Musical terms
Definitions of Italian, German, and French musical terms for ABRSM Theory Grade 1 to 5
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ABRSM Grade 1 Theory musical terms and their definitions
| Alternatives | Definition / meaning | Language | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| accelerando | accel. | gradually getting quicker | Italian | |
| adagio | slow | Italian | ||
| allegretto | fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro) | Italian | ||
| allegro | quick (literally "cheerful") | Italian | ||
| andante | at a medium ("walking") speed | Italian | ||
| cantabile | in a singing style | Italian | ||
| crescendo | cresc. | gradually getting louder | Italian | |
| da capo | D.C. | repeat from the beginning | Italian | for question: "repeat from the end", "repeat from the coda", "play three times", "repeat from the sign" |
| dal segno | D.S. | repeat from the sign | Italian | |
| decrescendo | decresc. | gradually getting quieter | Italian | |
| diminuendo | dim. | gradually getting quieter | Italian | |
| fine | the end | Italian | Pronounced "feen-ay", not as in the English word "fine"! | |
| f | forte | loud | Italian | |
| ff | fortissimo | very loud | Italian | |
| legato | smoothly | Italian | ||
| lento | slow | Italian | ||
| mezzo | half | Italian | ||
| mf | mezzo forte | moderately loud ("half loud") | Italian | |
| mp | mezzo piano | moderately quiet ("half quiet") | Italian | |
| moderato | moderately (allegro moderato: moderately quick) | Italian | ||
| p | piano | quiet | Italian | |
| pp | pianissimo | very quiet | Italian | |
| poco | a little | Italian | ||
| rallentando | rall. | gradually getting slower | Italian | |
| ritardando | ritard., rit. | gradually getting slower | Italian | |
| ritenuto | riten., rit. | held back, slower (immediately, not gradually) | Italian | The difference between ritenuto and ritardando is that ritenuto means to immediately, not gradually become slower. However, confusingly, both are frequently abbreviated to rit.. |
| staccato | stacc. | detached | Italian | |
| tempo | speed, time | Italian |
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ABRSM Grade 2 Theory musical terms and their definitions
| Alternatives | Definition / meaning | Language | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | to / at / in / by / for, etc. | Italian | Used in combination with other terms, e.g. a tempo: in time | |
| alla | all', al | to the / at the / in the manner of | Italian | Used in combination with other terms, e.g. alla marcia: in the manner of a march |
| allargando | broadening (getting slower, louder) | Italian | ||
| andantino | slightly faster than andante | Italian | In the 18th century, andantino usually meant slightly slower than andante | |
| assai | very (allegro assai: very quick) | Italian | ||
| con | col | with | Italian | |
| dolce | sweet, soft | Italian | ||
| e | ed | and | Italian | |
| espressivo | espress., espr. | expressive | Italian | |
| fp | fortepiano | loud, then immediately quiet | Italian | |
| giocoso | playful, merry, humourous | Italian | ||
| grave | very slow, solemn, serious | Italian | ||
| grazioso | graceful | Italian | ||
| larghetto | rather slow (not as slow as largo) | Italian | ||
| largo | slow, stately | Italian | ||
| ma | but | Italian | ||
| maestoso | majestic | Italian | ||
| meno | less | Italian | ||
| molto | very, much | Italian | ||
| mosso | moto | movement | Italian | Usually used with modifiers meno, con, etc., e.g. meno mosso: less movement (slower), con moto: with movement, più mosso: more movement (faster) |
| presto | fast (faster than allegro) | Italian | ||
| senza | without | Italian | ||
| sf | sfz, sforzando, sforzato | forced, accented | Italian | |
| simile | sim. | in the same way ("similarly") | Italian | |
| sostenuto | sustained | Italian | ||
| tenuto | ten. | held (sustain to the note's full value) | Italian | |
| troppo | too much (non troppo: not too much) | Italian | ||
| vivace | vivo | lively, quick | Italian |
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- Track your progress with the clever Clements Theory tools: see instantly where you are improving and where you need to practice more
Clements Theory is perfect for anyone studying for Associated Board or Trinity College Theory of Music Exams (Grades 1 to 5), and for GCSE or A Level Music.
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ABRSM Grade 3 Theory musical terms and their definitions
| Alternatives | Definition / meaning | Language | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adagietto | rather slow (faster than adagio) | Italian | ||
| ad libitum | ad lib. | the marked passage can be played freely ("at choice") | Italian | |
| agitato | agitated | Italian | ||
| alla breve | with a minim beat, for example in cut-common or 2/2 time | Italian | This term implies "double the speed", so a passage in 4/4 (with four beats in the bar) would be performed as if it had two beats in the bar, with the crotchets would be "felt" as quavers. | |
| amore | love | Italian | ||
| amoroso | loving | Italian | ||
| anima | soul, spirit (con anima: with feeling / spirited) | Italian | ||
| animato | animated, lively | Italian | ||
| animando | becoming more lively | Italian | ||
| ben | well | Italian | ||
| brio | vigour (con brio: with vigour, i.e. lively) | Italian | ||
| comodo | convenient (tempo comodo: at a comfortable speed) | Italian | ||
| deciso | "decided", with resolution, determined | Italian | ||
| delicato | delicate | Italian | ||
| energico | energetic | Italian | ||
| forza | force | Italian | ||
| largamente | broadly | Italian | ||
| leggiero | light, (as in not heavy), nimble | Italian | ||
| marcato | marc. | emphatic, accented | Italian | |
| marziale | "martial", in a military style | Italian | ||
| mesto | sad | Italian | ||
| pesante | heavy | Italian | ||
| prima | primo | first | Italian | |
| risoluto | bold, strong | Italian | ||
| ritmico | rhythmically | Italian | ||
| rubato | "robbed"; tempo rubato. "robbed time"; disregarding strict time for expressive effect | Italian | The translation "robbed" suggests taking time from one note to add to another. | |
| scherzando | scherzoso | playful, joking | Italian | |
| seconda | secondo | second | Italian | |
| semplice | simple, plain | Italian | ||
| sempre | always | Italian | ||
| stringendo | gradually getting faster | Italian | ||
| subito | suddenly | Italian | ||
| tanto | as / so much (non tanto: not so much) | Italian | ||
| tranquillo | tranquil, calm | Italian | ||
| triste | tristamente | sad, sorrowful | Italian | |
| volta | time (as in occasion, e.g. prima volta: first time, seconda volta: second time) | Italian |
Did you find this useful?
You'll find lots more on the Clements Theory website:
- 80 step-by-step study guides from the basics to Grade 5 and beyond
- Revision questions to test your comprehension of each guide
- Over 7000 practice questions organised by difficulty and topic
- The Clements Q&A — rapid assistance from a music theory expert!
- Track your progress with the clever Clements Theory tools: see instantly where you are improving and where you need to practice more
Clements Theory is perfect for anyone studying for Associated Board or Trinity College Theory of Music Exams (Grades 1 to 5), and for GCSE or A Level Music.
“I've finished my theory exam and passed with Distinction,
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ABRSM Grade 4 Theory musical terms and their definitions
| Alternatives | Definition / meaning | Language | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| affetuoso | affectionate, tender | Italian | ||
| affrettando | hurrying | Italian | ||
| amabile | "amiable", pleasant | Italian | ||
| appassionato | passionately | Italian | ||
| calando | getting softer, dying away (perhaps also slowing down) | Italian | ||
| cantando | singing (in a singing style) | Italian | ||
| come | as / similar to (come prima: as before / as at first; come sopra: as above) | Italian | ||
| facile | easy | Italian | ||
| fuoco | fire (con fuoco: wild and fast) | Italian | ||
| giusto | strict, proper, exact (tempo giusto: in strict time, the opposite of rubato) | Italian | ||
| l'istesso | the same (l'istesso tempo: at the same speed) | Italian | ||
| morendo | dying away | Italian | ||
| niente | nothing (diminuendo a niente: fade to nothing, to silence) | Italian | ||
| nobilmente | nobly | Italian | ||
| perdendosi | gradually dying away ("losing itself") | Italian | ||
| possibile | "… as possible" (lento possibile: as slow as possible, p possibile: as quiet as possible) | Italian | ||
| quasi | as if, resembling, like | Italian | ||
| sonoro | sonorous, resonant, with rich tone | Italian | ||
| sopra | above | Italian | ||
| sotto | below (sotto voce: in an undertone, whispered) | Italian | ||
| veloce | swift | Italian | ||
| voce | voice | Italian | ||
| à | to, at (Italian: a) | French | ||
| animé | animated, lively (Italian: animato) | French | ||
| assez | enough, sufficiently, rather; assez vite: rather quick | French | Do not confuse with Italian "assai", which by contrast means "very". | |
| avec | with (Italian: con) | French | ||
| cédez | yield, relax the speed | French | ||
| douce | sweet (Italian: dolce) | French | ||
| en dehors | outside, emphasised, prominent | French | Often this is a direction to make a melody stand out from an accompaniment. | |
| et | and (Italian: e / ed) | French | ||
| légèrement | light (Italian: leggiero) | French | ||
| lent | slow (Italian: lento) | French | ||
| mais | but (Italian: ma) | French | ||
| moins | less (Italian: meno) | French | ||
| modéré | at a moderate speed (Italian: moderato) | French | ||
| non | not | French | ||
| peu | little (Italian: poco) | French | ||
| plus | more (Italian: più) | French | ||
| presser | pressez | hurry; en pressant: hurrying on (Italian: affretando) | French | |
| ralentir | slow down (Italian: ralentando) | French | ||
| retenu | held back; en retenant: holding back (Italian: ritenuto) | French | ||
| sans | without (Italian: senza) | French | ||
| très | very (similar to Italian: assai) | French | ||
| un | une | one | French | |
| vif | lively (Italian: vivace / vivo) | French | ||
| vite | quick (Italian: allegro) | French |
Did you find this useful?
