Grade One Piano Exam

Front 1

I'm A Believer - What does that mean?

Back 1

The title 'I'm A Believer' states that anything's possible and based on the lyrics in the chorus 'I'm in love' and 'I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried' he's saying that anything is possible in love.

Front 2

I'm A Believer - What do you know about it?

Back 2

It was first written by Neil Diamond and it was one of his earliest compositions. It was then recorded by The Monkees in 1966 and has been covered many times since. It was performed by Smash Mouth and Eddie Murphy as part of the soundtrack in the movie Shrek and is an early form of blues rock.

Front 3

I'm A Believer - What key is this piece in?

Back 3

This piece is in the key of G Major because it has an F Sharp in the key signature and it starts and ends on a G.

Front 4

I'm A Believer - There are several instances in this piece in which a 'blues note' is played. What is this note?

Back 4

The 'blues note' is a B Flat.

Front 5

Hot Chilli Rock - What does that mean?

Back 5

Part of the title 'Hot Chilli' represents a sharp and spicy food and 'Rock' is music genre and a style of music. The title of this piece means that it's a spicy piece of rock music.

Front 6

Hot Chilli Rock - What do you know about it?

Back 6

The piece was written by Mark Gibson, Jane Stavrinoudis and Steven Baker. It is written in Ternary Form (ABA) and has a bit of lyrical character during Section B.

Front 7

Hot Chilli Rock - What key is this piece in?

Back 7

This piece is set in the key of C Major because there are no sharps or flats however it contains many accidentals.

Front 8

Russian Dance - What does that mean?

Back 8

There are many different types of dances in Russia and this is a representation of a form of movement that began or is tradition in Russian society.

Front 9

Russian Dance - What do you know about it?

Back 9

It was written by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky - a famous Russian composer - and is a simple version of an orchestral score but it remains lively entertaining.

Front 10

Russian Dance - What key is this piece in?

Back 10

This piece is in the key of G Major because it has an F Sharp in the key signature and it starts and ends on a G.

Front 11

General Terms - What does 'driving' mean?

Back 11

A quick, upbeat, fast paced song.

Front 12

General Terms - What is the '-' sign above or below the notes?

Back 12

It's a Tenuto which means to play the note with slight stress.

Front 13

General Terms - What does 'f' mean and stand for?

Back 13

'F' stands for Forte which means to play loudly.

Front 14

General Terms - What is the long line that connects several DIFFERENT notes together?

Back 14

It's a slur which means to play the notes smoothly.

Front 15

General Terms - What is the sign next to a note that looks like 2 'L's put together? (Not a sharp, not a flat)

Back 15

It's a Natural sign. It means that you play the white key and the exact note - not that black key above or below it.

Front 16

General Terms - What does the small black rectangle on the BOTTOM of a line stand for?

Back 16

It's a semibreve rest which means that it is silent and you don't play for four beats.

Front 17

General Terms - What does the small black rectangle on the TOP of a line stand for?

Back 17

It's a minim rest which means that it is silent and you don't play for two beats.

Front 18

General Terms - What is the small little thing that looks like a 7? (It's a rest)

Back 18

It's a quaver rest which means that it is silent and you don't play for half a beat.

Front 19

General Terms - What is the line that connects two of the same note and what does it do?

Back 19

It's a tie which means that you hold that note for however long those two notes are worth when combined.

Front 20

General Terms - What does 'mf' mean and stand for?

Back 20

'Mf' stands for Mezzo Forte and means to play moderately/medium loud.

Front 21

General Terms - What does a dot NEXT TO a note do and what is it?

Back 21

A dot next to a note is called a Dotted Note and it means that you add half the value of the original note and play that length as well.

Front 22

General Terms - What does a big '>' mean?

Back 22

That is a decrescendo which means that you gradually become softer while playing.

Front 23

General Terms - What does 'p' mean and stand for?

Back 23

'P' stands for Piano and it means that you play softly.

Front 24

General Terms - What does a dot ON THE TOP of a note mean and what is it?

Back 24

A dot on the top of the note makes the note a Staccato which means that you play it sharply and - in a way - bounce off of the keys. You don't hold the note for very long.

Front 25

General Terms - What happens when there is a staccato involved with a slur?

Back 25

It becomes a Mezzo Staccato which means that it is still bounced and sharp but not as much as a regular staccato would be.

Front 26

General Terms - What does the real weird zig-zag rest mean?

Back 26

It's a crotchet rest meaning that it's silent and you don't play for one beat.

Front 27

General Terms - What does a big '<' mean?

Back 27

It's called a Crescendo and it means that you gradually become louder when playing.

Front 28

General Terms - What does 'mp' mean and stand for?

Back 28

'Mp' stands for Mezzo Piano and it means that you play moderately/medium soft.

Front 29

General Terms - What does 'ff' mean and stand for?

Back 29

'Ff' stands for Fortissimo and it means that you play very loudly.

Front 30

General Terms - What does '8vb' stand for when written on the notes?

Back 30

It means to play the notes one octave lower than they are written.

Front 31

General Terms - What does the # mean when placed next to a note?

Back 31

It makes the note a sharp. For example, if it was placed next to an F Natural it makes it an F Sharp. It makes the note higher in pitch and raises it by a semitone.

Front 32

General Terms - What does the small 'b' mean when placed next to a note?

Back 32

It's makes the note a flat. For example, if it was placed next to a B Natural it makes it a B Flat. It makes the note lower in pitch and lowers the note by a semitone.

Front 33

General Terms - What does a 'c' mean when it's placed where the time signature would be?

Back 33

It means the same as 4/4 would - four beats per bar.

Front 34

General Terms - What do the '-' lines mean when placed directly on a note?

Back 34

They're Ledger Lines. The lines are used to show notes written above the stave. When writing notes using too many ledger lines, the symbols '8va' or '8vb' can be used to indicate playing the notes an octave higher or lower than written.

Front 35

General Terms - What does 'sfz' mean and what does it stand for?

Back 35

It stands for Sforzato which is a sudden strong accent.

Front 36

General Terms - What is the little note placed next to a larger note?

Back 36

It's a grace note or a crushed note. It can mean 'an extra note as a decoration and one that's not necessary to the harmony or melody.'

Front 37

General Terms - What does the '>' symbol mean when placed above or below a note?

Back 37

It's an accent which means to play the note with more force.

Front 38

General Terms - What does 'Vivace' mean?

Back 38

That it's a lively piece of music.