The words on the page
Notes tell you what to play; these words tell you how: how fast, how loud, how smooth, and where to go next. Most are Italian. Learn the common ones in each group and you can read nearly any score.
Tempo
| Grave | very slow and solemn (about 40 bpm) |
| Largo | slow and broad (about 50 bpm) |
| Adagio | slow, at ease (about 70 bpm) |
| Andante | at a walking pace (about 90 bpm) |
| Moderato | at a moderate speed (about 110 bpm) |
| Allegro | fast and lively (about 130 bpm) |
| Vivace | very lively and fast (about 150 bpm) |
| Presto | very fast (about 180 bpm) |
| Ritardando (rit.) | gradually slow down |
| Accelerando (accel.) | gradually speed up |
| A tempo | return to the original speed |
| Rubato | flexible tempo, speeding up and slowing down expressively |
| Fermata | hold the note or rest longer than written |
Dynamics
| pp (pianissimo) | very quiet |
| p (piano) | quiet |
| mp (mezzo piano) | moderately quiet |
| mf (mezzo forte) | moderately loud |
| f (forte) | loud |
| ff (fortissimo) | very loud |
| Crescendo (cresc.) | gradually get louder |
| Decrescendo / diminuendo | gradually get quieter |
| sfz (sforzando) | a sudden strong accent |
Articulation
| Legato | smooth and connected |
| Staccato | short and detached |
| Tenuto | hold the note for its full length |
| Marcato | marked, with a strong accent |
| Accent (>) | play this note louder than its neighbours |
| Slur | a curved line: play the notes smoothly in one gesture |
| Tie | a curved line joining two notes of the same pitch into one longer note |
| Pizzicato (pizz.) | pluck the strings instead of bowing |
Expression
| Dolce | sweetly |
| Cantabile | in a singing style |
| Espressivo | with expression |
| Maestoso | majestically |
| Con brio | with spirit and vigour |
| Sostenuto | sustained |
| Tranquillo | calmly |
| Sempre | always (e.g. sempre staccato) |
| Poco a poco | little by little |
| Molto | very, much |
| Meno | less |
| Più | more |
Structure
| Repeat sign (:||) | go back and play the section again |
| D.C. (da capo) | go back to the very beginning |
| D.S. (dal segno) | go back to the sign (𝄋) |
| Fine | the end |
| Coda | a closing section: jump to it at the "To Coda" sign |
| Volta (1st / 2nd ending) | play the first ending the first time, the second ending after the repeat |
| Tacet | this instrument is silent for this section |
| Ottava (8va) | play an octave higher than written |
Solfège: the scale degree syllables
| Do | degree 1: the tonic (home note) |
| Re | degree 2: the supertonic |
| Mi | degree 3: the mediant |
| Fa | degree 4: the subdominant |
| Sol | degree 5: the dominant |
| La | degree 6: the submediant |
| Ti | degree 7: the leading tone |
Metronome marks and BPM
A tempo word is a range, not an exact number. For an exact speed a score gives a metronome mark such as ♩ = 120: 120 quarter-note beats per minute. Use the rhythm drill to feel the beat and the routine builder to practise with a click.
Practise
Work through one group at a time using the focus buttons below the drill, then mix them. Pair this with staff reading and the Reading Music program.
Frequently asked questions
Why is music written in Italian?
Italian composers and publishers set the conventions in the 1600s and the words stuck. Today they are an international shorthand.
What does allegro mean?
Fast and lively, about 120 to 150 beats per minute. It is the most common tempo marking in classical music.
What is the difference between piano and forte?
Piano (p) means quiet, forte (f) means loud. The instrument piano got its name because it could play both: it was first called the pianoforte.
What is solfège?
Syllables for the notes of the scale: do re mi fa sol la ti. In "movable do" do is always the tonic of the key, which trains you to hear scale degrees instead of fixed letters.
What does D.C. al fine mean?
Go back to the beginning (da capo) and play until the word fine (the end).