8th Notes
Notes whose lengths are equal to one-eighth the value of a whole note or half the value of a quarter note.
Accidentals
Sharps, flats and naturals that do not appear in a key signature.
Blocked 3rds
Two notes played together, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of a 3rd of any quality.
Broken Chords
Chord tones played one note at a time that are not part of an accompaniment pattern.
Broken Octave Accompaniment
A type of accompaniment pattern that primarily uses broken octave intervals with simple or slow-moving rhythms.
Fermatas
Indications placed above or below notes instructing the player to hold those notes longer than their original notated length.
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.
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.
Syncopation
Temporary displacement of established meter by the stressing of a weak beat.
- Block the Broken Chords
- Demonstrate
- Isolate Voices
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice