C Piccolo
1 octave higher
English Horn
P5 lower
E-flat Clarinet
m3 HIGHER
B-flat Clarinet
M2 lower
A Clarinet
m3 lower
Alto Clarinet
M6 lower
Bass Clarinet
M9 lower
EE-flat Contra-Alto Clarinet
M6 plus octave lower
BB-flat Contrabass Clarinet
M16 lower (two octaves plus M2 lower)
Contrabassoon
octave lower
Soprano Saxophone
M2 lower
Alto Saxophone
M6 lower
Tenor Saxophone
M9 lower
Baritone Saxophone
M6 plus octave lower
F Horn
P5 lower
C Trumpet
concert pitch
B-flat Trumpet
M2 lower
D Trumpet
M2 HIGHER
B-flat Piccolo Trumpet
m7 HIGHER
String Bass
octave lower
Celesta
octave HIGHER
Orchestra Bells
two octaves HIGHER
Italian: flauto piccolo ottavino German: keine Flöte French: petite flûte
piccolo
Italian: flauto German: Flöte, grosse Flöte French: flûte
flute
Italian: oboe German: Oboe or Hoboe French: hautbois
oboe
Italian: Corno Inglese German: Englisch Horn French: cor anglais
English horn
Italian: clarinetto German: Klarinette French: clarinette
clarinet
Italian: clarinetto basso German: Bassklarinette French: clarinette basse
bass clarinet
Italian: fagotto German: Fagott French: basson
bassoon
Italian: contrafagotto German: Kontrafagott French: contre-basson
contrabassoon
Italian: sassofone German: Saxophon French: saxophone
saxophone
Italian: corno German: Horn French: cor
horn
Italian: tromba German: Trompete French: trompette
trumpet
Italian: cornetto German: Kornett French: cornet à piston
cornet
Italian: flicorno German: Bugle French: bugle
Flugelhorn
Italian: trombone German: Posaune French: trombone
trombone
Italian: baritone saxhorn German: Baryton French: basse à piston
euphonium
Italian: tuba di basso German: Basstuba French: tuba basse
tuba
Italian: timpani German: Pauken French: timbales
timpani or kettledrums
Italian: silofone German: Sylophon French: sylophone
xylophone
Italian: marimba German: Marimba French: marimba
marimba
Italian: campanelli German: Glockenspiel French: jeu de timbres, carillon
glockenspiel
Italian: vibrafono German: Vibraphon French: vibraphone
vibraphone
Italian: campane German: Glocken French: cloches
bells or chimes
Italian: tamburo German: kleine Trommel French: tambour, caisse claire
snare drum
Italian: tamburo German: Rührtrommel French: tambour
field drum
Italian: (gran) cassa German: grosse Trommel French: grosse caisse
bass drum
Italian: piatti German: Becken French: cymbales
cymbals
Italian: piatto sospeso German: hängendes Becken French: cymbale suspendé
suspended cymbal
Italian: tam-tam German: Tam-tam French: tam-tam
gong or tam-tam
Italian: triangolo German: Triangel French: triangle
triangle
Italian: tamburino German: Schellentrommel, Tambourin French: tambour (de Basque)
tambourine
Italian: castagnette German: Kastagnetten French: castagnettes
castanets
Italian: raganella German: Ratsche French: crécelle
rattle or ratchet
Italian: cassa di legno German: Holzkaste French: bloc de bois
wood block
Italian: campanelli di bacca German: Heerdenglocken French: grelots de vaches
cowbells
Italian: sonaglia German: Schellen French: grelots
sleighbells
Italian: frusta German: Peitsche French: fouret
slapstick or whip
Italian: celesta German: Celesta French: célesta
celesta
Italian: arpa German: Harfe French: harpe
harp
 Italian: violino German: Violine French: violon
violin
Italian: viola German: Bratsche French: alto
viola
Italian: violoncello German: Violoncell French: violoncelle
violoncello or cello
Italian: contrabasso German: Kontrabass French: contrebasse
double bass
am Steg (German)
at the bridge of a stringed instrument
an dem Griffbrett (German)
play stringed instruments on the fingerboard
a punto d’arco (Italian)
with the point of the bow
archet (French)
with the bow
arco (Italian)
with the bow
Bogen (Bog.) (German)
with the bow
corda (Italian)
string
detache (French)
each note bowed separately, played broadly
Fr., Frog
to be played near the frog
jete (French)
“thrown” bow (flying staccato)
legno (Italian)
wood
col legno (Italian)
with the stick of the bow
L.h.
lower half of the bow
M
middle of the bow
pizzicato (pizz.) (Italian)
pluck string(s) with finger(s)
ponticello (Italian)
a light tone, sounding upper partials by bowing near the bridge of a stringed instrument
Pt., point
to be played near the point of the bow
saltando (salt.) (Italian)
bounce the bow off the string using short, quick bow strokes
scordatura (Italian)
special tuning of a stringed instrument
spiccato (spicc.) (Italian)
a light, bouncing bow movement
spitze (German)
point of the bow
sul (Italian)
on (as in “sul D,” on the D string)
sulla tastiera (Italian)
on the fingerboard
sur la touche (French)
on the fingerboard
sur le chevalet (French)
bow close to the bridge
sur une corde (French)
play on one string
bridge-type symbol, looks kind of like this:
l-l
down bow
V
up bow
U.H.
