Free musical terms guide and quiz

Sheet music is full of Italian words and short signs that tell you how fast, how loud and in what style to play. This free tool explains the most common ones in plain English and lets you test yourself until they stick.

What you can learn here

The guide covers tempo markings such as Largo, Andante and Allegro, changes of speed such as accelerando and ritardando, dynamics from pianissimo to fortissimo, articulation such as staccato and legato, words for mood and character such as dolce and maestoso, repeat signs such as da capo and dal segno, playing techniques such as pizzicato and tutti, and the small words that change a meaning, such as molto, poco and sempre.

Hear the tempo

Every tempo term has a Hear it button that plays a short count at a typical speed, so you can feel the difference between Adagio, Andante and Allegro. Different books use slightly different ranges, so treat the numbers as a guide.

Quiz yourself

Choose the groups of terms you want, pick Guess the meaning, Guess the term or Mixed, and answer 10, 20 or 30 questions. You see the right answer straight away, and the terms you miss are saved so you can practise them again.

For teachers

Choose the terms and the quiz type, add your name, a goal score and a short message, and create a link. Your students open it with your settings in place, with nothing to install and no sign-up. Send it on WhatsApp or by email, then ask them to copy their result and send it back.

Made by Aurzart Music Academy in Bengaluru.