Music Dictionary: Do you know what it means?

Absolute - Absolute music rather than extra musical implications such as the stories legends of "program" music

Accelerando, accel - Gradually faster

Accent - Placed above a note to indicate stress or emphasis

Accidental - A sharp, flat, or natural not included in the given key

Accompaniment - A vocal or instrument part that supports or is background for a solo part

Adagio - Slow; slower than andante and faster than largo

Addolorato - Sorrowfully

Ad libitum, ad lib - A term which permits the performer to vary the tempo and/or to include or omit a vocal or instrumental part

A due - Return to unison after divisi

Affrettando - Hurrying

Agilmente - Lively

Agitato - Agitated

Al, alla, alle - To, e.g. al Fine (to the end)

Album - A full length recording

Al coda - "To the coda."

Aleatory, or aleatoric music - Chance music in which the performers are free to perform their own material

Al fine - To the end

Alla breve - meter in which there are two beats in each measure and a half note receives one beat

Allargando, allarg - Slowing of tempo, usually with increasing volume

Allegretto - Slower than allegro

Allegro - Quick tempo and cheerful

Al segno - Return to the sign, Dal segno

Alteration - The raising or lowering of a note by means of an accidental.

Alto clef - The C clef falling on the third line of the staff

Ancora - Repeat

Andante - Moderate tempo

Andantino - Slightly faster than andante

A niente - To nothing

Animato - Animated

A piacere - Freedom in performance

Appassionato - Impassioned

Appoggiatura - A nonharmonic tone, usually a half or whole step above the harmonic tone, which is performed on the beat and then resolved

Arabesque - A fanciful piano piece

Arpeggio - A term used to describe the pitches of a chord as they are sung or played one after the other

Arrache - Strong pizzicato

Arrangement - An adaption of a composition

Articulation - The degree to which notes are separated or connected, like staccato or legato

A tempo- Return to the previous tempo

Atonality - Lacking a tonal center

Augmentation - The opposite of diminution

Augmented - The term for a major or perfect interval which has been enlarged by one half-step, e.g. c-g , (an augmented fifth,) or c-d , (an augmented second). Also used for a triad with an augmented fifth, e.g. the augmented tonic triad in C major, C+, c-e-g