Need for Speed
Telling the performer to go faster
What is accelerando?
Subito
What is "suddenly"?
Taking the emphasis away from the downbeat, preferring the weak or offbeat
What is syncopation?
This reminds you to breathe. In case you forget to breathe.
What is a breath mark?
A single note above or below the target note, meant to color the sound
What is a grace note?
A devastatingly slow pace
What is Grave?
Sotto voce
What is "soft voice"?
... In which the rhythm felt is no longer "straight"
What is swing/swung rhythm?
A directed lengthening of a note or chord, typically landing at double the written length
What is a fermata?
Rapidly alternating between the target note and the note directly above or below it
What is a trill?
What is Presto?
Poco a poco
What is "little by little?"
A gathering of notes that otherwise would not fit in the time signature structure in a measure
What is a duplet/triplet?
An abbreviated writing of an extended silence
What is a tacet?
Often confused for a tremolo; the slight variation of a sustained pitch
What is vibrato?
Telling the performer to go slower
What is ritardando?
Da Capo (al fine)
What is "from the beginning"?
Time signatures that are not necessarily evenly divided
What is irregular meter/odd meter?
The symbol used tell the performer to prepare to repeat a given passage
What is Dal Segno/D. S. (al Coda/Fine)?
A passage of six or more notes over a single syllable
What is a "run"/melisma?
Meaning "robbed"; flowing freely, and exempt from steady rhythm
What is rubato/tempo rubato?
Dolce
What is "sweet"?
Shortening and emphasizing a note or series of notes
What is staccato?
An intentional break between a phrase or passage, marked often with two slashed lines
What is a caesura?
An ornament consisting of both a note above and below the target pitch
What is a "turn"/gruppetto?