You'll find lots more on the Clements Theory website:
- 80 step-by-step study guides from the basics to Grade 5 and beyond
- Revision questions to test your comprehension of each guide
- Over 7000 practice questions organised by difficulty and topic
- The Clements Q&A — rapid assistance from a music theory expert!
- Track your progress with the clever Clements Theory tools: see instantly where you are improving and where you need to practice more
Clements Theory is perfect for anyone studying for Associated Board or Trinity College Theory of Music Exams (Grades 1 to 5), and for GCSE or A Level Music.
“I've finished my theory exam and passed with Distinction,
thanks so much for your help!! ”
“Thank You, I have passed my theory exam,
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ABRSM Grade 5 Theory musical terms and their definitions
| Alternatives | Definition / meaning | Language | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| attacca | immediately continue with the next section (or movement) of music | Italian | ||
| dolente | doleful, sad, mournful | Italian | ||
| dolore | grief (doloroso: sorrowful) | Italian | ||
| doppio movimento | twice as fast (similar to alla breve) | Italian | ||
| estinto | as soft as possible, lifeless (literally "extinguished") | Italian | ||
| incalzando | chasing, pressing on, i.e. getting quicker | Italian | ||
| lacrimoso | sad, tearful | Italian | ||
| loco | cancels an 8va indication: return to the normal pitch | Italian | ||
| lunga | long (often refering to a pause, pausa lunga: long pause) | Italian | ||
| lusingando | coaxing, persuasive, flattering | Italian | ||
| misura | measure / bar (alla misura: in strict time, senza misura: in free time) | Italian | ||
| ossia | or / alternatively | Italian | Usually this refers to a note or notes which may be played instead, if the original is not possible due to range, technique, etc. | |
| piacevole | pleasant | Italian | ||
| piangevole | plaintive, lamenting | Italian | ||
| pochettino | poch. | very little (i.e. a stronger version of "poco") | Italian | |
| rinforzando | rf, rfz | reinforcing | Italian | |
| segue | go straight on (similar to attacca) | Italian | ||
| smorzando | smorz. | dying away (in tone and speed) | Italian | |
| teneramente | tenerezza | tenderly, tenderness | Italian | |
| tosto | swift, rapid, at once (più tosto: quicker) | Italian | ||
| volante | flying, fast | Italian | ||
| aber | but (Italian: ma) | German | ||
| Ausdruck | expression | German | ||
| bewegt | with movement, agitated (Italian: a combination of con moto and agitato) | German | ||
| breit | broad, expansive (Italian: largamente) | German | ||
| ein | a, one | German | ||
| einfach | simple (Italian: semplice) | German | ||
| etwas | somewhat, rather (Italian: poco) | German | ||
| frölich | cheerful, joyful (Italian: giocoso) | German | ||
| immer | always (Italian: sempre) | German | ||
| langsam | slow (Italian: lento) | German | ||
| lebhaft | lively (Italian: vivace) | German | ||
| mässig | at a moderate speed (Italian: moderato) | German | ||
| mit | with (Italian: con) | German | ||
| nicht | not (Italian: non) | German | ||
| ohne | without (Italian: senza) | German | ||
| ruhig | peaceful | German | ||
| schnell | fast | German | ||
| sehr | very (Italian: molto) | German | ||
| süss | sweet | German | ||
| traurig | sad | German | ||
| und | and (Italian: e / ed) | German | ||
| voll | full | German | ||
| wenig | little, slightly | German | ||
| wieder | again | German | ||
| zart | tender, delicate | German | ||
| zu | too (nicht zu schnell: not too fast), also to / towards | German |
Did you find this useful?
You'll find lots more on the Clements Theory website:
- 80 step-by-step study guides from the basics to Grade 5 and beyond
- Revision questions to test your comprehension of each guide
- Over 7000 practice questions organised by difficulty and topic
- The Clements Q&A — rapid assistance from a music theory expert!
- Track your progress with the clever Clements Theory tools: see instantly where you are improving and where you need to practice more
Clements Theory is perfect for anyone studying for Associated Board or Trinity College Theory of Music Exams (Grades 1 to 5), and for GCSE or A Level Music.
“I've finished my theory exam and passed with Distinction,
thanks so much for your help!! ”
— Carmen Guthrie
Clements Theory user and successful Grade 5 Theory candidate
“Thank You, I have passed my theory exam,
I found Clements Theory very helpful!”
— Stephanie Hunter
Clements Theory user and successful Grade 5 Theory candidate