The difference between tied notes and slurred notes in music can cause confusion—which is not surprising, since they are both noted the exact same way! Both slurs and ties are indicated with arc-shaped lines placed either above a grouping of notes (if the notes’ stems are pointing down) or below a grouping of notes (if the stems are pointing up).
Just like notes, rests have precise rhythms; every type of note value has a corresponding rest with the same time value. And although there is no sound, in order to play with rhythmic accuracy, rests must be carefully counted.
The following chart breaks down the types of rests you are most likely to find in music…
Enharmonics are notes that sound at the same pitch but have a different name, such as F# and Gb. Here are a few tips on understanding enharmonics.
Cadences are chord progressions that either break up or conclude a particular section or piece of music. Here are a few different types of cadences.
Understanding less common time signatures can be tricky. Fortunately, we have a few tips to help you count them out and make sense of them.
Many terms we use in music today come from other languages, so it isn’t always easy to determine what they mean. Here is a list of common musical terms.
Musical ornaments, such as grace notes, trills, and turns, are a great way to add color and variation to a melodic line of music.
When playing in cut time, notes are played at half the duration they would normally be played at. A whole note is two beats, a half note is one beat, etc.
While most musicians are familiar with major and minor keys, there are also other scale forms called modes, which includes Dorian, Phrygian and so on.
Understanding modulations is important for both composers and performers, because it can give you an idea about where the piece is going and why.