Name Note Rest Beat/S: Triplet Notes
Name Note Rest Beat/S: Triplet Notes
Name Note Rest Beat/S: Triplet Notes
Whole Note /
4 beats
Whole Rest
Half Note/
2 beats
Half Rest
Quarter Note /
1 beat
Quarter Rest
Eighth Note /
1/2 beat
Eighth Rest
A quick refresher on dots – the dot is adding half of the note’s value to itself.
Triplet Notes
• a dotted half note gets 3 beats (2 + 1)
• a dotted quarter note gets 1 and a half beats (1 + 1/2)
• a dotted eighth note gets 3/4 of a beat (1/2 + 1/4)
• a dotted sixteenth note gets 3/8 of a beat (1/4 + 1/8)
Musical Signs and Symbols
Time Signature
The time signature of a piece of music
indicates how many beats are in each bar.
A time signature allows a musician to
count a steady beat while playing a piece.
Metronome Mark
A composer may include a metronome
mark to indicate the tempo - how fast or
slow the music should be played.
Key Signatures
The key signature tells you which notes
should be played as sharps or flats
throughout a piece of music and therefore
what key the piece should be played in.
Accidentals
When a composer wants to include a one-
off sharp or flat, or cancel one that is in
the key signature, they use accidentals.
Pause
A pause sign tells you to hold the note or
rest for slightly longer than its written
value.
Staccato
A dot above or below a note tells you to
play it short and detached.
Legato
A curved line above or below a group of
notes tells you those notes should be
played legato – smoothly, with no gaps
between the notes.
Crescendo
A crescendo tells you that your playing
needs to get gradually louder over the
duration of the symbol.
Diminuendo
A diminuendo means that you’re playing
needs to get gradually quieter over the
duration of the symbol.
Trill
A trill is rapidly moving between the
written note and the one above.
Grace note
A grace note is played really quickly
before the main note.
Dynamics
Ornaments
Dynamics tell you how loud or quiet you
Ornaments are extra notes which decorate the
should play.
music.
Most dynamics are covered in the terms
You will learn about some ornaments, such as
section but there are also two symbols you
trill and grace notes, in your Understanding
need to know that indicate crescendo and
music work.
diminuendo.
tempo - this shows how fast the music notation - this shows the pitch and duration of
should be played the notes
Tempo
In music, speed is referred to as tempo. A tempo marking is usually given at the beginning of a
piece.
You only need to remember the four tempos below for your exam:
• Adagio - slow
• Andante - a walking pace
• Moderato - moderately
• Allegro - quick and lively
Change of tempo
Sometimes a piece of music changes tempo. The following words can be used to describe tempo
changes:
• Accelerando - getting faster
• Rallentando - slowing down, normally for emphasis
• Ritardando - slowing down, holding back
• A tempo - return to the original tempo after speeding up or slowing down
Dynamics
Dynamics describe how loud or soft the music is. Dynamics terms, like tempo terms, are often in
Italian:
Pitch
Pitch is how high or low a note is and what it is called – for example: C, F sharp, B flat. You
need to know the notes of the treble clef:
Rhythm
Rhythm is how we describe the
duration, or length, of a note or rest,
eg how many beats it is worth.
TERM MEANING SYMBOL
Is an emphasis placed on a
particular note, either as a
Accent result of its context or
specifically indicated by an
accent mark.
A gradual increase,
especially in the volume or
Crescendo
intensity of sound in a
passage.
Is used in directions to
performers. It appears in
the superlative form
fortissimo, very loud. The
Forte
letter f is an abbreviation of
forte, ff an abbreviation of
fortissimo, with fff or more
rarely ffff even louder.
Is used as a frequent
Largo
instruction to performers.
Is generally represented by
Piano the letter p in directions to
performers.
Is found in directions to
Piu performers, as in più forte,
louder, or più lento, slower.
Marked by or composed of
Staccato abrupt, disconnected parts
or sounds