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Abrsm Music Theory Performance Directions

The document outlines performance directions for music theory, covering tempo, dynamics, and miscellaneous terms across grades 1-5. It includes Italian, French, and German terminology for speed, volume, and various performance instructions, as well as classifications of orchestral and non-orchestral instruments. Additionally, it specifies performance directions for string instruments and piano techniques.

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Matovu Colline
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44 views9 pages

Abrsm Music Theory Performance Directions

The document outlines performance directions for music theory, covering tempo, dynamics, and miscellaneous terms across grades 1-5. It includes Italian, French, and German terminology for speed, volume, and various performance instructions, as well as classifications of orchestral and non-orchestral instruments. Additionally, it specifies performance directions for string instruments and piano techniques.

Uploaded by

Matovu Colline
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ABRSM Music theory Performance Directions Grade 1-5

Content
1. Tempo (speed, change of speed)
2. Dynamics (volume, change of volume)
3. Miscellaneous

Tempo

1. Speed of music

1) Italian terms
Adagio − slow
Andante – at a medium speed
Allegretto – fairly quick
Allegro – quick
Andantino – slight faster or slower than andante
Grave – very slow, solemn
Larghetto – rather slow, but not as slow as largo
Largo – slow, stately
Presto – fast, faster than allegro
Adagietto – rather slow, but faster than adagio

2) French terms
Lent – slow (adagio)
Modere – at a moderate speed (andante)

3) German terms
langsam – slow
massig – at a moderate speed
2. Change of speed

1) Italian terms
Rallentando (rall.) – gradually getting slower
Ritardando (ritard. or rit.) – gradually getting slower
Accelerando (accel.) – gradually getting quicker
stringendo – gradually getting faster
morendo – dying away (getting slower and quieter)
calando – dying away
perdendosi − dying away
incalzando – getting quicker
smorzando (smorz.) – dying away in tone and speed

2) French terms
ralentir – slow down

Speed increases Accelerando (accel.)


stringendo
incalzando
Speed decreases Rallentado (rall.)
Ritardando (ritard. or rit.)
morendo
calando
perdendosi
smorzando (smorz.)
ralentir

Dynamics

1. Volume

1) Italian terms
Forte (f) – loud
Fortissimo (ff) – very loud
Mezzo forte (mf) – moderately loud
Piano (p) – quiet
Pianissimo (pp) – very quiet
Mezzo piano (mp) – moderately quiet
Fortepiano (fp) – loud, then immediately
quiet
Fortessissimo (fff) – very very loud
Pianississimo (ppp) – very very quiet

2. Change of volume
Crescendo (cresc.) – gradually getting louder
Decrescendo (decresc.) – gradually getting quieter
Diminuendo (dim.) – gradually getting quieter
Calando – getting quieter
Morendo – dying away
Perdendosi – dying away
Smorzando (smorz.) – dying away
Miscellaneous

1) Italian terms senza – without


Da Capo (D.C) – repeat from sforzando (sf, sfz) – forced,
beginning accented
Dal Segno (D.S) – repeat from the simile (sim.) – in the same way
sign sostenuto – sustained
Fine – the end tenuto – held
Mezzo – half troppo – too much
Moderate – moderately vivace, vivo – lively, quick
Poco – a little ad libitum (ad lib.) – play freely
Ritenuto (rite. or rit.) – held back agitato – agitated
Staccato – detached amore – love
Tempo – speed anima – soul, spirit
Alla – in the style of animato – animated
Allargando – broadening ben – well
Assai – with brio – vigour
Con – with comodo – convenient
Dolce – sweet, soft deciso – with determination
e, ed – and delicato – delicate
espressive (espress. or espr.) – energico – energetic
expressive
forza – force
giocoso – playful, merry
largamente – broadly
grazioso – graceful
leggiero – light, nimble
ma – but
marcato (marc.) – accented
maestoso – majestic
marziale – in military style
meno – less
mesto – sad
molto – very, much
pesante – heavy
non – not
prima, primo – first
mosso, moto – movement
risoluto – bold, strong
piu – more
ritmico – rhythmically Attacca – go straight to the next
section of music
rubato – with some freedom of time
Dolente – sad
scherzando – playful, joking
Doppio movimento – twice as fast
seconda – second
Estinto – as soft as possible
semplice – simple
Lacrimoso – sad
sempre – always
Loco – at normal pitch, cancel 8va
subito – suddenly
Lunga – long
tanto – so much
Lusingando – coaxing
tranqiillo – calm
Misura – measure
triste – sad
Ossia – or
volta – time
Piacevole – pleasant
affettuoso – tenderly
Piangevole – plaintive
affrettando – hurrying
Pochettino – rather slow
amabile – amiable
Rinforzando (rf, rfz) – reinforcing
appassionato – with passion
Segue – go straight on
cantando –singing
Teneramente – tenderly
come – similar to
Tosto – swift, rapid
facile – easy
Volante – flying, fast
fuoco – fire
giusto – proper, exact
2) French terms
L’istesso – the same
a – to, at
Niente – nothing
anime – animated, lively
Nobilmente – nobly
assez – enough
Possibile – possible
avec – with
Quasi – as if, resembling
cedez – relax the speed
Sonoro – resonant
douce – sweet, soft
Spora – above
en dehors – prominent, make a
Sotto – below
melody stand out
Veloce – swift
et – and
Voce – voice
legerement – light
mais – but Suss – sweet
moins – less Traurig – sad
non – not Und – and
peu – little Voll – full
plus – more Wenig – little
presser – hurry Wieder – again
retenu – held back Zart – tender
sans – without Zu – to
tres – very
un – one
vif – lively
vite – quick

3) German terms
Aber – but
Ausdruck – expression
Bewegt – with movement
Breit – broad
Ein – one
Einfach – simple
Etwas – somewhat, rather
Frohlich – cheerful
Immer – always
Lebhaft – lively
Mit – with
Nicht – not
Ohne – without
Ruhig – peaceful
Schnell – fast
Sehr – very
Orchestral instruments
There are four families of instrument. Each family is defined by the way the
instruments produce sound.
 Instruments which use strings are called string instruments.
 Instruments which produce sound when they are hit or shaken are
called percussion.
 Instruments which use air are divided into two groups. Those that are
always made of metal and which are played with a funnel-shaped
mouthpiece are brass instruments, and those which can be made of
wood are called woodwind.

Family of instrument Type Clef


Violin Treble
String Viola alto
Cello Bass, alto, treble
Double bass bass
Flute treble
Woodwind* Oboe treble
Clarinet treble
Bassoon Bass, alto, treble
Trumpet treble
Brass Horn Treble, bass
Trombone* Bass, alto, treble
tuba Bass

* only oboe, clarinet and bassoon are reed instruments. Oboe, bassoon use
double reeds.
* trombone has 2 versions. In a typical orchestra, there are 2 tenor trombones
and 1 bass trombone.
Percussion
 Pitched instruments
Xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, vibraphone, celesta, tubular bells,
timpani*
*2 timpani in a standard orchestra, tuned to different pitch
 Unpitched instruments
Triangle, tambourine, castanets, tam-tam (gong), the side drum, bass
drum
Non-orchestral instruments
These instruments are not found in a standard orchestra.
Family of instrument Type
String Harp
Piccolo (higher-pitched flute)
Cor anglais (lower-pitched oboe)
Woodwind* Bass clarinet
Double bassoon
saxophone
Brass cornet
* once again, they only piccolo doesn’t use reed.
Miscellaneous:
Piano is considered both a string and percussion instrument. It utilises strings
to make sound (check the back of a piano) but you need to knock the keys to
make sound.
Keyboard is kind of an electric piano
Guitar could be a string or percussion instrument, or both (it is not very easy
to be classified)

Performance directions for specific instruments


1. the strings
Con sordini (con sord.) – with mutes
Senza sordini (senza sord.) – without mute
Pizzicato (pizz.) – pluck the strings instead of using bow
arco – bow to be used again

“down” bow marking

“up” bow marking


Sul G – play on G string
Sul ponticello – play near the bridge

2. Piano
Una corda – press the left pedal
Tre corde – release the left pedal
press…release the right pedal
Mano sinistra (m.s.) – left hand
Mano destra (m.d.) – right hand

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