Kid's Quest: Choosing the Right Time for Piano Lessons

           

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To this day, I feel deprived that my parents didn't sign me up for piano lessons. You see, I have two sisters who are considerably older than I am (ten and 14 years older, respectively). They both learned to play the piano, and my parents had a piano in the house until the time I was six years old. At that point, they sold the piano and, alas, my potential piano lessons went with out the door with the instrument. In retrospect, I imagine they felt as though they'd "been there, done that" with my sisters, and that another round of piano practices and recitals was more than they could bear. Still, to this day, I wish I had learned to play the piano.

Many parents embrace the idea of piano lessons for their children, but wonder when beginner piano lessons are appropriate. Is it when their prodigy-to-be bangs out his first tune on his toy piano? Is it once he's show an interest in an educational toy or an educational game? Is it once he's started school?

Experts generally agree that parents should take their child's lead in deciding when beginner piano lessons are appropriate. If a child shows an interest in her toy piano, that may be an early indicator. A child who sits down at her aunt's piano and bangs out notes at every opportunity is one who may be ready for piano lessons.

Ultimately, a child's experience of piano lessons - just like the experience of playing with an educational toy or educational game - should be one that's enjoyable. He should be old enough to understand that there is a level of commitment necessary in learning to play the piano, and to understand that beginner piano lessons are just that - for beginners. Once he can see that his skills improve with practice, he's likely to more thoroughly enjoy his piano lessons.

Parents can contribute to their child's feels of satisfaction about her progress by encouraging her at every opportunity. Applaud her initiative in practicing, attend her recitals, and - if you've ever had the urge - consider taking beginner piano lessons with her. Family involvement in her piano lessons will go far in giving her the motivation to continue playing.

If a child does lose interest in piano lessons after a time, though, it doesn't pay for parents to force their child to continue taking piano lessons. Instead, they should encourage him to continue to enjoy music in its infinite variety.

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Learn Piano Online In A Fast And Easy Manner

           

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If you want to learn piano online like me, then you know that this can be a not so easy task to accomplish. As a beginner, I knew absolutely nothing about pianos before trying to learn it. I simply bought a keyboard and decided that I wanted to learn to play it, instead of it collecting dust like my old guitar is. The best part to learn piano online is that you don?t have to sit on a little bench with your legs dangling off while your eighty year old neighbor sits their and corrects your posture.

Black Keys: If you want to learn piano online, the first things you must learn are the keys. Black keys come in groups of two and groups of three. This means something that will be described next. White Keys: The white key right before the first black key in the two group is the C note. From then on, a total of 7 notes are played, in a repeating pattern.

Hands: Your hands are your tools. Treat them well, because if you lose them, you no longer play. A good rule of thumb is that for the right side of the keyboard; only use your right hand. Left side uses only the left hand to play.

Now, you want to have fun. Try to just play a few random notes. Don?t worry how it sounds or the fact that you aren?t playing a song; just get yourself accustomed to the keyboard. Remember to also use the black keys in your practice session, as many people forget those keys completely. Also remember to keep the left hand on the left side and right on right.

Hand eye coordination is another huge factor in learning piano online. Your eyes might see the keys you want to hit, but your hands must hit them correctly. This may not happen all the time, so practice a simple song with just one hand until you have perfected it. Then, try a slightly harder song, and see if you can keep up your hand-eye coordination, using the same or different hands.

Pretty soon you will be learning how to play using both hands and maybe someday you will learn to read sheet music, but if that doesn?t happen don?t get discouraged. Some of the best pianists could not read sheet music, but were still considered some of the best of their time.

If you desire to learn piano online, then it is a must that you get the needed information and resources that you need to be just as good as Beethoven :) http://www.squidoo.com/learnpianoonline/

Game Software Makes Learning Piano Fun

           

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You may have heard of ?Dance Dance Revolution,? the arcade game phenomenon that got all the teenagers dancing and exercising like crazy, or Guitar Hero, the PS2 hit that has kids cranking out their favorite songs on toy guitars. Dust off your keyboards, because the movement is being taken to the next level with Piano Wizard, software that makes learning to play piano into a fun game.

Piano lessons no longer equal tears and pouting with new piano software. This new piano game is so sleek, colorful, and fun, that kids think they are playing an online video game. We won?t tell them the truth, which is that they?re learning the finger positions and piano basics that lead them to read music and eventually play piano.

As old-fashioned piano lessons usually go, a teacher forces boring, tedious notation to memory before a child ever experiences the joy of actually creating recognizable sound with a piano. With this piano game?s many levels and custom options, however, any player can gain a feeling of immediate confidence by playing a favorite song on a real keyboard. This incredible piano software takes us from hitting colored keys corresponding to floating on-screen characters of our choice all the way to reading black and white musical scores.

The piano game is versatile: kid-friendly, with vibrant colors and animation plus a fun funkiness that adults love. It is extremely easy to navigate and manipulate to each player?s speed, sound, or level preferences. Using a real piano keyboard instead of a mouse sets this game apart from others, providing valuably applicable and translatable lessons for all learners. Any song available in a MIDI format, meaning thousands available for free download on the internet, is perfect for the program, giving us thousands of choices of almost any popular tune to tackle.

So, the software is fun and exciting, but does it work? Yes! Watching my child progress rapidly over the past two months is personal proof that this piano game gives the gift of piano basics to anyone who chooses to pursue it.

Finally, this new piano game has made a reality of what we should have thought of years ago-- learn to play piano using songs we actually like and desire to know, letting note memorization and finger placement come as a natural result. Be your own teacher; be your child?s teacher, just don?t be surprised when you order a second piano video game to avoid begging your children to play theirs.

Bethany is a mom of son Evan who writes as a hobby. She also likes to cook and take dance classes.

Learn to Play Piano Fast!

           

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If you?ve ever wanted to learn to play piano, you are in good company. Many people list ?Learn to play the piano? on their New Year?s Resolution lists, or have it as a goal for their future. However, not many people take the steps necessary to learn how to play.

The sad part is that taking the time to learn to play piano has many advantages. In all actuality, with the right method, learning to play doesn?t take as much time as most people expect.

I believe that everyone can benefit from having some musical ability. The piano is one of the most versatile instruments. With a few simple lessons, you can learn to play:

Classical
Swing
Jazz
New Age
Rock/Pop

I can guarantee that you will never get bored playing the piano. There is always a new style to try, or a new song to master. Plus, sheet music is most likely available for your favorite songs, which makes the process even more fun.

Playing the piano is seen as a very intelligent skill, and with good reason. The skills you master when you learn to play piano will help increase your hand eye coordination and improve your left and right brain thinking. There is always something new to learn when you learn to play piano.

Just by learning a few songs on the piano, you?ll exercise your brain and gain a reputation as a semi-genius!

One of the fastest and most satisfying ways to learn to play piano is taking a chord-based approach. Most piano teachers will teach from a classical method. This includes those infamous scales, learning to read music, playing Fur Elise again and again?..all the (boring) things we typically think of when we picture piano lessons.

The classical method does work, but it takes forever?.which is why most teachers focus on this approach. Think about it. If you were a teacher, charging $40 an hour, would you go with a method that will take your students years to master? Or would you choose a method that has them improvising their own music and understanding musicianship within a few months?

I?d personally go with the option that will guarantee me long-term clients who will pay me $40 a week for years on end.

Learning to play by chords, however, is better for the students and not the teachers. If your goal is to learn to play piano, a chord-based approach to learning will give you more satisfaction, more quickly than the classical method. Your time-spent learning will be greatly reduced and, better yet, you?ll actually understand how music is created.

