PERFORMANCE DIRECTIONS

• This is a list of words you should know for your Grade 5 theory. This list includes words
and symbols from all grade (1-5).

• Within Grade 5 performance directions there are three different languages, Italian, French
and German.

DY N A M I C S German

Term Meaning
French
a niente to nothing

crescendo, cresc. gradually getting louder

decrescendo, decresc., decres. gradually getting quieter

diminuendo, dim., dimin. gradually getting quieter

fortissimo, ff very loud

forte, f loud

mezzo forte, mf moderately loud

mezzo piano, mp moderately quiet

piano, p quiet

pianissimo, pp very quiet

forte piano, fp loud and then immediately soft

sforzando and sforzato, sfz forced and accented

deciso with determination

calando getting softer, dying away (and slowing down)

mancando fading away

morendo dying away

perdendosi dying away

sotto voce in an undertone

estino as soft as possible, lifeless

smorzando, smorz. dying away in tone and speed

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TEMPO

Term Meaning

accelerando accel. gradually getting quicker

adagietto rather slow but faster than adagio

adagio slow

hurrying

alla breve with a minim beat

alla marcia in the style of a march

alla misura in strict time

allargando broadening (getting slower and louder)

allegretto fairly quick

allegro quick

andante at a medium walking speed

andantino slightly faster than andante

animando becoming more lively

animato animated

a piacere at pleasure, the performer is not bound to follow exact rhythm

a tempo in time, return to original speed

comodo convenient

con brio with vigour

con moto with movement

doppio movimento twice as fast

energico energetic

fretta haste

furioso furious, frenzied

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Term Meaning

grave very slow and stately

incalzando getting quicker

largamente broadly

larghetto rather slow

largo slow and stately

lento very slow, solemn

liberamente freely

l’istesso tempo at the same speed

lunga long

lunga pausa long pause

misura measure (a bar)

moderato moderately

mosso with motion, animated

moto movement, motion

movimento movement, motion

precipitando rushing, headlong

presto fast

presto possibile as fast as possible

rallentando, rall. gradually getting slower

ritardando rit. gradually getting slower

ritenuto held back

tempo speed, time

ritmico rhythmically

rubato with some freedom of time

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Term Meaning

senza misura in free time

slargando getting slower

slentando getting slower

smorzando dying away in tone and speed

stretto quickening the speed

stringendo gradually getting faster

tempo comodo at a comfortable speed

tempo giusto exact time

tosto swift and rapid

veloce swift

vivace

vivo

volante

bewegt

breit

frei free

gehend at a steady speed

geschwind quick

langsam slow

lebhaft lively

massig at a moderate speed

rasch quick

rascher quicker

schleppen dragging

schleppend dragging

schnell fast

ziemlich moderately

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Term Meaning

anime animated and lively

cedez yield, relax the speed

en animant becoming more lively

en cedant hurrying on

en mesure in time

en pressant hurrying on

en retenant holding back

en serrant becoming quicker

lent slow

librement freely

modere at a moderate speed

mouvement, mouvt movement, motion

presser hurry

ralentir slow down

retenu held back

serrer hurry, quicken

serrez hurry, quicken

vif lively

vite quick

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MOOD AND EXPRESSION

Term Meaning

tenderly

agitato agitated

amabile pleasant, amiable

amore love

amoroso loving

anima soul, spirit

appassionato with passion

brio vigour, animation

calmato calm, tranquil

cantabile in a singing style

cantando singing

capriccioso in a whimsical, fanciful style

con anima with feeling

con bravura in a brilliant style

deciso with determination

delicato delicate

dolce sweet, soft

dolente sad, mournful

dolore grief

doloroso sorrowful

energico energetic

espressione expression

espressivo, espress. or espr. expressive

felice happy

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Term Meaning

feroce

fuoco

furioso furious, frenzied

giocoso playful

giojoso joyful, merry

grandioso grandly

grazioso graceful

impetuoso impetuous

inquieto restless

lacrimoso sad

lamentoso lamenting

leggiero light, nimble

lontano distant

lugubre mournful

lusingando coaxing, in a sweet style

maestoso majestic

marziale in a military style

mesto sad

misterioso mysterious

nobilmente nobly

patetico with deep feeling

piacevole pleasant

piangevole plaintive, lamenting

pietoso tenderly

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Term Meaning

placido calm, peaceful

rinforzando, rf or rfz reinforcing

risoluto bold, strong

scherzando playful, joking

semplice simple, plain

slancio enthusiasm, impetus

solenne solemn, grave

sospirando sighing

spiritoso spirited

strepitoso noisy, boisterous

teneramente tenderly

tenerezza tenderness

tranquillo calm

trionfale triumphant

tristamente sad, sorrowful

triste sad, sorrowful

veloce swift

vigoroso vigorous, strong

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Term Meaning

Ausdruck expression

ausdrucksvoll expressively

bestimmt

breit broad and expansive

einfach simple

emotion, feeling

feurig

frisch vigorous

frohlich cheerful, joyful

gesangvoll in a singing style

innig heartfelt, sincere

kraftig with passion

Leid grief, pain

Leidenschaft passion

lieblich lovely

lustig cheerful

munter lively

ruhig peaceful

suss sweet

traurig sad

zart tender, delicate

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Term Meaning

amour love

anime animated, lively

apaise calmed

calme calm, tranquil

capricieux in a whimsical, fanciful style

douce sweet

emporte

joyeux joyful

lointain distant

vif lively

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INSTRUCTIONAL WORDS

Term Meaning
a due, a 2 for two performers or instruments

ad libitum, ad lib. at choice, played freely

a piacere at pleasure, performer is not bound to the exact rhythm given

attacca go straight on to the next section of music

bis twice, indicates the repetition of a short passage

coll’ ottava with the octave, indication to keyboard to double the note at the octave

