Pre-Reading Christmas

Nancy and Randall Faber

A hand position where either the right-hand or left-thumbs play middle C or where both thumbs share middle C.

Sometimes called upbeats or pickup notes; a note or series of notes that precede and give stress to the first downbeat of a piece.

Vertical lines on the staff that separate notated music into measures.

A type of notation that doesn't use staff lines; sometimes called "floating notes".

A simple melody line shared by both the right hand and the left hand.

Simple intervals that introduce students to 2nds and use two adjacent white keys.

Simple intervals that introduce students to 3rds and use two white keys with one white key in between; skipping over one white key.

An indication instructing the player to play softly.

Notes whose lengths are equal to one-fourth the value of a whole note.

Notes whose lengths are equal to one half the value of a whole note.

Half notes whose lengths are increased by half; equal to three quarter notes.

A type of primary-level notation where the pitch names are placed inside the noteheads; often used in combination with off-staff notation.