So find a teacher, or website, that focuses on chord-based teaching, and you?ll be able to finally reach your perpetual ?learn to play piano? goal.

Learn To Play Piano Online- Free Piano Lessons, Lesson Reviews and much more...Claim your Free Piano Lessons eBook at http://www.learntoplaypianoonline.com/

Should I Learn To Play Piano, Keyboard Or Organ?

           

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The first thing to consider when choosing the instrument you want to learn is which one do you like the best. If you like them all, then we can move onto which one is the most practical for you.

The easiest and cheapest option is the keyboard. You can buy a keyboard for less then ?100.00 and you only need to learn to read music for the right hand. The left hand is made easy because you just learn left hand chords as you need them. Typically, you would start with C chord and G chord. With a keyboard, you should be playing a simple tune within a day, it?s that easy.

The piano is a more expensive option. If you buy a real piano (not electric) then you need the room, if you go for the electric option then you really should be looking at an 88 note keyboard especially if you intend taking exams. With piano sheet music, you will need to learn to read right hand (treble clef) and left hand (bass clef). You can expect to play a simple tune within a week, based on at least half an hour practice a day.

The electric organ can be a very expensive option if bought new, fortunately, there is a healthy second hand market and you can pick up a bargain. Like the piano, you need room for the organ because they are big and heavy. At the moment, there are no portable options available in the UK. However, you can import the Yamaha D-Deck organ or the Yamaha Electone Stagea organ, which are portable and very modern looking. The organ has two keyboards and a pedal board. The right hand plays the top keyboard the left hand plays the lower keyboard and your left foot plays the pedal board. It is initially more the most difficult to learn because you need to learn to play the bass pedals however when starting to learn the organ, like the keyboard you just need to learn to read music for the right hand and use chord symbols for the left hand and bass pedals.

I personally started on piano then moved to organ and I prefer the organ because of the vast amount of sounds. With a piano, you will only ever have a piano. If I had to answer the question for you then I would say start with a cheap keyboard. If you like it, move on to a bigger keyboard, a piano, or an organ, if not, it?s not cost you a lot of money to find out that this music lark is not for you.

Michael David Shaw (Mike to his friends) runs the websites http://www.mikesmusicroom.co.uk, http://www.keyboardsheetmusic.co.uk and http://www.guitarmusicbooks.co.uk

Learn To Play Amazing Grace With Piano Tabs

           

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You can learn to play popular melodies without sheet music. Today you will learn to use piano tab notation to learn a popular song!

Piano tabs show you where to play the notes on the piano. We will today use the numbers 1 to 8 to help you find the notes.

First we will locate the note 1. It is the note that is found to the left of two black keys. There are many such places on a piano but I suggest that you choose a number one somewhere in the middle of the keyboard.

The note 1 is also called C. The notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and 8 are also called C D E F G A B and C.

The note named 2 in our piano tab notation is the white key immediately to the right of 1. Then note 3 is the white key to the right of 2 and so on.

Let's start by taking a look at the lyrics for the first verse:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see

We will start to play the melody to the first line of lyrics:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

1 4 6 4 6 5 4 2 1

This type of piano tab does not tell you the length of the notes. If you sing the lyrics you will probably feel how long the notes should be.

Time for the next line:

That saved a wretch like me

1 4 6 4 6 5 6 8

Maybe you are using your right hand index finger to play all notes and I guess it works with this easy melody. I suggest that you try to use all right hand fingers to play the melody, including the thumb.

This will help you prepare for more difficult piano pieces and when you get used to play this way you will feel that it is in fact easier to play this way.

Here are the next piano tab:

I once was lost, but now am found

6 8 6 4 6 5 4 2 1

The last line is here:

Was blind, but now I see

1 4 6 4 6 5 4

If you want to play chords with your left hand I will give you three piano chords that will work with the song.

I will write them down with the same piano tab notation you already know but you of course have to play the chords starting with a 1 note somewhere to the left of the numbers you use for the melody:

F: 1 4 6

Bb: 2 4 7b

C7: 1 3 7b

7b means that you instead of playing on the white 7 key should play the black key to the left of the white key 7.

In the following text I have placed the chord names in parenthesis immediately before the syllable on which to play the chord:

A-(F)mazing Grace, how (Bb)sweet the (F)sound
That (F)saved a wretch like (C7)me
I (F)once was lost, but (Bb)now am (F)found
Was (F)blind, but (C7)now I (F)see

As my old piano teacher used to say, learn one thing at a time. Start with learning the right hand melody by heart, line by line. Learn to play the chords by heart and then try to sing the song together with the chords.

When you have learned to sing the song with the chords by heart it's time to combine the melody with the chords. By now it should be easy.

Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free piano sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his music blog at Capotasto Music.

Learn Piano Classics

           

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Learning Piano by Ear - Good or Bad Idea?

           

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There are many websites which claim to teach you to play piano by ear. But, the real question is; does it work? Can you truly learn to play the piano strictly by ear? While I believe it is possible, I believe that this method has its limitations.

First of all, learning to play by ear generally means that you need to be able to hear pitch and gage the quality of chords with your ear. In other words you would need to be able to distinguish the difference between major and minor chords, dominant and diminished etc. The only problem is most people do not possess an ear capable of such distinctions.

I?ve been playing the piano for 36 years and I often cannot tell the difference between chords. How is someone with no experience supposed to do this? Does this mean that my ear isn?t any good? Quite the contrary, I have very good relative pitch and can often hear entire chord progressions but often miss the nuances of each specific chord. Therefore an approach which is solely geared to hearing the changes has its limitations.

The other problem with learning by ear is that you cannot gain a complete understanding of music just by listening. You see, music is like math. It has formative structure derived from centuries of musicians and teachers who have dedicated their lives to the understanding a betterment of each specific musical genre. To discount this process and work around it using just your ear is counter productive.

For example; let?s say you?re going to learn to play the blues. If you learn by ear that would mean you would have to hear not only the dominant seventh chords, then the melody which is derived from the blues scale, the rhythm which comes from structured meter and the re-harmonization of the chord structure all without understanding the words I just said. It would mean you would have to hear all of this without knowing what its called, how it works and how it all comes together. You would learn by watching someone else play the piano, copy it and repeat it until it sounds the same as what you just hear.

Not only is this a completely inefficient way of learning it is highly limited because you cannot gain an understanding of what it is you?re actually doing. Only until you are able to comprehend and dissect each specific aspect of the music can you fully appreciate and learn from it.

I believe that it?s highly productive to learn how music is formulated rather than just hearing it and trying to repeat it. Why? Because that way you can stretch the boundaries of learning and be able to move your playing to another level. Even if you were able to copy certain aspects of learning to play by ear that would severely limit you from moving beyond that point because you simply cannot understand what it is you?re doing.

It would be like trying to build a house with no foundation. Eventually if you wanted to add an extra floor of musical knowledge your paper thin layer of foundation and understanding couldn?t possibly support it.

So, what?s a better way to learn? Choose a teacher or online piano lessons that can help you build a strong foundation. In other words, pick a course that helps you with the basic understanding of how music works. Then you can use your ear to strengthen your understanding because the ear can converse with the mind and come to a consensus of how and why things sound the way they do.

Where do you start? Start with how chords and scales are made and use that information to formulate melody and structure. Your ear can support this process obviously but it?s the scales and chords that create the building blocks of true musical understanding.

