Halloween at its Best!, Book 2

Kevin Costley

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

Blocked 2nds

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

Accidentals

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

Staccato

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

Crescendo and Diminuendo

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

Legato

A simple scale that contains the first five notes of the G Minor scale.

G Minor Five Finger Scale

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

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

Mezzo Piano

Symbols that indicate playing a note or range of notes either an octave higher or lower than notated.

Octave Higher or Octave Lower

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

Ritardando

Notes whose lengths are equal to one-eighth the value of a whole note or half the value of a quarter note.

8th Notes

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

Broken 5ths Accompaniment

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

Broken Chords

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

Clef Changes

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

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.

Crossing Thumb Under

A simple scale that contains the first five notes of the D Minor scale.

D Minor Five Finger Scale

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

Extended Hand Positions

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

That Halloween Cat!

Kevin Costley

Video

Want to watch videos?

Details