Reference · Solfeggio and music theory
Accidentals temporarily change a note. A sharp raises it by a half step, a flat lowers it by a half step, and a natural cancels an earlier alteration.
A chord is a group of notes played together. An arpeggio spreads the same notes over time.
Short regular practice is more useful than rare long sessions. Split time between warm-up, reading and a difficult passage.
A dot adds half of the original duration to a note or rest. A dotted half note therefore lasts three quarter-note beats.
Ear training grows from simple to complex: pitch first, then direction, intervals and short rhythms.
When a note goes beyond the five staff lines, short ledger lines extend the same sequence of scale degrees above or below the staff.
Solfeggio connects the visual note, its name and its sound. Say the degrees while playing slowly.
A staff has five horizontal lines and four spaces. The position of a notehead shows its pitch inside the chosen clef.
A half step is the closest distance between two neighboring piano keys. A whole step contains two half steps.
An arpeggio is not a trick but a way to see a chord in time. This deliberately large demonstration article combines theory, technique, ear training and keyboard practice. It is also a visual test of long scrolling, a complete table of contents, anchors, lists, warnings, quotations and tables.
Sharps and flats after the clef apply through the piece and avoid repeating the same sign before every note.
The major scale follows a sequence of whole and half steps. C major is a convenient starting point on the keyboard.
A rest has a duration just like a note. Count the silence or the next note will start too early.
A time signature tells us how to count a measure. In 4/4, four quarter notes fill one measure.
An interval is the distance between two notes. Count scale degrees inclusively: C–E is a third.
The top number shows the number of beats and the bottom number shows the beat unit. Say the meter aloud before playing.
A triad contains three notes stacked by thirds. Major and minor triads differ in the size of the inner third.
The clef at the start of a staff sets landmarks for every following note. Middle C connects both halves of the piano staff.
The grand staff joins treble and bass clefs. The upper staff is usually played by the right hand and the lower staff by the left hand.
Seven note names repeat across octaves. Use groups of two and three black keys to locate C quickly.
Try another query or choose a different section.
Clear filters