allegramante brightly.
allegretto a fast tempo; faster than andante but slower than allegro.
allegro a fast and lively tempo.
allentando slowing down.
altra volta encore.
ancora repeat.
andante a moderate tempo between adagio and allegro.
angstlich a German directive to perform in a fearful, tense manner.
animato spirited.
appassionato with passion.
attaca attack. A direction to begin the next movement quickly without a break.
Aufschwung German term for "soaring," "lofty."
ballo in dance tempo.
bocca chiusa to be hummed.
bouche fermee to be hummed.
bravura a directive to sing or play confidently a passage requiring a high degree of skill.
brusco in a brusque manner.
burlesco in a comical manner.
calando lowering, softening.
calcando gradually quickening.
calmando in a quiet and calm manner.
cedez French directive to slow down.
commodo a relaxed, leisurely manner.
crescendo with increasing volume.
da capo a directive to repeat from the beginning until you reach the word "fine" (end). Often written as D.C.
decrescendo decreasing in volume; growing softer. delicato delicately.
delirio deliriously, in a frenzied manner.
diminuendo decrescendo.
dolce softly and sweetly.
dolente slowly and with sorrow.
doppio movimento double the previous speed.
dramatico dramatically.
eilend German directive to perform in a hurried manner.
elargissant French directive to slow down and broaden the music.
elegante with grace and refinement.
encore French directive to repeat.
facile fluently.
fastoso in a dignified manner.
festoso in a joyful, festive manner.
feurig German directive to perform in a fiery manner.
fiero boldly.
forte loudly.
fortissimo very loudly.
frettoloso in a rushed manner.
funerale mournfully.
furioso wildly and furiously.
geheimnisvoll German directive to play in a mysterious manner.
Generalpause German term for a "general rest," usually referring to a silence lasting one or more measures and involving all musicians.
grave slowly and solemnly.
heftig German directive to perform lightly and cheerfully.
indeciso tentatively or indecisively. innig German directive to play with deep sincerity. inquieto in an agitated manner. lamentoso mournfully.
larghetto a slow tempo between largo and andante, specifically from 69 to 98 quarter notes per minute.
largo a very slow tempo, specifically from 42 to 69 quarter notes per minute.
legato smooth-flowing with no pauses, opposite of staccato.
lestissimo very quickly. malinconico in a melancholy manner. mancando progressively softer. marcato with sharp accents.
mezza voce to sing at half the singer's normal volume.
mezzo forte with moderate loudness.
mezzo piano with moderate softness.
militare, alla with a military air.
ossia refers to an alternative and often easier way of performing a particular passage.
parlato "spoken."
pathetique with deep feeling.
pianissimo very softly.
prestissimo the fastest tempo possible.
presto a very fast tempo, from 182 to 208 quarter notes per minute.
ravvivando continuously speeding up the music. ritardando gradually slowing the tempo. ritenuto slowing the tempo at once.
schleppend German directive to perform in a dragging manner.
sciolto nimbly and lightly.
seconda volta Italian term referring to a second ending or a second time played.
slancio, con with dash.
sospirando in a plaintive manner.
sotto voce softly.
spiritoso with high spirit.
staccato with quick, light, broken or detached notes.
strisciando a very smooth legato.
tacet Latin directive to remain silent throughout a passage.
teneramente with tenderness.
tonante very loudly.
tranquillo in a tranquil manner.
tre, a Italian directive for three instruments to play the same music at the same time.
vide directive alerting a musician that a particular passage may be omitted if desired.
vigoroso with vigor.
vivo lively.
volti subito turn the page quickly so the music will continue flowing without a break.
zoppa, alla in a syncopated rhythm.
Directives to individual instruments
bois a direction to play with the wood of a bow as opposed to the hair.
chiuso to "close" an instrument by inserting a hand into its bell to muffle or change its pitch.
coperto "covered," referring to a cloth to be placed over a drum to muffle or mute its sound.
deux, a French directive for two instruments to play the same music at the same time.
Frosch, am German directive to play with the part of the bow closest to the hand.
gauche French directive to play a note or passage with the left hand.
gedampft German directive to mute or muffle a tone.
jete French directive for a violinist to let the bow bounce several times on the strings. Also known as ricochet.
licenza, con alcuna Italian directive allowing a musician some creative license in performing a particular passage.
martele French directive for a violinist to bow with brief, short strokes, producing a staccato effect.
martellato Italian directive for a piano player to strike the piano keys very hard, as a hammer.
m.d. mano destra or "right hand." A directive to play a piece or passage with the right hand.
m.s. mano sinistra or "left hand." A directive to play a piece or passage with the left hand.
muta Italian directive for wind instrument players to switch instruments or for timpanists to change the tuning of a drum.
ondeggiando Italian directive to a violinist to "rock" the bow back and forth over the strings to produce a tremolo or undulating effect.
pavillons en l'air French directive to a horn player to play with his horn or bell pointing up to project sound further and more powerfully.