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A variety of musical terms are encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings of these phrases differ from the original or current Italian meanings. Most of the other terms are taken from French and German, indicated by Fr. and Ger., respectively.

Unless specified, the terms are Italian or English. The list can never be complete: some terms are common, and others are used only occasionally, and new ones are coined from time to time. Some composers prefer terms from their own language rather than the standard terms listed here.

0–9

1′

"sifflet" or one foot organ stop

I

usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the highest-pitched, thinnest string

1+3⁄5′

Tierce organ stop

2′

two feet – pipe organ indication; see Organ stop § Pitch and length

2+2⁄3′

pipe organ stop for the twelfth interval

II

usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the second highest string

II

cymbal stop on pipe organ

III

usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the third-highest string

4′

four feet – pipe organ rank that speaks one octave higher than 8′

IV

usually for orchestral string instruments, used to indicate that the player should play the passage on the lowest-pitched, thickest string, i.e. the fourth-highest string

IV–VI

mixture stop on pipe organ

8′

eight-foot pipe – pipe organ indication

16′

sixteen-foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for one octave below 8′

32′

thirty-two-foot pipe – pipe organ indication calling for two octaves below 8′ also called sub-bass

64′

sixty-four-foot pipe – pipe organ indication (only a few organs have this deep a pitch)

A

a or à (Fr.)

at, to, by, for, in

à la (Fr.)

in the style of...

a battuta

Return to normal tempo after a deviation. Not recommended in string parts, due to possible confusion with battuto (qv.); use a tempo, which means the same thing

a bene placito

Up to the performer

a cappella

lit. "in a chapel"; vocal parts only, without instrumental accompaniment

a capriccio

A free and capricious approach to tempo

a due (a 2)

intended as a duet; for two voices or instruments; together; two instruments are to play in unison after a solo passage for one of the instruments

a niente

To nothing; indicating a diminuendo which fades completely away

a piacere

At pleasure (i.e. the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly, for example in a cadenza)

a prima vista

lit. "at first sight". Sight-reading (i.e. played or sung from written notation but without prior review of the written material; refer to the figure)

a tempo

In time (i.e. the performer should return to the stable tempo, such as after an accelerando or ritardando); also may be found in combination with other terms such as a tempo giusto (in strict time) or a tempo di menuetto (at the speed of a minuet)

ab (Ger.)

off, organ stops or mutes

abafando (Port.)

muffled, muted

abandon or avec (Fr.)

free, unrestrained, passionate

abbandonatamente, con abbandono

freely, in relaxed mode

aber (Ger.)

but

accarezzevole

Expressive and caressing

accelerando (accel.)

Accelerating; gradually increasing the tempo

accelerato

with increased tempo

accent

Accent, emphasis

accentato/accentuato

Accented; with emphasis

acceso

Ignited, on fire

accessible

Music that is easy to listen to/understand

acciaccato

Broken down, crushed; the sounding of the notes of a chord not quite simultaneously, but from bottom to top

acciaccatura

Crushing (i.e. a very fast grace note that is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure)

accidental

A note that is not part of the scale indicated by the key signature.

accompagnato

Accompanied (i.e. with the accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down at will)

accuratezza

Precision; accuracy. con accuratezza: with precision

acoustic

Relating to music produced by instruments, as opposed to electric or electronic means

ad libitum (commonly ad lib; Latin)

At liberty (i.e. the speed and manner of execution are left to the performer. It can also mean improvisation.)

adagietto

Fairly slowly (but faster than adagio)

adagio

Slowly

adagissimo

Very, very slowly

affannato, affannoso

Anguished

affetto or con affetto

with affect (that is, with emotion)

affettuoso, affettuosamente, or affectueusement (Fr.)

