Theory - Italian Terms and Performance Directions

ABRSM ± Theory Italian Terms & Performance Directions Grade 1

accelerando / accel. adagio allegretto allegro andante cantabile crescendo / cresc. /  da capo / D.C. dal segno / D.S. decrescendo / decresc. diminuendo / dim. /   fine  / forte  / fortissimo legato lento mezzo  / mezzo forte  / mezzo piano moderato  / piano  / pianissimo  poco rallentando / rall. ritardando / rit. ritenuto / rit.  staccato / stacc. tempo 8va

gradually getting quicker  slow fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro) allegro) quick  at a medium (walking) speed in a singing style gradually getting louder  repeat from the beginning repeat from the sign gradually getting quieter  gradually getting quieter  the end loud very loud smoothly slow half  moderately moderately loud moderately moderately quiet moderately quiet very quiet a little gradually getting slower  gradually getting slower  held back  detached speed, time (a (a tempo: tempo: in time) octave  play an octave higher NB va may be omitted  play an octave lower NB vb may be omitted or even replaced with va  pause on the note 72 crochet beats in a minute accent (placed over or under a note) slur (joining two different notes) dot over / under note =

staccato

repeat marks ± at the second sign go ba ck to the first sign and repeat the music from there (if the first sign is missed out, repeat from the beginning)

Grade 2

a al, alla allargando

at, to, by, for, in the style of  to the, in the manner of   broadening (getting a little slow and probably louder)

andantino assai con, col  dolce e, ed  espressivo / express. / espr.

slightly faster than andante very with sweet, soft and expressive loud, then immediately soft

 / fortepiano  giocoso  grave  grazioso larghetto largo ma maestoso meno molto mosso, moto non  più  presto  senza  / / sforzando / zforzato  simile / sim.  sostenuto tenuto troppo vivace, vivo

 playful, merry very slow, solemn graceful rather slow (not as slow as largo) slow, stately  but majestic less very, much movement not more fast without forced, accented in the same way sustained held too much lively, quick  A wedge sign above or below the notes indicates superstaccato (staccatissimo), played as briefly as possible and  possibly accented Dots inside a slur over or below the notes mean the notes should be slightly separated ( semi-staccato), but less so than notes with ordinary staccato over or under the notes means accented and slightly separated (marcato)

over or below the note means the note is given a slight  pressure (tenuto)

Grade 3

adagietto ad libitum, ad lib. agitato alla breve

amore anima animato animando     comodo deciso delicato energico forza largamente leggiero marcato / marc. marziale mesto    

prima / primo risoluto ritmico rubato / tempo rubato scherzando / scherzoso seconda / secondo semplice sempre stringendo subito tanto tranquillo triste / tristamente volta

rather slow (faster than adagio) at choice, meaning that a passage may be  played freely agitated with a minim beat, equivalent to 2/2, implying a faster tempo than the note values might otherwise suggest love (amoroso ± loving) soul, spirit animated, lively becoming lively ben well brio vigour  convenient, comfortable with determination delicate energetic force broadly light, nimble emphatic, accented in a military style sad pesante heavy first bold, strong rhythmically with some freedom of time playful, joking second simple, plain always gradually getting faster  suddenly so much calm sad, sorrowful time ( prima volta ± first time, seconda volta  ± second time)

Grade 4 ± Italian & French

affettuoso affrettando amabile appassionato calando cantando come  facile  fuoco  giusto l¶istesso morendo niente nobilmente  perdendosi  possibile quasi  sonoro  sopra  sotto veloce voce

tenderly hurrying amiable, pleasant with passion getting softer, dying away singing as, similar to (come prima ± as before, come sopra ±  as above) easy fire  proper, exact (tempo giusto ± in strict time) the same (l¶istesso temo ± the same speed) dying away nothing nobly dying away  possible ( presto possibile ± as fast as possible) as if, resembling resonant, with rich tone above  below ( sotto voce ± in an undertone) swift voice

