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SLADEN'S
ONLINE MUSIC PORTFOLIO (OMP)
FOR PIANO LESSONS
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Hi Sladen! Here's your own Glossary of Terms, which includes only those terms we've discussed so far...
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| R.H. and L.H.: | R.H. = Right Hand; L.H. = Left Hand |
| Fingering: | The fingers are numbered, with thumbs being 1's, to the pinkies being 5's. |
| 88 Keys: | Number of keys (black and white) on a standard piano. |
| Music Alphabet: | A-B-C-D-E-F-G |
| Hammers: | In an acoustic piano, the sound is produced by hammers inside, striking or hitting strings. |
| Strings: | In an acoustic piano, the strings are hit by the hammers to produce sound. While there are 88 keys (black and white), there are several more strings. From the bottom, there is 1 string per key, then 2 for several keys, then 3 strings for 1 key. |
| Dynamics: | How music can be expressed by playing at different volume levels (e.g., loud (forte) vs. soft (piano)). |
| Articulation: | How notes can be played (e.g., short (staccato) vs. long (legato)). |
| Whole Step: | On the piano this is the distance between two keys, regardless of color, that have only one key in between. Therefore, the distance from a C to a D is a whole step; and so is the distance from a B to a C#. |
| 1/2 Step: | On the piano this is the distance between two keys that are right next to each other, regardless of color. So that means the distance from a B to the C right next to it is a 1/2 step! |
| Note Part - Note head: | This is the oval part of a note that must appear either directly on a line or fully in a space between lines. The note heads for whole notes and half notes are not filled in, while the note heads for a quarter notes, eighth notes, 16th notes, 32nd notes and 64th notes are filled in. |
| Note Part - Stem: | This is the vertical line that extends from a note head. Depending on where a note is placed on a staff, a stem will go up from the right side of the note head, or down from the left side. The stem is also important as it can be used to indicate "voicing", either within a piano piece, or to indicate which notes different singers might sing when using the same staff.
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| Note Type - Quarter note: | This type of note is shown as a solid note head (filled in) and has a stem. The duration of this note type is typically 1 beat. Quarter notes are never connected by their stems.
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| Metronome: | A tool for musicians that sounds the beats. The numbers on a metronome indicate beats per minute. For example, if you set a metronome to "60", the beats would sound one every second. |
| Instrument Families: | All musical instruments can be grouped into their own 'families', or groups where the instruments share the same basic qualities. The below table illustrates the main instrument families and their common instruments:
| Family | Instuments |
| Strings | Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp |
| Woodwinds | Piccolo, Flute, English Horn, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone |
| Brass | Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trombone, Baritone Horn, French Horn, Tuba |
| Percussion | Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Timpani, Tambourine, Triangle, Gong, Cymbals, Piano |
| Keyboards | Harpsichord, Organ, Piano |
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| Proper Posture: | You must have proper posture when sitting at the piano. To get the most out your piano playing experience: be sure you're not sitting too close or too far away, sit on the front part of the bench/legs forward, sit up straight, wrists up (not hanging down), shape your hands like they are each holding a small ball, and always play with curved fingers. |
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