| A | B |
|---|
| a cappella | Choral music without accompaniment. |
| accelerando | Becoming gradually faster. |
| accent | The stress of one tone over others. |
| accidental | Chromatic alteration of single notes within a measure. |
| adagio | Slowly; leisurely. |
| agitato | Agitated; excited. |
| al fine | To the end |
| allegretto | Moderately fast; slower than allegro. |
| allegro | Lively; brisk; quick. |
| andante | Moderately slow. |
| arpeggio | A chord executed by playing one tone after another, from bottom to top, instead of by playing all tones siultaneously. |
| a tempo | Return to the original tempo. |
| binary form | An AB form; a two-part song form. |
| cadence | The end of a musical phrase, period, or section. |
| cadenza | A solo passage for technical display. |
| cantabile | In singing style. |
| coda | A supplement to the ending of a composition. |
| concerto | A composition for a solo player and an orchestra. |
| counterpoint | A weaving together of melodies horizonatally to form a musical texture. |
| crescendo | Increasing in loudness. |
| da capo | From the beginning. |
| dal segno | From the sign. |
| decrescendo | Decreasing in loudness. |
| descant | A melody sung or played above the principal melody. |
| diminuendo | Gradually softer. |
| dolce | Sweet and soft. |
| espressivo | With expression. |
| fermata | Hold; pause. |
| fine | End; close. |
| forte | Loud. |
| fortissimo | Very loud. |
| homophonic | Music in which one leading melody is supported by a chordal accompaniment. |
| interval | Difference in pitch between two tones. |
| introduction | An opening section of a composition. |
| largo | Very slowly. |
| legato | Smoothly connected |
| lento | Slowly; between andante and largo. |
| marcato | Marked; emphasized. |
| mezzo | Halfway; medium. |
| mezzo forte | Moderately loud. |
| mezzo piano | Moderately soft. |
| moderato | Moderate speed; between allegro and andante. |
| modulation | Change of key within a composition. |
| monophonic | Music having a single melodic line with little or no accompaniment. |
| motif | A short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern. |
| non troppo | Not too much. |
| obbligato | A melodic accompaniment to a principal melody. |
| opus | Used in conjunction with numbers (op.1, op.2) to indicate the chronological position of a composition within the entire output of a compser. |
| ostinato | A continuously repeated melodic figure or motive. |
| overture | An instrumental introduction to an opera or oratorio, or a one-movement composition for orchestra or band. |
| passing tone | A nonharmonic tone that is touched in passing from one chord to another. |
| pianissimo | Very soft. |
| piano | Soft. |
| poco | Little. |
| prelude | A piece of music serving as an introduction to a larger composition. |
| presto | Very quick. |
| ritardando | Gradually slower. |
| sequence | Immediate repetition of a tonal pattern at a highter or lower pitch level. |
| sforzando | Forcibly; with sudden emphasis. |
| staccato | Detached; separate; short. |
| subito | Suddenly. |
| suite | A group of related compositions. |
| tempo | Rate of speed. |
| ternary form | An ABA form or three-part song form. |
| theme | A definite, complete musical subject. |
| toccata | A keyboard composition in free style. |
| un poco | A little. |
| up-beat | One or several initial notes of a melody occurring before the first bar line. |
| vivace | Quick. |
