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.
Broken Chords
Chord tones played one note at a time that are not part of an accompaniment pattern.
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.
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.
Legato
A type of articulation indicating the player to play smoothly and seamlessly, with the notes slightly overlapped.
Quarter Notes
Notes whose lengths are equal to one-fourth the value of a whole note.
Repeat Sign
A symbol indicating that a section should be repeated.
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.
Tempo Changes
More than one tempo indication used in a single piece or movement.
- Block the Broken Chords
- Focus On Expressive Markings
- Hands Separate Practice
- Highlight Dynamic Contrasts
- Isolate Voices
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice