Piano Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for Piano 1 study guide, Spring 2025.

Quarter Note

1 beat

Half Note

2 beats

Dotted Half Note

3 beats

Whole Note

4 beats

Piano

Soft

Mezzo Forte

Medium loud (mf)

Forte

Loud

Sharp Sign (#)

Raises a note by a half step (next right key)

Flat Sign (b)

Lowers a note by a half step (next left key)

Natural Sign

Cancels a sharp or flat

Half Step

The distance from any key on the keyboard to the very next key above or below, whether black or white

Whole Step

Two half steps

Treble Clef Sign

Locates the G above the middle of the keyboard

Bass Clef Sign

Locates the F below the middle of the keyboard

Ledger Line

A short line added for notes above or below the range of a staff

2/4

2 beats in a measure, quarter note gets 1 beat

3/4

3 beats per measure, quarter note gets 1 beat

4/4

4 beats per measure, quarter note gets 1 beat

Legato

Smooth and connected

Staccato

Short and detached

Quarter Rest

1 beat of silence

Half Rest

2 beats of silence

Whole Rest

4 beats of silence

Common Time

4/4

Flats (Order)

BEADGCF (next to last names the key)

Sharps (Order)

FCGDAEB (last sharp up a half step names the key)

Chromatic Scale

All half steps

Allegro

Quick/happy

Moderato

Moderately

Andante

Moving along

Adagio

Slowly

Articulation

How notes are played (connected/separated)

Slur

Legato

Phrase

Musical thought/sentence

Non Legato

Disconnected but not staccato

Intervals

Distances between tones

Melodic Intervals

Intervals used to make a melody

Dot (After Note)

Increases note length by ½

Mp

Moderately soft

Pp

Very soft

Ff

Very loud

< (cresc)

Get louder

(dim)/(decresc)

Get softer

rit/ritard

Get slower

Maestoso

Majestically

Allegretto

Moderately fast

Largo

Very slow

Cantabile

Singing style

8va

Octave higher (above)/octave lower (below)

Triad

3-note chord

Root

Name of chord

Enharmonic

Same note, different name

accent sign

Play that note louder

Leggiero

Lightly

Tranquillo

Tranquil

D.C. (da capo) al Fine

Repeat from beginning, play to fine (end)

Scherzando

Playful

Tenuto (-)

Hold the note for full value

Major (Chord)

Up 3, up 4 (from root)

Minor (Chord)

Up 4, up 3 (from root)

Andante con moto

With motion

Animato

Animated, lively

Tied Notes

Note played for combined value of both notes

Comodo

Unhurried

Alla Breve

Cut time, 2/2

Subito

Suddenly

Lento

Slow

Vivo, giocoso

Lively, humorous

Tetrachord

WWH