OT: Useful expressions

[Rick Hansen (aka RickH)]

This is a little off topic, but thought I'd share it anyway, it's very handy
to have around:

Music Theory - Expression Marks


Tempo


Largo Very slow 
Larghetto Not as slow as largo 
Adagio Slow, leisurely 
Lento Slow 
Moderato Moderate 
Andante Moving with a moderate tempo 
Andantino Faster than andante 
Allegretto A little slower than allegro 
Allegro Moderately fast 
Vivace Lively, animated, brisk 
Presto Fast, rapid 
Prestissimo Very rapidly 


Dynamics


Pianissimo Very soft 
Piano Soft 
Mezzo piano Moderately soft 
Mezzo forte Moderately loud 
Forte Loud 
Fortissimo Very loud 
Crescendo Increasing in loudness  
Decrescendo decreasing in loudness  
Diminuendo diminishing in loudness 
Rinforzando sudden increase in loudness 
Sforzando play the note with sudden emphasis 


Style


Amoroso tender and affectionate 
Animato animated; lively 
Calando gradually softer and slower 
Cantabile in a singing style 
Con Anima with life and animation 
Con Brio with vigor and spirit 
Con Fuoco with energy or passion 
Deciso decisively 
Detache detached 
Dolce sweetly 
Doloroso sorrowfully 
Espressivo expressively 
Furioso furious 
Giocoso humorous 
Grandioso with grandeur 
Grazioso gracefully 
Legato smooth and connected 
Leggiero lightly 
Maestoso majestically 
Marcato marked and stressed 
Marzial in the style of a march 
Morendo dying away 
Perdendosi dying away 
Pesante heavy 
Religioso religious, solemn 
Rubato taken out of tempo 
Semplice simple 
Sempre always, continuously 
Sostenuto sustained 
Soto voce in an undertone 
Staccato short and detached 
Tenuto sustained, held for full value 
Tranquillo tranquill 


Articulation


Staccato a dot placed above or below a note means to play it short 
Slur a curved line either above or below notes that connects two different
pitches that are to be played smoothly 
Tie a curved line either above or below two of the same notes indicating not
to attack the second note 
Tenuto a line above or below the note means to play the full value of the
note 
Accent an accent placed above or below the note means to emphasise the not 
Breath Mark an apostrophe placed above the staff means to take a breath 


Clarity Terms


Assai very 
Con with 
L'istesso tempo same tempo 
Meno less 
Mosso moved, agitated 
Non troppo not too much 
Piu mosso faster 
Poco little 
Poco a poco little by little 
Sempre always 
Simile in the same manner 
Subito suddenly 




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