Expression

Indications instructing the player to play gradually louder (crescendo) or softer (diminuendo).

Hand and Finger Techniques

The physical motion of crossing the thumb under fingers 2, 3, 4, or 5; used when playing scalar passages or outside of five finger scales.

Rhythm

Quarter notes whose lengths are increased by half; equal to three 8th notes.

Hand and Finger Techniques

Hand positions that require stretching beyond a five finger scale; usually to play intervals that are 6ths or greater.

Rhythm

Indications placed above or below notes instructing the player to hold those notes longer than their original notated length.

Expression

Ornamentations that are notated in a smaller size than normal notes and played slightly before them.

Intervals

Two notes played in succession, usually in one hand but sometimes in both, whose distance is the interval of a 5th of any quality.

Expression

A simple melody line shared by both the right hand and the left hand.

Expression

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.

Rhythm

Symbols indicating that two notes are to be played as one with the value equal to their sum.

Accompaniment Patterns

A continually repeated phrase or rhythm.