What does m.s. stand for?
| Full form | Mano Sinistra |
|---|---|
| Category | Arts & entertainment |
| Type | Initialism |
The initialism m.s. stands for Mano Sinistra, Italian for left hand, in keyboard-music directions. Trinity College London’s terms sheet equates M.S. with L.H.
A hand direction answers which hand plays a passage. It does not by itself specify tempo, loudness or a numbered fingering. Staff position and hand assignment are different kinds of notation, so preserve an explicit hand marking rather than assuming the lower staff always supplies the answer. Manuscript is another MS meaning in a music-library catalogue; a score direction and an archive label have different roles.
Meaning in context
- Mano
- Italian for hand in this direction.
- Sinistra
- Italian for left; M.S. corresponds to the left-hand direction L.H.
Practical examples
Separate hand and tempo
- Before
m.s. means play the passage more slowly.
- After
m.s. identifies the left hand; a tempo instruction is separate.
The marking supplies hand assignment, not speed.
Read the document role
- Before
MS in an archive shelfmark must be a left-hand performance instruction.
- After
A catalogue may use MS for manuscript; a score direction may use m.s. for mano sinistra.
Document role distinguishes two music-related meanings.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use m.s. with clarity
What does an m.s. marking tell me to do when reading keyboard music?
See all guidance
Read a performance direction
Use the hand meaning.
m.s.: mano sinistra, left hand.
Compare another marking
Keep direction and dynamics separate.
A left-hand indication supplies no loudness level.
Read a catalogue
Check the material label.
MS may identify a manuscript rather than a playing direction.
Read m.s. as a left-hand direction without inventing tempo, dynamics or fingering.
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By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy