Children's Corner

Claude Debussy

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

8th Notes

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

16th Notes

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

Staccato

A type of technically challenging and musically complex texture where one or both hands play several voices simultaneously.

Advanced Multiple Voices in One Hand

Complicated, dense, and rich harmonies involving complex chords, chord substitutions, modal mixture, upper structures, among other techniques.

Advanced Harmonies

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

Tenuto

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

Pianissimo

An indication instructing the player to play softly.

Piano

Indications instructing the player to put special emphasis on notes.

Accents

When one hand plays above or below the other for an extended period of time, often used alongside Hand Crossing.

Hand on Top of Hand

A technique that involves one hand crossing over or under the other.

Hand Crossing

Notes that occur several times in a row throughout a piece in mainly 16th note rhythms.

Repeated 16th Notes

Whole Notes

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

Accidentals

A sign placed in front of a note that lowers its pitch by a half step.

Flat

A sign placed in front of a note that raises its pitch by a half step.

Sharp

A sign placed in front of a note that returns its pitch back to normal (returning to a white key).

Natural

A sign that tells the player to play gradually louder.

Crescendo

A sign that tells the player to play gradually softer.

Diminuendo

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

Mezzo Piano

A combination of triplets played in one hand while notes with regular values are played in the other hand at the same time.

2 Against 3

A type of texture where the contour of the notes in one hand is the exact opposite to that of the other hand as they play simultaneously.

Contrary Motion

A type texture that occurs when the contour, distance, and speed of the notes in one hand matches that of the other hand as they play together.

Parallel Motion

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

Extended Hand Positions

Intervals and chords played in one hand that require significant stretching between at least two notes and where the outer intervals reach further than an octave.

Large Hand Stretches

Silence that equals the length of one 16th note.

16th Rest

Changing from one finger to another on the different notes of a series of repeated notes.

Finger Swap

8th Note Triplets

An accompaniment pattern that uses a series of broken intervals of any distance or quality.

Broken Intervals Accompaniment

A blocked chord whose notes are played quickly in succession which gives the chord a harp-like sound.

Rolled Chords

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

Clef Changes

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

More than one time signature used in a single piece or movement.

Multiple Time Signatures

Symbols that indicate playing a note or range of notes one octave higher than notated.

Octave Higher

An indication instructing the player to play extremely softly; softer than pianissimo.

Pianississimo

Using a different finger on the same notes or switching the finger while holding a note.

The Snow is Dancing

Claude Debussy

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