradually faster and hastening
38
Piu allegro
More lively
39
Piu mosso
More motion
40
Meno mosso
Less motion
41
Morendo
Dying away
42
Tempo rubato
Taken freely
43
A piacere
At pleasure
44
Tempo giusto
In exact tempo
45
Alla misura
Strict tempo
46
Senza misura
Freely
47
A tempo
Previous tempo (used after one of the above variations)
48
Tempo primo
First tempo
49
L'istesso tempo
Same tempo (beat remains the same even though the meter changes)
50
Dolce
Sweetly
51
Sotto voce
Subdued voice
52
Con brio
With vigor
53
Animato
Animated
54
Giocoso
Humorously
55
Espressivo
Expressively
56
Tranquillo
Gently
57
Cantabile
Singing
58
Dolente
Sad, mournful
59
Grave
Solemn
60
Con fuoco
With fire
61
Vicace
Lively
62
Pesante
Heavy
63
Maestoso
Majestic
64
Scherzando
Playful, jesting
65
Semplice
Simple, unaffected
66
Agitato
Agitated
67
Con bravura
With boldness
68
A capriccio
Whimsical
69
Con tenerezza
With tenderness
70
Tonic Accent
Accent by rise of pitch, rather than by stress
71
Dynamic accent
Accent by stress or reinforcement
72
Natural accent
Accent on the downbeat
73
Secondary accent
Accent on a beat other than the downbeat, e.g., beat three in common time
74
Irregular accent
Accent on a normally unaccented beat
75
Agogic accent
Accent by longer duration of a note
76
Sforzando/Forzando
Accent by forcingpressure
77
Rinforzando
Accent by strengthening
78
Legato
Smoothly connected
79
marcato
Marked emphasis
80
Staccato
Detached
81
Tenuto
Held, sustained
82
Portato
Slurred staccato
83
Staccatissimo (wedge)
Very short and detached; equivalent to the staccato from Couperin to Beethoven
84
Attacca
Two movements should be connected
85
Attacca subito
with no break, the one following
86
Segue
immediately after the other
87
Martellato
Hammer-like/Heaviest Accent
