Glossary

Measurements of piano playing

Each of these is one thing a pianist decides without being told to, turned into a number that can be compared between recordings of the same piece. Every page says what the measurement means, what each end of it sounds like in real recordings, how it is computed, and how much of it survives being transcribed from audio.

Timing

Basic tempo solid

Arch depth solid

Beat sway solid

Grain noisy

Linger solid

Melody float solid

Section contrast solid

Coda fade solid

Repeat fidelity solid

Vertical

Melody lead solid

Hand dislocation solid

Bass anticipation solid

Roll width solid

Rolled fraction fair

Roll direction solid

Dynamics

Melody lift noisy

Third lift fair

Hand balance noisy

Top-loudest rate noisy

Dynamic range noisy

Climax span noisy

High-loud slope noisy

Contour smoothness noisy

Melody roughness noisy

Emergent voice fair

Articulation

Finger legato noisy

Detachment rate noisy

Accompaniment legato noisy

Pedal

Pedal density fair

Pedal rate noisy

Blur noisy

Soft-pedal share noisy