Deck 1 Flashcards
The note with the longest string on a standard piano keyboard is
A
A piano has over X number of parts
10,000
The note with the shortest string is
C
Today’s pianos use strings made from…
high tension steel
Each piano key has how many strings?
Most have 3, except for the lower register which has 2 or a single string wrapped in coiled copper.
The pitch of a string is determined by its
length and tension
What two things happen when a key is struck?
- A hinged hammer on the other end comes up to strike the strings
- The key lifts the damper off the strings so it can vibrate
Hammers are located above or below strings?
Below
Hammers are covered in
felt
The volume of sound is determined by
The speed of the hammer striking the string. To play louder the hammer must strike faster and vice versa.
(From further research, force is also involved and the force can be determined by speed, distance and of course the design of the action)
What is the piano action called that allows the hammer to fall away immediately after striking the string and why does this matter?
Escapement allows the hammer to fall away immediately which 1) lets the sound ring and 2) allows rapid repetition of a key/note.
The soundboard _______ the tone of the vibrating strings through ______.
The soundboard amplifies the tone of the vibrating strings through sympathetic vibration.
Cracks can develop in the soundboard due to
dryness
extreme temperature changes
The pedal to the right is called _____.
It’s function is….
the damper
to lift the dampers off the strings, sustaining the sound until the pedal is released.
The left pedal is called the ____. It functions by ______ in order to both _____ and ______.
Una corda or soft pedal
Shifts the keyboard to the right causing the hammers to hit one less string
It both softens the sound and changes to tone quality to a more muted veiled sound.
The middle pedal is called _____.
It’s function is to _______.
What is unique about this pedal?
Sostenuto pedal
It sustains the sound of thise keys depressed when the pedal goes down but not notes olayed afterwards (unlike the damper pedal which sustains all notes played while it is down).
The sostenuto pedal is not on all pianos and is not essential for playing the piano repertoire.
The keyboard cover is also called
the fallboard
You should sit on the front half of the bench. With your arms extended your knuckles should reach
the fallboard. If you have to lean, move the bench.
With shoulders relaxed and your hands on the keys, your forearms should be
level with the keyboard
The curve of your fingers should be the same as
the natural curve of your fingers when your arms are hanging loosely at your sides
What part of the thumb plays the key
the side tip
A written note (other than a whole note) consists of a stem and a _____.
notehead
A double bar line means
the end of the piece.
The interval between C and E is
a third
An interval can be played which two ways?
1) Broken (separately in sequence) 2) Blocked (together simultaneously)
Playing the same piece using different keys is called
transposing
A measure is ______.
______ divide the music into measures.
a group of beats
bar lines
The word scale comes from
the Latin word “scala” meaning ladder.
Penta is Latin for
five
A penta scale is
a 5-note scale
What are the notes of the C pentascale
C-D-E-F-G
The overall structure of a piece is called
musical form
eg sections A & B with form A-B-A
mf is a _____
and it means _____
dynamic mark
mezzo forte, moderately loud
A musical pattern that is repeated higher or lower is called a
sequence
There are X lines and Y spaces on a staff.
There are 5 lines and 4 spaces on a staff.
Piano uses two staves (staffs) connected by a ______ and a ______ which is called ______.
brace
bar line (that connects both staves)
Grand Staff
In a time signature the top number is _____ and the bottom is _____.
beats per measure
the kind of note receiving one beat
An accent mark (>) above or below a note means to emphasize the note by
playing it louder than the notes around it.
