ABRSM Theory Music Terms Grades 4 and 5

GERMAN TERMS Aber - but Ausdruck - expression Bewegt - with movement, agitated Breit - broad, expansive

attacca - go straight on to the next section of music dolente - sad, mournful dolore - grief doloroso - sorrowful

volante - flying, fast ITALIAN TERMS Affettuoso - tenderly Affrettando - hurrying amabile - amiable, pleasant

doppio movimento - twice as fast

appassionato - with passion

Einfach - simple

estinto - as soft as possible, lifeless

Etwas - somewhat, rather

calando - getting softer, dying away (and usually slowing down)

incalzando - getting quicker

fröhlich - cheerful, joyful

lacrimoso - sad

Ein - a, one

cantando - singing

langsam - slow

loco - at the normal pitch (used to cancel an 8va direction)

come - as, similar to (come prima, as before; come sopra, as above)

lebhaft - lively

lunga - long

facile - easy

mässig - at a moderate speed

lunga pausa - long pause

fuoco - fire

mit - with

lusingando - coaxing, in a sweet and persuasive style

giusto - proper, exact (tempo giusto: in strict time)

misura - measure (alla misura: in strict time; senza misura: in free time)

l'istesso - the same (l'istesso tempo: at the same speed)

immer - always

nicht - not ohne - without ruhig - peaceful schnell - fast sehr - very

ossia - or, alternatively piacevole - pleasant

morendo - dying away niente - nothing nobilmente - nobly

süss - sweet

piangevole - plaintive, in the style of a lament

perdendosi - dying away

traurig - sad

pochettino, poch - rather little

und - and

possibile - possible (presto possibile: as fast as possible)

rinforzando, rf, rfz - reinforcing

voll - full

segue - go straight on

wenig - little

senza misura - in free time

wieder - again

smorzando, smorz - dying away in tone and speed

zart - tender, delicate zu - to, too ITALIAN TERMS alla misura - in strict time

teneramente, tenerezza tenderly, tenderness tosto - swift, rapid (but often used in the same sense as "troppo”)

quasi - as if, resembling sonoro - resonant, with rich tone sopra - above sotto - below (sotto voce: in an undertone) veloce - swift voce - voice

FRENCH TERMS

et - and

presser - hurry (en pressant: hurrying on)

A - to, at

légèrement - light

Animé - animated, lively

lent - slow

Assez - enough, sufficiently

mais - but

retenu - held back (en retenant: holding back, slowing a little)

Avec - with

modéré - at a moderate speed

sans - without

Cédez - yield, relax the speed

moins - less

très - very

Douce - sweet

non - not

un, une - one

en dehors - prominent (a direction to make a melody stand out)

peu - little

vif - lively

plus - more

vite - quick

ralentir - slow down