LEVEL II MUSICAL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
1998 Purcell Marian High School Cavalier Band
TEMPO MARKINGS: LEVEL II (from slow to fast)
Adagissimo extremely slow
Largo very slow
Grave grave, solemn
Largamente broadly
Lento slow
Adagio slow, at
ease
Adagietto somewhat
faster than adagio
Andante walking
tempo
Andantino somewhat faster
than andante
Moderato moderate tempo
Allegretto somewhat
slower than allegro
Allegro fast,
cheerful
Presto very fast
Vivace quick and
lively
Prestissimo as fast as
possible
CHANGE OF TEMPO MARKINGS: LEVEL II
accelerando becoming faster
allargando slowing down
allentando slowing down
largando slowing down
meno mosso less motion
piu mosso more motion
rallentando (rall.) gradual slackening in
speed
ritardardano (ritard., rit.) gradual slackening in speed
ritenuto immediate
reduction of speed
rubato deliberate
unsteadiness of tempo
stringendo (string.) faster, “drawing closer”
sustenuto slackening the
tempo
RUDIMENTARY PHRASING, STYLE, AND ARTICULATION TERMS: LEVEL II
a piacere performer
uses their own discretion as to tempo and rhythm
accent emphasis
on a note or a chord
agitato excited
appassionato with intense
emotion
articulation clarity of
musical performance
attack promptness
and decision in beginning a tone
bel canto vocal style emphasizing
beauty of sound
brillante bright
calando gradually
softer and slower
calmo calm, tranquil
cantabile in a signing
style
comodo easy,
agreeable
con anima with life and
animation
con fuoco with energy
and fire
con brio with vigor
and spirit
decay the resolution of a note or
chord
deciso boldly,
decisively
delicato delicate
deliberatamente deliberately
desto brisk, sprightly
detache detached
dolce sweetly
doloroso sorrowfully
energico with energy,
energetic
espressivo expressively
flessible flexible
furioso furious
giocoso humorous
grandioso with grandeur
grazioso with grace
incalzando getting faster
and louder
innocente innocently
legato connected,
smoothly
leggiero lightly
lugubre sad,
mournful
maestoso majestically
marcato marked,
stressed, “march-like”
marziale martial, in
the style of a march
mesto sad, mournful
morendo dying away
passionato passionate
perdendosi dying away
pesante heavy
phrase a complete
musical thought; a musical sentence
piacevole pleasing,
agreeable
pomposo pompous,
grand
religioso religiously,
solemn
risoluto bold
rubato freely
with respect to tempo
rustico rural,
rustic
scherzando playful and
lively
semplice simple
sempre always,
continuously
sentimentale sentimentally
sentito expressive
serioso serious
simile similarly,
continue in the same manner
slur two or more notes
connected by a single articulation
solenne solemn
sordamente muted, softly
sostenuto sustained,
legato
sospirando sighing,
doleful
sotto voce in an undertone
spiccato bounded
spiritoso spirited
sustain the continuous
sound between attack and decay
tenuto (ten.) sustained, held
out
tranquillo tranquil
veloce fast