| 21. | affannato, affannoso | anguished |
| 22. | affettuoso, affettuosamente, or affectueusement | with affect (that is, with emotion); see also con affetto |
| 23. | affrettando | hurrying, pressing onwards |
| 24. | agile | swiftly |
| 25. | agitato | agitated |
| 26. | al, alla | to the, in the manner of (al before masculine nouns, alla before feminine) |
| 27. | alla breve | in cut-time; two beats per measure or the equivalent thereof |
| 28. | alla marcia | in the style of a march |
| 29. | allargando | broadening, becoming a little slower each time |
| 30. | allegretto | a little lively, moderately fast |
| 31. | allegretto vivace | a moderately quick tempo |
| 32. | allegrissimo | very fast, though slower than presto |
| 33. | allegro | cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as lively, fast |
| 34. | als | than |
| 35. | alt (also alt dom or altered dominant) | a jazz term which instructs chord-playing musicians such as a jazz pianist or jazz guitarist to perform a dominant (V7) chord with altered upper extensions (e.g., sharp 11th, flat 13th, More… |
| 36. | altissimo | very high |
| 37. | alto | high; often refers to a particular range of voice, higher than a tenor but lower than a soprano |
| 38. | alzate sordini | lift or raise the mutes; i.e., remove mutes |
| 39. | am Steg | at the bridge; i.e., playing a bowed string instrument near its bridge, which produces a heavier, stronger tone (see sul ponticello in this list) |
| 40. | amabile | amiable, pleasant |
