PAISIBLEMENT
(French) Peacefully; tranquilly.
PARLANDO
(Italian) In a clear, distinct manner; not smooth and connected.
PASSIONATO
(Italian) With passion and great feeling.
PASSIONNÉ
(French) With passion and great feeling.
PATETICO
(Italian) With great emotion; pathos.
PÉNÉTRANT
(French) Penetrating.
PERDENDOSI
(Italian) Dying away with a slight, gradual slowing of the tempo.
PEU
(French) A little.
PEU A PEU
(French) Little by little.
PESANTE
(Italian) Heavy; ponderous; with emphasis.
PETITE REPRISE
(French) Marks the return of a fragment of the original theme or the beginning of the piece.
PIACEVOLE
(Italian) In a pleasant, agreeable manner with a smooth delivery; free from any strong accents.
PIANISSIMO
(Italian) Abbreviated "pp." Very softly.
PIANO PIANISSIMO
(Italian) Abbreviated "ppp." As soft as possible.
PIANO
(Italian) Abbreviated "p." Softly.
PIANOFORTE
(Italian) Abbreviated "Pf." or "Pfte." Piano, the musical instrument.
PIÙ
(Italian) With.
PLÖTZLICH
(German) Sudden.
PLUS
(French) More
PLUS ANIMÉ
(French) More animated.
PLUS RETENU
(French) Hold back; slow down the tempo even more.
PLUS VITE
(French) Very fast in tempo.
POCO
(Italian) A little.
POCO A POCO
(Italian) Little by little.
POCO MENO
(Italian) A little slower than before.
POCO MENO MOSSO
(Italian) A little slower than before; with a little less motion.
POCO MOSSO
(Italian) Somewhat faster in tempo than before.
POMPOSO
(Italian) Perform with majesty and pomp; loftily.
PORT DE VOIX
(French) A baroque ornament performed on the beat taking its time value from the following note.
PORT DE VOIX DOUBLE
(French) A baroque ornament performed on the beat, taking its time value from the following note
and ending with a slide or fill to the next note.
PORTAMENTO
(Italian) Glide smoothly from one tone to the next.
PRALLTRILLER
(German) Also called a 'schneller', it is an 18th century ornament that begins on the principal note and not on the upper auxiliary, as a trill usually does. It begins on the beat and on the principal note and rapidly alternates with the note above.
PREMIER MOUVEMENT
(French) Return to the tempo of the beginning.
PRESSER
(French) Hurry forward; accelerate.
PRESQUE
(French) Nearly; almost.
PRESTISSIMO
(Italian) Very fast and rapid.
PRESTO
(Italian) Fast and rapid; faster than 'allegro' (fast and lively).
PRIMO
(Italian) First; beginning.
PRIMO TEMPO
(Italian) Return to the tempo at the beginning.
PROGRESSIVEMENT
(French) Progressively.