Printable chart
Italian musical terms
The Italian words found on sheet music, grouped by what they tell you: dynamics, tempo, changes of tempo, articulation, expression and navigation, with meanings.
Prints on two pages.
Dynamics (how loud)
| Term | Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pianissimo | pp | very soft |
| piano | p | soft |
| mezzo piano | mp | moderately soft |
| mezzo forte | mf | moderately loud |
| forte | f | loud |
| fortissimo | ff | very loud |
| crescendo | cresc. | gradually getting louder |
| decrescendo / diminuendo | decresc. / dim. | gradually getting softer |
| sforzando | sfz | a sudden, strong accent |
| fortepiano | fp | loud, then immediately soft |
Tempo (how fast)
Beats-per-minute figures are approximate. Different books and metronome makers give slightly different ranges.
| Term | Abbreviation | Meaning | Approx. BPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| grave | very slow and solemn | below 40 | |
| largo | very slow, broad | 40–60 | |
| adagio | slow, at ease | 66–76 | |
| andante | at a walking pace | 76–108 | |
| moderato | at a moderate speed | 108–120 | |
| allegro | fast and lively | 120–156 | |
| vivace | very lively | 156–176 | |
| presto | very fast | 168–200 | |
| prestissimo | as fast as possible | above 200 |
Changes of tempo
| Term | Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ritardando | rit. | gradually slowing down |
| rallentando | rall. | gradually slowing down |
| accelerando | accel. | gradually speeding up |
| a tempo | return to the original speed | |
| rubato | flexible tempo; time is borrowed and given back | |
| fermata | hold the note or rest longer than its written value |
Articulation (how each note is played)
| Term | Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| legato | smooth and connected | |
| staccato | short and detached | |
| marcato | marked; each note stressed | |
| tenuto | ten. | held for its full value |
| accent | play the note with extra emphasis |
Expression (what it should feel like)
| Term | Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dolce | sweetly | |
| cantabile | in a singing style | |
| espressivo | espress. | expressively |
| maestoso | majestically | |
| giocoso | playfully | |
| grazioso | gracefully | |
| con brio | with vigour | |
| con fuoco | with fire | |
| sotto voce | in a hushed voice | |
| tranquillo | calmly | |
| agitato | agitated | |
| pesante | heavily | |
| leggiero | lightly | |
| morendo | dying away |
Navigation and structure
| Term | Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| da capo | D.C. | go back to the beginning |
| dal segno | D.S. | go back to the segno sign |
| fine | the end | |
| al fine | to the end (Fine) | |
| coda | a closing section, marked with a coda sign | |
| tutti | everyone together | |
| solo | one performer alone | |
| divisi | div. | split the part between players |
Italian became the language of musical directions in the 1600s and 1700s, when Italian composers and publishers set the conventions that most Western sheet music still follows. A composer writes the word and the performer decides how to carry it out, so these are guides, not exact instructions.
Tempo words describe a character as much as a speed: allegro means “cheerful” as well as “fast”, and andante means “walking”.
Sources: Wikipedia: Italian musical terms used in English, Wikipedia: Dynamics, Wikipedia: Tempo.