Repeats, Dynamics & Articulation

A tie (liaison de prolongation) and a slur both look like a curved line joining two notes. What single fact tells them apart?

Two notes of the SAME pitch are joined by a curved line, then two notes of DIFFERENT pitch are joined by a curved line. Name each marking.

Why does a tie joining two quarter notes of the same pitch NOT sound like two separate quarter notes?

Order these dynamics from softest to loudest: f, pp, mf, ff, mp, p, ppp, fff

Which is louder, mp or mf, and what does each abbreviation stand for?

What does the dynamic marking ppp mean, and how does it differ from pp?

On a score you see a wedge that opens up (gets wider left to right) marked 'cres.'. What does it tell you to do?

Order these tempo terms from slowest to fastest: Allegro, Largo, Andante, Presto, Adagio, Moderato, Lento, Vivace

A piece is marked 'Allegro moderato'. Is that faster or slower than plain Allegro?

What is the difference between ritardando and accelerando, and what does 'a tempo' do after either one?

D.C. and D.S. both send the player back to repeat. What is the exact difference in where you jump to?

What does 'D.C. al Fine' instruct the performer to do?

When 'To Coda' appears, where does the player go, and how is the destination marked?

What do the words 'Fine' and 'Coda' each indicate, and how do they differ?

What is the difference between a tie and a 1st/2nd-ending repeat box?

A repeat begins right at the very start of a piece. What is special about how the opening repeat barline is written?

What does a fermata (point d'orgue / point d'arrêt) tell you to do, and can it sit over a rest?

Staccato and tenuto are opposite articulations applied to a single note. What does each do to the note's length?

Both accent and marcato make a note stronger. How do they differ in character?

What does a phrasing slur (phrasé/legato) over a series of notes tell the player about attack and sound between the notes?