Music Dictionary - Intermediate
A Composer: A person who writes music.
A tempo {ahh tempo}: Return to the original
tempo
Accelerando (accel.){aw chel’ ler ron’ doe}: Play
faster little by little
Accent : Play the note louder than the other
notes
Accidental: A sharp , or flat , or natural sign
Adagio {Ah dah’ je oh}: Slow, leisurely. Slower
than andante, but not as slow as largo, mm = 66-76
Allegretto {all leh gret’ toe}: Moderately fast, but
not as fast as allegro, 116 to 120 beats per
minute
Allegro {aw leg’ grow}: Quickly or lively,
mm=120-146
Andante {On don’ tey}: Moderately fast,
mm=76-106
Andantino {On don tee’ no}: Slightly faster than
andante, mm=84-106
Animato {Awn’ ni mah’ toe}: Animated, with
energy
B Dolce {Dole’ chey}: Sweetly
Bar lines : Separates the measures, also
known as a measure line
Bass Clef The notes in the bass clef are
around middle C or lower. Also known as the F
clef.
Brio {Bree oh}: Vigor, spirit, with life
C
Crescendo (cresc.) {cre shen’ doe}: Growing
louder little by little
Cadence {Kay dents}: A harmonic progression
indicating the end of a phrase or piece
Cantabile {Con tah’ bill lay’}: In a singing style
Chamber music: A piece written for piano,
violin and cello
Chord: Two or more notes played at the same
time. or
Coda : An extra ending section of a
composition
Common time : Same as
Example: Bach or Beethoven
Con: With
Concerto {con chair’ toe}: An orchestral piece
where a solo instrument is spotlighted
Con moto {cone moe’ toe}: With movement
D
D.C. al Coda: Return to the beginning, then play to
the sign that says “To Coda”, then skip to the coda
sign
D.C. (Da Capo) al Fine: Return to the beginning
(capo) and play to the Fine.
Decrescendo (Decr.){Day kre shen’ doe}:
Growing softer little
by little
Development: The middle section of a sonata or
sonatina
Diminuendo (Dim.){Di min’ you end’ doe}:
Growing softer little by little
Dissonance {di sun nance’}: Clashing notes
which make the other notes sound better
Dominant: Fifth note of the scale
Double bar : The end of a section or piece
D.S. (Del Segno) al Fine: Return to the sign
and play to Fine
Double flat : Lowers the pitch of a note by 2
half steps but keeps the same letter name.
Example: C is the same key as B
Double sharp : Raises the pitch of a note by 2
half steps but keeps the same letter name
Example: C is the same as D
Dynamics: Any symbols that tell you how loudly
or softly to play.
Very very soft to very very loud
E
Enharmonic: One key or note with 2 different
names (C# and D are enharmonic equivalents)
Exposition: The beginning section of a sonata or
sonatina
 K
F
Flat : Lowers the note one half step or the very Key signature : The or at the beginning of
next key lower the song which tell you to play all the notes on
that line or space as or . Example: A flat at the
Fermata : Hold a note or rest longer than its beginning of the line will tell you to play all the Bs
value as B unless there is a in front of the note.
Fine {fin’ ney: The end To know which key the piece is in follow the
Forte : Loud following rules:
keys – go up a half step from the last or the
Fortissimo : Very loud
farthest to the right - that is your key note
Fortississimo : Very very loud Example: F# C# G# D# - go up a half step from
D#, you’re in the key of E Major
Function: The identification of chords with
respect to scale degrees keys – go to 2nd to last flat from the right – that
Example: The function of a G major chord in the is your key note
key of C major is that it is a V chord. Example: B E A D - 2nd to last is A - you’re
G in A Major
Giocoso {gee oh coh’ so}: Play in a humorous or Order of Sharps: F C G D A E B Father Charles
playful style goes down and ends battle.
Grand Staff: 2 staves that are connected. Order of Flats: B E A D G C F Battle ends and
Almost all piano music uses this down goes Charles’ father.
Grave’ {grah’ vey}: Very slow and solemn, 40 to
50 beats per minute L
Largetto {Lar get’ toe}: Slow, slightly faster than
I largo, mm = 50 - 66
Interval: The distance between two notes –
count lowest note, plus the highest note and all Leading tone: A note or chord built on the 7th
lines and spaces in between. note of the scale or scale degree
Example: D up to A is a 5th. Legato: Smooth and connected, shown by a slur.
