Grade 4
ABRSM Words
Italian Terms
alla in the style of
animato lively, animated
affettuoso tenderly
affrettando hurrying
amabile amiable, pleasant
appassionato with passion
ben well
brio vigour
calando dying away, getting softer and slower
cantabile in a singing style
calando in a singing style
come as, similar to
come prima as before
come sopra as above
comodo convenient (tempo comodo: at a comfortable speed)
deciso with determination
delicate delicate
energico energetic
facile easy
forza force, power
fuoco fire
giusto proper, exact
tempo giusto in strict time
l’istesso the same
l’istesso tempo at the same speed
1
,morendo dying away
niente nothing
nobilmente nobly
perdendosi dying away
possibile possible
presto possibile as fast as possible
quasi as if, in the style of
sonoro sonorous, with rich tone
sopra above
sostenuto sustained
sotto below
sotto voce in an undertone
veloce swift
voce voice
French Terms
à to, at
animé animated, lively
assez enough, sufficiently
avec with
cédez yielding, relax the speed
douce sweet
en dehors with prominence (a direction to make a melody stand out)
et and
légèrement light
lent slow
mais but
moins less
modéré at a moderate speed
non not
peu little
plus more
presser hurry
en pressant hurrying on
ralentir slow down
retenu held back
en retenant holding back, slow down a little
sans without
2
,très very
un, une one
vif lively
vite quick
Terms from Previous Grades
Grade 3
adagietto rather slow (but faster than adagio)
ad libitum, ad lib. at choice, meaning that the passage may be played freely
agitato agitated
alla breve with a minim beat, equivalent to C (!)
amore love
amoroso loving
anima soul, spirit
con anima with feeling, ‘spirited’
animato animated, lively
animando becoming more lively
ben well
brio vigour
comodo convenient
tempo comodo at a comfortable speed
deciso with determination
delicate delicate
energico energetic
forza force
largamente broadly
leggiero light, nimble
marcato, marc. emphatic, accented
marziale in a military style
mesto mournful, sad
pesante heavy
prima, primo first
risoluto bold, strong
ritmico rhythmically
rubato, tempo
with some freedom of time
rubato
scherando,
playful, joking
sherzoso
3
,seconda, secondo second
semplice simple, plain
sempre always
stringendo gradually getting faster
subito suddenly
tanto so much
tranquillo calm
triste,
sad, sorrowful
tristamente
volta time
Grade 2
a at, to, by, for, in, in the style of
accelerando (or
gradually getting quicker
accel.)
adagio slow
al, alla to the, in the manner of
alla Marcia in the style of a march
broadening, getting a little slower and probably a little
allargando
louder
allegretto fairly quick (but not as quick as allegro)
allegro quick, lively
allegro assai very quick
allegro moderato moderately quick
andante at a medium (‘walking’) speed
andantino rather slow (slightly faster or slower than andante)
assai very
cantabile in a singing style
con, col with
con moto with movement
crescendo, cresc. gradually getting louder
Da capo, D.C repeat from the beginning
Dal segno, D.S. repeat from the sign
decrescendo,
gradually getting softer
decresc.
diminuendo, dim. gradually getting softer
dolce sweet, soft
e, ed and
espressivo, expressive
espress., espr.
fine the end
forte, loud
4
,fortissimo, very loud
fortepiano, loud, then immediately soft
giocoso playful, merry
grave very slow, solemn
grazioso graceful
larghetto rather slow (but not as slow as largo)
largo slow, stately
legato smooth
lento slow
ma but
maestoso majestic
meno less
meno mosso less movement
mezzo half
mezzo forte, moderately loud
mezzo piano , moderately soft
moderato moderately
molto very, much
mosso, moto movement
non not
non troppo not too much
piano, soft
pianissimo, very soft
più more
poco a little
presto very fast
rallentando, rall. getting gradually slower
ritardando,
getting gradually slower
ritard., rit.
ritenuto, riten.,
held back
rit.
senza without
sforzando,
forced, accented
sforzato, ,
simile, or sim. in the same way
sostenuto sustained
tenuto held
troppo too much
vivace, vivo lively, quick
Grade 1
5
,accelerando,
gradually getting faster
accel.
adagio slow
allegretto quite fast
allegro quick, fast
andante at a walking pace
cantabile in a singing style
crescendo, cresc. gradually getting louder
da capo, D.C. repeat from the beginning
dal segno, D.S. repeat from the sign
decrescendo,
gradually getting softer
decresc.
diminuendo, dim. gradually getting softer
fine the end
forte, loud
fortissimo, very loud
legato smoothly
lento slow
mezzo half
mezzo forte, moderately loud
mezzo piano, moderately soft
moderato at a moderate pace
piano, soft
pianissimo, very soft
poco a little
rallentando, rall. getting gradually slower
ritardando, rit. getting gradually slower
ritenuto, ritt. held back
staccato, stacc. short, detached
tempo speed, time (a tempo: in time)
poco a poco little by little
6
, Grade 4
ABRSM Signs
Grade 4 Music Signs
a small quaver with a
stroke slurred to the
acciaccatura
main note. It can be
played in three ways.
a small note which
appoggiatura ‘leans’ against
another.
ô or e or ú
this usually consists
of four notes: note
turn above; main note;
note below; main
note.
like the turn, this
consists of four notes,
but in the reverse
inverted turn
direction: note or or
(lower turn)
below; main note;
note above; main
note.
The main note
mordent alternate with the
higher note.
The main note
inverted mordent
alternates with the
(lower mordent)
lower note.
7
, It consists of a
continuous
alternation between or
trill/shake
the upper and main
note in a rapid
manner.
Music Signs from other Grades
accent the notes; ∧ (over) and ∨
(under) mean the same, or even
stronger accents.
slightly detached notes.
very short and strongly
accented notes.
with slightly held accents and
slightly separated.
gradually getting louder.
gradually getting softer.
at an octave higher.
at an octave lower.
a dot over or under a note =
short, detached.
a ‘greater than’ symbol over or
under a note = accent.
over or under a note = pause on
the note.
the passage is to be repeated.
Go back to the first sign and
{ and }
repeat the music from there.
(the first sign is left out if the
music is repeated from the
beginning.
72 crotchet beats in a minute M.M. q=72
(M.M. is short for Maezel’s (or just q=72)
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