With affect (that is, with emotion); see also con affetto

affrettando

Hurrying, pressing onwards

agile

Agile, nimble

agitato

Agitated

al or alla

To the, in the manner of (al before masculine nouns, alla before feminine)

alcuna licenza

Used in con alcuna licenza, meaning (play) with some freedom in the time, see rubato

alla breve

In cut-time; two beats per measure or the equivalent thereof

alla marcia

In the style of a march

alla polacca

In the style of a polonaise, a ³
₄ dance

alla Siciliano

In the style of a graceful Sicilian rustic dance;^[1]

allargando

Broadening, becoming progressively slower

allegretto

A little lively, moderately fast

allegretto vivace

A moderately quick tempo

allegrezza

Cheerfulness, joyfulness

allegrissimo

Very fast, though slower than presto

allegro

Cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as lively, fast

all'ottava

"at the octave", see ottava

alt (Eng.), alt dom, or altered dominant

A jazz term which instructs chord-playing musicians such as a jazz pianist or jazz guitarist to perform a dominant (V7) chord with at least one (often both) altered (sharpened or flattened) 5th or 9th

altissimo

Very high; see also in altissimo

alto

High; often refers to a particular range of voice, higher than a tenor but lower than a soprano

alzate sordini

Lift or raise the mutes (i.e. remove mutes)

am Steg (Ger.)

At the bridge (i.e. playing a bowed string instrument near its bridge, which produces a heavier, stronger tone); see sul ponticello

amabile

Amiable, pleasant

ambitus

Range between highest and lowest note

amore or amor (Sp./Port., sometimes It.)

Love; con amore: with love, tenderly

amoroso

Loving

anacrusis

A note or notes that precede the first full bar; a pickup

andamento

Used to refer to a fugue subject of above-average length

andante

At a walking pace (i.e. at a moderate tempo)

andantino

Slightly faster than andante (but earlier it is sometimes used to mean slightly slower than andante)

ängstlich (Ger.)

Anxiously

anima

Soul; con anima: with feeling

animandosi

Progressively more animated

animato

Animated, lively

antiphon

A liturgical or other composition consisting of choral responses, sometimes between two choirs; a passage of this nature forming part of another composition; a repeated passage in a psalm or other liturgical piece, similar to a refrain.^[2]

antiphonal

A style of composition in which two sections of singers or instrumentalists exchange sections or music one after the other; typically the performers are on different sides of a hall or venue

apaisé (Fr.)

Calmed

appassionato

Passionate

appoggiatura or leaning note

One or more grace notes that take up some note value of the next full note.

arco

The bow used for playing some string instruments (i.e. played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato, in music for bowed instruments); normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction

aria

Self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment (which may be provided by a pianist using an orchestral reduction)

arietta

A short aria

arioso

Airy, or like an air (a melody) (i.e. in the manner of an aria); melodious

armonioso

Harmonious

arpeggio, arpeggiato

played like a harp (i.e. the notes of the chords are to be played quickly one after another instead of simultaneously); in music for piano, this is sometimes a solution in playing a wide-ranging chord whose notes cannot be played otherwise; arpeggios are frequently used as an accompaniment; see also broken chord

articulato

Articulate

assai

Much, Very much

assez (Fr.)

Enough, sufficiently

attacca

Attack or attach; go straight on (i.e. at the end of a movement, a direction to attach the next movement to the previous one, without a gap or pause). Often used as "attacca subito," meaning a "sudden" movement transition (literally, "attack suddenly").

Ausdruck (Ger.)

Expression

ausdrucksvoll or mit Ausdruck (Ger.)

Expressively, with expression

avec (Fr.)

With

B

B

German for B flat (also in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, Croatian, Estonian and Hungarian); H in German is B natural

ballabile

(from the Italian Ballabile meaning "danceable") In ballet the term refers to a dance performed by the corps de ballet. The term Grand ballabile is used if nearly all participants (including principal characters) of a particular scene in a full-length work perform a large-scale dance.

bar, or measure

unit of music containing a number of beats as indicated by a time signature; also the vertical bar enclosing it.

barbaro

Barbarous (notably used in Allegro barbaro by Béla Bartók)

baritone

A male vocal range that lies between the ranges of bass and tenor.

