front 1 accelerando, accel. | back 1 becoming quicker |
front 2 accent | back 2 a stressed note |
front 3 adagio | back 3 slow |
front 4 allegretto | back 4 fairly fast (a little slower than allegro) |
front 5 allegro | back 5 fast |
front 6 andante | back 6 moderately slow; at a walking pace |
front 7 a tempo | back 7 return to the original tempo |
front 8 breath mark | back 8 take a breath, and/or a slight pause or lift |
front 9 cantabile | back 9 in a singing style |
front 10 common time | back 10 a symbol for 4/4 |
front 11 crescendo, cresc. | back 11 becoming louder |
front 12 da capo, D.C. | back 12 from the beginning |
front 13 dal segno, D.S. | back 13 from the sign |
front 14 D.C. al Fine | back 14 repeat from the beginning and end at Fine |
front 15 decrescendo, decresc. | back 15 becoming softer |
front 16 diminuendo, dim. | back 16 becoming softer |
front 17 dolce | back 17 sweet, gentle |
front 18 double bar line | back 18 indicates the end of a piece |
front 19 down bow | back 19 on a bowed string instrument, play the note while drawing the bow downward |
front 20 fermata (pause) | back 20 hold the note or rest longer than its written value |
front 21 fine | back 21 the end |
front 22 forte | back 22 loud |
front 23 fortissimo | back 23 very loud |
front 24 grazioso | back 24 graceful |
front 25 legato | back 25 smooth |
front 26 lento | back 26 slow |
front 27 maestoso | back 27 majestic |
front 28 mano destra, m.d. | back 28 right hand |
front 29 mano sinistra, m.s. | back 29 left hand |
front 30 marcato | back 30 marked or stressed |
front 31 mezzo forte | back 31 moderately loud |
front 32 mezzo piano | back 32 moderately soft |
front 33 moderato | back 33 at a moderate tempo |
front 34 molto | back 34 much, very |
front 35 ottava, 8va | back 35 the interval of an octave |
front 36 pedale, ped. | back 36 use the damper pedal (on the piano) |
front 37 pianissimo | back 37 very soft |
front 38 poco | back 38 little |
front 39 prestissimo | back 39 as fast as possible |
front 40 presto | back 40 very fast |
front 41 rallentando, rall. | back 41 slowing down |
front 42 repeat sign | back 42 repeat the music within the double bar lines |
front 43 ritardando, rit. | back 43 slowing down gradually |
front 44 slur | back 44 play the notes smoothly (legato) |
front 45 staccato | back 45 detached |
front 46 tempo | back 46 speed at which music is performed |
front 47 Tempo Primo (Tempo I) | back 47 return to the original tempo |
front 48 tenuto | back 48 held, sustained |
front 49 tie | back 49 hold for the combined value of the tied notes |
front 50 up bow | back 50 on a bowed string instrument, play the note while drawing the bow upward. |
front 51 vivace | back 51 lively, brisk |