Qualifiers: music symbols explained

45 symbols and terms, each explained in a sentence or two — the same dictionary the free Artform score reader uses when you tap a marking on a real score.

sempre

Always. Whatever it attaches to continues, rather than fading after a bar.

poco a poco

Little by little. The change is gradual and should not arrive early.

pocopoco

A little. It softens whatever word it stands in front of: poco rit. is a slight easing, not a broadening.

subito

Suddenly. The change happens at once, with no approach to it.

molto

Very, or much.

ma non troppo

But not too much. A warning against overdoing the word it follows.

simile

Carry on in the same manner, without the marking being reprinted.

En dehors

Bring it out. Whichever line this marks should sit above the rest.

Peu à peu

Little by little, gradually.

sansSans

Without. Usually a warning: sans lenteur means without dragging.

tresTrès

Very.

Assai

Very. Allegro assai is very fast, not fairly fast, which is the trap the English cognate sets.

Ad libitum

At your liberty. The passage is yours to time, or the part is optional.

A piacere

At your pleasure. Play it freely, without the pulse holding you to account.

Senza tempo

Without a measured speed. The bar lines stop being a clock and become punctuation.

piuPiù

More. Più forte is louder than what you are doing, not loud in the abstract.

menoMeno

Less. Meno mosso is less motion, so slower.

Quasi

As if, almost. Quasi una fantasia: in the manner of a fantasy without being one.

conCon

With. The hinge of half the vocabulary: con moto, con brio, con sordina.

Senza

Without. Senza pedale, senza rallentando: usually a warning against a habit.

Un poco

A little. Softens whatever follows it.

Mezzo

Half. Mezzo forte is half loud, mezza voce is half voice.

Mezza voce

At half voice. Held back in tone rather than simply quiet.

maMa

But. Allegro ma non troppo: fast, but not too much so.

nonNon

Not. Almost always guarding against overdoing the word beside it.

poiPoi

Then. Poi a poco is little by little, and poi la coda sends you on.

Sempre più

Always more, and keep going. A change that has no arrival written into it.

Tutti

Everybody. In a score, all the players; in a piano reduction, the full sound of the orchestra.

soloSolo

Alone. This line is exposed and everything else is beneath it.

Divisi

Divided. One printed line, played as two parts rather than as double stops.

Assez

Fairly, rather. Assez vif: fairly lively.

Un peu

A little.

plusPlus

More.

Moins

Less.

Presque

Almost. Presque rien: almost nothing at all.

avecAvec

With. Avec charme, avec émotion: the hinge of Debussy's instructions.

Toujours

Always. The French sempre.

egalÉgal

Even. Nothing favoured, nothing rushed.

sehrSehr

Very.

Wenig

Little. Ein wenig: a little.

Etwas

Somewhat, rather.

Immer

Always. The German sempre.

Nicht

Not. Nicht schleppen: do not drag.

mitMit

With. Mit Ausdruck: with expression.

ohneOhne

Without.

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