Bartók pizzicato

A term that instructs string performers to play a pizzicato note to pull the string away from the fingerboard so that it snaps back percussively on the fingerboard.

bass

The lowest of the standard four voice ranges (bass, tenor, alto, soprano); the lowest melodic line in a musical composition, often thought of as defining and supporting the harmony; in an orchestral context, the term usually refers to the double bass.

basso continuo

Continuous bass, i.e. a bass accompaniment part played continuously throughout a piece by a chordal instrument (pipe organ, harpischord, lute, etc.), often with a bass instrument, to give harmonic structure; used especially in the Baroque period

battement (Fr.)

Used in the 17th century to refer to ornaments consisting of two adjacent notes, such as trills or mordents

battuto (Ital.)

To strike the strings with the bow (on a bowed stringed instrument)

beam

Horizontal or diagonal line used to connect multiple consecutive notes.

beat

1. The pronounced rhythm of music
2. One single stroke of a rhythmic accent

belebt or belebter (Ger.)

Spirited, vivacious, lively

bellicoso

Warlike, aggressive (English cognate is "bellicose")

ben or bene

Well; in ben marcato ("well marked") for example

bend

Jazz term referring either to establishing a pitch, sliding down half a step and returning to the original pitch or sliding up half a step from the original note.

beschleunigt (Ger.)

Accelerated, as in mit beschleunigter Geschwindigkeit, at an accelerated tempo

bewegt (Ger.)

Moved, with speed

binary

A musical form in two sections: AB

bird's eye

A slang term for fermata, which instructs the performer to hold a note or chord as long as they wish or following cues from a conductor

bis (Fr., It.)

Twice (i.e. repeat the relevant action or passage)

bisbigliando

Whispering (i.e. a special tremolo effect on the harp where a chord or note is rapidly repeated at a low volume)

bocca chiusa

with closed mouth (sometimes abbreviated B.C.)

bravura

Boldness; as in con bravura, boldly, flaunting technical skill

breit (Ger.)

Broad

bridge

1. Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition, or between two A sections (e.g., in an A/B/A form).
2. Part of a violin family or guitar/lute stringed instrument that holds the strings in place and transmits their vibrations to the resonant body of the instrument.

brillante

Brilliantly, with sparkle. Play in a showy and spirited style.

brio or brioso

Vigour; usually in con brio: with spirit or vigour

broken chord

A chord in which the notes are not all played at once, but in some more or less consistent sequence. They may follow singly one after the other, or two notes may be immediately followed by another two, for example. See also arpeggio, which as an accompaniment pattern may be seen as a kind of broken chord; see Alberti bass.

bruscamente

Brusquely, suddenly

C

cabaletta

The concluding, rapid, audience-rousing section of an aria

cadence

A melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of resolution

cadenza

A solo section, usually in a concerto or similar work, that is used to display the performer's technique, sometimes at considerable length

calando

Falling away, or lowering (i.e. getting slower and quieter; ritardando along with diminuendo)

calma

Calm; so con calma, calmly. Also calmato meaning calmed, relaxed

calore

Warmth; so con calore, warmly

cambiare

To change (i.e. any change, such as to a new instrument)

cambiata

An ornamental tone following a principal tone by a skip up or down, usually of a third, and proceeding in the opposite direction by a step, not to be confused with changing tone.

canon or kanon (Ger.)

A theme that is repeated and imitated and built upon by other instruments with a time delay, creating a layered effect; see Pachelbel's Canon.

cantabile or cantando

In a singing style. In instrumental music, a style of playing that imitates the way the human voice might express the music, with a measured tempo and flexible legato.

cantilena

a vocal melody or instrumental passage in a smooth, lyrical style

canto

Chorus; choral; chant

cantus mensuratus or cantus figuratus (Lat.)

