Romanticism:  The period c. 1825-1900.

Root:  The note upon which a triad or chord is built.

Root position:  The arrangement of a chord in which the root is in the lowest voice.

Round:  Like the canon, a song in which two or more parts having the same melody, starting at different points. The parts may be repeated as desired.

Rubato:  The term used to denote flexibility of tempo to assist in achieving expressiveness.

Rudiments:  On drums, the basic sticking patterns.

Ruhig:  Quiet.

Run:  A rapid scale passage.

Rustico:  Pastoral, rustic, rural.

Poco piu mosso:  A little more motion.

Poi:  Then or afterwards, e.g. poi No. 3, then No. 3.

Postlude:  "Play after." The final piece in a multi-movement work. Organ piece played at the end of a church service.

Prelude:  "Play before." An introductory movement or piece.

Premiere:  First performance.

Prestissimo:  Very Very Fast

Prestissimo:  Very, very fast. The fastest tempo.

Presto:  Very Fast

Presto:  Very quick.

Primo:  First.

Principal:  Instrumental section leader.

Prologue:  An introductory piece that presents the background for an opera.

Sans:  Without.

Scale:  A succession of tones. The scale generally used in Western music is the diatonic scale, consisting of whole and half steps in a specific order.

Scherzo:  "Joke." A piece in a lively tempo. A movement of a symphony, sonata, or quartet in quick triple time, replacing the minuet.

Schnell:  Fast.