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.
A Tempo
An Italian term meaning "in time"; an indication instructing the player to return to the original tempo after a deviation.
Broken 5ths Accompaniment
A type of accompaniment pattern that primarily uses broken 5th intervals 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- Block the Broken Chords
- Choose Good Fingerings
- Demonstrate
- Hands Separate Practice
- Help Student Achieve Sensitive and Musical Playing
- Highlight Dynamic Contrasts
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice
- Work on Creating a Good Tone
- Work on Expressive Phrasing