Meaning respectively "measured song" or "figured song". Originally used by medieval music theorists, it refers to polyphonic song with exactly measured notes and is used in contrast to cantus planus. A later term for cantus mensuratus or cantus figuratus is cantus musicus ("musical song").^[3][4]

capo

1. capo (short for capotasto: "nut") : A key-changing device for stringed instruments (e.g. guitars and banjos)

2. head (i.e. the beginning, as in da capo)

capriccio

"A humorous, fanciful, or bizarre, composition, often characterized by an idiosyncratic departure from current stylistic norms."^[5] See also: Capriccio (disambiguation)

capriccioso

Capricious, unpredictable, volatile

cassa

Drum, usually an orchestral bass drum. Sometimes written as Gran Cassa where Gran specifically means Bass

cavalleresco

Chivalrous (used in Carl Nielsen's violin concerto)

cédez (Fr.)

Yield, give way

cesura or caesura (Lat.)

Break, stop; (i.e. a complete break in sound) (sometimes nicknamed "railroad tracks" in reference to their appearance)

chiuso

Closed (i.e. muted by hand) (for a horn, or similar instrument; but see also bocca chiusa, which uses the feminine form)

coda

A tail (i.e. a closing section appended to a movement)

codetta

A small coda, but usually applied to a passage appended to a section of a movement, not to a whole movement

col or colla

with the (col before a masculine noun, colla before a feminine noun); (see next for example)

col canto

with the singer, see also colla voce

col legno

with the wood: for bowed strings, strike the strings with the stick of the bow (col legno battuto) or draw the stick across the strings (col legno tratto)

col pugno

With the fist (e.g., bang the piano with the fist)

coll'ottava

With the addition of the octave note above or below the written note; abbreviated as col 8, coll' 8, and c. 8va

colla parte

literally "with the part". An indication that another (written-out) part should be followed, i.e. accommodate the tempo, expression, phrasing, and possible rubato of the leading part. In vocal music, also expressed by colla voce

colla voce

literally "with the voice". An instruction, in a choral or orchestral part, that a vocal part should be followed, e.g., play the same notes as the vocal part and accommodate the tempo, expression, etc. of the vocalist

coloratura

Coloration (i.e. elaborate ornamentation of a vocal line, or a soprano voice that is well-suited to such elaboration)

colossale

Enormous

come prima

As before, typically referring to an earlier tempo

come sopra

As above (i.e. like the previous tempo)

common time

The time signature ⁴
₄: four beats per measure, each beat a quarter note (a crotchet) in length. ⁴
₄ is often written on the musical staff as . The symbol is not a C as an abbreviation for common time, but a broken circle; the full circle at one time stood for triple time, ³
₄.

comodo

Comfortable (i.e. at moderate speed); also, allegro comodo, tempo comodo, etc.

comp

1. abbreviation of accompanying, accompanying music, accompaniment

2. describes the chords, rhythms, and countermelodies that instrumental players used to support a musician's melody and improvised solos.

3. Ostinato

comping (jazz)

1. to comp; action of accompanying.

con

With; used in very many musical directions, for example con allegrezza (with liveliness), con calma (calmly lit. 'with calm'); (see also col and colla)

con dolcezza

See dolce

con sordina or con sordine (plural)

With a mute, or with mutes. Frequently seen in music as (incorrect Italian) con sordino, or con sordini (plural).

concerto

Composition for solo instrument(s) and orchestra

concerto grosso

Composition for a group of solo instruments (concertino or soli) and orchestra (ripieno or tutti)

conjunct

An adjective applied to a melodic line that moves by step (intervals of a 2nd) rather in disjunct motion (by leap).

contralto

Lowest female singing voice type

contrapuntalism

See counterpoint

coperti

(plural of coperto) covered (i.e. on a drum, muted with a cloth)

corda

String. On the piano it refers to use of the soft pedal which controls whether the hammer strikes one or three strings; see una corda, tre corde below.

count

Series of regularly occurring sounds to assist with ready identification of beat

crescendo (cresc.)

Growing; (i.e. progressively louder) (contrast diminuendo)

cuivré

Brassy. Used almost exclusively as a French Horn technique to indicate a forced, rough tone. A note marked both stopped and loud will be cuivré automatically^[2]

custos

Symbol at the very end of a staff of music which indicates the pitch for the first note of the next line as a warning of what is to come. The custos was commonly used in handwritten Renaissance and typeset Baroque music.

cut time

Same as the meter ²
₂: two half-note (minim) beats per measure. Notated and executed like common time (⁴
₄), except with the beat lengths doubled. Indicated by . This comes from a literal cut of the symbol of common time. Thus, a quarter note in cut time is only half a beat long, and a measure has only two beats. See also alla breve.

D

da capo

From the head (i.e. from the beginning) (see also capo)

dal segno (D.S.)

From the sign ()

dal segno alla coda (D.S. alla coda)

Repeat to the sign and continue to the coda sign, then play coda

dal segno al fine (D.S. al fine)

From the sign to the end (i.e. return to a place in the music designated by the sign and continue to the end of the piece)

dal segno segno alla coda (D.S.S. alla coda)

Same as D.S. alla coda, but with a double segno

dal segno segno al fine (D.S.S. al fine)

From the double sign to the end (i.e. return to place in the music designated by the double sign (see D.S. alla coda) and continue to the end of the piece)

decelerando

Slowing down; decelerating; opposite of accelerando (same as ritardando or rallentando)

deciso

Firm

declamando

Solemn, expressive, impassioned

decrescendo (decresc.)

Gradually decreasing volume (same as diminuendo)

deest

From the Latin deesse meaning to be missing; placed after a catalogue abbreviation to indicate that this particular work does not appear in it;^[6] the plural, desunt, is used when referring to several works

delicatamente

Delicately

delicato

Delicate

détaché (Fr.)

Act of playing notes separately

devoto

Pious, religious

diminuendo, dim.

Dwindling (i.e. with gradually decreasing volume) (same as decrescendo)

disjunct

An adjective applied to a melodic line which moves by leap (intervals of more than a 2nd) as opposed to conjunct motion (by step)

di

Of

dissonante

Dissonant

divisi (div.)

Divided (i.e. in a part in which several musicians normally play exactly the same notes they are instead to split the playing of the written simultaneous notes among themselves); it is most often used for string instruments, since with them another means of execution is often possible (the return from divisi is marked unisono)

doit

Jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically upwards

dolce

Sweet; con dolcezza: with sweetness, sweetly

dolcemente

Sweetly

dolcissimo

Very sweet

dolente

Sorrowful, plaintive

dolore

Pain, distress, sorrow, grief; con dolore: with sadness

doloroso

Sorrowful, plaintive

doppio movimento

lit. Double movement, i.e. the note values are halved

double dot

Two dots placed side by side after a note to indicate that it is to be lengthened by three quarters of its value

double stop

The technique of playing two notes simultaneously on a bowed string instrument

downtempo

A slow, moody, or decreased tempo or played or done in such a tempo. It also refers to a genre of electronic music based on this (downtempo)

drammatico

Dramatic

drone

Bass note or chord performed continuously throughout a composition

drop

Jazz term referring to a note that slides to an indefinite pitch chromatically downwards

duolo

(Ital.) grief

dumpf (Ger.)

Dull

Dur (Ger.)

major; used in key signatures as, for example, A-Dur (A major), B-Dur (B♭ major), or H-Dur (B major) (see also Moll (minor))

dynamics

The relative volume in the execution of a piece of music

E

e (Ital.) or ed (Ital., used before vowels)

And

eco

The Italian word for "echo"; an effect in which a group of notes is repeated, usually more softly, and perhaps at a different octave, to create an echo effect

égal (Fr.)

Equal

eilend (Ger.)

Hurrying

ein wenig (Ger.)

A little

einfach (Ger.)

Simple

emporté (Fr.)

Fiery, impetuous

en animant (Fr.)

Becoming very lively

en cédant (Fr.)

Yielding

en dehors (Fr.)

Prominently, a directive to make the melody stand out

en mesure (Fr.)

In time

en pressant (Fr.)

Hurrying forward

en retenant (Fr.)

Slowing, holding back

en serrant (Fr.)