It?s not enough to know how to play a simple F, G, C progression with melody. You need to know why and how this progression works and why it sounds the way it does. Then and only then can you begin to build on that foundation by learning richer chords, re-harmonization and more complicated melodies.

For example; F, G, C can sound so much better if you play it as Fmaj7, D-7, G7, Db7, Cmaj7. This is the same chord progression but re-harmonized to sound richer and more pleasing to the ear. How can you possibly do this if you use only your ear? For the vast majority of people who want to learn to play the piano it?s impossible. So, next time you?re thinking of learning just by ear, you might want to reconsider that plan. Why limit yourself?

Online piano lessons are becoming very popular and Paul Tobey, a professional concert pianist, offer a free piano lesson to and student wishing to participate. One piano lesson is all it takes to decide if he is the right teacher for you.

Learn to PLay Piano By Ear - Left Hand Techniques

           

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The tenth (10th) chord is an excellent technique you can use on your left hand. The 10th chord is basically following this:

Every major chord is made up of the numbers 1-3-5 of the scale played simultaneously. Basically, the 10th chord is made up of these three numbers inverted and played either simultaneously or in a "roll" form.

1-5-3 (the 3 actually becomes the 10)

For example:

C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
1 2 3 4 7 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

That means that on the left hand you would play C-G-E. Now this may be rather hard for some of you. In fact, when I started playing the 10th chord I have to "roll" it until my fingers stretched out enough to play it as a chord. (I'll focus on stretching exercises later.)

HOW DO I USE THE 10th CHORD ON SLOW TO MODERATE SONGS?

The most common way of using the 10th chord is to use it on the left hand on most "down" beats. It creates a wonderful full sound. Another common way to use the 10th chord is in a roll. This would mean the pianist would create the rhythm to the song playing the following numbers:

Moving up the keyboard: 1-5-3-5-1 (repeat)

So, if you were in the key of C and you were in the C chord change, while your right hand is playing the melody to the song, the left hand would follow the pattern above and would look like this:

Moving up the keyboard: C-G-E-G-C

When you get to the F chord change:

Moving up the keyboard: F-C-A-C-F

Wow! What a difference in the full sound it gives! Try the 10th run!

Matthew Stephens has been playing the piano for over 27 years and giving piano lessons by ear for 17. Learn more about him at http://www.thepianobyear.com

The Best Way To Learn The Piano

           

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Is there any other educational area where students are taught only in a one-on-one situation, not really?

In essence, this is what classical piano students do. It is very important and monotonous for students who are learning to play the piano to practice everyday, this takes discipline which you do not see in children or parents. Both of these attitudes create artificial limitations for students that hinder their ability to grow and develop musically. Here?s the message piano students need to hear -- ?Your effort matters and it makes a difference.

However, about a third of parents do too much and try to take over responsibility for their child?s progress, which hinders their child?s ability to develop positive learning skills on their own. To help their children learn and accomplish their goals, parents need to focus on the process and content of the learning rather than the final product.What the young student doesn?t understand is the piano learning process.

Private lessons have good and bad connotation associated with them, sometimes children create a dependence on the teacher and it is hard for children to overcome this and children are not encouraged to develop their own independence when it comes to learning the necessary skills, on the other hand having the one on one teaching is very beneficial to the child because more can get accomplished in a shorter period of time. Plus, there is no point in having your child spend 30 minutes practicing incorrectly without learning their pieces when the material can be mastered in 10 minutes with good practice habits.

Because parents are in charge of their children?s schedule and curriculum, home school students can set their own pace and spend more time on music than in the public or private schools. Music is even more fun when you can share it with others. Young children have the ability to learn music theory and are able to learn concepts on the keyboard as the children grow and develop their musical ear.

If your children know their alphabet and how to identify numbers and count, they?re old enough to start learning music theory. With the rise of the internet more adults have learned that taking piano lesson does not have be taught in classrooms or studios it can be taught over the internet, this helps with today?s busy schedules and adults do not have to be locked into a schedule.

Well, you might find this hard to believe, but encouraging your child taking piano lessons to practice doesn?t have to be a struggle. They do want to be sure, however, that their young child is old enough to benefit from formal musical training.

One of the choices that parents have when their child is beginning piano lessons is whether to enroll their son or daughter in a private or group lesson.

Over time this will make sitting down at the piano to practice feel more natural to your young child or your older beginner and make learning easier. Establish a routine practice time.

Set meaningful goals that will last, focus on the ?What? and the ?Why. Writing down the goals and dreams that first motivated you to give your child the gift of piano lessons provides a reminder that will keep your energy focused over the long term.

David Marc Fishman is the owner of www.bornasuperstar.com The online audition for magicians

Should You Learn on a Keyboard or Digital Piano?

           

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The keyboard and digital piano market is certainly much larger today than the acoustic piano market. The reasons for this are mainly due to the available space in the modern home, advances in technology that allow you to record your own music on your digital piano or keyboard, and the useful feature of being able to play with headphones.

- - Grand Pianos - -

In an ideal world it is best to learn on a grand piano.

The grand piano produces the best sound, has more weight to the keys which strengthens the fingers more, and has a faster repetition due to the superior horizontal piano action which relies more on gravity than the upright.

The disadvantages of the grand piano are mainly the space they take up and the high price tag.

- - Upright Pianos - -

The upright piano is the next best thing to learn on.

Much less space is required than a grand piano, prices are cheaper and the sound of the tallest uprights are almost identical to the grand piano.

- - Digital Pianos - -

The digital piano comes next in line.

The sounds are recordings from a grand piano and the touch, although lighter than a grand or upright piano, is pretty realistic.

The main advantages of the digital piano are:

* Cheaper to buy * Easier to mover around * Lots of different instrument sounds to play around with * Can be used with headphones * Takes up less room than an upright piano * Easy to record your own music * No tuning required

Disadvantages:

* New improved models are brought out every 2-3 years * They wear out very quickly if played a lot * The touch is not quite heavy enough * The sound is easily identifiable as electronic

- - Keyboards - -

Last in line is the keyboard.

The keyboard is not the best thing to learn on.

Advantages are:

* Much cheaper to buy than any other type of piano * Easy to carry around * Takes up limited space. Easily storable * Record your own music * No tuning required

Disadvantages:

* The keys are way too light * Only 61 keys instead of 88 * Poor sound quality * Harder to play dynamics

- - Conclusion - -

If your budget is tight, then a keyboard will do for the first year of playing only.

Practicing on a keyboard is ok if you are mainly learning the notes and the theory of music. After one year you will need to upgrade to either a digital piano or an acoustic piano.

There is a free piano course I have created for you below. It will give you a taster for piano lessons without you having to spend any money. I have given as much information, tips and techniques as possible.

Graham Howard is considered an expert in the piano industry. He has spent his whole life SURROUNDED by pianos. You can get some free piano lessons: "Learn How to Play Piano, Read Chords, Understand Rhythm and Read Music", a free 5-part mini course written by Graham Howard here: http://www.ukpianos.co.uk/free-online-piano-lessons.html

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Learn Piano Rapidly With The Chord Based Approach

           

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Have you always wanted to play the piano for fun but can?t seem to get started?

Most people have the desire to be able to play piano but don?t know which approach to take. There are in general two approaches to learning the piano: the traditional method and the chord based approach. One approach may be a better fit for you, but if you want to start having fun right away, the chord based approach is the way to go. Here are some benefits of the chord based approach to learning the piano.

