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Clefs



Italian terms



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Chords



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Scales

Intervals



  

 Theory Lessons

 

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Performance directions for Piano, Strings & Brass
Grade 4 and Grade 5 (ASBRM)

This page describes the main performance direction terms and symbols used in playing piano, strings and brass instruments. The meaning of the terms and symbols need to be learnt for ABRSM grade 4 and above.

Piano performance directions: pedals and hands

Left pedal

Soft pedal, or Muting pedal, also called una corde.  Normally three strings are used per note.  When the soft pedal is pressed, the whole keyboard is shifted along so that hammers on strike two strings in the upper register and one string in the lower register

Middle pedal

Sostenuto pedal (not fitted to all pianos).  Depressing the pedal dampens only the notes that have been struck

Right pedal

Damper pedal.  When pressed, felts are lifted off the piano strings to allow the sound to be sustained.

 

 

Press down / release the damper pedal

spread the notes of the chord quickly starting from the bottom

mano

hand (mano sinistra, m.s. - left handed; mano destra, m.d. - right handed; also used for the harp)

Una corde

one string, depress the soft pedal

Tre corde

three strings, release the soft pedal

 

 

S.P._______

Sostenuto Pedal – hold the sustain pedal down for the notes indicated by the line


Performance directions for strings (violin, viola, cello and double bass)

Down bow

Up bow

arco

bowed

pizzicato

plucked

sul G

play on the G string (also sul D, sul A, sul E)

sul ponticello

play near the bridge

 

a slur shows that the notes are to be played in a single bow stroke (either up or down)


Mute terms for strings and brass (trumpet, trombone, tuba, etc.)

con sordini / con sord.

with mute

senza sordini / senza sord.

without mute

The links below provide terms, including Italian, French and German, all needed learnt for ABRSM theory exams.

Theory Pages
Main theory page
Grade 1 Italian terms
Grade 2 Italian terms
Grade 3 Italian terms
Grade 4 Italian and French terms
Grade 5 Italian and German terms
Ornaments trill, mordent, turn, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, glissando, portamento
Degrees of the scale tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading note
Orchestral Instruments brass, woodwind, strings, voices, clefs, transposition
ASBRM exam notes pass marks, exam durations, exam rules

 

Philip Bishop - theory lessons: 01372 454962 / 07950 235329

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