Becoming quicker

encore (Fr.)

Again (i.e. a request to perform once more a passage or a piece); a performer returning to the stage to perform an unlisted piece

energico

Energetic, strong

enfatico

Emphatic

eroico

Heroic

espansivo

Effusive; excessive in emotional expression; gushy

espirando

Expiring (i.e. dying away)

espressione

Expression; e.g. con (gran, molta) espressione: with (great, much) expression

espressivo, espress. or espr.

(Italian) Expressive

estinto

Extinct, extinguished (i.e. as soft as possible, lifeless, barely audible)

esultazione

Exultation

et (Fr.)

And

Étude (Fr.)

A composition intended for practice

etwas (Ger.)

As an adverb, little, somewhat, slightly

etwas bewegter (Ger.)

Moving forward a little

F

facile

Easy

fall

Jazz term describing a note of definite pitch sliding downwards to another note of definite pitch

falsetto

vocal register above the normal voice

fantasia

A piece not adhering to any strict musical form; can also be used in con fantasia: with imagination

feierlich (Ger.)

Solemn, solemnly

fermata

Stop (i.e. a rest or note to be held for a duration that is at the discretion of the performer or conductor) (sometimes called pause or bird's eye); a fermata at the end of a first or intermediate movement or section is usually moderately prolonged, but the final fermata of a symphony may be prolonged for much longer than the note's value, often twice its printed length or more for dramatic effect

feroce

Ferocious

festivamente

Cheerfully, in a celebratory mode

feurig (Ger.)

Fiery

fieramente

Proudly

fil di voce

"thread of voice", very quiet, pianissimo

fill (Eng.)

A jazz or rock term which instructs performers to improvise a scalar passage or riff to "fill in" the brief time between lyrical phrases, the lines of melody, or between two sections

fine

The end, often in phrases like al fine (to the end)

fioritura

the florid embellishment of melodic lines, either notated by a composer or improvised during a performance.

flat

A symbol (♭) that lowers the pitch of a note by a semitone. The term may also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where a singer or musician is performing a note in which the intonation is an eighth or a quarter of a semitone too low.

flautando

Flutelike mode; used especially for string instruments to indicate a light, rapid bowing over the fingerboard

flebile

Feeble, low volume

flessibile

flexible^[7]

focoso or fuocoso

Fiery (i.e. passionate)

forte (f)

Strong (i.e. to be played or sung loudly)

forte-piano (fp)

Strong-gentle (i.e. loud, then immediately soft; see dynamics)

fortepiano

An early pianoforte

fortissimo (ff)

Very loud (see note at pianissimo)

fortississimo (fff)

As loud as possible

forza

Musical force; con forza: with force

forzando (fz)

See sforzando

freddo

Cold; hence depressive, unemotional

fresco

Fresh

fröhlich (Ger.)

Lively, joyfully

fugue (Fr.), fuga (Latin and Italian)

Literally "flight"; hence a complex and highly regimented contrapuntal form in music; a short theme (the subject) is introduced in one voice (or part) alone, then in others, with imitation and characteristic development as the piece progresses

funebre

Funeral; often seen as marcia funebre (funeral march), indicating a stately and plodding tempo

fuoco

Fire; con fuoco: with fire, in a fiery manner

furia

Fury

furioso

Furious

G

G.P.

Grand Pause, General Pause; indicates to the performers that the entire ensemble has a rest of indeterminate length, often as a dramatic effect during a loud section

gaudioso

With joy

gemächlich (Ger.)

Unhurried, at a leisurely pace

gemendo

Groaningly

gentile

Gentle

geschwind (Ger.)

Quickly

geteilt (Ger.)

See divisi

getragen (Ger.)

