Grace notes
I have heard of the term ‘grace notes’. What are
they and how do they show up on sheet music?
Grace notes are notations used in writing music
that appear much smaller than regular notes and
denote sounds that are shorter than full notes.
Think of grace notes as ornaments that have no
significant value of their own, but when placed in a
line of music they give it more depth by acting as
embellishments that are there to make the piece
of music sound fuller and more accomplished. A
grace note is indicated by a smaller-than-normal
note that sometimes has a slash going through
the note stem. If no slash is present then this is
an appoggiatura (where the principle note is
suspended and the grace note doesn’t have to
conform to the rigid timing of the piece) and if
a slash is present then we can interpret it as an
acciaccatura (which is a shortened version of the
appoggiatura), where the grace note sounds for a
shorter length of time.
Improvisation time
I’m growing a bit bored of playing sheet
music, and would love to play something a bit
more spontaneous. Do you have any tips for
beginner improvisation?
Yes, although we must stress that having the
knowledge of a variety of sheet music will
undoubtedly make the act of improvisation much
easier. However, if you are determined to take a
tinkle, freestyle, then make sure that you know
about scales. Start with one that doesn’t have too
many sharps or flats, like D major, and practise it
using your dominant hand and then switch to the
other hand to build confidence. Next, learn about
chords – especially the triad chords as these consist
of only three notes. Now you can sit down and
practise hitting notes of the same key. Have your
left hand play the accompaniment (slow block
or broken chords) in the same key and have your
right hand play the melody. Switch keys once you
become better at it to give the piece a broader,
deeper feel. Another method is to play a slow 4/4
piece with each measure getting one chord on
the left hand. With the right hand, improvise the
melody within that chord and then switch to a
different chord and continue the melody in the next
chord. Keep doing this and see where it takes you.
Piano tabs
I’ve seen note names written with both the letter
and a number, like C5. What does this mean?
It exists as a way of differentiating between notes of
the same name. By giving each key on the keyboard
a name and a number, there can be no confusion
over which key someone means. The first key on a
full-size keyboard is A0, while Middle C – the fourth
C from left to right – is called C4. If you were to read
‘Play C-D-G’, this could mean any C, D, and G on the
keyboard. However, ‘Play C4-D4-G3’ refers to specific
notes, so using letters and numbers makes it easier
to get your point across.Note names
Are there any other names for the different
musical notes than crotchet, minim, etc? I
keep seeing whole notes and half notes being
referenced – what do they mean?“Whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and
eighth notes are the American counterparts to
semibreves, minims, crotchets and quavers”
You don’t need to worry – they aren’t a brand
new set of notes you need to learn! Whole notes,
half notes, quarter notes and eighth notes are the
American counterparts to semibreves, minims,
crotchets, and quavers respectively. Aside from the
names, there aren’t any other differences between
the way they work, so if you’re confused you just
need to substitute the names you know for the
ones you don’t.If you’re struggling, a friend
can be an incredible help