Symbols & Notation

Question 0

Define pianissimo

Answer 0

Music is to be played very softly

Question 1

Define Piano

Answer 1

The music is to be played softly

Question 2

Define mezzo piano

Answer 2

The music is to be played “medium soft”

Question 3

Define forte

Answer 3

Music is to be played loud

Question 4

What is the Bass clef or F clef?

Answer 4

The line or space between the dots denotes F below Middle C

Question 5

What is the Neutral clef?

Answer 5

It is used for instruments without pitch, such as percussion instruments.

Question 6

What are Bar Lines?

Answer 6

Bar Lines are used to separate measures

Question 7

What are double bar lines?

Answer 7

Double bar lines are used to separate two sections or phrases of music, usually where a change in key or time signature occurs.

Question 8

What is a dotted bar line?

Answer 8

A dotted bar line subdivides long measures into shorter sections.

Question 9

What is D.C. or Da Capo?

Answer 9

Tells the performer to repeat playing of the music from the beginning.

Question 10

What is Segno?

Answer 10

Segno is the signal marking where the repeat from the Segno begins.

Question 11

What is D.S. or Dal Segno?

Answer 11

Tells performer to repeat playing music starting at the nearest Segno. (This is followed by Al Fine or Al Coda, just as with Da Capo).

Question 12

Define Coda

Answer 12

A forward jump to ending passage, marked with same sign. (Used only after playing through a D.S. Al Coda or D.C. Al Coda.

Question 13

What is Appoggiatura?

Answer 13

The first half of the principal note’s duration has pitch of the grace note (2/3 if the principal note is a dotted note).

Question 14

What is Acciaccatura?

Answer 14

Played at the same time as principal note, the grace note is used to create dissonance in a harmony.

Question 15

What is a heavy double bar line?

Answer 15

Denotes the end of a piece of music.

Question 16

What is a Crochet?

Answer 16

A quarter note

Question 17

What is a Quaver?

Answer 17

An eighth note

Question 18

What is a semi-quaver?

Answer 18

A sixteenth note

Question 19

What is a Demi-semi-quaver?

Answer 19

A 32th note (half as long as a sixteenth note).

Question 20

What is a Minim?

Answer 20

A half note

Question 21

What is Sforzando?

Answer 21

A sharp, fierce accent on a single sound or a chord. Also applies to the sequence of sounds or chords under or over which it is placed.

Question 22

What is a Staccato?

Answer 22

The note is to be played shorter, in a stronger manner, as compared to the surrounding notes.

Question 23

What is a Staccatissimo?

Answer 23

An even stronger, more accentuated Staccato.

Question 24

What is a Tenuto?

Answer 24

A note that is played with full value, stressed more at its beginning.

Question 25

What is a Marcato?

Answer 25

Played louder, with a much stronger attack than surrounding notes.

Question 26

What is a Fermata?

Answer 26

A note to be played indefinitely, until conductor says otherwise.

Question 27

What is a Crescendo?

Answer 27

A gradual increase in volume (of a section of music).

Question 28

What is a Diminuendo?

Answer 28

A gradual decrease in volume (of a section of music).

Question 29

What is a Breve?

Answer 29

A double whole note, or twice the duration of a whole note.

Question 30

What is a Trill?

Answer 30

A rapid alteration between the specified note and the next higher note within its duration. When followed by a wavy horizontal line, this indicates an extended Trill.

Question 31

What is a Mordent?

Answer 31

To rapidly play the principal note, the next higher note, then again the principal note (all in the duration of the principal note).

Question 32

What is a Mordent (inverted)?

Answer 32

To play the principal note, then the next lower note, then again the principal note (all in the duration of the principal note).

Question 33

What is a Turn?

Answer 33

To play the next higher note, the principal note, the next lower note, then the principal note again. Example: if principal note is A, it would be played: B-A-G-A A vertical line through the Turn symbol reverses the order (G-A-B-A)