Band Vocabulary
Set 1:
Allegro: fast
Accelerando (accel.): gradually faster
Andante: walking speed
a tempo: return to speed
Adagio: slowly
Andantino: moderately
Allegretto: moderately fast
Ad libitum (ad lib.): at liberty
Animato: animated
Allargando: slower and louder
Set 2:
Cantabile: singing style
Crescendo (cresc.) ( < ): Gradually stronger
Coda: ending section
Dolce: Sweetly
Dal Segno (D.S.): to the sign
Diminuendo (dim.) ( > ) : Gradually softer
Da Capo (D.C.): to the beginning
Decrescendo (decresc.) ( > ) : Gradually softer
Chromatic: moving by half-steps
Con Brio: with life
Con Moto: with motion
Set 3:
Fine: the end
Forte ( f ): strong
Fortissimo ( ff ): very strong
Forzando ( fz ): strong accent
Giocoso: humorously
Largo: slowly
Leggiero: light and swift
Legato: smoothly
Lento: slowly
L’istesso tempo: keep the same speed
Set 4:
Piano ( p ): soft
Pianissimo ( pp ): very soft
Mezzo Piano ( mp ): medium soft
Mezzo Forte ( mf ): medium strong
Morendo: dying away
Meno Mosso: less motion
Moderato: moderately
Poco a poco: little by little
Marcato: marked and separated
Maestoso: Majestically
Molto: very
Marcia: march
Set 5:
Tutti: all play
Ritardando (rit.): gradually slower
Presto: very fast
Sostenuto (sost.): sustained
Rallentando (rall.): gradually slower
Piu mosso: more motion
Tenuto (ten.): hold full value
Staccato (stacc.): separated
Subito (sub.): suddenly
Simile (sim.): continue the same style
Sforzando ( sfz ): strong accent
Vivace: spirited