8th Note Broken Chord Accompaniment
A type of accompaniment pattern that uses a persistent 8th note rhythm with broken chords, in varying note configurations.
8th Notes
Notes whose lengths are equal to one-eighth the value of a whole note or half the value of a quarter note.
A Tempo
An Italian term meaning "in time"; an indication instructing the player to return to the original tempo after a deviation.
Accelerando
An Italian term meaning "hastening"; an indication instructing the player to increase the speed, often gradually.
Accents
Indications instructing the player to put special emphasis on notes.
Accidentals
Sharps, flats and naturals that do not appear in a key signature.
Broken Chords
Chord tones played one note at a time that are not part of an accompaniment pattern.
Compound Time Signature
A time signature where the fundamental beat is subdivided in groupings of three instead of two.
Crescendo and Diminuendo
Indications instructing the player to play gradually louder (crescendo) or softer (diminuendo).
Fermatas
Indications placed above or below notes instructing the player to hold those notes longer than their original notated length.
Grace Notes
Ornamentations that are notated in a smaller size than normal notes and played slightly before them.
Melodic Octaves
Two notes played in succession, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of an octave of any quality.
Octave Higher and Octave Lower
Symbols that indicate playing a note or range of notes either an octave higher or lower than notated.
Pianissimo
An indication instructing the player to play very softly; softer than piano.
Piano
An indication instructing the player to play softly.
Ritardando
An Italian term meaning "delaying"; an indication instructing the player to decrease speed, often gradually.
Sustain Pedal
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.
- Block the Broken Chords
- Choose Good Fingerings
- Demonstrate
- Hands Separate Practice
- Highlight Dynamic Contrasts
- Highlight the Contrasting Characters of Each Section
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice