Quizlet Piano Theory Terms

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  1. A Major: F#, C#, and G#; relative to f# minor
  2. A tempo: return to original tempo
  3. Ab Major: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db; relative to f minor
  4. Accelerando: gradually faster
  5. Accent: play that note louder than others
  6. Accidentals: sharps, flats, or natural before notes not in the key signature
  7. Adagio: slowly
  8. Allegretto: a medium tempo between Andante and Allegro
  9. Allegro: fast; quick
  10. Andante: moderate walking tempo
  11. Andantino: slightly slower/ faster than Andante, though the latter is used more often
  12. Animato: animated; w/ spirit
  13. Appoggiatura: play first note half the value as the second
  14. Arpeggio: continuous broken chord
  15. Authentic cadence: (Cadence) A dominant/ V7 chord, followed by a tonic chord
  16. B Major: F#, C#, G#, D#, and A#; relative to g# minor
  17. Bb Major: Bb, Eb; relative to g minor
  18. C Major: no sharps/flats;relative to a minor
  19. C# Major: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, and B#; relative to a# minor
  20. Cantabile: in a singing style
  21. Cb Major: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb, Fb; relative to ab minor
  22. chromatic scale: a scale w/ thirteen notes, each a half-step away. write sharps on the ascent, and flats on the descent.
  23. Con Brio: w/ brilliance
  24. Con Moto: w/ motion
  25. Crescendo: gradually louder
  26. D Major: F# and C#; relative to b minor
  27. Damper Pedal: pedal located on right
  28. Db Major: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb; relative to bb minor
  29. Deceptive cadence: (Cadence) A dominant or subdominant chord, followed by a submediant chord
  30. Decrescendo: gradually softer
  31. Dolce: sweetly
  32. Doloroso: sorrowfully
  33. Dominant: V chord (in major)
  34. Double Flat: 2 flats before a note which lowers the note a whole step
  35. Double Sharp: the symbol x which raises the note a whole step
  36. E Major: F#, C#, G#, and D#; relative to c# minor
  37. Eb Major: Bb, Eb, Ab; relative to c minor
  38. Expressivo: expressively
  39. F Major: Bb; relative to d minor
  40. F# Major: F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#; relative to d# minor
  41. Fermata: hold note longer than its value
  42. Forte: loud (f)
  43. Forte-piano: loud followed by soft, immediately (fp)
  44. Fortissimo: very loud (ff)
  45. Fortississimo: very, very loud (fff)
  46. G Major: F#; relative to e minor
  47. Gb Major: Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb; relative to eb minor
  48. Half Cadence: Cadence ending w/ a dominant/V7 chord
  49. harmonic minor: minor sca;e in which the seventh note is raised a half-step
  50. Largo: very slow tempo (starting w/ la)
  51. Leading Tone: vii0 chord (in major)
  52. Leggiero: lightly
  53. Lento: slow tempo (starting w/ le)
  54. Marcato: stressed, marked
  55. Mediant: iii chord (in major)
  56. melodic minor: minor scale in which the sixth AND seventh notes are raised a half-step. However, the descent of the scale is natural
  57. Mezzo Forte: medium loud (mf)
  58. Mezzo Piano: medium soft (mp)
  59. Moderato: moderate, medium tempo
  60. Molto: much, very
  61. Mordent: ornament which written note, note below written note, then written note is played
  62. natural minor: the original minor scale
  63. Opus: used to indicate order in which a composer wrote works
  64. Ostinato: repeated pattern in music
  65. Parallel Major/ minor: major/ minor keys w/ same letter name
  66. Phrase: four measures long
  67. Pianissimo: very soft (pp)
  68. Pianississimo: very, very soft (ppp)
  69. Piano: soft (p)
  70. Plagal cadence: (Cadence) A subdominant chord, followed by a tonic chord
  71. Poco: little
  72. Presto: very fast tempo
  73. Rallentando: gradually slower (rall)
  74. Ritardando: gradually slower (rit)
  75. Robusto: boldly
  76. scale: eight notes, all a step apart, ending w/ the same lettered note
  77. Scherzando: playfully, jokingly
  78. Sforzando: sudden, sharp accent
  79. Simile: continue in the same style
  80. Sostenuto: sustained
  81. Spiritoso: spirited
  82. Subdominant: IV chord (in major)
  83. Subito: suddenly, @ once
  84. Submediant: vi chord (in major)
  85. Supertonic: ii chord (in major)
  86. Syncopation: contradiction of the original beat/ rhythm by varying the strong/ weak beats in the measure
  87. Tonic: I chord (in major)
  88. Tranquillo: peacefully, tranquilly
  89. Tre Corda: release the soft pedal
  90. Trill: ornament in which written note is alternating with the note above it
  91. Turn: (ornament) written note is played along w/ surrounding notes (i dunno if you got that)
  92. Una Corda: press the soft pedal
  93. upbeat: an incomplete measure that begins the piece
  94. V2: Third inversion of dom. seventh chord
  95. V4/3: Second inversion of dom. seventh chord
  96. V6/5: First inversion of dom. seventh chord
  97. V7: Root position of dom. seventh chord
  98. Vivace: lively, quick
  99. Vivo: brisk, lively