music performance directions Flashcards
(138 cards)
1
Q
Adagio
A
slow
2
Q
Accelerando (or accel.)
A
gradually getting quicker
3
Q
allegretto
A
fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)
4
Q
allegro
A
quick (litterally ‘cheerful’)
5
Q
andante
A
at a medium(‘walking’) speed
6
Q
cantabile
A
in a singing style
7
Q
crescendo (or cresc.)
A
gradually getting louder
8
Q
da capo (or D.C.)
A
repeat from the beginning
9
Q
da segno (or D.S.)
A
repeat from the sign %S
10
Q
decrescendo (or decresc.)
A
gradually getting quieter
11
Q
diminuendo (or dim.)
A
gradually getting quieter
12
Q
fine
A
the end
13
Q
f = forte
A
loud
14
Q
ff = fortissimo
A
very loud
15
Q
legato
A
smoothly
16
Q
lento
A
slow
17
Q
mezzo
A
half
18
Q
mf = mezzo forte
A
moderately loud (literally ‘half’ loud)
19
Q
mp = mezzo piano
A
moderately quiet (literally ‘half’ quiet)
20
Q
moderato
A
moderately (allegro moderato: moderately quick)
21
Q
p = piano
A
quiet
22
Q
pp = pianissimo
A
very quiet
23
Q
poco
A
a little
24
Q
rallentando (or rall.)
A
getting gradually slower
25
ritardando (or ritard. or rit.)
getting gradually slower
26
ritenuto (or riten. or rit.)
held back
27
staccato (or stacc.)
detached
28
tempo
speed, time (a tempo: in time)
29
a
at, to, by, for, in, in the style of
30
al, alla
to the, in the manner of (alla marcia: in the style of a march)
31
allargando
broadening (getting a little slower and probably a little louder)
32
andantino
slightly faster than Andante (but may also mean slightly slower)
33
assai
very (allegro assai: very quick)
34
con, col
with
35
dolce
sweet, soft
36
e. ed
and
37
espressivo (or espress. or espr.)
expressive
38
Fp = fortepiano
loud, then immediately soft
39
giocoso
playful, merry
40
grave
very slow, solemn
41
grazioso
graceful
42
larghetto
rather slow (but not as slow as largo)
43
largo
slow, stately
44
ma
but
45
maestoso
majestic
46
meno
less
47
molto
very, much
48
mosso, moto
movement (meno mosso: slower; con moto: with movement)
49
non
not
50
piu
more
51
presto
fast (faster than Allegro)
52
senza
without
53
sf, sfz = sforzando or sforzato
forced, accented
54
simile (or sim.)
in the same way
55
sostenuto
sustained
56
tenuto
held
57
troppo
too much (non troppo: not too much)
58
vivace, vivo
lively, quick
59
adagietto
rather slow (but faster than adagio)
60
ad libitum, ad lib.
at choice, meaning that a passage may be played freely
61
agitato
agitated
62
all breve
with a minim beat, equivalent to c| (2/2), implying a faster tempo than the note values might otherwise suggest
63
amore
love (amoroso: loving)
64
anima
soul, spirit (con anima can mean 'with feeling' or 'spirited')
65
animato
animated, lively (animando: becoming more lively)
66
ben
well
67
brio
vigour (con brio: with vigour, lively)
68
comodo
convenient (tempo comodo: at a comfortable speed)
69
deciso
with determination
70
delicato
delicate
71
energico
energetic
72
forza
force
73
largamente
broadly
74
leggiero
light, nimble
75
marcato, marc.
emphatic, accented
76
marziale
in a military style
77
mesto
sad
78
pesante
heavy
79
prima, primo
first
80
risoluto
bold, strong
81
ritmico
rhythmically
82
rubato, tempo rubato
with some freedom of time
83
scherzando, scherzoso
playful, joking
84
seconda, secondo
second
85
semplice
simple, plain
86
sempre
always
87
stringendo
gradually getting faster
88
subito
suddenly
89
tanto
so much
90
tranquillo
calm
91
triste, tristamente
sad, sorrowful
92
volta
time (prima volta: first time; seconda volta: second time)
93
affettuoso
tenderly
94
affrettando
hurrying
95
amabile
amiable, pleasant
96
appassionato
with passion
97
calando
getting softer, dying away (and usually slowing down)
98
cantando
singing
99
come
as, similar to (come prima: as before; come sopra: as above)
100
facile
easy
101
fuoco
fire
102
giusto
proper, exact (tempo giusto; in strict time)
103
l'istesso
the same (l'istesso tempo: at the same speed)
104
morendo
dying away
105
niente
nothing
106
nobilmente
nobly
107
perdendosi
dying away
108
possibile
possible (presto possibile: as fast as possible)
109
quasi
as if, resembling
110
sonoro
resonant, with rich tone
111
sopra
above
112
sotto
below (sotto voce: in a undertone)
113
veloce
swift
114
voce
voice
115
french a
to, at
116
french anime
animated, lively
117
french assez
enough, sufficiently
118
avec
with
119
french cedez
yield, relax the speed
120
douce
sweet
121
en dehors
prominent (a direction to make a melody stand out)
122
et
and
123
french legerement
light
124
lent
slow
125
mais
but
126
moins
less
127
french modere
at a moderate speed
128
non
not
129
peu
little
130
plus
more
131
presser
hurry (en pressant: hurrying on)
132
ralentir
slow down
133
retenu
held back (en retenant: holding back, slowing a little)
134
sans
without
135
french tres
very
136
un, une
one
137
vif
lively
138
vite
quick
