1
Q
accelerando (accel.)
A
becoming quicker
2
Q
alla, all’
A
in the manner of
3
Q
animato
A
lively, animated
4
Q
assai
A
much, very much (e.g, allegro assai, very fast)
5
Q
ben, bene
A
well (e.g., coll’ ottava, with an added octave)
6
Q
con
A
with
7
Q
con brio
A
with vigour, spirit
8
Q
con espressione
A
with expression
9
Q
con moto
A
with movement
10
Q
e, ed
A
and
11
Q
espressivo
A
expressive, with expression
12
Q
fortepiano (fp)
A
loud, then suddenly soft
13
Q
grave
A
slow and solemn
14
Q
leggiero
A
light, nimble, quick
15
Q
loco
A
return to normal register
16
Q
ma
A
but (e.g., ma non troppo, but not too much)
17
Q
meno
A
less
18
Q
meno mosso
A
less movement, slower
19
Q
M.M
A
Maelzel’s Metronome
20
Q
molto
A
much, very
21
Q
non
A
not
22
Q
non troppo
A
not too much
23
Q
piu
A
more
24
Q
piu mosso
A
more movement, quicker
25
poco
little
26
poco a poco
little by little
27
quasi
almost, as if
28
rubato
with some freedom of tempo to enhance musical expression
29
sempre
always, continuously
30
senza
without
31
spiritoso
spirited
32
tenuto
held, sustained
33
tranquillo
quiet, tranquil
34
tre corde
three strings; release the left (piano) pedal
35
troppo
too much
36
una corda
one string; depress the left (piano) pedal
37
vivace
lively, brisk
38
accent >
a stressed note
39
adagio
a slow tempo (slower than andante, but not as slow as largo)
40
allegretto
fairly fast (a little slower than allegro)
41
allegro
fast
42
andante
moderately slow; at a walking pace
43
andantino
a little fast than andante
44
a tempo
return to original tempo
45
cantabile
in a singing style
46
crescendo, cresc.
becoming louder
47
con pedale, Ped.
with pedal
48
da Capo, D.C.
repeat from the beginning
49
da Capo al Fine, D.C al Fine
repeat from the beginning and end at Fine
50
dal Segno, D.S
repeat from the sign
51
decrescendo, decresc.
becoming softer
52
diminuendo, dim
becoming softer
53
dolce
sweet, gentle
54
fermata
pause; hold the note or rest longer than its written value
55
forte (f)
loud
56
fortissimo (ff)
very loud
57
fine
the end of the music
58
grazioso
graceful
59
larghetto
not as slow as largo
60
largo
very slow
61
legato
smooth
62
lento
slow
63
maestoso
majestic
64
marcato
marked or stressed
65
mano destra (m.d.)
right hand
66
mano sinistra (m.s.)
left hand
67
mezzo forte (mf)
moderately loud
68
mezzo piano (mp)
moderately soft
69
moderato
at a moderate pace
70
ottava. 8va
the interval of an octave
71
8va above the notes
play one octave above the written pitch
72
8va below the notes
play one octave below the written pitch
73
pianissimo (pp)
very soft
74
piano (p)
soft
75
prestissimo
as fast as possible
76
rallentando, rall
slowing down
77
ritardando, rit
slowing down gradually
78
repeat signs
repeat the music within the double bars
79
slur
play the notes legato
80
staccato
detached
81
tie
hold the note for the combined value of the tied notes
82
tempo
speed at which the music is performed
83
tempo primo (tempo I)
return to the original tempo
84
harmonic minor scale
7th is raised a chromatic semitone ascending and descending
85
melodic minor scale
6th and 7th are raised a chromatic semitone ascending only
86
enharmonic
when two notes have the same pitch, but are described differently with neighboring letter names
87
tonic
1st and 8th
88
supertonic
2nd
89
mediant
3rd
90
subdominant
4th
91
dominant
5th
92
submediant
6th
93
leading note
7th
94
melodic chromatic scale
consists of half steps only. ascending- every letter name is used twice except for 3.7.1. ascending half steps are raised. descending- every letter name is used twice except for 1.4.1. descending half steps are lowered.
95
harmonic chromatic scale
consists of half steps only. every letter is written twice except for the tonic and dominant notes
96
whole tone scale
consists of six pitches built on a pattern of whole tones. one letter is omitted preventing the use of a double sharp or double flat. two types of whole tone scales- one using the three black keys group and one using the two black keys group.
97
major pentatonic scale
consists of 5 notes built on the pattern of WT WT minor3rd WT. 1st write the regular major scale then omit the 4th and 7th notes
98
minor pentatonic scale
begins with a minor 3rd. first write the natural minor and then omit the 2nd and 6th notes
99
blues scale
to write a blues scale write the natural minor scale, omitting the second and sixth notes then add a note an augmented 4th or diminished 5th above the tonic
100
octatonic scale
the octatonic scale consists of eight tones arranged by alternating whole steps and half steps. it can either begin on a whole step of a half step. four whole steps and four half steps are used in each scale.
101
perfect interval
1.4.5.8
102
major interval
2,3,6,7
103
inversions of intervals
major goes to minor - minor goes to major - perfects stays perfect - augmented goes to diminished - diminished goes to augmented - # of each interval together adds up to nine
104
simple triple time 3/16
S w w - never combine two weak beats
105
simple quadruple time 4/16
S w M w - never combine a weak beat and a medium beat - always combine strong and a weak beat or a medium and a weak beat
106
compound duple time 6/16
S w w M w w OR can be divided into S w
107
compound triple time 9/16
beats are usually divided into S w w
108
compound quadruple time 12/16
beats are usually divided into S w M w
109
A 3 (triplet) above or below a set of notes
A triplet consists of three notes play in the time of two notes
110
a 2 (duplet) above or below a set of notes
a duplet is where 2 notes are played in the time of 3 notes
111
a 4 (quadruplet) above or below a set of notes
a quadruplet is where 4 notes are played in the time of 3 notes. in certain time signatures, 4 notes play be played in the time of 5 notes
112
a 5 (quintuplet) 6 (sextuplet) or 7 (septuplet) above or below a note
all of these mean that that set of notes will be played in the time of 4 notes
113
root position
root position of a triad- lowest note is known as the root, middle note is known and the third, top note is known as the 5th
114
1st inversion
the root moves up one octave
115
2nd inversion
the root and the third move up one octave
116
perfect cadence
V, I or V, i
117
plagal cadence
IV, I or IV, i
118
imperfect cadence
I, V or IV V, or i V, or iv V
Music Terminology
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