16th Notes
Notes whose lengths are equal to one-sixteenth the value of a whole note or one quarter of a quarter note.
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.
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.
Legato
A type of articulation indicating the player to play smoothly and seamlessly, with the notes slightly overlapped.
Repeated Single Notes
The same note that occurs several times in a row throughout a piece.
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.
Melody Between Hands
A simple melody line shared by both the right hand and the left hand.
- Demonstrate
- Hands Separate Practice
- Map Out Hand Position Shifts
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice