1. A Bene Placido –
Up to the performer

2. Accentato –
Accented; with emphasis

3. 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.

4. Accompagnato –
Accompanied; i.e., with the accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down at will.

5. Adagietto –
A rather slow adagio tempo.
5b. Adagissimo –
A very slow adagio tempo, but not as slow as lento

6. Ad Libitum –
Commonly “ad lib”. At liberty; i.e., the speed and manner of execution are left to the performer.

7. Affettuoso, Affettuosamente, Affectueusement, Con Affetto –
With affect; with emotion

8. Affrettando –
Hurrying, pressing onwards

9. Agitato –
Agitatedly; pushing forward with energy.

10. Alla breve –
In cut-time; two beats per measure or the equivalent thereof

11. Allargando –
Broadening, becoming a little slower (becoming more largo).

12. Allegretto –
A little lively, moderately fast
12b. Allegretto vivace –
A moderately quick tempo.
12c. Allegrissimo -
Very fast, though slower than presto

13. Am Steg –
German term meaning at the bridge; i.e., playing a string instrument near its bridge. Equivalent to sul ponticello.

14. Amabile –
Amiable, pleasant and friendly.

15. Amoroso –
Lovingly; romantically.

15b. Con Amor, Con Amore –
With love.

16. Andantino –
Slightly faster than andante (but earlier it sometimes used to mean slightly slower than andante).

17. Animato –
Animated, lively and full of vigor.

18. A Piacere –
At pleasure; i.e., the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly.

19. Appassionato, Passionato –
Passionately; marked by intense or strong emotion.

20. Appoggiatura –
One or more grace notes that take up some note value of the next full note.

21. A Prima Vista –
At first sight; i.e., playing something at first sight of the sheet music.

22. Aria, Arioso –
Airy, or like an air (a melody); melodious.

23. 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; also known as a rolled chord.

24. Assai, Molto, Sehr –
Meaning “very”; in many musical directions, for example Molto Allegretto (Very Fast).

25. 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).

26. Attacca –
Attack, or go on; i.e., at the end of a movement, a direction to begin (attack) the next movement immediately, without a gap or pause.

27. Barbaro –
Barbarous (notably used in Allegro barbaro by Bιla Bartσk).

28. Basso Continuo –
Continuous bass; i.e., a bass part played continuously throughout a piece to give harmonic structure, used especially in the Baroque period.

29. Bellicoso –
Warlike; aggressive.

30. Bravura, Con Bravura –
Boldly; with boldness. Spirited, florid, and brilliant. Usually requiring great skill and spirit.

31. Brillante –
Brilliantly, with sparkle.

32. Brio, Con Brio –
Vigour; with vigour; with active strength and force.

33. Calore, Con Calore –
Warmth; with warmth.

34. Cantabile or Cantando –
In a singing style.

35. Capriccio, Capriccioso –
Capriciously, fanciful, unpredictable, volatile.

36. Coda –
A tail; i.e., a closing section appended to a movement.
36b. Codetta –
A small coda, but usually applied to a passage appended to a section of a movement, not to a whole movement.

37. Colossale –
Tremendously; with much sound and force.

38. Col Pugno –
With the fist; i.e., bang the strings with the fist.

39. Come Prima –
Like the first (time); i.e., as before, typically referring to an earlier tempo.
39b. Come Sopra –
As above; i.e., like the previous tempo (usually).

40. Comodo, Commodo –
Comfortable; i.e., at moderate speed; also, allegro comodo, tempo comodo, etc.

41. Con –
with; used in many musical directions, for example con allegrezza (with liveliness).

42. Deciso –
Decisively; with intent.

43. Delicatamente, Delicato –
Delicately; light and fragile.

44. Devoto –
Religiously; with pious intent.

45. Divisi –
Divided; i.e., in a part in which several musicians normally play exactly the same notes they are instead to split the playing of the written simultaneous notes among themselves. It is most often used for string instruments, since with them another means of execution is often possible. The return from divisi is marked unisono. Abbreviated: div.

