Open a piano piece and you can find any number of piano symbols, words, and abbreviations. The composer included them to help you know how he envisioned the piece being playedand how it will sound the best to be performed. Consequently, it is wise to know what the musical terms mean and to be able to instantly identify them.

Piano: soft

MP

Mezzo piano: moderately soft. Mezzo means moderately in Italian. Anything with mezzo written before it means moderately.

 

MP

Mezzo forte: moderately loud

 

F

Forte: loud

 

ff

Fortissimo: very loud

 

Crescendo: sometimes written out, abbreviated to cresc., or written as a marking. Play gradually louder

 

 

Diminuendo: sometimes written out or as decrescendo, or abbreviated as decresc., or written as a marking. Play gradually softer

 

Tempo markings tell the pace (or speed) which are to play

The tempo is usually marked at the top of the piano piece, before you begin. Sometimes songs will change tempo in middle of the song. The composer will write when to change the speed. There are not any special markings for the tempo the word is just written out.

Adagio

Adagio: slowly

Andante

Andante: walking speed

Moderato

Moderato: moderate tempo

Allegretto

Allegretto: rather fast

Allegro

Allegro: fast and lively, cheerfully

Vivace

Vivace: very fast

Various markings: There are numerous other markings throughout a song. These are some of the more common.

 

 

A tempo

a tempo: play the same speed as when you started the song

Coda

coda: the ending phrases of a song

D.S. al coda

D.S. al coda: stands for DalSegno al Coda. Instead of continuing to the end of the song, return to the marking, play until the

 

From there, immediately go to the Coda, without any pauses while moving around in the song.

 

 

 

Fermata: fermata, fermata, hold it longer than you should be. A silly but easy way to remember that the fermata makes a note to be held about twice as long as it usually is.

 

Legato: sometimes legato is written out, but often it is represented by a slur. Play the notes smoothly and connected.

 

 

 

Octave, or 8va: play an octave higher or lower

Poco

Poco: written before any words means a little

Rit.

Ritardando: often abbreviated to rit., it means to gradually slow down

Sforzando: play the notes suddenly, very loud and forcefully



Staccato: the dot means to make the note jumpy and detached

Tenuto mark: press into the note, giving it its full value. Give the note extra emphasis by simply stressing the its count value

 

 

Tremolo: play the notes back and forth as rapidly as you can

Yoke Wong recommends theEasy Beginner Piano Course