Kilkenny School of Music

TEMPO           

a tempo              resume the normal speed

accelerando        gradually getting faster

adagio                slow

allargando           getting slower

allegretto            slightly slower than allegro

allegro                fast

andante              walking speed

largo                  slow

lento                  slowly

moderato            moderate speed

presto                 very quick

rallentando         gradually getting slower

ritenuto              hold back

rubato                flexibly

tempo 1              resume the original speed

vivace                 lively

DYNAMICS

crescendo           gradually getting louder

diminuendo         gradually getting quieter

forte            f      loud

fortissimo     ff     very loud 

mezzo forte  mf   moderately loud

mezzo piano mp  moderately quiet

pianissimo    pp   very quiet

piano           p     quiet

sforzando     sf    accented

sotto voce           in an undertone

GENERAL

arco                   bow

cantabile            in a singing style

con                    with

da capo              back to the beginning

dal segno           back to the sign $

divisi                  divided

dolce                 sweetly

e, ed                 and

espressivo          with expression

giocoso              humourously

grazioso             gracefully

legato                joined

leggiero             lightly

ma                    but

maestoso           majestically

meno mosso       less movement (slower)

molto                 much

moto                 movement

non troppo         not too much

piu mosso          more movement (quicker)

pizzicato            plucked

poco a poco       little by little

quasi                 almost

semplice            simple

sempre              always

solo                  one only

sostenuto          sustained

spirito               energy

staccato            separate

tacet                 silent

tenuto              held

tranquillo          tranquil

tutti                 all (opposite of solo)