What does the curve mean on sheet music?

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. A slur is a legato line over a few notes which means they should not be rearticulated.

What is the squiggly line on piano sheet music?

Arpeggio
Arpeggio: A squiggly vertical line in front of a chord means its notes are hit quickly in order, not simultaneously; to create a harp-like effect. Arpeggiated chords are usually played from low to high, unless marked by a downward arrow.

What does an arch over notes mean?

slur
A slur is a symbol in Western musical notation indicating that the notes it embraces are to be played without separation (that is, with legato articulation). A slur is denoted with a curved line generally placed over the notes if the stems point downward, and under them if the stems point upwards.

What does a curved line between notes mean?

A slur is a curved line that connects two or more notes of different pitches. A slur means the notes should be played as smoothly as possible, with no space in between. 1. On each line, write the number of counts each pair of tied notes would receive.

How do you tell the difference between a tie and a slur?

A “tie” is a rhythmic indication, while a slur is a phrasing marking. Ties connect two or more notes of the same pitch: All of the notes within the tie are sustained smoothly, with their individual rhythmic values combined. In other words, the tied notes function as a single note.

What does a tilde over a note mean?

In music, a mordent is an ornament indicating that the note is to be played with a single rapid alternation with the note above or below.

What do lines above notes mean?

tenuto
A line over or under a single note means it is to be played tenuto, meaning held out to its full value. A dot over or under a note is a staccato, telling the musician to perform it short and separate from the next note.

How does a tie work in piano?

What does a tie do? A tie tells you that the two notes are to be played as a single note for a duration that is equal to the sum of both notes. Said differently, a tie tells you to add the two notes’ value together, and hold for that many beats.

How are Legatos played?

Legato is a musical performance technique that produces fluid, continuous motion between notes. Each individual note is played to its maximum duration and then blends directly into whatever note follows. Legato notes are often slurred; that is, a group of notes is played together in one down-bow or up-bow.

What is a slur in music notation?

The slur example on Wikipedia is not to much help : ( As you’ve already discovered, it’s a slur, and it means that you should play the notes that fall under it legato. In musical notation the Italian word legato (literally meaning “tied together”) indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected.

What happens if you overlap notes in music?

In the event of notation overlap – such as a half-note chord written on top of eighth-notes – rests and notes will appear simultaneously, although they are really on separate planes of action. The following musical symbols define the pattern or order of a song:

What are the different notes on the piano?

Because the piano is designed around the musical alphabet, it’s easy to see how the pattern repeats. The seven different tones on the piano are A B C D E F G. These are the basic notes of the music alphabet, and they can be augmented in many ways which we’ll discuss later in the steps.

Which hand do you play middle C on the piano?

Take a look at middle C in the diagram above. It is at the center of the bass and treble clef. Every note from middle C upwards including the notes on the treble clef is usually played with the right hand. Every note below middle C and on the bass clef is usually played with the left hand.