MusOsaurus Dictionary

Find out what "allegro", "stacatto", or "crescendo" and many other music terms mean in our dictionary.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

accelerando (a-CHEL-ur-AHN-doe) - a tempo indication meaning to get faster little by little.

accent (AHK-sent) - to put emphasis or stress on a note or part of rhythm

allegro (ah-LEH-groh) - an Italian word used to indicate tempo meaning "fast".

B

beat (beet) - the steady pulse in music; the part of the music to which a person taps their feet or bobs their head.

C

crescendo (crush-EN-doh) - a dynamic marking meaning to get louder little by little

D

decrescendo (DAY-crush-EN-doh) - to get softer little by little

diminuendo (dimm-IN-yue-EN-doh) - to get softer little by little

dynamics (dye-NAMM-icks) - how loud or soft a sound is

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E

F

form (four-m) - how a song is put together, or the pattern of phrases within a song.

fortissimo (four-TISS--ee-moh) - a dynamic marking meaning very loud.

forte (FOUR-tay) - a dynamic marking meaning loud.

G

H

harmony (HAR-moh-nee) - two or more pitches sounded at the same time.

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I

J

K

L

largo (LAR-goh) - a tempo indication meaning slow.

M

melody (MEH-low-dee) - the part of music that we can play or sing; a line of pitches.

mezzoforte (MEHT-so-four-tay) - a dynamic marking meaning medium loud.

mezzopiano (MEHT-so-pea-AHN-oh) - a dynamic marking meaning medium soft.

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N

O

P

pianissimo (PEA-ahn-EEs-eemoh) - a dynamic marking meaning very soft.

piano (PEA-ahn-oh) - a dynamic marking meaning soft.

presto (PRESS-toh)- a tempo indication meaning very fast

Q

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R

rhythm (RIH-thim) - a pattern of long and short sounds.

ritardando (RIH-tahrd-AHN-doh) - a tempo indication meaning to get slower little by little.

S

stacatto (stah-CAH-toh) - an Italian word meaning "short", as in duration.

syncopation (sing-coh-PAY-shun) - occurs when the accent is "off" the beat; putting the accent on the second half of the beat.

T

tempo (TEHM-poh) - how fast or slow the beat of the music is.

timbre (TAMM-bur) - the tone color or "voice" that is unique for each instrument or person.

U

V

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W

X

Y

Z

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