Solemnly, in a stately tempo

giocoso

Playful

gioioso

With joy

giusto

Strict, exact, right (e.g. tempo giusto in strict time)

glissando

A continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a true glissando), or an incidental scale executed while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando). See glissando for further information; and compare portamento.

grace note

An extra note added as an embellishment and not essential to the harmony or melody.

grandioso

Grand, solemn

grave

Slow and serious

grazioso (Fr. gratieusement or gracieusement)

Graceful

guerriero

Warlike, martial

gustoso

(It. tasteful, agreeable) With happy emphasis and forcefulness; in an agreeable manner

H

H

German for B natural; B in German means B flat

Hauptstimme (Ger.)

Main voice, chief part (i.e. the contrapuntal line of primary importance, in opposition to Nebenstimme)

hemiola (English, from Greek)

The imposition of a pattern of rhythm or articulation other than that implied by the time signature; specifically, in triple time (for example in ³
₄) the imposition of a duple pattern (as if the time signature were, for example, ²
₄). See Syncopation.

hervortretend (Ger.)

Prominent, pronounced

hold, see fermata

homophony

A musical texture with one voice (or melody line) accompanied by subordinate chords; also used as an adjective (homophonic). Compare with polyphony, in which several independent voices or melody lines are performed at the same time.

hook

A musical idea, often a short riff, passage or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener".

I

immer (Ger.)

Always

imperioso

Imperious, overbearing

impetuoso

Impetuous

improvvisando

With improvisation

improvvisato

Improvised, or as if improvised

improvise

To create music at the spur of the moment, spontaneously, and without preparation (often over a given harmonic framework or chord progression)

in alto

octave above the treble staff, G₅ to G₆^[8]

in altissimo

Octave above the in alt octave, G₆ to G₇

in modo di

In the art of, in the style of

in stand

A term for brass players that requires them to direct the bell of their instrument into the music stand, instead of up and toward the audience, thus muting the sound but without changing the timbre as a mute would^[9]

incalzando

Getting faster and louder

innig (Ger.)

Intimate, heartfelt

insistendo

Insistently, deliberately

intimo

Intimate

intro

Opening section of a piece

irato

Angry

-issimamente

The adverbial form of the superlative suffix (most -ly, e.g. leggerissimamente, meaning as light as can be)

-issimo

A suffix for superlative (e.g. fortissimo or prestissimo)

izq. or iz. (Spa.)

Left (hand); abbreviation of izquierda

J

Jazz standard (or simply "standard")

A well-known composition from the jazz repertoire which is widely played and recorded.

jete (Fr. jeté)

Jump; a bowing technique in which the player is instructed to let the bow bounce or jump off the strings.

K

keyboardist (Eng.)

A musician who plays any instrument with a keyboard. In Classical music, this may refer to instruments such as the piano, pipe organ, harpsichord, and so on. In a jazz or popular music context, this may refer to instruments such as the piano, electric piano, synthesizer, Hammond organ, and so on.

Klangfarbenmelodie (Ger.)

"Tone-color melody", distribution of pitch or melody among instruments, varying timbre

kräftig (Ger.)

Strong

L

lacrimoso or lagrimoso

Tearful (i.e. sad)

laissez vibrer, l.v. (Fr.)

French for lasciare vibrare ("let vibrate").

lamentando

Lamenting, mournfully

lamentoso

Lamenting, mournfully

langsam (Ger.)

Slowly

largamente

Broadly (i.e. slowly) (same as largo)

larghetto

Somewhat slow; not as slow as largo

larghezza

Broadness; con larghezza: with broadness; broadly

larghissimo

Very slow; slower than largo

largo

Broad (i.e. slow)

lasciare suonare

"Let ring", meaning allow the sound to continue, do not damp; used frequently in harp or guitar music, occasionally in piano or percussion. Abbreviated "lasc. suon."

leap or skip

A melodic interval greater than a major 2nd, as opposed to a step. Melodies which move by a leap are called "disjunct". Octave leaps are not uncommon in florid vocal music.

lebhaft (Ger.)

Briskly, lively

legato

Joined (i.e. smoothly, in a connected manner) (see also articulation)

leggiadro

Pretty, graceful

leggierissimo

Very light and delicate

leggiero or leggiermente

Light or lightly (the different forms of this word, including leggierezza, "lightness", are spelled without the i in modern Italian, i.e. leggero, leggerissimo, leggermente, leggerezza.)

leidenschaftlich(er) (Ger.)

