What’s That Musical Lingo?

Op. 13, No. 3? Theme and Variations? G major? 1st violin? What?! I admit, musician's talk can be pretty confusing to a non-musician. So, in this blogpost, I'm going to compile some common terms and give a brief description of each. I know some of it is a little hard to grasp, but you'll be …

A Compendium of Tempo Terms

Tempo, or how fast or slow to play a piece, is one of the most basic components in music. It's manipulated in a myriad of ways to define sections of music, establish a mood, and add emotional depth. For many reasons, tempo is a crucial point in music and it's good to understand what tempo …

A Compendium of Classical Ornaments

Long ago, before the piano was invented, ornaments were the mainstay of keyboard works. The harpsichord was a popular instrument at that time, but it was limited in its tones' durations, so ornaments were created to fill up the space between chords. Ornaments were not just helpful for the harpsichord's short tones, though - they're pleasing to the ear on …