46. Dolce –
Sweetly and soft.
46b. Dolcissimo –
Very sweetly and soft.

47. Dolente, Doloroso –
Sorrowfully, plaintively.
47b. Con Dolore –
With sadness.

48. Eco –
Echo; an effect in which a group of notes is repeated, usually more softly, and perhaps at a different octave, to create an echo effect.

49. Energico –
Energetic, strong and possibly fast.

50. Enfatico –
Emphatically; forceful, insistent, striking, or bold.

51. Eroico –
Heroically; majestic and bold.

52. Espirando –
Expiring; i.e., dying away.

53. Espressivo, Con Espressione –
Expressively, with expression.

54. Estinto –
Extinct, extinguished; i.e., as soft as possible, lifeless, barely audible.

55. Facile –
Easily; flowing, mild, and without fuss.

56. Fermata –
Finished, closed; i.e., a rest or note is to be held for a duration that is at the discretion of the performer or conductor (sometimes called bird's eye).

57. Feroce –
Ferocious; fiercely or savagely untamed or wild.

58. Festivamente –
Festively; cheerful and celebratory.

59. Fieramente –
Proudly; with a feeling of honor and stately majesty.

60. Flebile –
Mournfully.

61. Freddo –
Coldly; hence depressive, unemotional.

62. Fresco –
Freshly; youthful and refreshing.

63. Fugue, Fuga –
Literally "flight"; a complex and highly regimented contrapuntal form in music. A short theme (the subject) is introduced in one voice (or part) alone, then in others, with imitation and characteristic development as the piece progresses.

64. Fuoco, Con Fuoco, Fuocoso, Focoso –
Fiery; with fire.

65. Furioso –
Furiously; forceful and turbulent.

66. Gaudioso –
Flashy and joyously. Brilliantly or excessively showy, especially in a tasteless manner.

67. Gentile –
Gently; soothing and mild.

68. Giocoso, Gioioso –
Gaily; with happiness and pep.

69. Giusto –
Strictly, exactly.
69b. Tempo Giusto –
In strict time.

70. Glissando –
A continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a true glissando), or an incidental scale executed while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando).

71. Grandioso –
Grandly; majestically. With stately pride.

72. Grave –
Slowly, seriously, dull, solemn, somber.

73. Grazioso –
Gracefully; Graciously. In a smooth, flowing manner.

74. Hemiola –
The imposition of a pattern of rhythm or articulation other than that implied by the time signature; specifically, in triple time (for example in 3/4) the imposition of a duple pattern (as if the time signature were, for example, 2/4).

75. Improvisando –
With improvisation.
75b. Improvisato –
Improvised, or as if improvised.

76. In Altissimo –
In the highest; i.e., play an octave higher.

77. Incalzando –
Incalescent; becoming faster, louder, and more passionate.

78. Insistendo –
Insistently, deliberate.

79. In Modo Di –
In the art of, in the style of.

80. Intimo –
Intimate; affectionate.

81. Irato –
Irately; angrily.

82. Lacrimoso –
Tearfully; i.e., sadly.

83. Lamentando, Lamentoso –
Lamenting, mournfully.

84. Langsam –
Slowly (German).

85. Largamente –
Broadly; i.e., slowly (same as largo).
85b. Larghetto –
Somewhat slowly; not as slow as largo.
85c. Larghissimo –
Very slowly; slower than largo.

86. Lebhaft –
Briskly, lively (German).

87. Leggiero –
Lightly, delicately.

88. Lent, Lento –
Slowly.

89. Liberamente, Libero –
Liberally; freely.

90. Lontano –
From a distance; distantly.

91. Lo Stesso, L'istesso –
The same; applied to the manner of articulation, tempo, etc.

92. Lugubre –
Lugubrious, mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exag-gerated or ludicrous degree.

93. Luminoso –
Luminously, brightly.

94. Lusingando –
Coaxingly; with subtle and gentle motion.

95. Ma –
Meaning “but”, used in many musical directions, as in ma non troppo meaning “but not too much”.

96. Maestoso –
Majestically, in a stately fashion.

97. Magico –
Magically; mysteriously enchanting.

98. Magnifico –
Magnificently; distinguished, noble, or lavishly extravagant.

99. Mano Destra –
Played with the right hand. Abbreviated: MD or m.d.
99b. main droite (French) –
Played with the right hand. Abbreviated: MD or m.d.

100. Mano Sinistra –
Played with the left hand. Abbreviated: MS or m.s.
100b. Main Gauche –
(French) Played with the left hand. Abbreviated: MG or m.g.

101. Marcato –
Marked; i.e., with accentuation, execute every note as if it were to be accented.
101b. Marcatissimo –
With much accentuation.

102. Marcia, Marziale, Alla Marcia, Tempo Di Marcia –
A march; in the manner of a march; a march tempo.

103. Martellato –
Hammered out; heavily accented and detached.

104. Mδssig –
Moderately (German).

105. Melancolico, Malinconico –
Melancholic; melancholy. With sober thoughtfulness.

106. Meno –
Less; as in meno mosso (less motion; slow down).

107. Mesto –
Mournful, sad.

108. Misterioso –
Mysteriously; strange and bizarre.

109. Mobile –
Flexible, changeable. Usually referring to tempo or rhythm.

110. Modesto –
Modestly; moderate, reserved, and unpretentious.

111. Morendo –
Dying; i.e., dying away in dynamics, and perhaps also in tempo.

112. Mosso –
Moved, moving; used with a preceding piω or meno for faster or slower respectively.

113. Moto –
Motion.
113b. Con Moto –
With motion; with spirited drive.

114. Naturale –
Natural; i.e., discontinue a special effect, such as col legno, sul tasto, sul ponticello, or playing in harmonics. Abbreviated: nat.

115. N.C. –
No chord, written in the chord row of music notation to show there is no chord being played, and no implied harmony.

116. Niente –
"Nothing", barely audible, dying away.
116b. A Niente –
To nothing; an indication to make a diminuendo to pppp.

117. Nobile, Nobilmente –
In a noble fashion; majestic.

118. Ossia –
Meaning “or instead”; i.e., according to some specified alternative way of performing a passage, which is marked with a footnote, additional small notes, or an additional staff.

119. Ostinato –
Meaning “obstinate, persistent”; a short musical pattern that is repeated throughout an entire composition or portion of a composition.

120. Pastorale –
In a pastoral style, peaceful and simple.

121. Perdendosi –
Dying away. In terms of dynamics and tempo.

122. Pesante –
Heavy, ponderous. Expressing weight through the attack of the notes.

123. Piacevole –
Pleasant, agreeable, delightful.

124. Piangevole –
Plaintive; with sorrow and sadness.

125. Piω or Peu –
More. Used in many musical directions, for example piω mosso (more motion; faster).

126. Poco –
A little, as in poco piω allegro (a little more faster).
126b. Wenig –
A little, not much (German)
126c. Poco a Poco or Peu ΰ Peu –
little by little

127. Poi –
Then, indicating a subsequent instruction in a sequence; as in diminuendo poi subito fortissimo (getting softer then suddenly very loud).

128. Posato –
Settled; mellow and mature.

129. Precipitato –
Precipitately; a hastening or acceleration, especially one that is sudden or unexpected.

130. Prestissimo –
Extremely quickly, as fast as possible.

131. Prima, Primo –
First
131b. Prima Volta –
The first time; for example prima volta senza accompagnamento (the first time without accompaniment).

132. Quasi –
As if, almost; for example quasi una fantasia (like a fantasia).

133.Rallentando –
Broadening of the tempo (often not discernible from ritardando); progressively slower. Abbreviated: rall.

