This page has just about every musical term out there. If there any terms that I missed or spelt wrong, feel free to suggest them in the comments section.
1. Words that refer to tempo
SLOW
grave - extremely slow and solemn
adagio - very slow
lento - slow
largo - slow and broad
larghetto - less slow than largo
MEDIUM
adante - rather slow, at a moderate, walking pace
andantino - this used to mean a little slower than andante, but now usually means a little faster than andante
moderato - moderate pace
allegretto - fairly quick, slightly slower than allegro
FAST
con moto -with movement, or a certain quickness
allegro - lively, rather quick
vivace - quick and lively
veloce - with velocity
rapido - rapid
presto - very quick
prestissimo - as quick as possible
OTHERS
tempo commodo - easily, without haste
tempo ordinario - at an ordinary speed
tempo giusto -in exact time
a tempo - in time, that is a return to the original pace after an increase or decrease in tempo
con rigore - in strict time
l'istesso tempo - at the same pace
2. Words that refer to variations in tempo
accelerando -gradually getting quicker
meno mosso - less movement, slower
ritardando (rit.) - gradually getting slower
rallentando (rall.) - gradually getting slower
tempo rubato - robbed time
doppio movimento - double the preceding speed
stringendo - pressing onwards, hurrying
ad libitum - at the performer's liberty
a piacere - at the performer's pleasure
ritenuto (riten.) - suddenly slower, held back
slargando - broadening
alla breve - make the half note as the unit, rather than the quarter-note
slentando - getting slower
tempo primo - returning to the original tempo
3. Words that refer to volume
pianissimo - very soft
piano - soft
mezzopiano - moderately soft
mezzoforte - moderately loud
forte - loud
fortissimo - very loud
4. Words that refer to variations in volume
crescendo (cresc.) - gradually louder
decrescendo ( decresc.) / diminuendo (dim.) - gradually softer
sforzando - strongly accented
forte-piano - loud, then immediately soft
rinforzando - strengthening the tone
5. Words that refer to variations in tempo and volume
morendo / perdendosi - dying away and becoming slower
smorzando - toning down to extinction
calando - gradually decreasing the time and tone
mancando - dying away
allargando - slower and broader
6. Common words that refer to style in playing
arpeggio - the notes of a chord played successively instead of simultaneously
brillante / con brio - with brilliance or vivacity
cantabile - in a singing style
dolce - sweetly
legato - smoothly
scherzando - playfully
staccato - detached
tenuto - held
vivace - lively
More words that refer to style
a capella - music written for choir, without an accompaniment
a capriccio - in a humourous manner
affectuoso - affecntionate, with tender warmth
agitato - excited
amabile - sweet, amiable, lovable
amoroso - loving
animato / con anima - with spirit
appassionato - impassioned
arioso - a short solo in the style of an air
con dolore - with sorrow
con forza - with force or strength
con fuoco - with fire
con giusto - with taste, fitting mood and tempo
con passione - with passion
con spirito - with spirit
deciso - with decision
delicato - delicately
dolente - doleful, sorrowful
expressivo - epressively
facilimente - easily, without strain
feroce - ferocious
furioso - furious
giocoso - gay, playful
grandioso - grandly
grazioso - graceful
impetuoso - in an energetic manner
lacrimoso - tearfully
lamentoso -in a mournful style
largamente - in a dignified manner
leggiero - light and graceful
lusingando - alluring, flattering
maestoso - majestically
marcato - emphasized
marziale - march-like
mesto - mournful, sad
misterioso - mysteriously
nobilimente - nobly
parlando / parlante - in a "speaking" style of performance
pateticamente - pathetically
pesante - heavy, weighing
piacevole - agreeable
piangevole - plaintively
placidamente - peacefully
pomposo - pompous
religioso - devotional in feeling
replica - repeat
risoluto - resolutely
secco - "dry," that is, staccato
semplice - simple
serioso - serious
soave - suave, gentle
solennemente - solemnly
sonore - sonorous
sostenuto - sustained
sotto voce - with a barely audible sound
strepitoso - noisy
teneramente - tenderly
tessitura - the average range of a vocal part
tranquillo - tranquil
vigoroso - vigourous
vivo - lively
7. Other miscellaneous Italian words
attacca - do not pause between movements
basso - bass
coda - a section of a composition which is added to the end, as a conclusion
con arco - played with the bow [for bowed instruments]
con sordino - played with a mute [for bowed instruments]
con sordini - played with the dampers [on the piano]
da capo - repeat from the beginning
dal segno - repeat from sign
duo -duet
fine - end, close
martellato - hammered stroke played with very short bows at the point [for bowed instruments]
obbligato - indispensible, must not be omitted
pizzicato - plucked with the fingers [for bowed instruments]
ponticello - the bridge of a stringed instrument
segue - go on with what follows
solo - alone
spiccato - a loose bouncing movement in the middle of the bow [for bowed instruments]
tacet - silence [used in orchestral parts]
tema - theme or subject
tre corde - an indication to stop using the soft pedal [for piano]
tremolo - rapid repition of a note, usually on a stringed instrument
tutti - for the whole orchestra, rather than a soloist [can also mean everybody plays]
una corda - soft pedal [for piano]
vibrato - a slight varying of pitch mostly done on a bowed instrument or voice [can be done on wind and other instruments as well]
volti subito - turn the page quickly
8. Words used in conjunction with other words
a - for, at , in, etc.
alla - in the style of
assai - very
ben / bene - well
col / colla - with the
con - with
dal - from the
e / ed - and
e poi - and then
il / la - the
ma - but
meno - less
mezzo - half
molto - much / very
non - not
ossia - or
piu - more
pochetto - very little
un poco - a little
poi - then
quasi - almost
sempre - always
senza - without
simile - like
subito - suddenly
sul - on / near
tanto - so much
tosto - rather
troppo - too much
All terms and definitions courtesy of Elementary Rudiments of Music by Barbara Wharram
(C) Copyright 1969 by the Frederick Harris Music Co. Limited
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