Musical Symbols & Terms

A Quiz

Topics

Notes and Symbols Tempo Markings Dynamic Markings Coda Terms and Symbols

Musical Symbols

The Staff

Treble Clef

Bass Clef

flat

Sharp

natural

Quarter Note

Half Note

Whole Note

Eighth Note

16th Note

Quarter Rest

Dotted Quarter Note

Dotted Half Note

Fermata = Hold

Cut time = 2/2

Dynamic Markings

Piano = Soft

Forte = Loud

Pianissimo = Very Soft

Fortissimo = Very Loud

mezzoforte = medium loud

mezzopiano = medium soft

Dim.

Diminuendo = get softer

Cresc.

Crescendo = get louder

Tempo Markings

adagio

slow

andante

Medium slow

moderato

Moderate tempo

allegro

fast

Maestoso

Majestically

Rit.

Ritardando = slow down

Accel.

Accelerando = get faster

A tempo

Return to original tempo

Rall.

Rallentando = get slower

Molto rit.

Slow down a lot

Piu mosso

Faster: “more motion”

Coda Terms and Symbols

Fine

The End

Segno = sign

Coda

The ending section (sometimes separate)

Coda sign (ending section)

D.C. al FineGo back to the beginning and play to the finish (Fine)

D.S. al FineGo back to the sign () and play to the end (fine).

D.S. al CodaGo back to the sign (), play to the Coda sign, jump to the Coda and play to the end.

D.C. al CodaGo back to the beginning, then play to the Coda sign, jump to the Coda and play to the end.