Page 78 - Music

Activity 5.2

Search for various music scores in the school library or on the internet and identify
terms and signs that indicate dynamics.

Terms and signs indicating articulations
Articulations are indications on how a specific note should be played or sung. For
example, in piano playing, articulation signs direct a player on how hard and how
long piano keys should be played. In singing, it implies how long a tone should be

held and whether the notes sung should sound connected or detached. Articulations
are shown with symbols which appear either above or below the note heads. The
following are some of the terms and signs that indicate articulations:
(a) Staccato : a dot that appears above or below a note head. It indicates
that the note should be played or sung in a detached manner. See the example
shown in Figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1: Appearance of staccato as used on different notes in a staff

(b) Accent : a sign that appears above or below the note head. An accent
indicates that the note should be played with a harder attack. See the example
shown in Figure 5.2.

Figure 5.2: Appearance of accent mark in staff notation

(c) Fermata : indicates that the note should be sustained for a duration longer
than the actual time value. Sometimes, the decision on how much longer the
note is sustained is determined by the performer or conductor. See the example
shown in Figure 5.3.

Figure 5.3: Appearance of fermata on staff

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