Created: Sunday, 08 August 2010 19:21
Written by Victoria Williams
Grade Five Music Theory - Lesson 2: Foreign Terms Alphabetical List
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Foreign Terms (Updated July 2020 with the new ABRSM list of terms)
For Grade 5 Theory, you need to try to learn all the foreign terms listed below. (This list includes all the terms from grades 1-4, which you will also need to know!) On this page you will find the terms in alphabetical order, for reference.
If you want to start learning the terms, we recommend using our easy-to-learn groups . You can see the whole list of terms arranged into categories and easily test yourself. Follow that link to also try a fun Musical Terms Quiz to see how many terms you know!
In time
Accelerando (Accel)
Gradually getting faster
Ad libitum (Ad lib.)
At choice
Adagio
Slow
Affettuoso
Tenderly
Agitato
Agitated
Al, alla
In the style of
Alla breve
With a minim beat
Allargando
Broadening
Allegretto
Fairly quick
Allegro
Fast
Allegro assai
Very fast
Allegro moderato
Moderately fast
Amabile
Amiable, pleasant
Andante
At a walking pace
Andantino
Slightly faster than andante
Animato
Animated, lively
Animé
Animated, lively
Appassionato
With passion
Assai
Very
Attacca
Go immediately to next section
Ben
Well
Brio
Vigour
Cantabile
In a singing style
Cantando
Singing
Come
As, similar to
Comodo
At a comfortable speed
Con, col
With
Crescendo (Cresc.)
Gradually getting louder
Da capo (D.C.)
Repeat from beginning
Dal segno (D.S.)
Repeat from "S" sign
Deciso
With determination
Decrescendo (Decresc.)
Gradually getting quieter
Diminuendo (Dim.)
Gradually getting quieter
Dolce
Sweet, soft
Dolore
Grief, sorrow
Doloroso
Sorrowful
Douce
Sweet
E, ed
And
Energico
Energetic
Espressivo (espress.)
Expressive
Fine
The end
Forte (f)
Loud
Fortepiano (fp)
Loud, then immediately soft
Fortissimo (ff)
Very Loud
Forza
Force
Giocoso
Playful, merry
Grave
Very slow, solemn
Grazioso
Graceful
Langsam
Slow
Largamente
Broadly
Larghetto
Rather slow
Largo
Slow and stately
Lebhaft
Lively
Legato
Smoothly
Leggiero
Light, nimble
Lent
Slow
Lento
Slow
Ma
But
Maestoso
Majestic
Marcato (marc.)
Emphatic, accented
Marcia
March
Mässig
At a moderate speed
Meno
Less
Mesto
Sad
Mezzo
Half
Mezzo forte (mf)
Moderately loud
Mezzo piano (mp)
Moderately quiet
Misterioso
Mysteriously
Moderato
Moderate speed
Modéré
At a moderate speed
Molto
Very much
Morendo
Dying away
Mosso
Movement
Moto
Movement
Niente
Nothing (silence)
Non
Not
Perdendosi
Dying away
Pesante
Heavy
Pianissimo (pp)
Very quiet
Piano (p)
Quiet
Più
More
Poco
A little
Poco a poco
Little by little
Prestissimo
As fast as possible
Presto
Fast (faster than allegro)
Prima, primo
First
Quasi
As if, resembling
Rallentando (Rall.)
Gradually getting slower
Retenu
Held back
Rinforzando (rf, rfz, rinf.)
Reinforcing
Risoluto
Bold, strong
Ritardando (rit., ritard.)
Gradually getting slower
Ritenuto (rit., riten.)
Held back
Ritmico
Rhythmically
Rubato
With some freedom of time
Ruhig
Peaceful
Scherzando
Playfully, joking
Schnell
Fast
Semplice
Simple, plain
Sempre
Always
Senza
Without
Sforzando (sf)
Forced, accented
Sforzato (sfz)
Forced, accented
Simile (sim.)
In the same way
Smorzando (smorz.)
Dying away in tone and speed
Sonoro
Resonant, with a rich tone
Sostenuto
Sustained
Sotto voce
In an undertone
Spirito
Spirit
Staccato (stacc.)
Detached
Stringendo
Gradually getting faster
Subito (sub.)
Suddenly
Tempo
Speed, time
Tenuto
Held
Tranquillo
Calm
Traurig
Sad
Tristamente, Triste
Sorrowful
Troppo
Too much
Vite
Quick
Vivace, vivo
Lively, quick
Last Updated: Wednesday, 12 August 2020 21:57
