Musical Terms

 

Abbreviation               Musical Term     

Accel.                               Accelerando
Accomp.                           Accompaniment
Accresc.                           Accrescevdo
Adgo  or Ado                            Adagio
Ad lib.                              Ad libitum
Affett.                               Affettuosu
Affrett.                              Affrettando
Ago  or Agito                     Agitato
Allo                                       Allegro
Allgtto  or Alltto                         Allegretto
All'ott. or  All'8va                   All'ottava
Andno                                        Andantino
Andte                                         Andante
Arc.                                 Arcato
Arpo                                Arpeggio
                                     

B. C.                                  Basso continuo
B.  H.                                 Both hands
Brill.                                   Brillante

C. a.                                   Coll'arco
Cad.                                   Cadenza
Cal.                                    Calandro
Cantab.                              Cantabile
C. B.                                  Col basso
C. D.                                  Colla destra
'Cello.                                 Violoncello
C. f.                                    Canto fermo  or  Cantus firmus
Ch.                                     Choir-organ
C. L.                                   Col legno
Cl. or Clar.                          Clarinet
Coll'ott.  or  Coll'8va                  Coll'ottava
Cor.                                    Cornet or Corno
C. P.                                   Colla parte
Cres. or Cresc.                    Crescendo
C. S.                                   Colla sinistra


Dal. S.                                Dal Segno
D. C.                                   Da capo
Decres. or Decresc.             Decrescendo         
Delic.                                  Delicatamente
Diap.                                   Diapason
Dim.                                    Diminduendo
Div.                                      Divisi   or  divise
Dol.                                     Dolce
Dolciss.                               Dolcissimo
Dopp. ped                            Doppio pedale
D. S.                                   Dal segno


Energ.                                 Energicamente
Espr. or  Espress.                Espressivo or Espressione


Fag.                                    Fagotto
ff or fff                                 Fortissimo
Fl.                                       Flute
Flag.                                   Flageolet
F. O.  or  F. Org.                  Full organ
F or f or For.                        Forte
fp                                       Forte piano
Forz. or fz                           Forzando


G. O.  or G. Org.                 Great organ or Grand-organ
Grand.                                Grandioso
Graz.                                  Grazioso
Gt.                                     Great organ


Haut. or  Htb.                      Hautbois
Hr. or Hrn.                           Hörner

Incalz.                                 Incalzando
Introd.                                 Introduction
Inv.                                      Inversion


Leg.                                     Legato
Legg.                                   Leggero or Leggiero
L. H.                                    Left hand  or Link Hand
Lusing.                                Lusingando


Maesto                                    Maestoso
Man.                                     Manual
Manc.                                   Mancando
Marc.                                    Marcato
M. D.                                    Mano destra  or Main driot
Men.                                     Meno
Mez.                                     Messo

mf
                                        Mezzo piano
mfz                                      Messo forando
M. G.                                   Main gauche
M. M.                                   Maelzel's Metronome
Mod. or Modto                            Moderato
Mor.                                     Morendo
Movto                                         Movimento
mp                                       Mezzo piano
M. S.                                   Manuscript  or  Mano sinistra
M. V.                                   Mezza voce


Ob.                                      Oboe
Obbli.                                   Obbligato
Op.                                      Opus
Opp.                                    Oppure
Org.                                     Organ
Ott. or Ova or 8va                  Ottava
Ovv.                                     Ovvero


P or p                                   Piano
Ped.                                     Pedal
Perd.                                    Perdendosi
Pes.                                     Pesante
pf                                         Più forte
P. F. or Pfte.                         Pianoforte
Piang.                                  Piangendo
Pianiss. or pp or ppp             Pianissimo
Pizz.                                    Pizzicato
Po'                                       Poco


Raddol.                                 Raddolcendo
Rall.                                     Rallentando
Recit.                                   Recitative
rf or rfz or rinf.                       Rinforzando
R. H.                                    Right hand or Rechte Hand
Rit.  or  Ritard.                      Ritardando
Riten.                                   Ritenuto


Salic.                                    Salicional
Scherz.                                 Scherzando
Seg.                                      Segue
Sem. or Semp.                       Sempre
sf or sfz or sff or sffz              Sforzando
Sim.                                      Simile
Sin.                                       Sinistra
Smorz.                                  Smorzando
Sost.                                     Sostenuto
Sp.                                        Spitze
Stacc.                                   Staccato
St. Diap.                                Stopped diapason
Stent.                                    Stentando
String.                                   Stringendo
Sw.                                       Swell-organ


T. C.                                     Tre corde
Tempo. I.                               Tempo primo
Ten.                                      Tenuto
Timp. or Tymp.                      Timpani
Tpt. or Tr. or Trill.                   Trumpet
Tratt.                                     Trattenuto
Trem.                                    Tremolando  or  Tremulant
Tromb.  or Trombe.                Trombone

U. C.                                     Una corda
Unis.                                     Unisono

Va.                                        Viola
Var                                        Variation
Vc. or Vcl. or Vcllo.                Violoncello
Viol. or Vl. or Vno.                  Violino
V. O.                                     Volles Orchester
V. S.                                     Volti subito
Vv. or Vni.                              Violini