A Cappella
Unaccompanied voice(s)
A due (a2)
with two
Al fine
to end
Am steg
on the bridge
Anacrusis
upbeat
Aperto
Open, referring to open notes (horn), Open pipes (organ), Obvious, clear
Appogiatura
Emphasized, reinforced, Supporting, accompanying the melody.
Arco
The bow, or use the bow, play with bow
Attaca
Continue without pause
Barcarolle
A piece in 6/8 time with a lilting rhythm suggesting the song sung by Venetian gondoliers.
Battuta
Measure, bar. beat, especially the accented first beat of a measure.
Bemolle
Flat
Berceuse
Lullaby
Breve
Concise, Brief
Cadenza
A brilliant, often florid solo, usually at eh end of a movement of a piece.
Caesura
Pause
Chiuso
Closed
Coda
End, concluding passage
Col legno
With the wood, playing with wood side of bow
Colla Parte
follow the soloist’s part, especially with regoard to tempo
Come prima
list the first time
Coperto
Covered, muted
Court
Short, brief, concise
Cuivre
Produced a forced brassy tone
Da capo
from the beginning
Dal segno
to sign
Dampfer
with mute
Diese, diesis
sharp
Divisi
indicating separate parts where normally there is only one
Doppio
Double, twice fold, twice
Dur
Harsh, rough
Einleiten
Introduction
Enchainez
Connect, go on directly
Etwas
somewhat
Fine
End
Immer
Always, constantly, always in the same tempo
Loco
Return to normal position
Lunga
Long, sustained
Moll
Minor
Molto
Very, much
Muta
In timpani and harp parts, indication for change of tuning
Non troppo
not too much
opus
work
Ossia
or, or else, indicating an alternative version
Otez
remove, or stop using
Pavillons en l’air
with the bells raised
Petit
little
Peu
a little
Pizzicato
plucked
Poco
little
Ponticello, (sul)
close to the bridge
Quasi
almost, as if
Ripieno
In organs, a mixture stop. In a concerto grosso, the full orchestra
Sans
without
Scordatura
Deliberate change in tuning
Sec, secco
plain, simple, unadorned
Segue
continue without pausing
Sehr
very
Sempre
Always continually, throughout
Senza
without
Simile
Similarly, in like manner
Sordino, sourdine
mute or damper, with mutes or damper
Subito
sudden
Sul tasto, sur la touche
on the fingerboard
Sur le chevalet
on the bridge
Tacet
Be silent, marking part where instruments or voices is omitted
Takt
Measure, bar
Ton bouche
your mouth
Tutti
all total, with all
V.S. (volti subito)
turn suddenly; i.e., turn the page quickly
Vide
open strings