Mosaic, Volume 4

Alison Mathews

Chords with alternate ordering of their tones where the root is placed either in the middle or at the top of the chord.

Chord Inversions

An indication instructing the player to play very softly; softer than piano.

Pianissimo

Indications instructing the player to put special emphasis on notes.

Accents

More than one tempo indication used in a single piece or movement.

Tempo Changes

An indication instructing the player to play very loudly; louder than forte.

Fortissimo

A type of texture where one or both hands play more than one voice at a time with large intervals, many hand positions, and complex rhythms.

Intermediate Two Voices in One Hand

Two notes played together, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of a 3rd of any quality.

Blocked 3rds

Sharps, flats and naturals that do not appear in a key signature.

Accidentals

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

Half Notes

An indication instructing the player to play moderately soft; between mezzo forte and piano.

Mezzo Piano

Two notes played together, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of a 4th of any quality.

Blocked 4ths

Symbols indicating that two notes are to be played as one with the value equal to their sum.

Ties

A technique that requires the player to pick up and move their hand to a new position; usually from a five finger scale to another.

Shifting Hand Positions

A type of texture where the left hand plays the melody and the right hand plays the accompaniment for an extended period of time.

Left Hand Melody

Hand positions that require stretching beyond a five finger scale; usually to play intervals that are 6ths or greater.

Extended Hand Positions

Two notes played in succession, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of a 2nd of any quality.

Melodic 2nds

Quarter notes whose lengths are increased by half; equal to three 8th notes.

Dotted Quarter Notes

Four note chords comprised of the root, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, and diminished 7th; typically have a dominant function.

Diminished Seventh Chords

Chords comprised of the root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, and minor 7th. Sometimes they are found in close position with only three notes.

Dominant Seventh Chords

Two notes played together, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of a 5th of any quality.

Blocked 5ths

An indication instructing the player to play softly.

Piano

Indications instructing the player to play gradually louder (crescendo) or softer (diminuendo).

Crescendo and Diminuendo

A series of any amount or quality of blocked 3rd intervals that are played in one hand, and where both notes move up or down in parallel motion.

Parallel 3rds

The physical motion of crossing fingers 2, 3, 4, or 5 over the thumb; used when playing scalar passages or outside of five finger scales.

Crossing Over Thumb

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

Dotted Half Notes

A type of accompaniment pattern that uses a persistent 8th note rhythm with broken chords, in varying note configurations.

8th Note Broken Chord Accompaniment

Two notes connected together smoothly where the second note is played softer and lighter.

Two Note Slurs

A series of any amount or quality of blocked 6th intervals that are played in one hand, and where both notes move up or down in parallel motion.

Parallel 6ths

Also called the damper pedal, it is the rightmost pedal on the piano and used to sustain notes by moving the dampers away from the strings.

Sustain Pedal

Chord tones played one note at a time that are not part of an accompaniment pattern.

Broken Chords

The physical motion of crossing the thumb under fingers 2, 3, 4, or 5; used when playing scalar passages or outside of five finger scales.

Empty Mask

Alison Mathews

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