1. The chord based approach allows you to have fun from day one! The traditional method focuses heavily on sight reading. You?re required to practice scales and sight reading music of the masters such as Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. It takes some time before you can be able to sound half way decent. The chord based approach to piano learning is all about learning chords. Yes, you will still learn to read music, but it?s very minimal. After learning a few chords and some practice, you?ll be able to play songs right away. You?ll be able to play pop songs, gospel, show tunes, jazz, etc, basically anything except classical music.

2. It?s much inexpensive to learn the chord based approach. Compared to the classical method, the chord based approach is cheap. You might have to spend anywhere from $45-$65 for a one-hour lesson with the traditional approach. Depending on your motivation and how fast you learn, it might take weeks, months, or even years before you get good. With the chord based approach all it takes is learning some chords and you?re off to go. You can even teach yourself how to play piano the chord style approach for cheap. There are many self study courses available that you can find on the internet for a fraction of what you?d have to pay for with the traditional approach.

3. The chord based approach allows you to unravel the mystery of music. Classical pianists might be able to play Chopin Etudes at lightning speed, but they have no idea if what they?re playing is a Cm9 or FMaj13. Chord-based piano players, however, are always conscious of what they?re playing. Thus, they?re more proactive to music. With the chord based approach you learn a few rules on how chord construction and once you know the rules you can pretty much figure out on your own. Think of it as learning how to fish as opposed to having a fish caught for you. Big difference.

There?s nothing wrong with learning the classical method. If your goal is to become a classical pianist, by all means choose a great local teacher to learn from. However, if all you want is to have fun learning the piano in the shortest time possible, then the chord style approach might be a better choice for you. You can always go back and add classical music to your repertoire later on, if you wish.

Alex Nguyen is a ?Rapid Piano Expert? who has been playing the piano for over 20 years. Now he?s helping others learn to play the piano rapidly and enjoy it from day one. To get your FREE mini report ?The 7 Most Powerful Tips To Learning The Piano Rapidly,? and learn how you can get personal piano coaching from Alex for FREE for a very limited time, go to http://www.RapidPiano.com

How To Learn To Play Piano Efficiently And Easily By Mimicking Professional Piano Players

           

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The best way to learn a language is to imitate native speakers. Likewise, the best way to learn the piano is to imitate professional piano players.

When you learn a foreign language, you try to converse with those who speak the language fluently. Hopefully, you?ll pick up the right intonation, phrasing, accent, and pronunciation. The more you imitate, the more fluent you become.

Learning the piano is no different. Music is a language. As such, it has intonation, phrasing, dynamics, etc. But the key to mastering the piano, like mastering a verbal language, is to acquire good habits from the start. This is why it?s important to learn from someone who has already mastered the language of piano. Many beginning piano students fall into the trap of learning by themselves without the proper guidance to master the fundamentals. The following pointers help to get beginning students into the right track to becoming competent piano players.

? Seek out a good piano teacher who does not hesitate to let you imitate his/her skills. Ask yourself this question ?is he/she going to teach me the necessary skills to become a well rounded player or is he/she just going to teach me the same old ?Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star? like many other old school teachers do. If you go with self study, make sure you choose a system that emphasizes the imitation technique.

? Learn the fundamentals ? take your time to learn the basics. When you first learn a foreign language, you don?t try to converse in full sentences right away. You start out with one letter at a time, one syllable at a time. Then you put syllables together to form one word, and then you put words together to form sentences. Before long you?re able to communicate with your fellow students. Likewise, when you start out learning the piano, learn one hand at a time, then hands together; one chord structure at a time, then chord progressions. Simply and joyfully.

? Choose a method that de-emphasizes note reading and encourages chord style playing and playing by ear. I?m not saying that you should not learn how to read note, but if you want to start playing hundreds of songs, start learning chord style piano. Chords are much easier to learn and master. With only a few chords you can play many pop songs pretty quickly. And if you are so inclined to learn classical piano later on, you can always focus on pure reading then.

? Have fun or else ? just because you are starting out learning the piano, doesn?t mean you can?t have fun. This is important if you want to keep playing the piano for years down the road. Many students give up early because they don?t have fun. Unfortunately, traditional methods that teach rote memory and emphasize on sight reading tend to discourage this important element. Thanks to today?s technology and other alternative piano methods that focus on chord style piano playing, students learn to play and have fun from day one. Some online piano methods incorporate audio, video, and computer games to help the beginning students learn better and faster.

The key to learning to play the piano well is not about ?suffer first then enjoy later?, but to enjoy it now - from day one! It doesn?t have to take 6 months before you start having fun. Take all the time you need, but enjoy every moment of it now.

Alex Nguyen is the ?Rapid Piano Expert? who has been playing the piano for over 20 years. Now he?s helping others learn to play the piano rapidly and enjoy it from day one. To get your FREE mini report ?The 7 Most Powerful Tips To Learning The Piano Rapidly,? and learn how you can get personal piano coaching from Alex for FREE for a very limited time, go to http://www.RapidPiano.com

Learn To Play Your Favorite Christmas Songs By Ear: Gospel Piano Course

           

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Dear Friend,

The Christmas season, my favorite season of the entire year, is ALMOST here --- and courtesy of Jermaine and HearandPlay.com, I have the PERFECT gift idea that YOU or one of your relatives would LOVE to see under the tree (...or better yet, on top of their piano)!

Jermaine just let me know about his brand new 3 H-O-U-R Christmas course, Christmas Keys Vol.1 - "Conquering Christmas Classics, which has just been released.

After he takes you through his UNIQUE song learning process, you'll not ONLY know how to conquer the songs shown in this course but tons of other Christmas songs since most songs follow familiar patterns.

Christmas Keys Volume 1 is LOADED with tons of powerful tips, easy-to-do tricks, and techniques that will have you playing like an expert by this Christmas season - GUARANTEED! Click here for more details:

Christmas Keys

In this course, you'll...

* Learn how to play every song, step-by-step, with no guessing (whatsoever) or any information left out! By the end of this course, you'll have what it takes to fully play all of these Christmas songs by ear!

* Learn several variations of each song so you can play these Christmas classics a different way every time!

* Beginners: How to play an entire song with only three-fingered major chords (...also known as "major triads").

* Discover the power of "inversions" and how changing one note in your chord can totally alter the way a progression sounds!

* How to add fuel to your bass by understanding how "power" chords work in holiday music.

* How to play "Go Tell It On The Mountain" in a churchy praise style! I'm talking about bass lines, runs, fill-ins, and more (...similar to our other GospelKeys courses)!

* And tons more!

Click below if you're ready to finally learn your favorite Christmas songs by ear:

Christmas Keys

Please note: Due to the high demand and moderate supply, this incredible offer for Christmas Keys will only be around for a short time. So...

...Don't waste time! Order TODAY!

Click here for more details:

Christmas Keys

God bless,

Andre Hayward is jazz trombonist/educator in the Boston area.

He is akson an 8 year member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

led by Wynton Marsalis. He serves as adjunct trombone professor at

both The New England Conservatory and New York University.

How Will You Learn to Play the Piano?

           

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Is your passion listening to piano music? Would you like to be able to play just like your idols? Are you thinking of taking lessons but you are not sure where to start? It could even be that you have had some lessons but you have given up as it has taken longer than you thought to learn. Lots of other people may well be in your shoes at this moment and only need a push in the right direction.

The Various Ways to Learn the Piano

Before you do anything else, it is essential to know that there are two ways of playing a piano. These are:

1. Chords

2. Note reading

It is a good idea to know what you want to do when playing the piano. If you are happy enough playing music other people have written, all you have to do is learn how to read the notes. However, on the other hand, if you are more creative and you would like to write your own inspiring music, an understanding of chords is a must.

