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.
Anacrusis
Sometimes called upbeats or pickup notes; a note or series of notes that precede and give stress to the first downbeat of a piece.
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.
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.
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.
Left Hand Melody
A type of texture where the left hand plays the melody and the right hand plays the accompaniment for an extended period of time.
Legato
A type of articulation indicating the player to play smoothly and seamlessly, with the notes slightly overlapped.
Ritardando
An Italian term meaning "delaying"; an indication instructing the player to decrease speed, often gradually.
Staccato
A type of articulation indicating the player to play short and light; notes not held for their full value.
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.
Tenuto
A type of articulation indicating to the player that a given note should be held for its full value or slightly more.
Ties
Symbols indicating that two notes are to be played as one with the value equal to their sum.
- Choose Good Fingerings
- Demonstrate
- Hands Separate Practice
- Play Similar Passages Together
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice