Learn to Read Music - Common words and symbols used in music

Tempo and volume also play an important part in music. A song's tempo (how fast or slow it should be played) is many times written at the beginning in English or Italian. Below are the common terms in both languages:

English	Italian
Very slow	Lento; Largo
Slow	Adagio
Walking pace	Andante
Medium	Moderato
Fast	Allegro
Lively	Vivace
Very fast	Presto Molto Allegro

Common symbols which are used to show volume (how loud or soft a song should be played) are as follows:

Symbol

Italian

English

ppp

Pianississimo

As soft as possible

pp

Pianissimo

Very soft

P

Piano

Soft

mp

Mezzo-piano

Moderately soft

m

Mezzo

Medium

mf

Mezzo-forte

Moderately loud

f

Forte

Loud

ff

Fortissimo

Very loud

fff

Fortississimo

As loud as possible

pf

Piu forte

Louder

fp

Fortepiano

Quickly move from loud to soft

Crescendo

Gradually louder (this symbol will appear over several notes at once)

Diminuendo

Gradually softer (this symbol will appear over several notes at once)

Additional Symbols

More Great Music Reading Tutorials and Tips

Tutorial about Time Signature - In music, timing is everything. No matter how well you read music, you must be able to count and keep the beat.

How to Read Keyboard Music Notes - Reading music is one thing but playing it on a keyboard or piano is another.

Common Musical Words and Symbols, Music, Tutorial, Learn to Read Music, Lesson, Online, Free

Common Musical Words and Symbols