Expressive Guitar Playing - Tapping Your Student's Inner Artist, Part 1, Dynamics

Expressive Guitar Playing - Music terms / vocabulary

These musical terms indicate directions and reveal the emotional intent in compositions

Does your playing sound "flat" or "dull" compared to your guitar heroes? Maybe they're using the "parameters of music expression" such a volume and speed and tone for emotional power. You can, too, by looking into what is already being called for. See my "Expression" page for an introduction to the main expression controls on your instrument. The read on here for so many, many moods.

A Glossary of Italian Musical Terms

Compiled by the graduate students of Dr. Charlene Archibeque

at San Jose State University, revised January 1976.

Daniel Roest (pronounced “roost”) started playing the guitar at the age of seven and never stopped. Today he has performed in countless solo and ensemble events in nearly every kind of venue. His Great Guitars! 2004 CD has received only 5-star reviews. His concerts are praised for being entertaining and informative. For ten years he served as President and Artistic Director of the South Bay Guitar Society based in San Jose, CA. He prepared many successful grant applications for SBGS. He is recognized for supporting gifted guitarists such as Laurence Juber, Peppino D’Agostino, Muriel Anderson, Jeff Linsky, Franco Morone, Michael Chapdelaine, Richard Gilewitz, Chris Proctor, Sharon Isbin, Carlos Barbosa-Lima and many others. Roest earned three degrees in music performance and participated in dozens of masterclasses, including many he produced. He taught guitar and music fundamentals at California State University Stanislaus and De Anza, Foothill and San Jose City Colleges and now maintains a full-time teaching studio in Folsom, CA. He has adjudicated several multi-instrument competitions, presented music clinics and introduced many new audiences to the art of the classical guitar. Previous columns for Guitar Sessions are “So You Want To Make a Living with the Guitar,” Parts 1, 2 and 3, July-September 2007.

Agitato: agitated, excited

Anima: animated

Appassionato: passionately

Appenato: distressed

Barbaro: savage

Bravura: music of unusual brilliance, power

Brioso: with vigor and spirit

Calmo: very tranquil

Cantabile: singing; in a singing style

Con brio: with fire and dash

Con durezza: sternly, harshly

Con intusiasmo: with enthusiasm

Con forza: with force

Con moto: with motion

Con nobilezza: nobly

Con ritmo: with rhythm

Con tristezza: with sadness, heaviness

Da lontano: from a distance

Dolcissimmo: very sweetly

Dolentemente: dolefully, plaintively

Dominate: dominating

Ernergico: energetic

Espressivo: expressively

Estremamente piano: extremely soft

Ferose: fierce

Fortepiano: loud immediately followed by soft

Freddo: cold, indifferent

Frizzante: biting, sharp

Grave: heavy, slow, ponderous

Giocoso: joyfully, playfully

Lamentoso: in a lamenting style

Legato: connected; smoothly

Leggieramente: lightly

Liberamente: freely

Lirico: lyrical

L’istesso: the same

Lusingando: soft, tender manner; flirtingly

Maestoso: majestically

Molto piu tranquillo: very calm; much more calmly

Molto vibrato: heavy vibrato (pitch wavering)

Morbidezza: with tenderness, softly

Morendo: dying away

Mormorando: murmuring

Mosso: moved, rapid

Movendo pochissimo: moving very little

Perdendose: losing itself in the distance

Pesante: heavy, ponderous, with importance and weight

Piangente: weeping

Piu mosso: more motion; agitated

Ponderoso: ponderous

Quasi niente: almost nothing

Rallantando: gradually slowing

Rapidamente: rapidly

Secco: dry, very short, no after-ring

Solemne: solemn

Sonora ma dolce: sonorous but sweet

Sostenuto: sustaining, the tone

Sotto voce: softly (under the voice)

Spiritoso: in a spirited manner

Subito: suddenly

Sul ponticello: on or near the bridge

Sussurando: whispering

Tanto: so

Tranquillo e comodo: calm and easy