Which term means always?

Study for the Certificate of Merit (CM) Piano Theory Level 9 Exam with comprehensive materials. Explore flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and get ready to ace your test with our detailed explanations and hints.

Multiple Choice

Which term means always?

Explanation:
Sempre is the term that means always. In piano notation, it signals you should keep applying a quality or tempo consistently through the entire passage until a new instruction appears. So, if you see sempre with a marking like sempre legato, you maintain legato for the whole section; if it’s sempre piano, you stay soft throughout. This is different from rallentando (gradually slowing down) or ritenuto (holding back, a bit slower), and senza (without). The idea is continuity: always apply the stated character, not just for a moment.

Sempre is the term that means always. In piano notation, it signals you should keep applying a quality or tempo consistently through the entire passage until a new instruction appears. So, if you see sempre with a marking like sempre legato, you maintain legato for the whole section; if it’s sempre piano, you stay soft throughout. This is different from rallentando (gradually slowing down) or ritenuto (holding back, a bit slower), and senza (without). The idea is continuity: always apply the stated character, not just for a moment.

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