ABRSM theory Italian terms

Grade 1

accelerando / accel. gradually getting quicker

adagio slow
allegretto fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)
allegro quick
andante at a medium (walking) speed
cantabile in a singing style
gradually getting louder
crescendo / cresc. /
da capo / D.C. repeat from the beginning
dal segno / D.S. repeat from the sign
gradually getting quieter
decrescendo / decresc.
gradually getting quieter
diminuendo / dim. /
fine the end
/ forte loud
/ fortissimo very loud
legato smoothly
lento slow
mezzo half
/ mezzo forte moderately loud
/ mezzo piano moderately quiet
moderato moderately
/ piano quiet
/ pianissimo very quiet
poco a little
rallentando / rall. gradually getting slower
ritardando / rit. gradually getting slower
ritenuto / rit. held back
staccato / stacc. detached
tempo speed, time (a tempo: in time)
8va octave
play an octave higher
NB va may be omitted
play an octave lower
NB vb may be omitted or even replaced
with va
pause on the note

72 crochet beats in a minute

        
accent (placed over or under a note)

slur (joining two different notes)

 dot over / under note = staccato

repeat marks – at the second sign go back

to the first sign and repeat the music from
there (if the first sign is missed out, repeat
  from the beginning)
 

Grade 2

a at, to, by, for, in the style of

al, alla to the, in the manner of
allargando broadening (getting a little slow and probably
louder)
andantino slightly faster than andante
assai very
con, col with
dolce sweet, soft
e, ed and
espressivo / express. / espr. expressive
/ fortepiano loud, then immediately soft
giocoso playful, merry
grave very slow, solemn
grazioso graceful
larghetto rather slow (not as slow as largo)
largo slow, stately
ma but
maestoso majestic
meno less
molto very, much
mosso, moto movement
non not
più more
presto fast
senza without
/ / sforzando / zforzato forced, accented
simile / sim. in the same way
sostenuto sustained
tenuto held
troppo too much
vivace, vivo lively, quick
A wedge sign above or below the notes indicates
super-staccato (staccatissimo), played as briefly as
possible and possibly accented
 
Dots inside a slur over or below the notes mean the
notes should be slightly separated (semi-staccato), but
less so than notes with ordinary staccato
 
 over or under the notes means accented and slightly
separated (marcato) 

 
over or below the note means the note is given a slight
pressure (tenuto)

Grade 3

adagietto rather slow (faster than adagio)

ad libitum, ad lib. at choice, meaning that a passage may be
played freely
agitato agitated
alla breve with a minim beat, equivalent to 2/2,
implying a faster tempo than the note values
might otherwise suggest
amore love (amoroso – loving)
anima soul, spirit
animato animated, lively
animando becoming lively
ben well
brio vigour
comodo convenient, comfortable
deciso with determination
delicato delicate
energico energetic
forza force
largamente broadly
leggiero light, nimble
marcato / marc. emphatic, accented
marziale in a military style
mesto sad
pesante heavy
prima / primo first
risoluto bold, strong
ritmico rhythmically
rubato / tempo rubato with some freedom of time
scherzando / scherzoso playful, joking
seconda / secondo second
semplice simple, plain
sempre always
stringendo gradually getting faster
subito suddenly
tanto so much
tranquillo calm
triste / tristamente sad, sorrowful
volta time (prima volta – first time, seconda volta
– second time)