| A, À | (Italian, French) by, for, in, to, with, in the manner of |
| A | abbreviation for alto |
| A battuta | (Italian) with the beat |
| A cappella | (Italian) vocal but without accompaniment |
| À demi-jeu | (French) with half the power or strength |
| À demi-voix | (French) with half the power of the voice |
| À deux, A due | (French, Italian) for two performers or two instruments |
| À Deux Cordes | (French) playing on two strings |
| A due corde | (Italian) playing on two strings |
| À la, À l' | (French) to the, at the, on the, with the, in the manner of |
| Á la corde | (French) with the bow kept on the string, i.e. playing legato |
| À la pointe d'archet | (French) at the tip (or point) of the bow |
| À mains | (French) with two hands |
| À peine (Fr.), Appena (It.) | hardly, barely |
| A punta d'arco | (Italian) at the tip (or point) of the bow |
| A suo beneplacito, A suo benplacimento | (Italian) as you please, at will, ad libitum |
| A tempo | (Italian) the original speed |
| Ab | (German) off |
| Abandonné, Abbandono | (French, Italian) negligent, free-and-easy |
| Abbassare | (Italian) 'to lower', in the sense of 'to tune a string down' |
| Abbellimenti | (Italian) embellishments, ornaments |
| Abbellire | (Italian) to ornament |
| Abdämpfen | (German) to dampen, to mute |
| Abend, Abendlied | (German) evening, evening song |
| Aber | (German) but |
| Abgestossen, Ablösen, Abstossen, Absetzen | (German) to play notes detached, to play staccato |
| Ab initio | (Latin) from the beginning |
| Abnehmend | (German) diminuendo, to soften gradually |
| Abruzzese | a song or dance from the Abruzzi district of eastern Rome |
| Absolute Music | music with no programatic content or narrative - for example, a Bach fugue |
| Absolute Pitch | a strong conscious or unconscious memory of musical pitch |
| Abwechseln, Abzuwechseln | (German) to change one's instrument |
| Accarezzevole, Accarezzevolmente | (Italian) caressing, caressingly |
| Accelerando, Accelerato | (Italian) accelerating, accelerated, getting steadily faster |
| Accento, Accentato | (Italian) accent, accented |
| Accentué | (French) accented |
| Acciaccato | (Italian) a spread chord, played from top to bottom |
| Acciaccatura | (Italian) 'crushed' note, grace note |
| Accidental | sign for raising (using a sharp) or lowering (using a flat) the pitch of a note or of cancelling (using a natural) a previously applied sign (note: the signs in a key signature are not accidentals) |
| Accompagnato | (Italian) accompanied |
| Accoppiare, Accoppiamento (noun form) | (Italian) coupled (ref. organ stops) |
| Accord | (French) chord, tuning |
| Accordare | (Italian) to tune |
| Accordato, Accordati, Accordata, Accordate | (Italian, various forms) tuned |
| Accordatura | (Italian) tuning |
| Accorder, Accordé | (French) to tune, tuned |
| Accordo | (Italian) chord |
| Accoupler | (French) coupled (ref. organ stops) |
| Accusé, Accuseée | (French) emphasised |
| Acht | (German) eight, care |
| Achtel, Achtelnote | (German) eighth, eigth-note, quaver |
| Achtelpause | (German) quaver rest |
| Achtstimmung | (German) in eight parts or voices |
| Acoustics | properly a branch of physics and sensory physiology, associated with the study and understanding of the production, transmission and sensation of tone |
| Action | a generic term for the mechanism of various keyboard instruments |
| Action Notation | a musical notation which gives mechanical directions to a musical performer but without giving any indication of the resulting sound - for example, John Cage's 4' 33" |
| Adagissimo, Adagietto, Adagio | (Italian) slow, although adagietto is generally less slower than adagio which is less slow than adagissimo |
| Addolcendo | (Italian) becoming sweet or soft |
| Addolorato | (Italian) in a mournful manner |
| Adel | (German) nobility |
| Adirato | (Italian) angered, irate |
| Ad libitum, Ad. lib. | (Latin) at will, at pleasure, as you wish it |
| Aehnlich, Ähnlich | (German) anxious |
| Aeolian Harp | a box across which lie strings of various thicknesses, stretched and tuned in unison, which when placed in a window and the strings are excited by the wind, emits chords of harmonics |
| Aeusserst, Äusserst | (German) extremely |
| Affabile | (Italian) in a gentle pleasant manner |
| Affaiblissant | (French) diminuendo, a steady softening |
| Affannato | (Italian) in a distressful manner |
| Affannoso, Affannosamente | (Italian) distressed, distressingly |
| Affection |
a persistent emotional state of mind, such as wonder, fear, joy, rage |
| Affekt, Affektvoll | (German) fervour, full of fervour |
| Affetto | (Italian) affection |
| Affetuoso, Affetuosa | (Italian) with tenderness |
| Affettuosamente | (Italian) affectionately |
| Affezione | (Italian) affection |
| Afflitto | (Italian) afflicted, sad, melancholy |
| Afflizione | (Italian) affliction |
| Affrettare | (Italian) to hurry |
| Affrettando | (Italian) hurrying |
| Affrettato, Affrettoso, Affrettuoso | (Italian) hurried |
| Affrettatamente | (Italian) in a hurrying manner |
| Agevole | (Italian) lightly and easily, unlaboured |
| Agevolezza | (Italian) ease |
| Aggiustamente, Aggiustatamente | (Italian) rhythmically exact |
| Aggradevole | (Italian) agreeable |
| Agiatamente | (Italian) free or comfortable tempo |
| Agilement (Fr.), Agilmente (It.) | in an agile manner |
| Agilité (Fr.), Agilità (It.) | in an agile and nimble fashion |
| Agitato, agiatatamente | (Italian) agitated, agitatedly |
| Agité | (French) agitated, agitatedly |
| Agitirt, Agitiert | (German) agitated, agitatedly |
| Agitazione, Agitamento | (Italian) agitation |
| Agogic | the slight variations of rhythmic strength, tempo, accent and volume derived from the nature of a particular musical phrase in contrast to the regular pulse set by the time signature |
| Agrémens, Agréments | (French: "charm") ornaments, grace notes, acciaccatura |
| Agreste | (French) rural |
| Ähnlich, Aehnlich | (German) similar, like |
| Ai | (Italian) at the, to the |
| Aigu, Aiguë | (French) shrill, high pitch |
| Air | Tune, tuneful song, art song accompanied by the lute of viola da gamba
|
| Air de cour | (French, "court song") monodic song or chanson often with a simple lute accompaniment |
| Ais | (German) the note 'A sharp' |
| Aise | (French) ease |
| Aisis | (German) the note 'A double sharp' |
| Ajouter | (French) to add |
| Akkord | (German) chord |
| Akkordieren | (German) to tune |
| Al | (Italian) at the, to the, in the |
| Alalà | (Spanish) a type of Spanish folk-song |
| Alberti Bass | a simple accompaniment consisting of broken chords, usually "tonic, dominant, mediant, dominant" in succession, named after the Italian composer Domenico Alberti |
| Alborada | (Spanish) morning music, particular of a rough pastoral form |
| Alcuno, Alcuna, Alcun' | (Italian) some |
| Aleatory | (Latin alea "dice") a compositional technique where the choice of pitch, rhythmic value and order of events is left to chance; not to be confused with "indeterminacy" or "improvisation" |
| All', Alla | (Italian) to the, at the, on the, with the, in the manner of |
| Allant | (French) going on, continuing to get |
| Allargando | (Italian) getting slower and slower, with a fuller tone |
| Alle | (German) all; (Italian) to the |
| Allegramente (It.), Allègrement (Fr.) | brightly, gaily |
| Allegretto | (Italian) lively but less so than allegro |
| Allegro | (Italian) quick, lively, bright |
| Allein | (German) alone, single |
| Allemand, Allemande, Almand, Almain, Almayne | a dance of German origin with 4 moderate beats to the bar, although sometimes written as two longer beats in a bar, often the first movement in a suite of dances |
| Allentamento, Allentando | (Italian) slowing |
| Allmählich, Allmählig, Allmälig | (German) gradually |
| Allonger | (French) to lengthen the notes, to slow the tempo |
| Allora | (Italian) then |
| Allure | (French) manner |
| Alphorn, Alpenhorn, Cor des Alpes | a Swiss peasant instrument made of wood (often birch) two to three metres in length with a cornet mouthpiece that plays notes of the harmonic series |
| Als | (German) as, like, when, than |
| Al segno, Dal segno | (Italian) go back to the sign, or go on to the sign |
| Also | (German) thus |
| Alt, Alta (It.), Altissimo (It.) | high, highest (pertaining to range) |
| Altgeige | (German) viola |
| Altiste | viola player, alto singer |
