Discovery Piano Works

Andy McFarlane

The fourth Discovery Piano Work written for young pianists, "Mind Bend on B’s" is ready to trick all but the brightest students. Watch out for traps!

©2024 Andy McFarlane

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

A type of accompaniment pattern that primarily uses broken 5th intervals with simple or slow-moving rhythms.

Broken 5ths Accompaniment

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

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

Quarter Notes

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

Accidentals

Indications placed above or below notes instructing the player to hold those notes longer than their original notated length.

Fermatas

An Italian term meaning "delaying"; an indication instructing the player to decrease speed, often gradually.

Ritardando

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

Staccato

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

Legato

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

Ties

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

An indication instructing the player to play softly.

Piano

A sign that tells the player to play gradually louder.

Crescendo

A sign that tells the player to play gradually softer.

Diminuendo

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

Mezzo Forte

An indication instructing the player to play loudly.

Forte

Indications instructing the player to put special emphasis on notes.

Accents

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

Mind Bend on B's

Andy McFarlane

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