Accelerando: Gradually increase the pace, speed up
Accent: Stress the note more than usual
Accidental: Sharp, natural or flat not in the key signature
Adagio: "At Ease." Slow tempo
Allegro: Fast tempo
Andante: Moderately slow, walking tempo
Arco: Bow, play with the bow
Arpeggio: Notes of a chord played in succession
Cantabile: In a singing manner
Chord: A group of notes played simultaneously
Coda: "Tail." A section whose job is to end the piece
Col legno: Strike with the wood of the bow
Common time: 4/4
Crescendo: Gradually increase the volume, get louder
Cut time: 2/2
Da Capo (D.C.): To the top, go back to the beginning
Dal Segno (D.S.): To the sign, go back to the sign marked in the music
Decrescendo: Gradually decrease the volume, get softer
Detache: Detached, slight separation between notes
Diminuendo: Gradually decrease the volume, get softer
Divisi: Divide the part between players
Dolce: Sweetly
Ensemble: Together, a group of performers
Expressivo: Play in an expressive manner
Fine: End
Grave: Slowly and solemnly
Harmonic: Touch the string lightly to produce a pure tone
Interval: The space or distance between two notes
Key signature: Pattern of sharps or flats at the beginning of a staff that indicates the pitches to be consistently used
Largo: Very slow, broad
Legato: Smooth and connected
Marcato: Marked, prominent; a type of accent, usually
Martele: Hammered, strongly accented
Meno: Less
Mosso: Motion, movement
Mezzo: Half
Moderato: Moderate tempo
Morendo: Dying away
Pesante: Heavily
Pizzicato: Pluck the string
Piu: More
Poco a poco: Little by little
Presto: Very fast tempo
Rallentando: Gradually decrease the pace, slow down
Ritardando: Gradually decrease the pace, slow down
Sempre: Always, continue in the same manner
Sforzando: A heavy accent
Slur: Two or more notes of different pitch played in the same bow
Soli: Section has the melody; play out
Solo: Play with one instrument
Spiccato: Bouncing off the string
Staccato: Short and on the string
Subito: Suddenly
Sul ponticello: Over the bridge
Tempo: Speed or pace of the music
Tenuto: Fully sustained
Tie: Two or more notes of the same pitch played in the same bow
Time signature: Numbers at the beginning of the staff representing the meter
Top number= Number of counts per measure
Bottom number= Type of note that receives one count
Tremolo: Rapid reiteration of a single pitch by moving the bow back and forth
Trill: Rapid alternation of a pitch with the one above it
Tutti: All, the entire section or ensemble
Vivace: Lively
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