upper half of the bow
W.B.
whole bow
bowed tremolo; three hash lines in the stem of a note
very fast separate strokes on the same pitch, near the point for soft dynamics and near the middle for louder dynamics
detache; tenuto lines under the noteheads
played with separate bows; in a very rapid detache, the bow bounces (spiccato) from the sting (sautille)
fingered tremolo; looks like two beamed 32nd notes
played like a trill, for intervals larger than a whole step; played with the left hand fingers and a single bow
harmonic, artificial; half notehead stacked on top of quarter notehead
lower note is stopped by the first finger and upper note by the third or fourth finger
accelerando (accel.)
increase tempo
adagio
slowly
a due (a2)
both performers; follows a section with only one performer on the part; a3, a4, etc. are also used
affrettando (affrett.)
quicken the tempo
agitato
excited, agitated
allargando (allarg.)
becoming broader, slowing
alle, alles
all, every
allegretto
moderately fast
allegro
quick, rapid tempo
allein
solo, alone
allmahlich
gradually
al niente
diminish the sound to nothing
ancora
again
andante
moderately slow
animando
with growing animation
animato, anime
animated
arpeggiando (arpeg.)
roll the chord in harp style
arret
stop
a tempo
resume the original tempo
attacca
begin the next section without pausing
belebend
with growing animation
Belebt
animated
bestimmt
energetic
bewegt
agitated
Bewegter
more agitated
Blech
brass instruments
bouche
muted French horn, using hand; indicated by a +
breit
broadly
chiuso
muted French horn, using hand
colla parte
in unison with another part; for example, col. vln, with violins; commonly used in jazz scores
come prima
like the first time
con
with
coro
chorus
da capo (DC)
return to the beginning
dampfer
mute
Mit Dampfer
with mute
Ohne Dampfer
without mute
doppio movimento
double tempo
en animant
with increasing animation
enchainez
continue to the next section without pausing
en dehors
in front of; with emphasis; to be clearly heard through the ensemble
erste
first
espansione
broadening
fiero
fiercely
Flatterzunge
flutter tongue
gestopft
muted French horn, using a hand
giusto
moderately
glissando (glissez, glisser)
slide
gradamente
gradually
grave
slowly, solemn
Holz
woodwinds
immer
always
laissez vibrer (LV)
let vibrate, do not dampen
langsam
slowly
largamente
broadly
largo
very slowly
lebhaft
lively
legerement
lightly
lent (lentamente, lento)
slowly
LH
left hand
l’istesso
the same
l’istesso tempo
the same tempo
marcato
marked, with emphasis
massig
moderate
meno
less
mezzo
half
MM
Maelzel metronome; tempo indication; BPM
moderato
moderately
modere
moderate tempo
modo
style
modo ordinario
in the usual manner
molto
much, very
mouvement (mouvt.)
tempo
muta, mutando
change; usually to indicate a change in tuning of an instrument or instruments
nach
after, behind
nach gebend
becoming slower
niente
nothing
ordinario
return to previous method of performance
ossia
otherwise
otez
remove
parlante
sung in a speaking style
Partitur
the score
perdendosi
gradually dying away
petit
little
peu
a little
piacere
at the performer’s pleasure
pieno
full
piu
more
piu mosso
more motion
poco
a little
poco a poco
little by little
portando la voce
vocal glissando, sliding smoothly from one note to the next
premier mouvement (1er mouvt); erster Tempo, Tempo I, a tempo
at the original tempo
presto
very quick tempo
Pult
desk or stand, referring to the number of stands of performers for a part
rallentando (rall.)
growing slower
retenu
held back
ritardando (ritard, rit.)
gradually slowing
RH
right hand
ritenuto
more immediate slowing of tempo
rubato
expressive flexibility of tempo
ruhig
quietly, tranquill
sans timbres
without snares (percussion)
scherzando
playfully
schmachtend
languid, languishing
schnell
quickly, fast
secco, sec
dry, simple
seconda volta
second time
segue
proceed to next section without pause
sehr
very
sempre
always
senza
without
sforzando, sforzato (sf, sfz)
form of attack; emphasis
simile (sim)
in a similar manner
smorzando (smorz.)
dying away
sordino
mute
sostenuto, sotenendo
sustained
sotto voce
under the voice; in a soft voice or undertone
soutenu
sustained
staccato
separated
stentando, stentato (stent.)
delaying, holding back
stesso movimento
same tempo
Stimme
voice or voice part
Stimmung
tuning
stringendo (string.)
quickening of tempo
subito (sub.)
immediate, suddenly
suivez
follow
supra
above; indicates crossing hands in piano music
tacet, tacit
silent
tempo primo
at original tempo
tenuto (ten.)
sustained, held back
tranquillo
calmly, quietly
tremolo
quick repetition of the same note or quick repetition between different pitches
tres
very
trill
rapid alternation between notes of different pitch, half step or whole
troppo
too much
tutti
all, entire ensemble
vide
empty, cut
vivace (vivo)
quickly, lively
wuthend
furiously
Zeitmass
tempo
zuruckhaltend
ritard