(More) passionately

lent (Fr.)

Slow

lentando

Gradual slowing and softer

lentissimo

Very slow

lento

Slow

liberamente

Freely

libero

Free

lilt

A jaunty rhythm

l'istesso, l'istesso tempo, or lo stesso tempo

The same tempo, despite changes of time signature, see metric modulation

lo stesso

The same; applied to the manner of articulation, tempo, etc.

loco

place, i.e. perform the notes at the pitch written, generally used to cancel an 8va or 8vb direction; in string music, also used to indicate return to normal playing position (see Playing the violin)^[2]

long accent

Hit hard and keep full value of note (>)

lontano

Distant, far away

lugubre

Lugubrious, mournful

luminoso

Luminous

lunga

Long (often applied to a fermata)

lusingando, lusinghiero

Coaxingly, flatteringly, caressingly

M

ma

But

ma non tanto

But not much

ma non troppo

But not too much

maestoso

Majestic, stately

maggiore

The major key

magico

Magical

magnifico

Magnificent

main droite (Fr.)

right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)

main gauche (Fr.)

left hand (abbreviation: MG or m.g.)

malinconico

Melancholic

mancando

Dying away

mano destra

right hand (abbreviation: MD or m.d.)

mano izquierda (Spa.)

left hand (abbreviation: m.iz.)

mano sinistra

left hand (abbreviation: MS or m.s.)

marcatissimo

With much accentuation

marcato, marc.

Marked (i.e. with accentuation, execute every note as if it were to be accented)

marcia

A march; alla marcia means in the manner of a march

martellato

Hammered out

marziale

Martial, solemn and fierce

mäßig (Ger.)

(sometimes given as "mässig", "maessig") Moderately

MD

See mano destra or main droite

measure

Also "bar": the period of a musical piece that encompasses a complete cycle of the time signature (e.g. in ⁴
₄ time, a measure has four quarter note beats)

medesimo tempo

Same tempo, despite changes of time signature

medley

Piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping.

melancolico

Melancholic

melisma

The technique of changing the note (pitch) of a syllable of text while it is being sung

meno

Less; see mosso, for example, meno mosso

messa di voce

In singing, a controlled swell (i.e. crescendo then diminuendo, on a long held note, especially in Baroque music and in the bel canto period)^[2]

mesto

Mournful, sad

meter or metre

The pattern of a music piece's rhythm of strong and weak beats

mezza voce

Half voice (i.e. with subdued or moderated volume)

mezzo

Half; used in combinations like mezzo forte (mf), meaning moderately loud

mezzo forte (mf)

Half loudly (i.e. moderately loudly). See dynamics.

mezzo piano (mp)

Half softly (i.e. moderately soft). See dynamics.

mezzo-soprano

A female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that of a soprano and that of a contralto.

MG

See main gauche

minore

Minor key

misterioso

Mysterious

mit Dämpfer (Ger.)

With a mute

M.M.

Metronome Marking. Formerly "Mälzel Metronome."^[10]

mobile

Mobile, changeable

moderato

Moderate; often combined with other terms, usually relating to tempo; for example, allegro moderato

modéré (Fr.)

Moderate

modesto

Modest

modulation

The act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal center) to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature.

Moll (Ger.)

minor; used in key signatures as, for example, a-Moll (A minor), b-Moll (B♭ minor), or h-Moll (B minor); see also Dur (major)

molto

Very

mordent

Rapid single alternation of a note with the note immediately below or above it in the scale, sometimes further distinguished as lower mordent and upper mordent.

morendo

Dying (i.e. dying away in dynamics, and perhaps also in tempo)

mosso

Moved, moving; used with a preceding più or meno, for faster or slower respectively

moto

Motion; usually seen as con moto, meaning with motion or quickly

movement

A section of a musical composition (such as a sonata or concerto)

MS

Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=In_alt
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