à animé assez avec cédez douce en dehors

to, at animated, lively enough, sufficient with yield, relax with speed sweet  prominent (a direction to make a melody stand out)

et  légèrement  lent  mais moins modéré non  peu  plus  presser  ralentir  retenu

and light slow  but less at a moderate speed not little more hurry (en pressant ± hurrying on) slow down held back (en retenant ± holding back, slowing a little)

 sans très un / une vif  vite

without very one lively quick 

Grade 5 ± Italian & German

attacca dolente dolore doppio movimento estinto incalzando lacrimoso loco

volante

go straight on to the next section of music sad, mournful grief (doloroso: sorrowful) twice as fast as soft as possible, lifeless getting quicker  sad at the normal pitch (used often to cancel an 8va direction) long (lunga pausa: long pause) coaxing, in a sweet and persuasive style measure (all misura: in strict time; senza misura: in free time) or, alternatively  pleasant  plaintive, in the style of a lament rather little reinforcing go straight on dying away in tone and speed tenderly, tenderness swift, rapid (but often used in the same sense as troppo) flying fast

aber  ausdruck  bewegt  breit  ein einfach etwas  fröhlich immer  langsam lebhaft  mässig  mit  nicht  ohne ruhig   schnell   sehr   süss traurig  und  voll  wenig  wieder   zart   zu

 but expression with movement, agitated  broad, expansive a, one simple somewhat, rather  cheerful, joyful always slow lively at a moderate speed with not without  peaceful fast very sweet sad and full little again tender, delicate to, too

lunga lusingando misura ossia  piacevole  piangevole  pochettino, poch. rinforzando, rf, rfz  segue  smorzando, smorz. teneramente, tenerezza tosto

Performance Directions Left

pedal

Middle pedal Right pedal

Soft pedal , or Muting pedal, also called una corde.  Normally three strings are used per note. When the soft pedal is pressed, the whole keyboard is shifted along so that hammers on strike two strings in the upper register and one string in the lower register  Sostenuto pedal (not fitted to all pianos). Depressing the  pedal dampens only the notes that have been struck  Damper pedal. When pressed, felts are lifted off the piano strings to allow the sound to be sustained.

Press down / release the damper pedal

spread the notes of the chord quickly starting from the bottom mano Una corde Tre corde S.P.  _______

hand (mano sinistra, m.s. - left handed; mano destra, m.d. right handed; also used for the harp) one string, depress the soft pedal three strings, release the soft pedal Sostenuto Pedal ± hold the sustain pedal down for the notes indicated by the line

Performance directions for strings (violin, viola, cello and double bass) Down bow

Up bow

arco  pizzi cato sul G sul  pont ic   ello

bowed plucked play on the G string (also sul D, sul A, sul E ) play near the bridge a slur shows that the notes are to be played in a single bow stroke (either up or down)

Mute terms for strings and brass (trumpet, trombone, tuba, etc.) con sord in   i  / con sord. sen z a sord i ni  / sen z a sord.

with mute without mute

Ornaments

Trill

(also called a shake)

Mordent (also called the upper mordent, inverted mordent, or pralltriller)

Lower Mordent (also called mordent)

Note the line through the symbol

Turn

(also called grouppetto)

Inverted Turn

Appoggiatura (also called a grace note)

Double Appoggiatura

Acciaccatura (also called a short appoggiatura or a grace note)

Portamento (played as a smooth slide between two notes)

Glissando (played as a smooth or stepped slide between two notes)

Musical Instruments & Clefs Brass

Instrument

Clef 

Transposing

Trumpet

Treble

Transposing:

French Horn Trombone Euphonium (used in some of the larger orchestral works) Tuba

Treble

Transposing:

+ bass Bass + tenor  Bass

No No

Bass

No

in B-flat

in F

Woodwind

Instrument

Clef 

Transposing

Piccolo

Treble

Transposing:

Flute Clarinet Oboe Cor Anglais

Treble

No

Treble

Transposing:

Treble

No

Treble

Transposing:

Bassoon Contra-bassoon (or double bassoon)

Bass + tenor  Bass

No Transposing: sounds an octave lower than written

sounds an octave higher 

than written in B-flat in F

Strings

Instrument

Clef 

Transposing

Violin

Treble

No

Viola

Alto + treble Bass + tenor, treble Bass + tenor, treble

Cello Double bass

 No

No Transposing: sounds an octave lower than written

Percussion Instrument

Clef 

Timpani

-

(kettle drums) side drum Bass drum Cymbals Piano

Treble,

Transposing

No  No

Bass

No No No

Voice

Instrument

Clef 

Transposing

Soprano Mezzo-soprano Alto Tenor 

Treble

No

Treble

 No

Bass

Bass

Treble

+

alto

Treble + tenor,

bass

No If treble clef, the voice sounds an octave lower than written; this is often denoted by a small 8 placed under the treble clef  No