Grade 2: Terms and Signs Practice

Translate the marking into an action for the player

Molto intensifies another instruction: it means “very” or “much.” Dolce asks for a sweet, gentle manner. Allegretto is a fairly quick tempo, but usually less quick than Allegro. These words describe different aspects of performance.

Dal segno means go back to the sign and continue from there. Dots under a slur indicate portato: play the notes slightly separated, rather than sharply detached as in ordinary staccato.

How to work it out

1. Identify whether the marking controls tempo, character, articulation or the route through the score.
2. Translate it into a specific action, then compare that action with each answer choice.

Worked example

A passage is marked dolce with dots under a slur. How should it be approached?

Play with a sweet character and a gentle separation between the slurred notes. Neither mark by itself calls for a faster tempo.

Watch for this mistake

A return sign changes where you play next, not how loud or fast the notes should be.