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- Accelerando – Gradually getting faster
- Accidental – A symbol that impacts a note to modify the resulting pitch
- Adagio – Slow tempo
- Allargando – Gradually getting slower and more stately
- Allegretto – Moderately quick tempo, slightly slower than Allegro
- Allegro – Quick tempo
- Andante – Walking tempo
- Andantino – Moderate tempo, slightly faster than Andante
- Beat – A steady pulse in time that is used to give length to a specific rhythmic note, know as the beat note. For example, in 4 / 4 time, the quarter note is the beat note.
- Crescendo – Gradually getting louder
- Compound Meter – Time signature, or meter, in which the beat is divisible by 3 (e.g., 6/8 time felt in 2).
- Decrescendo – Gradually becoming more quiet
- Doppio Piu Mosso – Suddenly twice the tempo
- Doppio Piu Lento – Suddenly half the tempo
- Double Flat – An accidental that lowers the pitch by a whole step (major second)
- Double Sharp – An accidental that raises the pitch by a whole second (major second)
- Fantasia – Musical form with no constructs that allows the imagination and creativity of the composer to flourish. In Baroque music, the fantasia was often an introduction to a fugue. In the Romantic period, the fantasia was used for complete works.
- Flat – An accidental that lowers the pitch by a half step (minor second)
- Forte – Loud
- Fortissimo – Very loud
- Grave – Extremely slow and solemn
- Homophonic – A method of composition where all parts share similar, if not the same, rhythm. Parts move together rather than independently.
- Key – A system of tonality where chords perform functionally with regards to the tonal center
- Largo – Very slow and dignified
- Lento – Slow tempo
- Meno Mosso – Less motion (slightly slower)
- Mezzo Forte – Medium loud
- Mezzo Piano – Medium quiet
- Moderato – Moderate tempo
- Mosso – Animated, motion
- Nocturne – A musical form without constructs that is inspired by night time.
- Partita – A Suite composed for a single instrument.
- Pianissimo – Very quiet
- Piano – Quiet
- Piu Mosso – With motion
- Polyphonic – A method of composition where parts move independently. The fugue is a polyphonic form.
- Prestissimo – Slightly faster than presto
- Presto – Very fast tempo
- Rallentando – Gradually getting slower – less extreme than ritardando.
- Rhapsody – A musical form with no formal constructs in which the composer employs many contrasts to tell a story or paint a musical picture.
- Ritardando – Gradually getting slower – more extreme than rallentando.
- Rubato – Tempo is flexible (opposite of Tempo Giusto).
- Scale – A sequence of tones within an octave that that are used to create a piece of music.
- Sharp – An accidental that raises the pitch by a half step (minor second).
- Simple Meter – Time signature, or meter, in which the beat is divisible by 2 (e.g., 4/4 time).
- Stringendo – Gradually getting faster.
- Suite – A multi-movement musical work where each movement is a dance.
- Tempo – The speed (fast or slow) of the beat for a piece of music.
- Tonal Center – See Tonic Note
- Tonality – The organization of notes and chords around a central, most important note.
- Tonic Note – The central, most important note in a given tonality
- Tempo Giusto – In strict tempo (opposite of rubato).
- Vivace – Lively, vivacious tempo.
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