If you want to learn to play the piano fairly fast, it may be a wise choice to take a chord based approach. If you learn the chords on the piano, you can learn the sounds they make and, therefore, make your own music. You can always learn note reading afterwards if you choose.

The Pros and Cons of Learning from a Teacher

Finding a qualified and reliable instructor is the key to having successful lessons while learning to play the piano. You could learn at home or at the instructor?s studio. There are advantages to both, so it all depends on where you would feel most comfortable. A lot of people try to find an instructor that is local to where they live.

When you are looking for an instructor, you will need to have a goal in mind. It could be that you want to play for fun and want to learn how to play from music sheets. However, if you want to be more creative, it may be a good idea to look for instructors that will give you chord based lessons.

If you hire a piano instructor expecting to make your own music and they teach you nothing but reading notes, you will obviously not be able to reach your goal. Make sure that you know exactly what you will be achieving. Otherwise, you could be wasting a lot of money on something that you, basically, do not want. Also, it can be a huge waste of money to learn something that you could learn online for a cheaper price, and it is just as effective.

Learning online

As mentioned earlier, learning online is a lot cheaper than piano lessons and it is just as good. It can be a great benefit to learn online as you can do it in your own time and at your own pace without someone breathing down your neck. It can also help to save time, too, so the benefits are quite good when learning online.

The only real disadvantage with learning online is that a person may not have enough motivation to learn properly. Also, with an instructor, if there is something that doesn?t make sense, they can get help. When you are learning online, it may not make much sense and there is no instructor there to ask for help.

You can also learn how to play the piano with piano learning DVDs and computer software designed to help.

General Guidelines to Learning the Piano

Overall playing the piano should be something that is fun and it should certainly not reduce you to tears all of the time. If you take your time learning and have regular practice you will eventually achieve what you want. You should not give up if it is something that you have wanted to do for a long time. There may be times that you get frustrated, but just keep going and you will be able to play the piano just as good as anyone else can, and even write your own music in time.

Kevin is the publisher and editor of musicianhome.com.

Learning to Memorize Piano Music

           

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We all have our psychological, emotional, mental and physical barriers when it comes to practicing and/or performing. One such particularly difficult challenge is that many pianists simply cannot remember a piece. However, it is the emotional reaction to not remembering a piece which is the most painful. In fact, what it creates is stress. And, that is a huge problem and very difficult barrier that pianists need to overcome.

Knowing what stress is however can completely change your perspective. Here?s the real definition of stress;

Stress is the amount of energy you put into resisting your situation.

This will help to change your behavior and therefore, if you change your behavior, you change the results. The first step is to become aware of your internal dialogue when you approach the piano. What is your little voice telling you? Is it saying, ?I feel guilty for not doing what is expected of me?? Is it saying, ?I?m not good enough, talented enough, smart enough, disciplined enough??

What you focus on expands. If you focus on what you cannot do or are not able to do, that will expand. If you focus on what you can do, that will expand as well.

When you are sitting at the piano, your thoughts become reality. Your thoughts instantly take form as you are creating. Your barrier may be that you are focused on what once was, instead of focusing on the now! If all you do is focus on the fact that it was once easy for you to memorize, you are not focusing on the now. Present moment awareness is the key to learning to play the piano or any other instrument. It is also the key to learning anything in life that?s worthwhile learning.

The next time you practice just sit at the piano and meditate on what you are feeling. Don?t play, just feel. Does it feel stressful, joyful or painful? Are you anticipating stress or anticipating pain? Are you looking forward to playing or are you hearing little scripts in your head saying ?you used to be great, now your not, you are not this, that, etc?? What are you feeling?

The next day, sit at the piano again and turn your attention to the now. Feel the joy of playing. Feel the joy of what it is to make beautiful sounds. Just let your hands explore over the keys, and listen to every note like it was the most beautiful sound you ever made! You are in the now! No one can steal this moment and pure joy from you. Feel the joy and the freedom in the now.

Once you have gone through this little exercise, and you are in the now, and every note becomes beautiful?even wrong notes. Now, in the present moment, without any negative thoughts to the contrary, you are ready to learn one thing at a time.

I teach the 10-24-7 Paul Tobey method! This means that you learn one thing at a time with 100% of your energy, learn it again in 24 hours and again in 7 days. Your retention rate for this one thing will go up 85%.

There?s a term we use for this type of learning and it?s called ?accelerated learning techniques? or ?advanced learning techniques.? It?s what I teach in my seminars because it?s what works best for me and for the hundreds of people I?ve taught it to.

Your barriers are not in the brain. It?s not a malfunction of your intellectual or physical ability. Your barriers (self-perceived limitations) are our little voices that constantly speak to us from deep within in our brains. You can eliminate it but, first you must understand it. You must stop feeling like a victim. You must stop focusing on the past (who you were), and start focusing on who you are (in the now). Your passion for the piano is evident. Your passion is living in the now.

The question is, how long is your past going to control your present? If want to experience freedom at the piano, all you have to do is sit on the bench, let your hands feel the notes, and listen to every note like it was the best note you ever played. Then, without judging yourself, or any note you play, just learn one thing in the now. Do it again in 24 hours, and again in 7 days.

Remember, don?t judge what you can or cannot do. Just feel, and be aware of the little voice inside your mind. And when it says to you ?I can?t memorize this piece,? just say to your mind ?thanks for sharing,? and go right back to the joy of playing.

Paul Tobey has recorded several CDs and performed piano concerts all over the world. He is considered unique among pianists because of his individual style and composing abilities.

Learn Blues Piano

           

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The Key To Unlock Learning To Play The Piano

           

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Why put off learning to play the piano? Unfortunately, a false belief holds many adults back who think that since they did not study piano as a child that they will not be able to catch on as an adult. It is true that it will be a little more difficult because learning new things comes faster when we are younger, but that does not make it impossible for adults to learn to play the piano. With regular practice, you will be able to play for friends and in a few months time even compose songs of your own.

Musicians usually find learning to play the piano helpful in their area of music since they can easily arrange music on a piano. Because it is the most versatile of instruments, the piano an be helpful in arranging music for any other instrument out there.

With the simple layout of the keyboard, a piano makes tones and chords available at once. Most people who have never played an instrument want to play the guitar or the piano. I found this music site helpful http://www.mywebrelease.com. The guitar may be easier to learn, but it will not provide the usefulness that a piano can give. In addition, learning the piano will teach you theories beyond just the music rather than simple repetition of notes.

It is best to learn to play the piano from a live instructor. With at home piano programs, you may develop bad habits and not even realize that you have done so. A real live teacher is more productive unless you have some miracle musical talent that has of yet remained hidden. With a qualified piano teacher, you will learn to play the piano right the first time.

He/she can catch your mistakes and show you how to correct them. They will also be able to listen objectively to you to measure the progress you think you are making. In this way, you will know that you have learned to play the piano correctly without guess work.

Dylan Mccabe visits the following sites: My Art Portal Photography For Fun

Five Great Practice Ideas I Learned From My Piano Students

           

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Sometimes the teacher learns more from the student than the student does from the teacher. Hopefully, not too often, but today I would like to share with you some great practicing ideas that have come from my piano students over the years:

1. A Colonel in Virginia that I taught for several years got up at 4AM every weekday morning and practiced on an electronic keyboard with headphones so he wouldn't disturb anyone at that time of the morning. "I love the early morning", he said, "because it's so quiet and peaceful and I'm fresh and raring to go. No phones are ringing, no people walking into the room, no disturbances at all. I practice for a half-hour, have breakfast, and then hit it for another half-hour -- all before I have to show up for work. When I get home in the evening, if I'm too tired to practice, I don't feel guilty because I've already got my licks in for the day. And if I'm up to practicing some more -- well, it's a bonus!"

