Terms and signs
Italian words on the music
Composers write words on the music to say how fast to play, how to change speed, and in what style. Most of them are Italian. Some are shortened: rall. for rallentando. Here are the words Grade 1 asks:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a tempo | back to the speed before |
| accelerando (accel.) | gradually getting quicker |
| adagio | slow |
| allegretto | fairly quick, a little slower than allegro |
| allegro | quick and lively |
| andante | at a walking pace |
| cantabile | in a singing style |
| crescendo (cresc.) | gradually getting louder |
| da capo (D.C.) | repeat from the beginning |
| decrescendo (decresc.) | gradually getting quieter |
| diminuendo (dim.) | gradually getting quieter |
| dolce | sweetly |
| fine | the end |
| al fine | to the end (the place marked fine) |
| legato | smoothly |
| moderato | at a moderate speed |
| rallentando (rall.) | gradually getting slower |
| ritardando (rit.) | gradually getting slower |
| staccato (stacc.) | short and detached |
Tip: group them as you learn them. Speeds: adagio, andante, moderato, allegretto, allegro. Changes of speed: accelerando, rallentando, ritardando, a tempo. Style: legato, staccato, cantabile, dolce.
Dynamics
Dynamics tell you how loud to play. They are Italian too, written as letters under the music:
| Sign | Italian | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pp | pianissimo | very quiet |
| p | piano | quiet |
| mp | mezzo piano | moderately quiet |
| mf | mezzo forte | moderately loud |
| f | forte | loud |
| ff | fortissimo | very loud |
From quietest to loudest: pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff. Crescendo (cresc.) means gradually getting louder; diminuendo (dim.) and decrescendo (decresc.) mean gradually getting quieter.
Signs on the notes
- A staccato dot over or under a note: short and detached.
- An accent (>): play the note with emphasis.
- A pause (an arc over a dot): hold the note longer than its written value.
Signs across the music
- A slur is a curved line over different notes: play them smoothly, joined.
- A tie is a curved line joining two notes of the same pitch: one long sound.
- Hairpins under the music: opening out is a crescendo, closing up a diminuendo.
- Common time: a C instead of 4/4, meaning the same.
- A metronome mark such as crotchet = 60: sixty crotchet beats in a minute.
- Repeat marks, two dots beside a double barline: play the music between them again.
This question is in Brainlag Plus