Philip Keveren

A type of accompaniment pattern that uses persistent 8th note rhythm with primarily broken 5th intervals.

8th Note Broken 5ths Accompaniment

Silence that equals the length of one 8th note.

8th Rests

Indications instructing the player to put special emphasis on notes.

Accents

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

Accidentals

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

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

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

Two notes played together, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of a 6th of any quality.

Blocked 6ths

An accompaniment that uses a variety of blocked intervals with a relatively equal rate of occurrence. 

Blocked Intervals Accompaniment

More than one clef used in a staff in a single piece or movement.

Clef Changes

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

Crescendo and Diminuendo

8th notes whose lengths are increased by half; equal to three 16th notes.

Dotted 8th Notes

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

Dotted Quarter Notes

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

Extended Hand Positions

Simple five-note scales whose notes fit within a comfortable hand shape; applied when more than one such scale appears in a piece.

Five Finger Scales

An indication instructing the player to play loudly.

Forte

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

A type of articulation indicating the player to play smoothly and seamlessly, with the notes slightly overlapped.

Legato

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

Mezzo Forte

An indication instructing the player to play softly.

Piano

Silence that equals the length of one quarter note.

Quarter Rests

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 one or both hands play more than one voice at a time; usually briefly and with simple rhythms.

Simple Two Voices in One Hand

A type of articulation indicating the player to play short and light; notes not held for their full value.

Staccato

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

A type of articulation indicating to the player that a given note should be held for its full value or slightly more.

Tenuto

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