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.
Accents
Indications instructing the player to put special emphasis on notes.
Accidentals
Sharps, flats and naturals that do not appear in a key signature.
Blocked Chord Accompaniment
A type of accompaniment pattern that primarily uses root-position major and minor triads with simple or slow-moving rhythms.
Dotted 8th Notes
8th notes whose lengths are increased by half; equal to three 16th notes.
Fermatas
Indications placed above or below notes instructing the player to hold those notes longer than their original notated length.
Grace Notes
Ornamentations that are notated in a smaller size than normal notes and played slightly before them.
Half Notes
Notes whose lengths are equal to one half the value of a whole note.
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.
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.
- Hands Separate Practice
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice