Music Signs and Terms
Level 6: Basics of Keyboard Theory
Terms
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- Trill
- ornament in which written note is alternated continuously with note above. In Classical and Baroque music, begin trill on note above written note; In Romantic, begin on written note
- Spiritoso
- spirited; with spirit
- Damper Pedal
- press pedal located o right
- Ostinato
- repeated pattern
- Margato
- stressed, marked
- Pianississimo
- very, very soft
- Mordent
- ornment in which written note is played, followed by note below written note, then written note again
- Molto
- much; very
- Forte
- loud
- Con Moto
- with motion
- Sforzando
- sudden, sharp accent
- Subito
- suddenly; at once
- Simile
- continue in same style
- Tenuto
- pla note slightly louder than others; stress note; may also mean to give note full value
- Accidentals
- sharps, flats, or naturals written before notes (not in key signature)
- Andante
- moderate walking tempo
- Allegro
- fast or quick
- D.C. al Fine
- go back to beginning of piece, and play until word Fine
- Tranquillo
- tranquilly, peacefully, calmly
- Scherzando
- playfully, jokingly
- Phrase
- musical sentence, often four measures long
- Robusto
- robustly, boldly
- Mezzo Piano
- medium soft
- Slur
- connect first note to second, then release second note
- Espressivo
- expressively
- Ritardando
- slow down gradually
- Parrallel
- Major and mnor keys with same letter names
- Articulation
- various ways note are executed, includeing touch related expressions such as, but not limited to, staccato, legato
- Poco
- little
- Animato
- animated; with spirit
- Fermata
- hold note longer than its value
- Decrescendo
- gradually softer
- Double Sharp
- symbol "x" placed before note indicating to raise note a whole step
- Rallentando
- gradually slower
- Arpeggio
- continuous broken chord
- Andantino
- slightly faster than Andante
- Allegretto
- slightly slower than Allegro; faster than Andante
- Syncopation
- momentary contradiction of meter or pulse, often by changing strong and weak beats within measure
- Dynamics
- letters or symbls whch tell how loudly or softly to play music
- Presto
- very fast
- Sostenuto
- sustained
- Moderato
- moderate or medium tempo
- fortississimo
- very, very loud
- Con Brio
- with vigor or spirit (with brilliance)
- Tempo
- speed at which to play music
- Opus
- word used to indicate chronological order in which composer's music was written
- Octave Sign
- play notes an octave higher (or lower if below notes) than where they are written
- Adagio
- slowly
- Largo
- very slowly, "large"
- Lento
- slowly
- Repeat Sign
- repeat previous sections of music. Go back to nearest repeat sign or beginning of piece if there is none
- Legato
- play smoothly; connect notes
- Cantabile
- in a singing style
- Pianissimo
- very soft
- Mezzo Forte
- medium loud
- Double Flat
- two flats balced before a note, indicating to lower note a whole step
- A Tempo
- return to the original tempo
- First and Second Ending
- play piece with first ending (under 1), then repeat piece and second time skip first ending and play second ending (under 2)
- Enharmonic
- two different names for the same pitch
- Doloroso
- sadly; sorrowfully
- Dolce
- sweetly
- Tre Corda
- release Una Corda pedal
- Staccato
- play crisply or detached
- Forte-piano
- loud followed immediately by soft
- Appoggiatura
- used mainly in music of Classical Period, play 1st note as half value of 2nd note
- Fortissimo
- very loud
- Accent
- play the note louder than the others
- Crescendo
- gradually louder
- Piano
- soft
- Leggiero
- lightly, delicately
- Accelerando
- accelerate; gradually faster