Accents
Indications instructing the player to put special emphasis on notes.
Accidentals
Sharps, flats and naturals that do not appear in a key signature.
Blocked 2nds
Two notes played together, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of a 2nd of any quality.
Clef Changes
More than one clef used in a staff in a single piece or movement.
Crescendo and Diminuendo
Indications instructing the player to play gradually louder (crescendo) or softer (diminuendo).
Fortissimo
An indication instructing the player to play very loudly; louder than forte.
Half Notes
Notes whose lengths are equal to one half the value of a whole note.
Intermediate Single Note Accompaniment
A type of accompaniment pattern where only one note is played at a time but with large intervals, many hand positions, and complex rhythms.
Intermediate Two Voices in One Hand
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.
Ledger Lines
Additional lines added above or below the staff in order to place very high or very low notes that wouldn't normally fit on the staff.
Legato
A type of articulation indicating the player to play smoothly and seamlessly, with the notes slightly overlapped.
Pianissimo
An indication instructing the player to play very softly; softer than piano.
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.
- Demonstrate
- Hands Separate Practice
- Isolate Voices
- Map Out Hand Position Shifts
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice