Glossary of Musical Terms
Accent /'aks(ə)nt/ (n)
an emphasis given to a syllable or note in speech or music; tone of voice;
stress
Adagio /ə'dɑː(d)ʒɪəʊ/ (adv, adj, n) [Ita]
slowly; musical passage performed or marked to be performed slowly
Allegretto /alɪ'grɛtəʊ/ (adv, adj, n) [Ita]
fairly quickly; musical passage performed or marked to be performed with
a moderately fast tempo
Allegro /ə'lɛgrəʊ/ (adv, adj, n) [Ita]
quickly; briskly; musical passage performed or marked to be performed
with a brisk or rapid tempo
Alto /'altəʊ/ (n) [Ita]
the highest adult male singing voice; lowest female voice; singer with an
alto voice; piece of music written for an alto voice
Amplify /'amplɪfʌɪ/ (v)
increase the volume of sound, especially using an amplifier
Andante /an'danteɪ/ (adv, adj, n) [Ita]
fairly slowly; musical passage performed or marked to be performed at a
moderately slow pace
Arco /'ɑːkəʊ/ (n, adj, adv) [Ita]
a bow for a stringed instrument; played on a violin or other stringed
instrument using the bow