Martha Mier

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

Broken 5ths Accompaniment

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

Broken Intervals Accompaniment

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

Extended Hand Positions

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 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 7th of any quality.

Blocked 7ths

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

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

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-fourth the value of a whole note.

Quarter Notes

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

Dotted Half Notes

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

Half Notes

Silence that equals the length of one quarter note.

Quarter Rests

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 returns its pitch back to normal (returning to a white key).

Natural

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

Mezzo Piano

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

Mezzo Forte

A sign that tells the player to play gradually louder.

Crescendo

A sign that tells the player to play gradually softer.

Diminuendo

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

Legato

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 major and minor triads with simple or slow-moving rhythms.

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Martha Mier

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