- a, à (Fr): at, to, by, for, in, in the style of...
- a 2: see a due in this list
- a battuta: return to normal tempo after a deviation; same as 'a tempo'
- abbandonatamente, con abbandono: free, relaxed
- aber (Ger): but
- a bene placito: up to the performer
- a cappella: in the manner of singing in a chapel; i.e., without instrumental accompaniment
- accarezzévole: expressive and caressing
- accelerando, accel.: accelerating; gradually increasing the tempo
- accent: emphasize, make a particular part more important
- accentato/accentuato: accented; with emphasis
- acceso: ignited, on fire
- acciaccato: broken down, crushed; the sounding of the notes of a chord not quite simultaneously, but from bottom to top.
- acciaccatura: crushing; i.e., a very fast grace note that is "crushed" against the note that follows and takes up no value in the measure
- accompagnato: accompanied; i.e., with the accompaniment following the soloist, who may speed up or slow down at will
- adagietto: rather slow
- adagio: at ease; i.e., play slowly
- adagissimo: very, very slow
- ad libitum (commonly ad lib; Latin): at liberty; i.e., the speed and manner of execution are left to the performer
- a due: intended as a duet; for two voices or instruments; together; two instruments are to play in unison after a solo passage for one of the instruments
- affannato, affannoso: anguished
- affettuoso, affettuosamente, or affectueusement (Fr): with affect (that is, with emotion); see also con affetto
- affrettando: hurrying, pressing onwards
- agile: swiftly
- agitato: agitated
- al, alla: to the, in the manner of (al before masculine nouns, alla before feminine)
- alla breve: in cut-time; two beats per measure or the equivalent thereof
- alla marcia: in the style of a march
- allargando: broadening, becoming a little slower each time
- allegretto: a little lively, moderately fast
- allegretto vivace: a moderately quick tempo
- allegrezza: cheerfulness, joyfulness
- allegro: cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as lively, fast
- allegrissimo: very fast, though slower than presto
- all' ottava: "at the octave", see ottava
- als (Ger): than
- alt (English) (also alt dom or altered dominant): a jazz term which instructs chord-playing musicians such as a jazz pianist or jazz guitarist to perform a dominant (V7) chord with altered upper extensions (e.g., sharp 11th, flat 13th, etc.).
- altissimo: very high
- alto: high; often refers to a particular range of voice, higher than a tenor but lower than a soprano
- alzate sordini: lift or raise the mutes; i.e., remove mutes
- am Steg (Ger): at the bridge; i.e., playing a bowed string instrument near its bridge, which produces a heavier, stronger tone (see sul ponticello in this list)
- amabile: amiable, pleasant
- amoroso: loving
- anacrusis: a note or notes that precede the first full bar; a pickup
- andamento: used to refer to a fugue subject of above-average length
- andante: at a walking pace; i.e., at a moderate tempo
- andantino: slightly faster than andante (but earlier it is sometimes used to mean slightly slower than andante)
- ängstlich (Ger.): anxiously
- a niente: to nothing; an indication to make a diminuendo which fades to pppp
- a nessuna cosa: to nothing; an indication to hold a fermata until it dies away (this only works with instruments which cannot sustain a note)
- anima: feeling
- animandosi: animated, lively
- animato: animated, lively
- antiphon: a liturgical or other composition consisting of choral responses, sometimes between two choirs; a passage of this nature forming part of another composition; a repeated passage in a psalm or other liturgical piece, similar to a refrain.
- apaisé (Fr): calmed
- a piacere: at pleasure; i.e., the performer need not follow the rhythm strictly, for example in a cadenza
- appassionato: passionately
- appoggiatura also called a "leaning note": one or more grace notes that take up some note value of the next full note.
- a prima vista: Sight-read (lit. "at first sight"); i.e., (to be) played or sung from written notation but without prior review of the written material
- arco: the bow used for playing some string instrument; i.e., played with the bow, as opposed to pizzicato (plucked), in music for bowed instruments; normally used to cancel a pizzicato direction
- arietta: a short aria
- arioso: airy, or like an air (a melody); i.e., in the manner of an aria; melodious
- armonioso: harmoniously
- arpeggio: like a harp; i.e., the notes of the chords are to be played quickly one after another (usually ascending) instead of simultaneously. In music for piano, this is sometimes a solution in playing a wide-ranging chord whose notes cannot be played otherwise. Arpeggios are frequently used as an accompaniment. See also broken chord in this list.
- arpeggiato: a way of playing a chord: starting with the lowest note, and with successively higher notes rapidly joining in. Sometimes the effect is reversed, so that the highest note is played first.
- 'articulato: articulately
- assai: very
- assez (Fr): enough, sufficiently
- a tempo: in time; i.e., the performer should return to the main tempo of the piece (after an accelerando or ritardando, etc.); also may be found in combination with other terms such as a tempo giusto (in strict time) or a tempo di menuetto (at the speed of a minuet)
- attacca: attack or attach; go straight on; i.e., at the end of a movement, a direction to attach the next movement to the previous one, without a gap or pause
- Ausdruck (Ger): expression
- ausdrucksvoll/mit Ausdruck(Ger): expressively, with expression
- avec (Fr): with or with another
Read more about this topic: Glossary Of Musical Terminology