colla parte keep with the soloist, a direction to the accompanist

colla voce keep with the singer, a direction to the accompanist

come prima as before

come sopra as above

con sordini, con sord. use the mute

da capo, D.C. repeat from the beginning

dal segno, D.S. repeat from the sign

divisi, div. divided, a direction to orchestral players to divide into groups

the end

G.P. an indication to players that everyone in the ensemble is to be silent

in relievo prominent, make the melody stand out

l’istesso the same

loco at the normal pitch after having used an 8va direction

lunga pausa long pause

muta change - move from one instrument to another or change tuning

naturale, nat. in the ordinary way

obbligato obligatory, indicating instrument has an important role

pausa a pause

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Term Meaning

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PERFORMANCE TEC HNIQUES AND ARTICUL ATION

Term Meaning

al tallone use the bow at the heel

a punto d’arco use the bow at the point

arco use the bow

col legno with the wood, play with the wood of the bow rather than the hair

con sordini with mutes

glissando, gliss a rapid scale

legato smoothly

leggiero light and nimble

mano destra, m.d. right hand (piano)

mano sinistra, m.s. left hand (piano)

marcato, marc. emphatic, accented

martellato strongly accented

muta change from one instrument to another

naturale in the ordinary way

parlando speaking, sing in a conversational style

pesante heavy

pizzicato, pizz. direction for string players to pluck the strings rather than bowing

portamento slide from one note to the next

saltando, saltato springing, a lightly bouncing bow tehcnique on string instruments

secco crisp (literally dry)

soave gentle, smooth

sonoramente resonant, with rich tone

sonoro resonant tone

sordino mute

sostenuto sustained

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Term Meaning

spiccato detached - a bouncing bow technique on string instruments

staccato detached

sul G only play on the G string

sul ponticello play near the bridge

tremolando, tremolo, trem.

tenuto held

tre corda release the left pedal (piano)

una corda press the left pedal on the piano which makes the piano only play ‘one string’

vibrato vibrating

am Frosch use the bow at the heel

an der Spitze use the bow at the point

Dampfer mute

Flatterzunge, Flzg.

gesangvoll in a singing style

à la pointe use the bow at the point

au talon use the bow at the heel

détaché detached, usually applied to string instruments

lourd heavy

martelé strongly accented

sautillé springing, a lightly bouncing bow technique on string instruments

sec crisp (literally dry)

sonore resonant, with a rich tone

sourdine mute

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MISCELLANEOUS

Term Meaning

a at, to, by, for, in, in the style of

a cappella unaccompanied (referring to choral music)

al to the, in the manner of

alla to the, in the manner of

alt high

assai very

ben well

bene well,very

bravura skill, brilliance

brilliante brilliant

col with

come as, similar to

comodo convenient

con with

corda string

corde strings

da from

e and

ed and

eguale equal

facile easy

giusto exact

licenza licence, freedom

lunga long

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Term Meaning

ma but

mano hand

meno less

mezzo half

mezza half

misura measure

molto very, much

niente nothing

non not

nuovo new

ossia alternate, or

ostinato persistent

ottava, ott. octave

pedale pedal

per by, for, through, to

piu more

pochettino a little

poch. a little

pochissimno very little

poco a little

poi then

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Term Meaning

ponticello bridge on a string instrument

possibile possible

prima

primo

quasi resembling

rigoroso strict

seconda second

secondo second

semplice simple, plain

sempre always

senza without

sino until, up to

sopra above

sordino, sord. mute

sotto below

subito suddenly

sul, sulla on the

tanto so much

tasto

tre three

troppo too much

uno one

unisono, unis. in unison

voce voice

volta time

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Term Meaning

aber but

als than

doch however, yet

ein a, one

einfach simple

etwas somewhat, rather

immer always

kraftig strong

mit with

nach und nach gradually

nicht not

noch still, yet

ohne without

schwach weak

sehr very

stark strong

suss sweet

und and

viel much

voll full

wenig little

wieder again

zu to, too

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Term Meaning

assez

and

end

hand

non

peu

more

sans

sous under

un one

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SYMBOLS

pause diminuendo

staccato crescendo

tenuto glissando

>
accent 8 va octave higher

>
staccatissimo up bow

Ped. press right pedal (sustain) down bow

Ped.
release pedal at the symbol or vertical line tremolo
Ped.

arpeggiated, spread the chord segno

tie

slur

repeat

coda

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