What You Need to Know about Sheet Music

Posted by MaryO on August 28, 2019

A helpful guide to reading sheet music created by an unqualified individual.

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🎵 Dvorák: Largo ~ Daily Listening Assignments
Today’s piece is slow and easy-going. The name “Largo” itself means slow. Antonin Dvorák wrote this as a part of his Symphony No. 9 in E minor, also known as From the New World, Op. 95, B. 178, or just the New World Symphony.
🎵 Ravel: Bolero – Daily Listening Assignments
The other day, a student and I were looking at a piece with a l-o-n-g crescendo marking on it and she wondered how long the longest crescendo was in any piece. For those who don’t remember, crescendo means to get louder and decrescendo means to get softer. The sample below gets louder, then softer.
🎵 Mendelssohn: Wedding March – Daily Listening Assignments
Since we had the Bridal Chorus a couple days ago, it’s time to march the bride and groom back up the aisle with the Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn.
🎵 Haydn: Surprise Symphony ~ Daily Listening Assignments
Joseph Haydn’s music contains many jokes, and the Surprise Symphony includes probably the most famous of all: a sudden very loud (fortissimo chord) at the end of the otherwise soft (piano) opening theme in the variation-form second movement.
🐤 National Donald Duck Day
National Donald Duck Day is observed annually on June 9th. This day commemorates the birthday of the funny animal cartoon character, Donald Duck. Donald made his first screen debut on June 9, 1934, in The Wise Little Hen.
🎵 Confrey: You Tell ‘Em, Ivories
You Tell 'Em Ivories by Zez Confrey. This is a more advanced piece but I really like it. Some students may have heard this since it’s an alarm tone on my phone. My dog, Mimi, recognized this music as her signal to go out for a walk!
🎵Rossini: William Tell Overture ~ Daily Listening Assignments
Today, we’ll be listening to the end of the William Tell Overture by Gioachino Rossini. This piece, originally the overture to an opera, has been arranged for piano and is in several method books, including Piano Pronto Movements 1 and 2. It’s also in Bastien Book 4 and Piano Maestro.
🤫 Cage 4′33 ~ Daily Listening Assignments
What can I say about John Cage’s 4′33″? Pretty much anyone can play this anytime. It consists of the pianist going to the piano, and not hitting any keys for four minutes and thirty-three seconds. (He uses a stopwatch to time this.) In other words, the entire piece consists of silence or rests.
🎵 Happy Birthday ~ Daily Listening Assignments
Happy Birthday is a song that I like to have each of my students learn at various levels appropriate to their level. When a friend or family member has a birthday, it’s great to be able to sit down and play.
🎵 Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star ~ Daily Listening Assignments
I’m sure many have you have learned Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by now. Did you know its’ the same melody as the ABC Song? You know…
🎵 Bizet: Carmen ~ Daily Listening Assignments
Today we’re going to listen and learn about the opera Carmen. I chose this for today since it’s the anniversary of French composer Georges Bizet‘s death...In the middle of the night during the first round of Carmen performances, Bizet died. He was only 36.
🎵 Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance ~ Daily Listening Assignments
This is the month for graduations of all sorts, college, high school, even preschool. Perhaps you know someone who is graduating this year. Maybe it’s you!
🎵 Vivaldi: Spring ~ Daily Listening Assignments
Today, we start with Spring from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi. Many OCMS students have played this already in one of their Piano Pronto books. It’s also available in Piano Maestro.
🎵 Daily Listening Assignments
These daily assignments, June through August will help you and your students learn a bit more about the pieces they’re learning during the year – or maybe give ideas for something that they’d like to learn.
🇺🇸 Happy Memorial Day!
Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was initiated to honor the soldiers for the Union and Confederate armies who died during the American Civil War.
🪣 National Hole in My Bucket Day
May 30, of each year, National Hole in My Bucket Day is observed. This wacky holiday is in honor of the fun children’s song; There’s a Hole in My Bucket. The song which has origins in 1700 Germany, is about a back and forth conversation between Henry and Liza. Henry needs to fix his leaky […]
💃 National Tap Dance Day
Today is also National Tap Dance Day
🧖‍♀️ Towel Day
Towel Day is celebrated every year on 25 May as a tribute to the author Douglas Adams by his fans. On this day, fans carry a towel with them, as described in Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, to demonstrate their appreciation for the books and the author.
🎹🥁🎺 🎵 It’s National Buy a Musical Instrument Day
Each year on May 22 we observe National Buy a Musical Instrument Day. The day is all about playing music. If you are a musician, it might be time for a new instrument. Maybe you can learn to play a second or third one. If you have never played an instrument before, National Buy A […]
🎧 Keyboards for Beginners
Each year on May 22 we observe National Buy a Musical Instrument Day. The day is all about playing music. If you are a musician, it might be time for a new instrument. Maybe you can learn to play a second or third one. If you have never played an instrument before, National Buy A […]

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What You Need to Know about Sheet Music

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