134. Rapido –
Fast
134b. Rasch –
Fast (German).

135. Religioso –
Religiously.

136. Restez –
Stay; i.e., remain on a note or string.

137. Rinforzando –
Reinforced; i.e., empha-sized; sometimes like a sudden crescendo, but often applied to a single note. Abbreviated: rf.

138. Risoluto –
Resolutely; firm and definite.

139. Rubato –
Literally “robbed”. Meaning flexible in tempo, applied to notes within a musical phrase for expressive effect.

140. Ruvido –
Roughly; coarse and harsh, particularly in articulation and timbre.

141. Sanft –
Gently (German).

142. Scherzando, Scherzoso –
Playfully; light and sportive.
142b. Scherzo –
A joke; i.e., a musical form, originally and usually in fast triple time.

143. Schnell –
Fast (German).
143b. Schneller –
Faster (German).

144. Scordatura –
Out of tune; i.e., an alternative tuning used for the strings of a string instrument.

145. Secco, Sec –
Dry; notes played and released abruptly and without resonance.

146. Segno –
Sign, usually Dal Segno "from the sign", indicating a return to the point marked by the segno.

147. Segue –
Direction to carry on to the next section without a pause.

148. Semplice –
Simple and straightforward.

149. Sempre –
Always; in the same manner throughout.

150. Senza –
Without; used as a musical direction, for example senza expressione (without expression).

151. Serioso –
Seriously; deeply reflective and sober.

152. Sforzando –
Made loud; i.e., a sudden very strong accent. Abbreviated: sfz.

153. Silenzio –
Silence; i.e., without reverberations.

154. Simile –
Similarly; i.e., direction to continue applying the preceding directive, whatever it was, to the following passage.

155. Slancio, Con Slancio –
With enthusiasm; with energy and bounce.

156. Slargando or Slentando –
Becoming broader or slower (that is, becoming more largo or more lento).

157. Smorzando –
Dying away, extinguishing or dampening; usually interpreted as a drop in dynamics, and very often in tempo as well. Abbreviated: smorz.

158. Soave –
Smoothly, gently; agreeable and charming.

159. Sognando –
Dreamily; vague, soothing, and quieting.

160. Solenne –
Solemn; with formal dignity.

161. Sonatina, Sonatine –
A little sonata.

162. Sordina, Sordine, Sordino –
A mute, or a damper.
162b. Con Sordina –
With a mute or damper.

163. Sospirando –
Sighing; to phrase a musical line in a subdued, sighing, doleful manner.

164. Sostenuto –
Sustained, lengthened.

165. Spiritoso –
Spirited and lively.

166. Strepitoso –
Noisy and resounding.

167. Subito, Repente –
Suddenly; abruptly, for example subito piano (suddenly soft).

168. Tacet –
Silent; do not play.

169. Tempo di Valse –
Waltz tempo; a moderately fast triple meter.

170. Tempo Primo, Tempo Uno, Tempo I, Tempo I° –
Resume the original speed.

171. Teneramente, Tenerezza –
Tenderly, tenderness; in a loving and gentle manner.
171b. Zart –
Tender (German).

172. Tenuto –
Held; i.e., touch on a note slightly longer than usual, but without generally altering the note's value.

173. Tranquillo –
Tranquil; calmly and peacefully.

174. Troppo –
Too much; usually seen as non troppo, meaning moderately or, when combined with other terms, not too much, such as allegro [ma] non troppo (fast but not too much).

175. Tutti –
All; i.e., all together, usually used in an orchestral score when the all of the voices come in at the same time.

176. Veloce –
With velocity; play at a fast tempo.
176b. Velocissimo –
As quickly as possible; used interchangeably with prestissimo usually applied to a cadenza-like passage or run.

177. Vittorioso –
Victoriously; stately, noble, and sometimes played like a fanfare.

178. Vivo –
Lively; closely related to vivace but more of a performance style than a direct tempo.
178b. Vivacissimo –
Very lively.