Musical Terms and Meanings for Piano Students: Grades 1-5
You may also consider to test yourself in this Unofficial ABRSM Musical Terms Quiz.
Learning musical terms helps students understand how a piece should sound, feel and move. Here are 116 musical terms, grouped according to the grade where they are first introduced.
Grade 1 Musical Terms
a tempo: return to the original speed
accelerando: gradually getting quicker
adagio: slow
allegretto: fairly quick, but not as quick as allegro
allegro: fast and lively
andante: at a walking speed
moderato: at a moderate speed
rallentando: gradually getting slower
ritardando: gradually getting slower
crescendo: gradually getting louder
decrescendo: gradually getting softer
diminuendo: gradually getting softer
forte: loud
fortissimo: very loud
mezzo forte: moderately loud
mezzo piano: moderately soft
piano: soft
pianissimo: very soft
cantabile: in a singing style
da capo: repeat from the beginning
dolce: sweetly
fine: the end
legato: smoothly
staccato: short and detached
Grade 2 Musical Terms
allargando: broadening, usually becoming slower and fuller
grave: very slow and solemn
largo: slow and stately
lento: slow
presto: very fast
ritenuto: held back
vivace: fast and lively
vivo: fast and lively
fortepiano: loud, then immediately soft
espressivo: expressively
grazioso: gracefully
tenuto: held or sustained for its full value
a: at, to, by, for, in, or in the style of
al / alla: to the, or in the manner of
con / col: with
dal segno: repeat from the sign
e / ed: and
ma: but
marcia: march
meno: less
molto: very or much
mosso / moto: movement
non: not
più: more
poco: a little
senza: without
troppo: too much
Grade 3 Musical Terms
agitato: agitated
animato: animated or lively
con forza: with force
energico: energetically
giocoso: playfully or merrily
leggiero: lightly and nimbly
maestoso: majestically
marcato: marked or accented
pesante: heavily
risoluto: boldly and strongly
scherzando / scherzoso: playfully or jokingly
semplice: simply or plainly
tranquillo: calmly
triste / tristamente: sad or sorrowful
andantino: slightly faster or slower than andante
ben: well
prima / primo: first
prestissimo: as fast as possible
sempre: always
simile: continue in the same way
sforzando / sforzato: forced or strongly accented
sostenuto: sustained
subito: suddenly
Grade 4 Musical Terms
affettuoso: tenderly
alla breve: with a minim beat
amabile: pleasantly or amiably
appassionato: with passion
assai: very
comodo / tempo comodo: at a comfortable speed
come prima: as before
con brio: with vigour
deciso: with determination
larghetto: rather slow
mesto: sadly
misterioso: mysteriously
ritmico: rhythmically
rubato / tempo rubato: with some freedom of time
stringendo: gradually getting faster
animé: animated or lively (French)
douce: sweet or gentle (French)
lent: slow (French)
modéré: at a moderate speed (French)
retenu: held back (French)
vite: quick (French)
Grade 5 Musical Terms
a niente: to nothing
ad libitum: at choice; freely
attacca: go straight on without a pause
cantando: in a singing style
con dolore: with grief
con spirito: with spirit
doloroso: sorrowfully
largamente: broadly
morendo: dying away
perdendosi: dying away
quasi: as if or resembling
rinforzando: reinforcing or becoming stronger
smorzando: dying away
sonoro: resonant, with a rich tone
sotto voce: in an undertone
langsam: slow (German)
lebhaft: lively (German)
mässig: at a moderate speed (German)
ruhig: peaceful or calm (German)
schnell: fast (German)
traurig: sad (German)
Want a polished reference copy for your music room or studio? Buy the printable Grades 1-5 musical terms PDF.
Interested in learning piano or music theory with structured and encouraging guidance in Tampines, Singapore ? Visit the Herman Piano Studio class page.
