Pianissimo
Very soft
Piano
Soft
Mezzo piano
Medium soft
Mezzo forte
Medium loud
Forte
Loud
Fortissimo
Very loud
Calando
Gradually diminishing
Crescendo
Gradual increase in volume
Decrescendo
Gradual decrease in volume
Morendo
Dying away
Peine entendu
Barely audiable
Piu
More
Rinforzando
Sudden, sharp accent
Stinguendo
Fading away
Grave
Solemn, very slow
Largo
Broad, very slow
Larghetto
Somewhat faster than Largo
Lento
Slow
Adagio
Slow
Andante
Moderate (walking tempo)
Andantino
Little faster than Andante
Moderato
Moderate
Allegro
Fast
Allegreto
A tempo between Allegro and Andante
Presto
Very fast
Prestissimo
As fast as possible
A tempo
Return to the normal tempo
Accelerando
Accelerate, become faster
Allargando
Slowing down
Assai
Much as
Cedez
Slow down
Con moto
With motion
Dopplo Movimento
Double speed
L’ltesso
The same
Meno
Less
Molto
Very
Mosso
Moved, agitated
Non troppo
Not too much
Piu
More
Rallentando
Slowing down
Rasch
Quick
Ritenuto
Suddenly slower
Rubato
Flexible tempo
Schnell
Faster
Sostenuto
Sustained
Stringendo
Quickening, with growing excitement
Tempo primo
Resume the first tempo
Vivace
Lively, very quick
Affetuoso
Affectionate, tender
Affretando
Hurrying
Agitato
Agitated
Arioso
Lyric and expressive
Attaca
Attack
Aufgeregt
Extited
Bewegt
Animated, with motion
Cantabile
Singing
Comodo
Easy, comfortable
Con brio
With vigor
Con calore
With warmth
Con fuoco
With fire
Deutlich
Clear, distinct
Dolce
Lovely, sweet
Doucement
Gently
Doulereux
Sorrowful
Duramente
Harshly
Eclatante
Brilliant, sparkling
Empfindung
With emotion/feeling
En dehors
Emphasized
Entschieden
Determined
Expressivo
Expressive
Fastoso
Pompus
Feierlich
Solemn
Fiero
High spirited, bold
Fliessend
Following
Frei
Free, with freedom
Frohlich
Joyfull
Garbato
Graceful, elegant
Gelassen
Quiet, calm
Gemachlich
Comfortable
Gemendo
Lamenting
Gemessen
Restrained
Gesangvoll
Songlike, cantabile
Geschwing
Quick, nimble
Giocoso
Merry
Giusto
Just right, strict of fitting tempo
Grazioso
Graceful
Gusto
With zest
Hastig
With haste, hurrying
Heftig
Violent
Innig
Heartfelt, tender
Kraftig
Strong, vigorous
Lacrimoso
Mournful
Langsam
Slow
Lebhaft
Lively
Leidenschaftig
Passionate
Legato
Smooth
Leggerio
Light
Liscio
Smooth
Lourd
Heavy
Lusingando
Carresing
Lustig
Merry, cheerful
Lutuoso
Mourning
Maestoso
Majestic
Marcato
Stressed
Markiert
Marked, stressed
Markig
Vigorous
Mesto
Sad
Mezzo
Medium
Munter
Cheerful
Nachdrucklich
Emphatic, expressive
Patetico
With great emotion
Pesante
Heavy, emphatic
Piacevole
Pleasing, agreeable
Pianamente
Smoothly, softly
Placido
Tranquil, calm
Precipitando
Rushing, impetuous
Ruhig
Quiet
Scherzando
Humorous
Scherzhaft
Playfull
Schwungvoll
Animated, with spirit
Semplice
Simple, unaffected
Sempre
Still, always
Sfoggiando
Ostenatious
Slancio, con
With dash
Snello
Agile, nimble
Soave
Gentle, sweet
Sospirando
Sighing
Staccato
Detached, short
Straziante
Anguished
Strepitoso
Boisterous
Tenuto
Held
Traumerisch
Dreamy
Treibend
Hurrying
Unruhig
Restless
Voile
Veiled
Volante
Rushing, flying
Zart
Tender, soft
Abstrich
Down bow
Aufstrich
Up bow
Am steg
Near the bride
Am frosch
Near the frog
Am griffbrett
Near or over the fingerboard
Arco
With the bow
Arpeggio
Notes of the chord are played one after another instead of simultaneously
Arrache
Forceful pizzicatto
Au chevalet
Close to the bridge
Col legno
With the wood of the bow
Col arco
With the bow
Coup D’Archet
Bow stroke
Detache
Detached
Flautando
Bowing lightly over the fingerboard to produce a flutelike effect
Glissando
Sliding from one pitch to the next
Jete
“Throwing” the upper part of the bow on the string so that it will bounce a series of rapid notes on the down bow
Loure
Slight separation of the notes taken in a slur
Martele
“Hammered” bowing with forceful, sudden release
Pizzicato
Plucked
Portato
A manner of performance half way between legato and staccato
Saltando
Light, bouncing strokes played in the middle of the bow
Staccato
Short, detached strokes
Sul ponticello
Close to the bridge
Sul tasto
Near or over the fingerboard
Talon
At the frog
Tremolo
Short, rapidly repeated strokes
Tenuto
Sustained
Al fine
To the end
A piacere
At the performers discretion
Al segno
To the sign
Alta
Higher (play an octave higher)
Ancora
Again, repeat
Attaca
Attack
Bassa
Lower (play an octave lower)
Bis
Repeat
Cadenza
Extended section
Coda
Closing section of a movement
Come prima
As at first
Con
With
Da capo
From the begining
Dal segno
From the sign
Dampfer
Mute
Divisi
Divided
Fine
End
GP
General pause