Music Terms

Question 1

accelerando (acce.)

Answer 1

gradually growing faster

Question 2

accidental

Answer 2

chromatic alteration of a note from the key signature until the next bar line (can be extended by a tie)

Question 3

ad libitum (ad lib) or a piacere

Answer 3

at pleasure, at will

Question 4

a due (a 2)

Answer 4

for two parts

Question 5

affetuoso

Answer 5

tenderly, with feeling

Question 6

alla breve (₵)

Answer 6

2/2 time, cut time

Question 7

allargando

Answer 7

getting slower and louder

Question 8

amoroso

Answer 8

with love, with warm feeling

Question 9

animato or con anima

Answer 9

lively, animated, spirited

Question 10

appassionato or passione

Answer 10

passionate, fervent

Question 11

assai

Answer 11

much, very

Question 12

a tempo

Answer 12

return to the original tempo

Question 13

attacca

Answer 13

continue without pause

Question 14

bravura

Answer 14

great technical skill, virtuosity

Question 15

brillante

Answer 15

sparkling, spirited

Question 16

cadenza

Answer 16

a brilliant (often highly technical) solo, often found at the end of a movement or a piece

Question 17

cadence

Answer 17

the close of a melodic or harmonic phrase

Question 18

calmando or calmato

Answer 18

quieting down, subsiding

Question 19

cantando or cantabile

Answer 19

in a singing style, lyrical

Question 20

capriccioso

Answer 20

fanciful, freely

Question 21

coda

Answer 21

a concluding passage added to the form proper

Question 22

con

Answer 22

with

Question 23

con brio

Answer 23

with vigor, vigorously

Question 24

con forza

Answer 24

with force, strength

Question 25

con fuoco

Answer 25

with fire, passionately

Question 26

con sordino

Answer 26

with mute

Question 27

con spirito or spiritoso

Answer 27

with spirit

Question 28

crescendo

Answer 28

becoming louder

Question 29

da capo (D.C.)

Answer 29

from the beginning

Question 30

dal segno (D.S.)

Answer 30

from the sign (S+%)

Question 31

decrescendo (decresc.)

Answer 31

becoming softer

Question 32

diatonic

Answer 32

notes within a given scale or key

Question 33

diminuendo (dim.)

Answer 33

becoming softer

Question 34

divisi

Answer 34

divided parts where there is normally one

Question 35

dolce

Answer 35

sweet, gentle

Question 36

doppio movimento

Answer 36

twice as fast

Question 37

double flat (𝄫)

Answer 37

lower by one full step

Question 38

double sharp (𝄪)

Answer 38

raise by one full step

Question 39

dynamics

Answer 39

the level of loudness

Question 40

pianississimo (ppp)

Answer 40

very, very soft

Question 41

pianissimo (pp)

Answer 41

very soft

Question 42

piano (p)

Answer 42

soft

Question 43

mezzo piano (mp)

Answer 43

medium soft

Question 44

mezzo forte (mf)

Answer 44

medium loud

Question 45

forte (f)

Answer 45

loud

Question 46

fortissimo (ff)

Answer 46

very loud

Question 47

fortississimo (fff)

Answer 47

very, very loud

Question 48

e, ed or et

Answer 48

and

Question 49

epressivo

Answer 49

with feeling, with expression

Question 50

etude

Answer 50

a study or exercise focusing on a particular technical or musical problem

Question 51

fermata (𝄐)

Answer 51

a pause or hold

Question 52

finale

Answer 52

last movement of a multi-movement work

Question 53

fine

Answer 53

the end

Question 54

forzando

Answer 54

a strong accent

Question 55

giocoso

Answer 55

humorous, playful

Question 56

giusto

Answer 56

exact, appropriate or usual tempo

Question 57

glissando

Answer 57

a glide from one note to the next

Question 58

grazioso

Answer 58

graceful

Question 59

interval

Answer 59

pitch difference between two notes

Question 60

key signature

Answer 60

sharps of flats placed at the beginning of a selection indicating its key

Question 61

largamente

Answer 61

broadly

Question 62

legato

Answer 62

smooth, even without breaks between notes

Question 63

l'istesso tempo

Answer 63

at the same tempo

Question 64

loco

Answer 64

return to normal position

Question 65

maestoso

Answer 65

majestic, with dignity

Question 66

marcato

Answer 66

accented, stressed

Question 67

marcia

Answer 67

march

Question 68

meno

Answer 68

less

Question 69

molto

Answer 69

much, very

Question 70

morendo

Answer 70

fading away

Question 71

mosso or moto

Answer 71

moved, motion

Question 72

non

Answer 72

no, do not

Question 73

nuance

Answer 73

subtle shading style

Question 74

ossia

Answer 74

an alternate version

Question 75

pesante

Answer 75

weighty, ponderous

Question 76

piu

Answer 76

more

Question 77

pochissimo

Answer 77

as little as possible

Question 78

poco a poco

Answer 78

little by little

Question 79

pomposo

Answer 79

stately, pompous

Question 80

quasi

Answer 80

almost, as if

Question 81

rallentando (rall.)

Answer 81

becoming slower

Question 82

ritardando (ritardo. or rit.)

Answer 82

becoming slower

Question 83

ritenuto (ritengo.)

Answer 83

immediately slower

Question 84

rinforzando (rfz.)

Answer 84

a sudden accent

Question 85

rubato

Answer 85

free use of access. and rit. within a measure as a whole

Question 86

sans or senza

Answer 86

without

Question 87

scherzando

Answer 87

playfully

Question 88

sempre

Answer 88

always, throughout

Question 89

sforzando (sfz.)

Answer 89

a sudden accent

Question 90

simile

Answer 90

in the same manner

Question 91

soli

Answer 91

a section solo, a group of soloists

Question 92

solo

Answer 92

a part for one performer

Question 93

sonore

Answer 93

resounding, loud

Question 94

sordino

Answer 94

mute

Question 95

sostenuto (sost.)

Answer 95

sustained

Question 96

staccato

Answer 96

detached

Question 97

stringendo (string.)

Answer 97

growing faster

Question 98

subito (sub.)

Answer 98

suddenly, at once

Question 99

tacet

Answer 99

be silent

Question 100

tempo

Answer 100

rate of speed

Question 101

grave

Answer 101

solem and very, very slow

Question 102

largo

Answer 102

very slow

Question 103

adagio, lento, larghetto

Answer 103

slow

Question 104

andante

Answer 104

moderately slow

Question 105

andantino

Answer 105

slightly faster than andante

Question 106

moderato

Answer 106

moderate, neither fast nor slow

Question 107

allegretto

Answer 107

moderately fast

Question 108

allegro

Answer 108

fast and lively

Question 109

vivo, vivace

Answer 109

very fast and intense

Question 110

presto

Answer 110

the fastest conventional tempo

Question 111

prestissimo

Answer 111

as fast as possible

Question 112

tenuto (ten.)

Answer 112

held, sustained for full value

Question 113

timbre

Answer 113

tone color

Question 114

tranquillo

Answer 114

quiet, peaceful

Question 115

trill (tr.)

Answer 115

a rapid alteration between the written note and the diatonic second above it

Question 116

troppo

Answer 116

too much

Question 117

tutti

Answer 117

all, with all performers

Question 118

un, una, uno

Answer 118

one

Question 119

unison

Answer 119

together on the same part or in octaves