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Musicians use a very special vocabulary when they are composing and performing music. In this section, you will be able to find many of the words which we use in our music classes. You can also find some words which your teacher may use in band, orchestra, chorus, or private music lessons.
A
accelerando growing gradually faster
accent stressed or marked; the note is a little louder than the notes around it
allegro lively, brisk, rapid
andante "walking" speed; indicates a moderately slow tempo
C
crescendo gradual increase in loudness
D
diminuendo gradual decrease in loudness
F
forte (f) loud, strong
fortissimo (ff) extremely loud
I
interval the distance between two notes
L
lento slowly
M
mezzo-forte (mf) medium loud
mezzo-piano (mp) medium soft
moderato medium tempo or speed
P
pianissimo (pp) very softly
piano (p) soft in sound
R
ritardando growing gradually slower
rondo a piece of music in which the "A" section alternates with the other sections
T
tempo the speed of the beat | 
