COMPLETE LIST OF THEORY FOREIGN TERMS

COMPILED BY VICTORIA WILLIAMS

www.mymusictheory.com

For Grades 1 -5 of the ABRSM Music Theory Exams.

© Victoria Williams – www.mymusictheory.com 2015 1

GRADE 1
ITALIAN TERMS
A tempo - in time Fortissimo (ff) - very loud

Accelerando (accel) - gradually getting Legato - smoothly

quicker
Lento - slow
Adagio - slow
Mezzo - half
Allegretto - fairly quick (but not as quick as
Mezzo forte (mf) - moderately loud (literally
allegro)
half loud)
Allegro - quick (literally cheerful)
Mezzo piano (mp) - moderately quiet (literally
Allegro moderato - moderately quick half quiet)

Andante - at a medium ‘walking’ speed Moderato - moderately

Cantabile - in a singing style Pianissimo (pp) - very quiet

Crescendo (cresc) - gradually getting louder Piano (p) - quiet

Da capo (DC) - repeat from the beginning Poco - a little

Dal segno (DS) - repeat from the sign “S” Rallentando (rall) - gradually getting slower

Decrescendo (decresc) - gradually getting Ritardando (rit) (ritard) - gradually getting

quieter slower

Diminuendo (dim)- gradually getting quieter Ritenuto (rit) (riten) - held back

Fine - the end Staccato (stacc) – Short and detached

Forte (f) - loud Tempo - speed, time

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GRADE 2
ITALIAN TERMS
A - at, to, by, for, in, in the style of Largo - slow, stately

Al, alla - to the, in the manner of (alla marcia - Ma - but

in the style of a march)
Maestoso - majestic
Allargando - broadening (getting a little
Meno - less
slower and probably a little louder)
Molto - very, much
Allegro - assai very quick
Mosso, - moto movement (meno mosso:
Andantino - slightly faster than andante (but
slower; con moto: with movement)
may also mean slightly slower)
Non - not
Assai - very (allegro assai - very quick)
Più - more
Con, col - with
Presto - fast (faster than allegro)
Dolce - sweet, soft
Senza - without
E, ed - and
Sforzando, sforzato (sf, sfz) - forced, accented
Espressivo (or espress or espr) - expressive
Simile (or sim) - in the same way
Fp (= fortepiano) - loud, then immediately soft
Sostenuto - sustained
Giocoso - playful, merry
Tenuto - held
Grave - very slow, solemn
Troppo - too much (non troppo: not too
Grazioso - graceful
much)
Larghetto - rather slow (but not as slow as
Vivace, vivo - lively, quick
largo)

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GRADE 3
ITALIAN TERMS
Ad libitum, ad lib - at choice, ie a passage may Leggiero - light, nimble
be played freely
Marcato, marc - emphatic, accented
Adagietto - rather slow, but faster than adagio
Marziale - in a military style
Agitato - agitated
Mesto - sad
Alla breve - with a minim (half note) beat -
Pesante - heavy
equivalent to 2/2
Prima, primo - first
Amore - love
Risoluto - bold, strong
Amoroso - loving
Ritmico - rhythmically
Anima - soul, spirit (con anima - can mean
“with feeling” or “spirited”) Rubato, tempo rubato - with some freedom of
time
Animando - becoming more lively
Scherzando, scherzoso - playful, joking
Animato - animated, lively
Seconda, secondo - second
Ben - well
Semplice - simple, plain
Brio - vigour (con brio - with vigour, lively)
Sempre - always
Comodo - convenient (tempo comodo - at a
comfortable speed) Stringendo - gradually getting faster
Deciso - with determination Subito - suddenly
Delicato - delicate Tanto - so much
Energico - energetic Tranquillo - calm
Forza - force Triste, tristamente - sad, sorrowful
Largamente - broadly Volta - time (prima volta - first time; seconda
volta - second time)

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GRADE 4
ITALIAN TERMS FRENCH TERMS
Affettuoso - tenderly A - to, at

Affrettando - hurrying Animé - animated, lively

Amabile - amiable, pleasant Assez - enough, sufficiently

Appassionato - with passion Avec - with

Calando - getting softer, dying away (and Cédez - yield, relax the speed
usually slowing down)
Douce - sweet
Cantando - singing
En dehors - prominent (a direction to make a
Come - as, similar to (come prima, as before; melody stand out)
come sopra, as above)
Et - and
Facile - easy
Légèrement - light
Fuoco - fire
Lent - slow
Giusto - proper, exact (tempo giusto: in strict
Mais - but
time)
Modéré - at a moderate speed
L'istesso - the same (l'istesso tempo: at the
same speed) Moins - less
Morendo - dying away Non - not
Niente - nothing Peu - little
Nobilmente - nobly Plus - more
Perdendosi - dying away Presser - hurry (en pressant: hurrying on)
Possibile - possible (presto possibile: as fast as Ralentir - slow down
possible)
Retenu - held back (en retenant: holding back,
Quasi - as if, resembling slowing a little)
Sonoro - resonant, with rich tone Sans - without
Sopra - above Très - very
Sotto - below (sotto voce: in an undertone) Un, une - one
Veloce - swift Vif - lively
Voce - voice Vite - quick

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GRADE 5
ITALIAN TERMS Volante - flying, fast

Alla misura - in strict time GERMAN TERMS

Attacca - go straight on to the next section Aber - but

Dolente - sad, mournful Ausdruck - expression

Dolore - grief bewegt - with movement, agitated

Doloroso - sorrowful breit - broad, expansive

Doppio movimento - twice as fast Ein - a, one

Estinto - as soft as possible, lifeless Einfach - simple

Incalzando - getting quicker Etwas - somewhat, rather

Lacrimoso - sad Fröhlich - cheerful, joyful

Loco - at the normal pitch (used to cancel an Immer - always

8va direction)
Langsam - slow
Lunga - long
Lebhaft - lively
Lunga pausa - long pause
Mässig - at a moderate speed
Lusingando - coaxing, sweet and persuasive
Mit - with
Misura - measure (alla misura: in strict time;
Nicht - not
senza misura: in free time)
Ohne - without
Ossia - or, alternatively
Ruhig - peaceful
Piacevole - pleasant
Schnell - fast
Piangevole - plaintive, in the style of a lament
Sehr - very
Pochettino, poch - rather little
Süss - sweet
Rinforzando, rf, rfz - reinforcing
Traurig - sad
Segue - go straight on
Und - and
Senza misura - in free time
Voll - full
Smorzando, smorz - dying away in tone and
speed Wenig - little
Teneramente, tenerezza - tenderly, Wieder - again
tenderness
Zart - tender, delicate
Tosto - swift, rapid (but often used in the
same sense as “troppo”) Zu - to, too

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