The ABRSM Grade 5 exam requires pupils to learn a lot of performance directions. The Grade 5 Music Theory performance directions list is super long because it adds together all the terms from Grade 1-4 and then new Italian and German musical terms specific to Grade 5.
Whenever I am teaching my own students I recommend practising directions little and often. To do this it helps to break down the the words into manageable chunks, such as by type or language. There are a lot of words so learn, so take your time!
Want to know what else you need to know to ace your exam? Have a look at our complete guide to ABRSM Grade 5 Theory.
Performance Direction Quiz
To help you practice we have a performance directions for each of grades 1-5. The questions are always different so you can take them as many times as you like. Check the Grade 5 Quiz below.
Below is an alphabetical list of all the Grade 5 Music Theory Performance Directions you need to know.
Grade 5 Italian Terms
| Alla misura | in strict time |
| Attacca | go straight on to next section |
| Dolente | sad, mournful |
| Dolore | grief |
| Doloroso | sorrowful |
| Doppio movimento | twice as fast |
| Estinto | as soft as possible, lifeless |
| Incalzando | getting quicker |
| Lacrimoso | sad |
| Loco | at a normal pitch |
| Lunga | long |
| Lunga pausa | long pause |
| Lusingando | sweet and persuasive |
| Misura | measure (bar) |
| Ossia | or, alternatively |
| Piacevole | pleasant |
| Piangevole | plaintive, in the style of a lament |
| Pochettino, poch | rather little |
| Rinforzando, rf, rfz | reinforcing |
| Segue | go straight on |
| Senza misura | in free time |
| Smorzando, smorz. | dying away in tone and speed |
| Teneramente, tenerezza | tenderly, tenderness |
| Tosto | swift, rapid |
| Volante | flying, fast |
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Grade 5 German Terms
| Aber | but |
| Ausdruck | expression |
| bewegt | with movement, agitated |
| breit | broad, expansive |
| Ein | a, one |
| Einfach | simple |
| Etwas | somewhat, rather |
| Fröhlich | cheerful, joyful |
| Immer | always |
| Langsam | slow |
| Lebhaft | lively |
| Mässig | at a moderate speed |
| Mit | with |
| Nicht | not |
| Ohne | without |
| Ruhig | peaceful |
| Schnell | fast |
| Sehr | very |
| Süss | sweet |
| Traurig | sad |
| Und | and |
| Voll | full |
| Wenig | little |
| Wieder | again |
| Zart | tender, delicate |
| Zu | to, too |
What about Grades 1-4?
Remember that as part of Grade 5 you can be tested on all of the performance directions from grades 1-4.
Ways to Memorise Performance Directions
- Use our free quizzes to practise all the grade 1 to 5 terms.
- Focus on performance directions in your exam pieces and in your instrument lessons.
- Use flashcards to remember specific terms.
Try a Grade 5 Exam
Ready for the real thing? Why not try our free Grade 5 Theory sample paper.