2. An elementary school teacher in Indiana told me she took each piece I assigned her and transposed it into all 12 keys -- not written out, but at the piano -- in her head. She said "It doesn't always sound so hot, but I find that if I keep at it day after day, I can at least get by in the most difficult keys, and it makes the easier keys seem real simple. And it gives me a perspective that I just wouldn't get it I just played it in one key -- the key it is written in. I've learned that each key has it's own "feel", and some keys are bright (like "D") and some keys are mellow (like "Db").

3. Another piano student with a similar idea, who was the Minister of Music in a Catholic church, said he took one whole month of the year and devoted it to mastering just one key. Since there are 12 months in the year and 12 Major keys, that works out perfectly. So in January he played everything he could find in the key of C, and transposed anything that wasn't in C into C. In February he went up 1/2 step to the key of C# (also known as Db enharmonically) and played everything in Db and searched for pieces written in the key of Db, and so on. By the time the year was up, he had a pretty fair grasp on the 12 Major keys. I suggested that he devote the next year to the 12 minor keys, and the next year to the modes, and the next year to polytonality, etc., etc. -- but as I recall he decided to just recycle through the 12 major keys, since he used them so much more than the ones I suggested.

4. Still another piano student took an idea from me and twisted it a bit. I suggested that she play along with pieces she liked on tapes and CD's, so she would get a feel for the motion of the song. (I used to do that by the hour when I was a teen-ager, and it paid off big time for me!). She took the idea and tried it and liked it so much that she started getting videos of people playing the piano. She arranged her TV and video player so that she could be at her piano while the video was playing, and she would play along with the pianist on the screen, following her/his hand motions and arm motions and finger position and thereby getting a feeling for the flow of the music. (Patterning). Her creativity is paying off for her -- she is advancing rapidly. (And by the way, don't think she is "copying" the person she is watching -- not at all. It's the same principle as watching Michael Jordan moving toward the basket, or watching Sammy Sosa swing a bat -- it just gets you in the right groove before you apply your own style to it.)

5. A doctor I have taught for years makes a idea file of things he has learned about piano playing over the years. He notes where in a given book or tape or video I discuss such and such a topic, and files that alphabetically. Then later when he needs to refer to that idea, he simply looks up the idea in his file, locates the video or cassette or book, and presto -- he can review that idea or concept almost instantly. It's like a card catalog in the library -- makes finding things so much faster than flipping through endless books trying to find that idea you saw long ago.

With the advent of the computer a person could store and categorize ideas such as this very quickly.

Hope this gives you some ideas of your own!

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions- Intelligent Piano Lessons For Adults Only! " with over 84,400 current subscribers.

Learn To Play The Piano Better By Learning To Arrange Chords & Chord Progressions

           

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Piano arranging is the process by which you take a written piece of music and rework it with chords, adding new bass accompaniment, fills, or even slightly altering the song's structure. And while it's a process that takes years to truly master, anyone with a basic education in piano and a working knowledge of a few key techniques can create an inventive, satisfying arrangement. It all boils down to one thing: chord recognition. And anyone who plays a little piano can learn piano chords to add excitement to their piano playing.

Most people learn to play the piano by playing just the written music. Playing by written music is exactly what the phrase says it is; playing the exact notation on a piece of sheet music. But playing by chord symbol is a little different. Instead of following the harmony note by note, you follow the chord symbols (i.e. C7 or F) written above the harmonies, filling in the gaps with whatever you want as long as it sticks to those chords. Of course, you'll still read the melody (it is, after all, often what makes the song recognizable) but even that is completely open to interpretation. Playing by chord symbol allows you a freedom that playing by written music simply doesn't. The freedom to create. The freedom to invent. The freedom to arrange chord patterns in the way you want.

Does that mean playing by written music is less important than playing by chord symbol? Absolutely not! The ability to play by written music is an extremely valuable skill, one that even some of the most famous musicians don't possess. And while you don't necessarily need to know the skill backwards and forwards to create great arrangements, it's a tremendous help.

Think about it this way. Some of the most revered modern artists create paintings that look very simple, very rudimentary. But the majority of those artists went to art school for years before they began creating that sort of work. They learned the fundamentals of drawing and painting, of color composition and light; they learned to draw or paint something exactly as it actually looks. Only after they mastered those skills did they move on to create the simple, yet often innovative, work that hangs in galleries and museums; work that still abides by several basic principles. They learned the craft before bringing their imagination into it; after all, you have to understand the rules in order to break them.

So after you have learned the basics of reading piano sheet music, consider learning chords and chord symbols (such as G7, Fm, etc.) and chord progressions. There are many places online where you can learn all about chords; just type in "piano chords" or "chord piano" into your search browser, and you will find several to choose from. When you can both read the written sheet music and then add chords and chord progressions to your piano playing, you have the very best of all musical worlds.

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions- Intelligent Piano Lessons For Adults Only! " with over 84,400 current subscribers.

Piano Lesson: Do You Know What You Learn When You Play Piano?

           

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I guess you are learning to play piano in order to become a better pianist. Do you know that there are many secret learning processes in action as you practice on your piano. Let's find out the truth!

I presume that you practice on the piano with the hope of becoming a better instrumentalist, pianist and musician and and in order to experience the joy and satisfaction that follows.

The learning processes in action as you try to learn to play the piano can lead you forward towards you goals. However, some things you learn can limit your progress and I think it is important to be aware of these factors.

Let's take a look at what you don't want to learn as you play piano! Let me mention three things!

1. At times when you practice on your piano you might experience stress and other uncomfortable feelings due to a deadline in the form of a upcoming piano lesson you don't feel prepared for or other disturbing thoughts.

The feelings you experience as you practice a specific piece of music have a tendency to be evoked when you play the same piece at another occasion.

2. Can tensions stick to your sheet music? Your actual muscle tension level when you play a piano composition tends to be present when you play the same piece of music in public.

In other words, it will be more difficult to perform and play a piano composition in a relaxed manner when you have practiced it with a high tension level.

3. Can you learn not to play a piece of music? I guess you practice on your piano and take piano lessons in order to become a better player.

However, if you don't concentrate on your piano playing and if you play new passages too fast you will probably make a lot of mistakes.

These mistakes tend to slow down the learning process and in fact they will be a part of the learning process. The more mistakes you make playing a particular piano sheet music passage the harder it will be to play it right.

Why is it so? All your earlier mistakes will accumulate and disturb you as you try to play a passage right. To play a passage wrong will become easier and easier the more times you make mistakes.

Is this depressing news? Well if these news will help you change your way of practicing piano playing it will be good news!

You can use these piano practicing news to your advantage! Read on!

1. Try to make your piano practicing sessions to peaceful and joyful occasions by never procrastinating your piano lesson homework and by having the right attitude as you start playing.

2. Always practice a new piano piece slowly and with concentration and with correct posture. If you don't make mistakes as you practice you will progress much faster!

3. Remember to relax as you play piano. Your piano practicing session can also be a relaxation exercise and if you play piano in this manner it will be beneficial both for your physical and mental health!

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play piano resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Learn To Play Piano Chords: Learn To Play II-V-I Progressions

           

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II-V-I progressions are common in most types of popular music and mainstream jazz and more. If you can play II-V-I progressions you are in a lucky position. What then is a II-V-I progression? Well, come and see!

