improvisato – as if improvised
incalzando – getting faster and louder
K
kräftig (Ger) – strongly
L
lacrimoso – tearfully
lamentoso – mournfully
langsam (Ger) – slowly
largamente – slowly
larghetto – somewhat slowly
largo – slowly
lebhaft (Ger) - briskly
legato – joined smoothly
leggier – lightly , delicately
lento – slowly
liberamente – freely
l’istesso – same (tempo, articulation)
loco – cancels an 8va direction
lugubre – mournful
M
ma – but
ma non troppo – but not too much
maestoso – majestically
main droite (m.d.) (Fr) – right hand
main gauche (m.s) (Fr) – left hand
mano destra (m.d) – right hand
mano sinistra (m.s.) – left hand
marcato – accented
marcia – march (alla marcia – in the manner of a march)
martellato – hammered out
marziale – in the march style
mässig (Ger) - moderately
melisma – changing the note of a syllable while it is being sung
measure – a complete cycle of the time signature (= bar)
meno – less (meno mosso – more slowly)
mesto – mournful, sad
metre – pattern of rhythm of strong and weak beats
mezza voce – with moderated volume
mezzo forte - moderately loudly
mezzo piano – moderately softly