Accidentals
Sharps, flats and naturals that do not appear in a key signature.
Forte
An indication instructing the player to play loudly.
Octave Higher and Octave Lower
Symbols that indicate playing a note or range of notes either an octave higher or lower than notated.
Pianissimo
An indication instructing the player to play very softly; softer than piano.
Piano
An indication instructing the player to play softly.
Ritardando
An Italian term meaning "delaying"; an indication instructing the player to decrease speed, often gradually.
Shifting Hand Positions
A technique that requires the player to pick up and move their hand to a new position; usually from a five finger scale to another.
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.
- Demonstrate
- Play Small Segments
- Slow Practice
- Tap and Count