| Alto | highest male voice, a male falsetto |
| Altposaune | (German) alto trombone |
| Altra, Altre, Altro, Altri | (Italian) another, others |
| Altra volta | (Italian) encore, play it again |
| Alzato, Alzati, Alzata, Alzate | (Italian) raised, lifted off, unmuted |
| Am | (German) at the, on the, to the, by the, near the |
| Amabile | (Italian) lovable |
| Amabilità | (Italian) lovableness |
| Amarevole, Amarezza | (Italian) bitterly, bitterness |
| Ambiance, ambience | sounds in the background arising from the environment |
| Ambit | (Latin ambitus) pitch range of a mode or plainchant |
| Amboss | (German) anvil |
| Âme (Fr.), Anima (It.) | the sound post of a stringed instrument, literally 'the soul' |
| Amen | (Hebrew) so be it |
| Ametric | without a time signature or meter as in Gregorian chant
|
| Amore | (Italian) love |
| Amorevole, Amorevolmente, Amoroso, Amorosamente | (Italian) loving, lovingly |
| Amour | (French) love |
| Ampleur | (French) breadth |
| An | (German) on, by, to, at |
| Anacrusis, Anacruses (plural) | unstressed syllable(s) at the beginning of a phrase |
| Anblasen | (German) to blow |
| Anche (Fr.), Ancia (It.) | reed |
| Ancora | (Italian) still, yet |
| Andacht, Andächtig | (German) devotion, devotional |
| Andaluz (Sp.), Andaluza (Sp.), Andalouse (Fr.) | various dances of Spanish origin |
| Andamento | (Italian) going, of a running character |
| Andante | (Italian) moving along, flowing, at a walking pace |
| Andantino | (Italian) some use this word to mean slower than andante, other mean quicker than andante - should therefore be avoided |
| Andauernd | (German) lasting, continuing |
| Ander, Andere | (German) other |
| Anfang, Anfangs | (German) beginning, at the beginning |
| Angemessen | (German) suitable to |
| Angenehm | (German) agreeable |
| Anglais, Anglaise | (French) English |
| Angore | (Italian) pain, anxious wish |
| Angoscia | (Italian) anguish |
| Angoscioso, Angosciosamente | (Italian) with anguished feeling |
| Angriefen | (German) to seize, to attack |
| Angst | (German) anguish, anxiety |
| Ängstlich | (German) anxious, uneasy |
| Anhalten | (German) to hold on |
| Anhang | (German) a supplement, coda |
| Animando, Animandosi, Animato | (Italian) animating, become animated, animated |
| Animé | (French) animated |
| Animo, Animoso, Animosamente (adverb form) | (Italian) spirit, spirited |
| Anmut, Anmuth, Anmutig | (German) grace, graceful |
| Anreissen | very strong pizzicato |
| Anschlag | (German) touch, attack, appoggiatura before a principal note |
| Anschmiegend | (German) compliant, yielding |
| Anschwellend | (German) crescendo, gradually getting louder |
| Ansia | (Italian) anxiety |
| Anstatt | (German) instead of |
| Anstimmen | (German) to tune |
| Anstrich | (German) bow stroke |
| Anthem | motet-like work generally on an English text; verse anthem: for solo voice, choir and instrumental accompaniment; full anthem: for chorus without soloists |
| Antico, Antica, Antichi, Antiche | (Italian) ancient, antique |
| Antiphonal | a musical form where one section of performers answers another |
| Anwachsend | (German) swelling in tone |
| Anzublasen | (German) to be blown |
| Apaisé | (French) more peacefully |
| À peine (Fr.), Appena (It.) | hardly, barely |
| Aperto | (Italian) clear, disctinct, broad style |
| Appassionato, Appassionata | (Italian) impassioned |
| Appassionatamente | (Italian) passionately |
| Appassionamento | (Italian) passion |
| Appenato | (Italian) as if distressed |
| Appggiando, Appoggiato | (Italian) portamento, legato, 'playing smoothly', stressed |
| Appoggiatura | (Italian) a note preparatory to another or to a chord acting as an unprepared suspension |
| Appuyé, Appuyée | (French) emphasised |
| Aprés | (French) after |
| Aquarelle | (French) delicately textured, literally 'water-colour' |
| Arabesque (Fr., Eng.), Arabeske (Ger.) | florid figure or composition, literally 'Arabic decoration' |
| Arada | (Spanish) a folk song associated with ploughing |
| Aragonesa (Sp.), Aragonaise (Fr.) | a dance associated with Aragon in Spain |
| Arcata, Arcato | (Italian) bow stroke, bowed |
| Archet (Fr.), Arco (It.) | bow, 'string' as in 'a single stringed instrument' |
| Archi | (Italian) bows, 'strings' as in 'a group of stringed instruments' |
| Archlute | a large double-necked theorbo (lute) |
| Ardemment | (French) ardently |
| Ardente | (Italian) ardent |
| Ardito, Arditamente (adverb form) | (Italian) bold, boldly |
| Ardore | (Italian) ardour |
| Arietta | (Italian) a short simple aria |
| Arioso | abbreviation for recitativo arioso, a melodious recitative, a short air; also a free lyric passage not formally organised as an aria |
| Arlecchiesco | (Italian) in Harlequinade spirit |
| Armonia, Armonica | (Italian) harmony, 'wind-band' |
| Armonioso, Armoniosamente | (Italian) harmonious, harmoniously |
| Arpa | (Italian) harp |
| Arpège (Fr.), Arpeggio (It.), Arpeggi (It. plural) | spread chord played from the top down or from the bottom up |
| Arpeggiare, Arpeggiando, Arpeggiato | (Italian) to arpeggiate successive chords |
| Arpicordo | older Italian name for the harpsichord |
| Arraché | (French) strong pizzicato, strongly plucked |
| Ars Nova, Ars Antiqua | terms originating from the 14th century referring to the older Paris style (Ars Antiqua) and the newer, freer Florentine school (Ars Nova), the latter flowering fully in the Italian madrigal of the following centuries |
| Articolato (It.), Articulé (Fr.), Artikuliert (Ger.) | well articulated |
| Articolazione | (Italian) articulation |
| Artig | (German) well behaved, agreeable |
| As | (German) the note 'A flat' |
| Asas, Ases | (German) the note 'A double flat' |
| Aspiratamente | (Italian) aspiringly |
| Aspro, Aspra | (Italian) rough, harsh |
| Assai | (Italian) very, extremely |
| Assez | (French) enough, fairly |
| Assieme | (Italian) together |
| A suo beneplacito, A suo benplacimento | (Italian) as you please, at will, ad libitum |
| Atempause | (German) a small pause on a weak beat used to strengthen the following strong beat |
| Atonal, Atonality | music that avoids a key center but is not constructed on serial principles |
| Attacca | (Italian) at once, attack, immediately |
| Attacco | short motif used in imitation or as a fugal subject |
| Attaque | (French) attack |
| Au | (French) to the, at the |
| Aubade | early morning music, music for dawn |
| Auch | (German) also, but |
| Audace | (French) audacity, (Italian) audacious |
| Au dessous | (French) beneath, less than |
| Auf | (German) on |
| Aufführen | (German) to perform |
| Aufführung | (German) performance |
| Aufführungsrecht | (German) performing right |
| Aufgeregt | (German) excited |
| Aufgeweckt | (German) lively |
| Aufhalten | (German) to retard |
| Auflage | (German) edition |
| Auflösen | (German) to resolve a discord, to reset the tuning of a string that has been tuned sharp, to loosen, to release |
| Auflösung, Auflösungszeichen | (German) natual sign |
| Aufschlag | (German) up-beat |
| Aufschnitt | (German) an omitted portion, a 'cut' |
| Aufschwung | (German) uplifted |
| Aufstrich | (German) up-stroke (of a bow) |
| Auftakt | (German) up-beat |
| Aufzug | (German) act (of an opera of play) |
| Augmentation | the lengthening of note values when recapitulating a fugal theme adding to it's dignity and weight |
| Aura | (Italian) Jew's harp |
| Aurresku | Basque folk dance |
| Aus | (German) out of, from |
| Ausdruck | (German) expression |
| Ausdrucksvoll | (German) expressively |
| Ausfüllgeiger | (German) a ripieno violinist who fills out the tone of the string line |
| Ausgabe | (German) edition |
| Ausgehalten | (German) sustained, held on |
| Aushalten | (German) to sustain, to hold on |
| Ausschlagen | (German) to beat time |
| Ausser | (German) in addition to, out of, outer |
| Äusserst | (German) extremely |
| Aussi | (French) also, as, therefore |
| Auszug | (German) extract, arrangement |
| Autoharp | a type of zither played with fingers or a plectrum, with keys to produce chords |
| Autre, autres | (French) other, others |
| Auxiliary Note | a variety of passing note that returns back to the note immediately before it |
| Avant (Fr.), Avanti (It.), Avante (It.) | before, preceding, forward |
| Avec | (French) with |
| Azione | (Italian) action, drama |
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