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- a, à (Fr):
at, to, by, for, in, in the style of
- a 2: see a
due in this list
- aber (Ger):
but
- a bene placito: up to the
performer
- a cappella: in the manner of
singing in a chapel; i.e., without instrumental accompaniment
- accarezzévole: expressive and
caressing
-
accelerando, accel.: accelerating; gradually increasing the tempo
- accent: Attack hard.
- accentato: accented; with emphasis
- acceso: ignited, on fire
- acciaccatura: crushing; i.e., a
very fast grace note that
is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the
measure
- accompagnato: accompanied; i.e.,
with the accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down
at will
- adagietto: rather slow
- adagio: at ease; i.e., play slowly
- adagissimo: very, very slow
- ad libitum (commonly ad
lib; Latin): at liberty; i.e., the speed and manner of execution are
left to the performer
- a due:
intended as a duet; for two voices or instruments; together; two instruments
are to play in unison after a solo passage for one of the instruments
- affannato, affannoso: anguished
- affettuoso, affettuosamente,
or affectueusement (Fr):
with affect (that
is, with emotion); see also con
affetto
-
affrettando: hurrying, pressing onwards
- agile: swiftly
- agitato: agitated
- al, alla:
to the, in the manner of (al before
masculine nouns, alla before
feminine)
- alla breve: in cut-time; two beats
per measure or the equivalent thereof
- alla marcia: in the style of a
march
- allargando: broadening, becoming a
little slower each time
- allegretto: a little lively,
moderately fast
- allegretto vivace: a moderately
quick tempo
- allegro: cheerful or brisk; but
commonly interpreted as lively, fast
- allegrissimo: very fast, though
slower than presto
- all' ottava: "at the octave", see ottava
- als (Ger):
than
- alt (English)
(also alt dom or altered
dominant): a jazz term which instructs chord-playing musicians such as a
jazz pianist or jazz guitarist to perform a dominant (V7) chord with altered
upper extensions (e.g., sharp 11th, flat 13th, etc.).
- altissimo: very high
- alto: high; often refers to a
particular range of voice, higher than a tenor but lower than a soprano
- alzate sordini: lift or raise the
mutes; i.e., remove mutes
- am Steg (Ger):
at the bridge; i.e., playing a bowed string instrument near its bridge,
which produces a heavier, stronger tone (see sul
ponticello in this list)
- amabile: amiable, pleasant
- amoroso: loving
- anacrusis: a note or notes that
precede the first full bar; a pickup
- andante: at a walking pace; i.e.,
at a moderate tempo
- andantino: slightly faster than andante (but
earlier it is sometimes used to mean slightly slower than andante)
- a niente: to nothing; an
indication to make a diminuendo which fades to pppp
- a nessuna cosa: to nothing; an
indication to hold a fermata until
it dies away (this only works with instruments which cannot sustain a note)
- anima: feeling
- animandosi: animated, lively
- animato: animated, lively
- antiphon: a liturgical or other
composition consisting of choral responses, sometimes between two choirs; a
passage of this nature forming part of another composition; a repeated
passage in a psalm or other liturgical piece, similar to a refrain.[1]
- apaisé (Fr):
calmed
- a piacere: at pleasure; i.e., the
performer need not follow the rhythm strictly,
for example in a cadenza
- appassionato: passionately
- appoggiatura also
called a "leaning note": one or more grace
notes that take up some note
value of the next full note.
- a prima vista: Sight-read (lit. "at
first sight"); i.e., (to be) played or sung from written notation but
without prior review of the written material
- arco: the bow used for playing
some string instrument; i.e., played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato (plucked),
in music for bowed instruments; normally used to cancel a pizzicato
direction
- arietta: a short aria
- arioso: airy, or like an air (a
melody); i.e., in the manner of an aria; melodious
- armonioso: harmoniously
- arpeggio:
like a harp; i.e., the notes of
the chords are
to be played quickly one after another (usually ascending) instead of
simultaneously. In music for piano,
this is sometimes a solution in playing a wide-ranging chord whose notes
cannot be played otherwise. Arpeggios are frequently used as an
accompaniment. See also broken
chord in this list.
- arpeggiato: a way of playing a
chord: starting with the lowest note, and with successively higher notes
rapidly joining in. Sometimes the effect is reversed, so that the highest
note is played first.
- assai: very
- assez (Fr):
enough, sufficiently
- a tempo: in time; i.e., the
performer should return to the main tempo of the piece (after an accelerando or ritardando,
etc.); also may be found in combination with other terms such as a
tempo giusto (in strict time)
or a tempo di menuetto (at
the speed of a minuet)
- attacca: attack or attach; go
straight on; i.e., at the end of a movement,
a direction to attach the next movement to the previous one, without a gap
or pause
- Ausdruck (Ger):
expression
- ausdrucksvoll (Ger):
expressively
- avec (Fr):
with or with another
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