ABRSM Theory Musical Terms for Performance Direction

Adverbs & preposition Italian French German Italian

French

a

German

English Meaning at

à aber

but

ma mais als

than

bis

twice

col, colla, colle, con

with

avec mit assai

very

Trés molto sehr assez

enough

come

as

comme quasi come prima

as before

come sopra

as above

da

from

doch

however

e,ed

and

et und fine

end

fin troppo

too much

tanto

so much

ein

a

alla

In the style of

wieder

again

moins

less

meno wenig

little

peu poco pochettino

rather little

poch. Pochissimo

very little

pochiss subito

suddenly

viel

much

zu

too,to

etwas

rather

mezzo

half

plus

more

più per

by

non

not

nicht poi

then

noch

still

sino

until

sotto

below

niente

nothing

égal

equal

equale sans

without

ohne immer

always

sempre sul ossia alt bene

on the or high well, very

Words for performance direction Italian

French

German

English Meaning

a cappella

unaccompanied

à deux

for two performers

a2 ad libitum

at choice

à la pointe

use the bow at the point

au talon

use the bow at the heel

am Froshch al tallone colla parte

keep with the soloist

colla voce

keep with singer

coll’ ottava

with the octave

col legno

with the wood ( for strings players)

una corda

use one string

détaché

detached

div

divided

enlevez

take up

flatterzunge

flutter- tonguing

flzg sec

crisp

secco loco

at the normal pitch

marcato

accented

natural

in the ordinary way

obbligato

essential, obligated

pausa

pause

voll

full

rinforzando

reinforcing

rfz, rf risoluto

bold, strong

sautillé

springing

schleppen

dragging

schwach

weak

sonoramente

with rich tone

sonore smorz

dying away in tone and speed

sord

mute

sostennuto

sustained

sotto voce

in a undertone

spiccato

detached

stark

strong

sul tasto

on the fingerboard

tenuto

held

unis.

in unsion

inquieto

restless

morendo

dying away

perdendosi moto

movement

mouvt muta

change (e.g. tuning)

pizz

plucked

ponticello

bridge (for strings instruments)

portamento

slide form one note to the next

attacca

go straight on

da capo

from the beginning

dal segno

from the sign

martellato

strongly accented

sfz

accented

gebunden

connected

glissando

slide

mano

hand

Words for style/character Italian

French

German

English Meaning

affettuoso

tenderly

agitato

agitated

amabile

pleasant

amoroso

loving

amore

love

amour anima

spirit

animato

lively

animando

more lively

apaisé

calmed

appassionato

with passion

bestimmt

definite

bewegt

with movement

brio

vigour

calmato

calm

cantando

singing

cantabile

in a singing syle

capriccioso

imaginative

capricieux deciso

with determination

dolce

sweet

doux einfach

simple

semplice dolente

sad

dolore

sorrow (sad)

duolo Empfindung

emotion

estinto

lifeless, soft

felice

happy

feroce

fierce

feurig

fiery

flessible

flexible

fliessend

smooth

flottant

floating

forza

force

frei

free

fretta

hurryed

frisch

vigorous

frohlich

joyful

giojoso fuoco

fire

giocoso

playful

giusto

exact

gracieux

graceful

grandioso

grandly

grazioso

graceful

impetuoso

impetuous

innig

sincere

in relievo

prominent

joyeux

joyful

kraftig

strong

lacrimoso

sad

lamentoso

lamenting (sorrow)

lebhaft

lively

leicht

light

leggiero legerement leid

grief (sorrow)

Leidenschaft

passion

leise

soft

lieblich

lovely

lontanto

distant

lointain lourd

heavy

lugubre

mournful

lunga

long

lusingando

in a sweet style

lustig

cheerful

mancando

fading away

marziale

in a military style

mesto

sad

misterioso

mysterious

munter

lively

nobilmente

nobly(高貴)

nuovo

new

parlando

speaking

patetico

with deep feeling

pesante

heavy

piacevole

pleasant

pietoso

tenderly

placido

calm

primo

first

replica

repetition

rigoroso

strict

ruhig

peaceful

slancio

passionate

soave

gentle

solenne

grave

stark

strong

strepitoso

noisy

suss

seet

tacet

silent

spiritoso

spirited

tenerzmente

tenderly

tenerezza

tenderness

tranquillo

calm

traurig

sad

triste

sad

vif

lively

vigoroso

vigorous

zart

tender

bravura

skill, brilliance

calando

getting sofer

facile

easy

furioso

fursious

piangevole

plaintive(sorrow)

slancio

passionate

sospirando

sighing

trionfale

joyful

vorgetragen

prominent

Words for tempo Italian

French

German

English Meaning

adagietto

rather slow

adagio

slow

allegretto

fairly quick

allegro

quick

andante

at a walking peace

andantino

slightly faster than andante

a piacere

at pleasure

breit

broad

a tempo

in time

cédez

relax the speed

comodo

convenient

doppio movimento

twice as fast

en pressant

hurrying on

en retenant

holding back

en serrant

becoming quicker

gehend

at a steady speed

geschwind

quick

grave

very slow

incalzando

getting quicker

larghetto

rather slow

largo

slow

lento

slow

librement

freely

licenza

freedom

l’istesso

the same

massig

at a moderate speed

moderato nach und nach

gradually

perrsser

hurry

presto

fast

ralentir

slow down

rall.

Getting slower

rasch

quick

rit.

Held back

ritmico

rhythmically

rubato

with some freedom of time

schnell

fast

serrer

hurry

simile, sim.

Continue in the same way

slentando

getting slower

stringendo

gradually getting faster

tempo

speed

vite

quick

ziemlich

moderately

alla breve

with a minim beat

allargando

broadening

misura

measure

presser

hurry

stretto

quickening the speed

largamente

broadly

precipitando

rushing

retenu

held back (rit.)

volante

fast

volta

time