A C-major scale consists of seven notes: C D E F G A B

A C-major chord consists of the first, third and fifth notes in the C-major scale. This is called a triad.

A chord built from the first step of the scale can also be called I from the roman number one.

If I start on the second note of the C-major scale and construct a triad chord consisting of D F A, I have a chord built upon the second step of the scale.

This will be a D-minor chord and I can indicate that I have built a chord from the second note of the C-major scale by giving it the number II with roman numbers.

If I decide to build a triad chord from the fifth note of the C-major scale I have to add more notes in the C-major scale: C D E F G A B C D

If I start building a triad from G it will consist of the notes G B D. This is a G-major chord and to show that it is a triad built from the fifth step of the C-major scale we can call it V which is the roman number for five.

The smart thing with the roman numbers is that they don't indicate an absolute chord but rather the position of a chord in the key you are playing on your guitar, piano or other instrument.

In the key of C the roman numbers I stands for the chord C, II indicates the chord D-minor and V the chord G. Simplified we can say that when I say I will play a II-V-I chord progression in the key of C I will play the chords D-minor, G and C.

Actually this is just the beginning of the art of playing II-V-I progressions. You can spice the chords in different ways and play the chords in major or minor.

And of course a chord on a piano can be played in many different ways. A C-major chord must have the notes C, E and G but how many or where to play them is a matter of choice.

Here are a few easy examples of II-V-I progressions in C-major that can be transposed to other keys:

1. Dm, G7, C 2. Dm7, G7, C 3. D7, G7, C

When you practice these progressions on your piano you can choose to play them with both hands, with the left hand, giving room for right hand improvisation or your right hand, giving room for left hand bass playing or improvisation.

Practicing playing II-V-I progressions on your piano will help you see the relationship between chords and being able to play these progressions in different key will give you a tool that will help you recognize chord progressions in songs you hear which will help you trancribe songs by ear.

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play piano resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Learn To Play Piano: A Digital Or An Acoustic Piano?

           

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If I have to choose between buying an acoustic piano or a digital piano what is the best choice? let's take a look at the different choices if you want to learn to play piano.

Personally I haven't been forced to make the decision between buying a normal upright piano and a digital piano as I have both in my home. I can see advantages in both types of pianos when practicing the art of learning to play piano.

A normal upright piano produces sounds with hammers that strikes the strings. A digital piano on the other hand tries to duplicate the feeling of playing an acoustic piano.

Most people are familiar with the normal upright piano but what advantages has a digital piano?

First let us describe a digital piano.

A digital piano consists of a keyboard with weighted key action, sensors that detect the velocity when you play the keys and a set of sounds you can choose from. To make it possible to listen to the piano when you play you have an amplifier and loudspeakers and headphone jacks.

Here are some advantages with a digital piano:

1. A digital piano doesn't need to be tuned. A normal acoustic piano you should tune once or twice a year. If you can't tune a piano yourself you have to turn to a piano tuner. It can be quite expensive of course. Even a piano tuner has to pay his bills.

2. You can practice silently. A digital piano usually has a headphone jack so by using headphones you can practise as much as you want without disturbing neighbours or family members.

3. Midi interface. A digital piano usually has a midi interface which makes it possible to connect your piano to a computer and use music software like notation programs or a sequenser program or a software synthesizer.

What then are the disadvantages of having a digital piano?

1. The sounds in an acoustic piano are produced by strings vibrating and the different pitches interact in ways that you cannot copy on a digital piano. The sound quality of the sounds produced by digital pianos are becoming better and better but it is still a completely different way of producing sounds.

2. A digital piano is limited when it comes to producing different tone colors by different ways of playing. An accomplished pianist might feel limited by the sampled sounds.

There are many more things to say about choosing a piano but this is a beginning.

As you can see it is not so easy to decide what's best for you. If you can't decide what type of piano to buy you can do as I have done. Have both types of pianos and keep smiling.

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play piano resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Learn To Play Piano Online

           

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Piano improvisation: Learn To Improvise On Your Piano By Faking

           

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Do you have a fake book? Just one of those songs could be the source of many meaningful exercises that will help you grow as a musicician and as a pianist.

What is a fake book?

A "fake book" contains songs written in a concise format that includes only the melody and chords, letting you interpret the song's performance according to your own taste.

The songs in a fake book have a single melody written out in notes with the lyrics written beneath the notes. Above the notes of the melody you'll find the names of the chords to play.

This format is very compact. You will often see fakebooks containing 500 or more songs. Here are some suggestions on how to use one of these songs for increasing your improvisational skills:

1. Chords. The suggested chords are often very rudimentary. Most jazz pianists spice up the songs with more elaborate chord progressions. Try to find more chords to use in the song. This exercise will increase your skills in chord theory.

2. Scales. When you have elaborated upon the chord progressions in the song you can choose scales that work with the chords you have chosen. If you find this hard to do you can buy scale books with scale suggestions for different chord progressions. This is an exercise in scale theory.

3. Practising piano chords. Start with the first chord in the song, play it in different positions on your piano and in different combinations.

4. Practicing chord progressions on the piano. Take a couple of bars of the song and practise to play the progressions over and over again varying the chord voicings.

5. Practicing scales on the piano. Begin with the first chord and the scale you have chosen with it and start by playing the scale up and down the keyboard with the right hand and the left hand.

6. Practice piano improvisation with scales. As soon as you master playing the scale up and down the piano it is time to create music with the scale by playing around with it, creating patterns and inventing melodies.

7. Practise piano improvisation. Take a couple of bars and play them over and over again with chord voicings in the left hand and improvising with the appropriate scales with the right hand.

It is also good to practice piano improvisation with your left hand and voicings with your right hand.

There are of course many more things you can do with a song in order to develop your skills in piano improvisation. Help yourself and don't forget to have fun and to also play the song in its entirety with the melody.

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free piano sheet music and learn to play piano resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Learn To Play Piano - Let The Train Station Teach You About Piano Playing

           

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Learn to play piano on a train station? Let me show you what you can learn about piano playing as you wait for your train!

Well, all people seem to go by car these days but we might have had the privilege to go by train and this experience can teach us a lot about piano playing:

1. You want to go somewhere by train. In piano playing this is the wish you have to learn something on the piano.

2. You go to the train station trying to find a suitable train. Before you can know if you are taking the right train you have to decide where you want to go. When learning to play the piano this is the goal you want to reach.

3. Before buying a ticket to the right train you have to decide when you want to arrive. When you learn to play piano this means when your goal is to be accomplished.

4. When you know these things it is much easier to find the right train. In piano playing this means that when you know what you want to accomplish as a pianist and when you want to have accomplished it it is much easier to select a proper method to use to reach your goal.

5. Now you can buy a ticket to the right train. This is when your decision becomes a commitment. Learning to play the piano can involve money but the most important investment is your work and motivation. Through a commitment you gain momentum to accomplish the piano playing goal.

6. After having bought a ticket most of the job is done. Left is only to find your train and your seat and then relax. In your piano playing this means that when you have decided what you really want to accomplish it is much easier to progress. You know where you are in your piano skills, where to begin your work and you don't have to waste your energi by wondering what to do.

Do you have to take the right train?

Some unusual people might think it is okay to take any train and travel for the fun of it with no thought about the destination. If you feel that way about your piano playing and are comfortable with it it's okay I guess.

Let me share some thoughts...

The reason why I started to be very interested in computers way back in the late 80's was because of what I believed that computers could help me with. I was very interested in composing music and had used pen and paper so far.

