Grade 5 Music Theory Terms

Grade 5 Music Theory Terms
 Dynamics: words that relate to volume

 Tempo: anything concerning speed of the pulse
 Mood & Expression
 Performance Technique and Articulation
 Instruction: practical instructions on what to do, e.g. ‘go straight on…’
 Misc: Other words that don’t fit into the categories above
Although they are grouped in these headings for study purposes, bear in
mind that often a word can imply a change in more than one area. For
example;
Smorzando = dying away in tone and speed. (this concerns dynamics and
tempo)
Lebhaft = lively. (could mean lively in tempo, dynamics and articulation)
Allargando = broadening (could mean tempo and dynamics)
Affettuoso = tenderly (could mean both mood and dynamics)
 Italian terms are in black text

 German words are denoted in blue writing.
 French words are denoted in green writing.
Dynamics
 Crescendo, cresc. = gradually getting louder
 Decrescendo and diminuendo = gradually getting quieter
 ff (fortissimo) = very loud
 f (forte) = loud
 mf (mezzo forte) = medium loud
 mp (mezzo piano) = medium quiet
 p (piano) = quiet
 pp (pianissimo) = very quiet
 fp (forte piano) = loud and then immediately soft
 sfz (sforzando, sforzato) = forced and accented
 Deciso = delicate
 Calando = getting softer, dying away (and slowing down)
 Morendo = dying away
 Perdendosi = dying away
 Sotto voce = in an undertone
 Estino = as soft as possible, lifeless
 Smorzando = dying away in tone and speed
Tempo
 Accelerando, accel = gradually getting quicker
 Adagio = slow
 Allegretto = fairly quick
 Allegro quick
 Andante = at a medium walking speed
 Lento = slow
 Moderato = moderately
 Rallentando, rall. and ritardando, rit. = gradually getting slower
 Ritenuto = held back
 Tempo = speed, time
 A tempo = in speed, in time
 Allargando = broadening (getting slower and louder)
 Andantino = slightly faster than andante
 Grave = very slow, solemn
 Larghetto = rather slow
 Largo = very slow and stately
 Mosso, moto = movement (e.g. con moto = with movement)
 Presto = fast
 Vivace, vivo = lively, quick
 Adagietto = rather slow
 Ad libitum, ad lib. = at choice, played freely
 Alla breve = with a minim beat which will mean the music is faster than
the note values might suggest
 Animato = animated
 Con brio = with vigour
 Comodo = at a comfortable speed
 Energico = energetic
 Largamente = broadly
 Rubato = with some freedom of time
 Stringendo = gradually getting faster
 Affrettando = hurrying
 Tempo giusto = exact time
 L’istesso tempo = at the same speed
 Presto possibile = as fast as possible
 Veloce = swift
 Doppio movimento = twice as fast
 Incalzando = getting quicker
 Lunga = long
 Lunga pausa = long pause
 Misura = measure (a bar)
 Alla misura = in strict time
 Senza misura = in free time
 Smorzando = dying away in tone and speed
 Tosto = swift and rapid
 Volante = flying, fast
 Bewegt = with movement, agitated
 Langsam = slow
 Lebhaft = lively
 Mässig = at a moderate speed
 Schnell = fast
 Cédez = yield, relax the speed
 Lent = slow
 Modéré = at a moderate speed
 Presser = hurry
 Ralentir = slow down
 Retenu = held back
 Vif = lively
 Vite = quick
Mood & Expression

 Cantabile = in a singing style
 Dolce = sweet, soft
 Espressivo, espress. espr. = expressive
 Giocoso = playful
 Grazioso = graceful
 Maestoso = majestic
 Agitato = agitated
 Amore = love
 Amoroso = loving
 Anima = soul, spirit
 Con anima = with feeling
 Marziale = martial, solemn, fierce
 Mesto = sad
 Risoluto = bold, strong
 Scherzando = playful, joking
 Semplice = simple, plain
 Tranquilo = calm
 Triste, tristamente = sad, sorrowful
 Affettuoso = tenderly
 Amabile = pleasant, amiable
 Appassionato = with passion
 Cantando = singing
 Fuoco = fire
 Nobilmente = nobly
 Dolente = sad, mournful
 Dolore = grief
 Doloroso = sorrowful
 Lacrimoso = sad
 Lusingando = coaxing, in a sweet style
 Piacevole = pleasant
 Piangevole = plaintive, lamenting
 Rinforzando, rf, rfz = reinforcing
 Teneramente, tenerezza = tenderly, tenderness
 Ausdruck = expression
 Breit = broad and expansive
 Einfach = simple
 Fröhlich = cheerful, joyful
 Ruhig = peaceful
 Süss = sweet
 Traurig = sad
 Zart = tender, delicate
 Animé = animated, lively
 Douce = sweet
 En dehors = prominent
 Légèrement = light
Performance technique & articulation

 Legato = smoothly
 Staccato = detached
 Sostenuto = sustained
 Tenuto = held
 Forza = force
 Leggiero = light & nimble
 Marcato, marc. = emphatic, accented
 Pesante = heavy
 Ritmico = rhythmically
 Sonoro = resonant tone, sonorus
 Pizzicato, pizz. = direction for string players to pluck the string rather
than bow it
 Arco = use the bow again (string players)
 Con sordini, con sord. = use the mute (string players)
 Sul G = only play on the G string (string players)
 Sul ponticello = play near the bridge (string players)
 Una corda = press the left pedal on the piano which makes the piano
only play ‘one string’
 Tre corda = release the left pedal (piano)
 Mano sinistra, m.s. = left hand
 Mano destra, m.d. = right hand
Instruction
 Da capo, D.C. = repeat from the beginning
 Dal segno, D.S. = repeat from the sign
 Fine = the end
 Simile, sim. = in the same way
 Sempre = always
 Prima volta = first time
 Seconda volta = second time
 Attacca = go straight on to the next section of music
 Loco = at the normal pitch after having used an 8va direction
 Segue = go straight on
 Wieder = again
Misc
 Mezzo = half
 Poco = a little
 A = at, to , by, fo, in, in the style of
 Al, alla = to the, in the manner of
 Assai = very
 Con, col = with
 Ma = but
 Meno = less
 Molto = very, much
 Non = not
 Più = more
 Senza = without
 Ben = well
 Prima, primo = first
 Seconda, secondo = second
 Subito = suddenly
 Tanto = so much
 Volta = time
 Come = as, similar to
 Come prima = as before
 Come sopra = as above
 Facile = easy
 Giusto = exact
 L’istesso = the same
 Niente = nothing
 Possibile = possible
 Quasi = resembling
 Sopra = above
 Sotto below
 Voce = voice
 Ossia = alternate, or
 Pochettino, poch = a little
 Aber = but
 Ein = a, one
 Etwas = somewhat, rather
 Immer = always
 Mit = with
 Nicht = not
 Ohne = without
 Sehr = very
 Und = and
 Voll = full
 Wenig = little
 Zu = to, too
 Á = to, at
 Assez = enough, sufficiently
 Avec = with
 Et = and
 Mais = but
 Moins = less
 Non = not
 Peu = little
 Lus = more
 Sans = without
 Très = very
 Un, une = one

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Grade 5 Music Theory Terms

 Dynamics: words that relate to volume

 Italian terms are in black text

Mood & Expression

Performance technique & articulation

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