Music Notation and Score Markings

What the symbols mean

A violin part is covered in instructions. Some are obvious. Many are not, and most students learn them piecemeal over years, often incorrectly.

This is the largest section of our violin dictionary at 79 terms, covering everything printed in a part that is not a note.

Dynamics

How loud, and the markings that change it.

From quietest: **ppp, pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff**.

The essential point: dynamics are relative, not absolute. A pianissimo in a solo sonata is not the same volume as one in a symphony.

**Crescendo grows louder and decrescendo** grows quieter. Both are near-universally paced wrong, with students peaking far too early and then sitting at the new level.

**Sforzando** is a sudden forced accent, and its strength is relative to what surrounds it.

**Messa di voce** is a swell and fade on one note, and it is the ultimate test of bow control.

**fp is loud then immediately soft. Subito** means suddenly, and exists because players anticipate dynamic changes without realising it.

Articulation

How notes start, end and connect.

**Articulation** is the overview.

**Accent emphasises a note. Marcato emphasises it more strongly with weight. Tenuto holds it full length with gentle emphasis. Staccatissimo** is shorter than staccato.

**Slur connects notes in one bow. Tie** joins two notes of the same pitch into one longer sound. They look identical and mean entirely different things.

**Down-bow and up-bow** are the symbols telling you which direction the bow travels.

**Grace note** is a small ornamental note before the main one.

Tempo

How fast, and how it changes.

From slowest: **largo, adagio, andante, moderato, allegretto, allegro, vivace, presto, prestissimo, vivacissimo**.

These describe character as much as speed. Allegro means cheerful. Andante means walking. Playing the character matters more than hitting a metronome number.

**Ritardando and rallentando slow down. Accelerando speeds up. A tempo** returns to the previous speed.

**Rubato is expressive flexibility within a tempo, and tempo** covers how speed is indicated and chosen.

**Fermata** holds a note beyond its written value and suspends the pulse entirely.

Our free metronome and tempo finder are directly useful here.

Expression and character

Words telling you how the music should feel, and they usually matter more than the dynamic they accompany.

**Cantabile singing. Dolce sweetly. Espressivo expressively. Grazioso gracefully. Tranquillo calmly. Agitato agitated. Maestoso majestically. Con brio with vigour. Con fuoco with fire. Con moto** with motion.

Notes, rests and rhythm

**Note and rest** are the basics.

Note values: **whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note**.

**Dotted note adds half its value again. Triplet** fits three notes where two would go.

**Time signature tells you how beats are grouped. Measure and bar line** divide the music.

The staff, clefs and pitch

**Staff is the five lines. Ledger line extends beyond it. Grand staff** joins treble and bass.

**Clef sets which pitches the lines represent. Violin reads treble clef, and alto clef and bass clef** appear in scores and viola parts.

**Sharp, flat and natural alter pitch. Accidental covers them as a group. Key signature** sets which notes are altered throughout.

Our free note identification tool drills reading, and the circle of fifths makes key signatures make sense.

Navigation

Where to go next, and where students most often get lost.

**Da capo from the beginning. Dal segno from the sign. Coda is the closing section and al coda directs you to it. Fine marks the end. Volta brackets** are the first and second endings on a repeat.

Getting the road map wrong ruins an otherwise good performance, and it is entirely avoidable by reading it before playing.

How we teach reading

Reading is taught alongside playing from the first lessons and worked on continuously. We use the tools on this site for drilling, because reading fluency comes from volume rather than from explanation.

Soul Music Lessons teaches private and group violin and music theory lessons in Suwanee, Cumming, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Milton and across North Metro Atlanta, GA.

Book a no-commitment evaluation. Book here or call 470-789-2422.

Explore the rest of the dictionary

Music theory covers scales, harmony and structure.

Bowing techniques covers what the articulation marks ask for.

Performance and styles covers how markings are read differently by period.

Common questions

What is the difference between a slur and a tie?

They look identical. A tie joins two notes of the same pitch into one longer sound, so you play one note held across both values. A slur connects different pitches and, on a violin, means play them in one bow. If the two note heads are on the same line or space, it is a tie. If they differ, it is a slur.

Do I have to play the repeat?

Generally yes. Repeats are structural rather than decorative, particularly in Classical and Baroque music where the form depends on them. Some performers omit repeats in long works, which is a defensible interpretive choice rather than a default. If you are playing for an exam or audition, play them unless told otherwise.

How loud is forte actually?

Relative, not absolute. Forte means loud in the context of this piece with these forces. A forte in a solo Bach partita is a different volume from a forte in a Tchaikovsky symphony, and both are correct. Look at the full dynamic range the piece uses before deciding where forte sits, and leave room above it if the score goes to ff or fff later.

What does the dot above a note mean?

Staccato: shortened, with silence filling the remaining value. It does not tell you which bow stroke to use. At slower tempos an on-the-string stroke works; at faster tempos spiccato. How short depends on the style, the tempo and the character.

Why does my part have alto clef in it?

Occasionally violin parts include a passage in alto clef, though it is far more common in viola parts and in full scores. If you are reading from a score rather than a part, the viola line will be in alto clef throughout. Learning it is worth the effort for anyone who reads scores.

Back to the violin technique dictionary