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Dynamics pp p mp mf f ff sf
cres. decres. pianissimo piano mezzo piano mezzo forte forte fortissimo sforzando crescendo decrescendo diminuendo Very soft/very quiet Soft/quiet Moderately soft Moderately loud Loud Very loud A strong accent Gradually getting louder Gradually getting softer Gradually getting softer
dim. or dimin.
Tempo
rall. ritard. rit. or riten. accel. rallentando ritardando ritenuto accelerando a tempo andante moderato allegretto allegro Gradually getting slower Gradually getting slower Gradually getting slower Gradually getting faster Returning to former speed At an easy, walking pace At a moderate pace Moderately fast Lively and fast
Expressive Techniques
cantabile legato staccato sharp accent slur In a singing style Played smoothly and well connected Played short and detached Played hard and loud Emphasized at the beginning then taper off rather quickly Played legato
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Note signs
sharp flat natural pause Raises a note by a semitone Lowers a note by a semitone Cancels a sharp or flat Played slightly longer, approximately one and a half times the original note value Transposes a passage by one octave, either higher or lower First note is held for both the first and second note values Break in music for four beats A semibreve rest can also indicate a full bar rest regardless of the beats in that bar
tie
semibreve rest
minim rest
crotchet rest
quaver rest