Major, minor, augmented and diminished
intervals all use the same letter names, they just
add different or . Leggiero {ledge’ jee air’ roh}: Lightly
To change a major interval to augmented, raise
Lento {Len’ toe}: Slowly, 40 to 60 beats per
the top note ½ step.
minute
To change a major to minor, lower the top note
½ step. Listening Test:
To change a minor to diminished, lower the top Separate Together
note ½ step. 2nds Happy Birthday clashing
You may have to use double sharps or double 3rds When the Saints sounds good
flats . 4ths Here Comes the Bride
Example: C to E is a Major 3rd. C to E is an 5ths ABC Song hollow
6ths My Bonnie or NBC
Augmented 3rd. C to E is a minor 3rd. C to E is a 7ths Take On Me clashing
diminished 3rd. 8ths Over the Rainbow
Loco: Return to the original written note (go
back to the original location)
 M
Phrase : A musical sentence shown by slurs
Measure : The space between two lines in
the staff Piano : Soft
Maestoso {my stoe’ so}: Majestically, like a bride Pianissimo : Very soft
walking down an aisle, 72 to 84 beats per Piano trio: A piece played by three pianos
minute
Poco: Little
Metronome marking {mm.}: the number of
Presto: Very fast, mm = 168-200
beats per minute
Prestissimo: As fast as possible, mm = 200+
Meter : Time signature
Programmatic music: Music that paints a
Mediant: A note or chord built on the 3rd note of picture
the scale R
Mezzo Forte : Loud but not too loud, medium Rallentando (rall.){rall en tahn’ doe}: Slowing
loud down little by little, more deliberate than rit.
Mezzo Piano : Soft but not too soft, medium Recapitulation {re cah pit’ you lay’ shun}: The
soft last section of a sonata or sonatina
Moderato: Not too fast or too slow – medium Relative minor: Has the same key signature as a
tempo, mm = 106-116 major scale – to find the relative minor scale
Molto: Much, very from the major scale, go down 3 half steps and
vice versa
Morendo {more end’ doe}: Dying away in tempo
and volume Repeat Sign : Go back to the nearest repeat
Movement: A section of a larger piece of music sign, otherwise go back to the beginning and play
such as in a Symphony or Sonatina, shown by again
changes in tempo, time and key signatures and Rest: A sign that equals a certain number of
which can be played as a separate piece of music beats of silence:
N In 4/4 time 6/8 time
Natural Sign : Cancels a sharp or flat = = ½ beat 1
Notes: Show which pitch to play = =1 2
4/4 6/8 = =2 4
½ 1 = =3 6
1 2 = =4 6
1½ 3 Ritardando : Play slower little by little
2 4 Rondo: A musical form where you keep
returning to the main theme
3 6
4 6 (not normally used) Rubato {roo bah’ toe}: Borrowed time, speeding
up and then slowing down or vice versa
O
Opus: A numbering system for different pieces S
of music Scherzando{shirt zahn’ doe}: Playfully
P Scherzo{shirt’ zoh}: A composition in a light,
Parallel minor: A major and minor scale that playful manner
use the same notes but have different key
signatures
Sequence: An interval pattern repeated on
Time signature : The top number shows how
different notes
many beats are in a measure, the bottom number
Sempre {sem’ prey}: Always shows what kind of note receives one beat.
Example: 3 beats in a measure, a quarter note
Sforzando sfz {sfort zahn’ doe} : To play with
receives 1 beat
sudden force or energy
Tonic: A note or chord built on the 1st note of the
Sharp # : Play the next scale
key higher than the one
Treble clef : Used for the higher notes, those
written
around middle C or above. Also known as the G
clef
Staccato : Choppy, sharply detached, Triad: Three notes that are played at the same
separated, and bouncy
time or
Staff : The lines that the notes sit on
Trill : Moving back and forth between two
notes, very quickly
Sharp # : Raises the note 1 half step
Simile: In a similar manner U
Upbeat notes or pickup notes: Notes that come
Sonata-allegro form: Exposition, development, before the first full measure
recapitulation
Sostenuto {sauce ten new’ toe}: Sustained, the
sostenuto pedal is the right foot pedal that holds
(123) 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
the notes
Spirito: Spirited V
Vivace {vi vah’ chey}: Quick, lively, and vivacious,
Staccato: Sharply detached or separated, bouncy mm = 146-168
Subdominant: A note or chord built on the 4th Vivo {vee’ voh}: With life, energy
note of the scale
: Play notes one octave higher if the sign
Submediant: A note or chord built on the 6th is above the notes, one octave lower if below the
note of the scale notes
Subtonic: A note or chord built on the 7th note of
the scale and lowered ½ step
Subito (soo bee’ toe}: Suddenly
Symphony: A piece played by an orchestra,
usually with different movements
Syncopation (sink coh pay’ shun}: A long note on
a weak beat, a rhythm that accents weak beats
T
Tempo: The speed of the music.
Example: Moderato, Allegro
Tenuto: Hold the note for its full value or accent
the note a little or both
Tie : It makes two notes into one long note.