| Term | Description |
|---|
| gaudioso | with joy |
| gentile | gently |
| geschwind (Ger) | quickly |
| getragen (Ger) | sustained |
| giocoso or gioioso | gaily |
| giusto | strictly, exactly, e.g. tempo giusto in strict time |
| glissando (simulated Italian) | a continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a true glissando), or an incidental scale executed while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando). See glissando for further information; and compare portamento in this list. |
| grandioso | grandly |
| grave | slowly and seriously |
| grazioso | gracefully |
| gustoso | with gusto |
| H (Ger) | B natural in German; B means B flat |
| Hauptstimme (Ger) | "head" voice, chief part; i.e., the contrapuntal line of primary importance, in opposition to Nebenstimme |
| hemiola (English) | the imposition of a pattern of rhythm or articulation other than that implied by the time signature; specifically, in triple time (for example in 3/4) the imposition of a duple pattern (as if the time signature were, for example, 2/4). See Syncopation. |
| immer (Ger) | always |
| imperioso | imperiously |
| impetuoso | impetuously |
| improvisando | with improvisation |
| improvisato | improvised, or as if improvised |
| in altissimo | in the highest; i.e., play or sing an octave higher |
| incalzando | getting faster and louder |
| insistendo | insistently, deliberate |
| in modo di | in the art of, in the style of |
| intimo | intimately |
| irato | angrily |
| kräftig (Ger) | strongly |
