8va (‘ottava’) - play one octave higher than written
A tempo - return to former speed
Accelerando (accel.) - gradually becoming faster
Ad libitum - at pleasure, quite freely
Adagio - slowly
Agitato - with agitation
Allargando - becoming broader
Allegretto - moderately fast
Allegro - lively and fast
Andante - at an easy walking pace
Animato - with animation
Arco - with the bow (used after a pizz. sign)
Assai - very
Attacca - go on at once
Ben marcato - well marked
Calando - getting softer and slower
Cantabile - in a singing style
Cantando - in a singing style
Con anima - with feeling
Con brio - with spirit
Con forza - with force
Con grazia - with grace
Con moto - with movement
Crescendo (cresc.) - gradually becoming louder
Da Capo al fine - from the beginning (D.C. al fine) until the word ‘fine?
Dal Segno (D.S.) - from the sign
Decrescendo (descresc.) - gradually becoming softer
Diminuendo (dim.) - gradually becoming softer
Dolce - soft and sweet, sweetly
Dolente - sadly, plaintively
Doloroso - sadly, plaintively
Forte ( f ) - loud
Forte - piano (fp) - loud then immediately soft
Fortissimo ( ff ) - very loud
Giocoso - gay, merry
Grave - slow and solemn
Grazioso - gracefully
L’istesso tempo - at the same speed
Largamente - broadly
Larghetto - rather broadly
Largo - broadly
Legato - smooth, well connected
Leggiero - lightly
Lento - slowly
Loco - at normal pitch (after an 8va sign)
M.M. - Maelzel?s metronome (metronome marking)
Maestoso - majestic
Main droite (M.D) - right hand
Main gauche (M.G) - left hand
Meno mosso - slower (less speed)
Mezzo forte ( mf) - moderately loud
Mezzo piano ( mp ) - moderately soft
Mezzo staccato - moderately short and detached
Moderato - at a moderate speed
Molto - very
Morendo - dying away
Non troppo - not too much
Opus (Op.) - a work or group of works
Perdendosi - fading away
Pesante - heavily
Piacevole - pleasant, agreeable
Pianissimo ( pp ) - very soft
Piano ( p ) - soft
Piu mosso - quicker (more speed)
Pizzicato (pizz.) - pluck the string with the finger
Poco - a little
Portamento - a smooth gliding from one note to another (as in singing or string playing)
Prestissimo - extremely fast
Presto - very fast
Quasi - as if, as it were
Rallentando (rall.) - gradually becoming slower
Rinforzando (rfz or rf) - reinforcing the tone
Risoluto - with resolution
Ritardando (rit. / ritard.) - gradually becoming slower
Ritenuto (riten.) - immediately slower
Rubato - with some freedom in the time
Scherzando - playfully
Sempre - always
Senza - without
Sforzando (sfz or sf) - a strong accent
Smorzando - dying away
Sostenuto - sustained
Sotto voce - softly in an undertone
Staccato - short and detached
Stringendo - pressing on faster
Subito (sub.) - suddenly
Sul ponticello (sul pont.) - bow on or near the bridge
Sul tasto - bow on or near the finger board
Tempo commodo - at a comfortable speed
Tempo giusto - at a consistent speed
Tenuto (ten.) - held
Tranquillo - calmly
Tre corde (T.C.) - (3 strings) release the soft pedal
Tremolo - bowing very rapidly to produce a shimmering or wavering effect
Una corda (U.C.) - (one string) with the soft pedal
Vivace - lively and spirited
Vivo - lively and spirited