Terms for Grades 1 and 2
New at Grade 2
Grade 2 adds more Italian words. Many are small words that join with others: più mosso is "more movement", so quicker; poco a poco cresc. is "little by little, getting louder".
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| alla marcia | in the style of a march |
| allargando | broadening, getting a little slower and fuller |
| con moto | with movement |
| con | with |
| col | with the |
| dal segno (D.S.) | repeat from the sign |
| e | and |
| ed | and |
| espressivo (espress.) | expressively |
| grave | very slow and solemn |
| grazioso | gracefully |
| largo | slow and broad |
| lento | slow |
| ma | but |
| meno | less |
| meno mosso | with less movement, slower |
| molto | very, much |
| non troppo | not too much |
| più | more |
| più mosso | with more movement, quicker |
| poco | a little |
| poco a poco | little by little |
| presto | very quick |
| ritenuto (riten.) | held back, slower at once |
| senza | without |
| vivace | lively and quick |
| vivo | lively and quick |
Recap: Grade 1 terms
Every Grade 1 term can come up at Grade 2 too.
| 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 |
Dynamics
From quietest to loudest: pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff. Grade 2 adds fp (fortepiano): loud, then at once quiet.
| Sign | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pp | very quiet |
| p | quiet |
| mp | moderately quiet |
| mf | moderately loud |
| f | loud |
| ff | very loud |
| fp | loud, then at once quiet |