I tried to write nice sheets with music but it took a lot of time and if I wanted to change something in my compositions, which I often wanted then and even now, it was difficult.

The notation programs back then were difficult to use but I perused the manuals because I had this great goal before me that computers and notation programs could help me with my creative endeavors.

The goal was actually to compose music and the means was computers and notation programs.

Computers have become much easier to use and notation programs more sophisticated since then and I feel that I have reached the goal to become more effective as a composer through the use of computers as a means for my music composing.

Some of my friends have used computers the opposite way. They have been interested in computers and have aimlessly installed and uninstalled programs and changed os or messed around in the Windows directory and so on.

I guess we could say that their goal was to have fun with computers, even if they haven't expressed it that way, and I think they also reach their goal.

What I wanted to say with this is that it is much easier to select methods to use and to be really motivated when you learn to play the piano if you know what you want to accomplish.

Take the right train and enjoy your journey into piano land!

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and learn to play piano resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

Learning To Play Piano Chords

           

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If you are playing several notes at the same time, then you are playing piano chords. Simply put, when multiple notes are played together, piano chords are achieved. The chords then come together to form a melody. Every song that you hear has a melody and it is through each melody that music is achieved. Sound complicated? Well, that?s ok because it really isn?t as difficult as it sounds.

As a musician, whether it be professional or hobbyist, you will need to learn the various types of piano chords. The more that you understand about piano chords, the more variety you will have when playing. If you want to write your own music, you not only need an ear for tunes, but also the understanding of how to make them come together. A good instructor will introduce you to piano chords during lessons.

If you already have some experience, but simply want a better understanding of advanced piano chords, discuss these options with a private tutor or music teacher. By gaining an understanding of what sounds good and what doesn?t, you will have the undeniable edge over other budding musicians.

Every piano has 88 keys and while it may seem intimidating to learn piano chords, it actually comes down to memory. When typing on the computer, you know which keys to press in order to make a lowercase letters change to uppercase, right? By studying piano chords, you will begin to understand which keys to press at the same time in order to play a chord. During your introduction to learning piano, an instructor will cover some of the basic chords and you will come to know their sound when you hear them. After enough practice, you will be able to immediately identify piano chords by ear.

There are several other ways to help in your learning of piano chords, including instructional books, tutorials and videos. In the beginning, it may even help to label the keys until you have a better understanding of each of their unique sounds. As you progress in your learning, you can remove the identification labels and play using any arrangement of sheet music. Learning to identify notes will play a large part in your understanding of piano chords. As you move through your studies, you will learn all of the terminology associated with piano playing and the definition of each.

Learning piano chords is a very important part of the process, but it does require a certain degree of patience. Always remember that time will lessen the difficulty and, before you know it, you will be playing and identifying piano chords by ear. While it may seem intimidating at first, you will soon begin to notice the ease of playing piano chords will come naturally. Happy tunes!

Ian Williamson is the owner of The top learn to play piano site.

An Innovative Piano Instruction Video Game - Excellent Way to Learn to Play Piano

           

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People that play the piano beautifully fascinate me. It is interesting the different paths some of them take to become good at it. There are so many options now days for children and adults interested in becoming concert pianists, or just become comfortable with this instrument and play it whenever they feel like it, carry a tune for their enjoyment or to please others like myself.

Many excellent piano players started their education at a young age, because they were given the opportunity by their parents, relatives or friends, and with time they found a way to express themselves, increasing their self confidence opening doors of inspiration and self satisfaction to become better at their new enterprise.

In this technological age of computers and video games, these have become an excellent way to transmit information at an early age to children. The challenge remains in figuring out which video games should we buy and keep.

As far as piano learning is concerned, recently I have been shown and become interested in the PianoWizard video game package from Allegro Multimedia. piano instruction game computer software provides a fun attention grabber display setting to users, teaching them to play music first by being involved with game activities on the screen that they can interact with a fun color coded keyboard. This makes children start enjoying music without them even realizing they are stepping into the piano-playing world. This computer instruction game teaches music notation while children get more into the game, making the learning curve transparent, pressure free, fun and enjoyable.

The system works with MIDI files that one can download to a computer, in fact, the company's main site has links to many sites that have a large amount of MIDI files and information.

I find that the price for the keyboard and PianoWizard video game package is very affordable for all the capabilities included in the piano instruction software. I really do like the fact that one can up-load any type of song in MIDI format into the game and start playing it along in minutes. I believe your time will be well spent while visiting their site http://www.pianowizard.com/piano-instruction/ and learn about their excellent piano instruction game purchasing offer.


My best wishes to you and your children in this musical and uplifting venture.
Ivan Alegre is a Technology Market Analyst and apiano instruction game enthusiast.

Learn to Read Piano Music

           

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Jan Durrant

Making Music Now's Mini Course

Making Music Now's Mini Course
A Music Basics Guide for the Beginning Musician



Hello! Welcome to the wonderful world of music. Have you always dreamed of being able to learn how to play the piano, keyboard, guitar or any other instrument? Well, your dream is just about to come true with this Free Music eCourse. This dream of yours is not something so far away that it cannot become a reality in a very short while.

This is not rocket science but it does take a genuine commitment on your part to read all seven chapters of this Free Music eCourse in order to learn the music fundamentals that will apply to any instrument. Be sure to STICK WITH IT!

Make it a point to pace yourself. The course has been written with the
intention of going through it in order, with one chapter building on the next. Now that you have laid the groundwork for your plan, let us begin! Whatever instument you are studying or plan to study in the future, each one of those instruments has a history. Let's take a moment to learn a very brief history of keyboard instruments.

Did you know that pianos in some form have been around for over 500 years? Some of the first instruments of this kind were called clavichords. They had a very light, metallic sound because the small hand-pounded 'hammers' were made of very light weight metal-like material. These hammers struck strings of varying lengths to create different tones or pitches. The next cousin to the clavichord was the harpsichord invented by Cristofori in Italy around 1450 A.D. This keyboard instrument had a mechanism in it called the plecktrum which 'plucked' the strings and produced a slightly stronger sound than its predecessor.

Whether you are playing an acoustic instrument, which is the closest relative to the history just mentioned, or an electronic keyboard, you are now participating in a centuries old musical art form.

SOME PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Piano or Keyboard?

Does it matter if you have a keyboard or a piano? Certainly not. The only real difference is that a full size piano has 88 keys (counting both the white and black keys). Keyboards come in several different sizes. Some have 60 keys, some even less. There are also 88 key electronic keyboards and digital pianos that produce very realistic acoustic sounds. Whatever size your instrument may be, remember that the ARRANGEMENT of the keys and the ORDER of the KEY NAMES is the
same on both instruments. Rest assured that your basic knowledge of the fundamentals of music can be learned quite effectively either on a keyboard or a piano. The only missing ingredient is your own persistence and determination to persevere through the entirety of the material in this course with regular practice sessions. Do that and your success is assured!

SELECTING THE BEST LEARNING PLACE IN YOUR HOME

Please take a moment and give serious consideration at to WHERE you practice in your home. Make sure that you are not within earshot of the television. Even if you are used to 'watching TV with your ears' while you do other things, it will definitely be a roadblock to your learning to Play Piano Now! Also, make sure that you can sit down at your piano or keyboard comfortably. If you have a piano and a bench which came with it when you bought it, then you are in great shape. Seating at a keyboard can prove a little more difficult. Just make sure that you are not reaching too high up or stooping down too low for the keyboard. Finding a chair that is the right height is the key. The right height chair will allow your arms to be a an almost perfect right angle (45 degree) from your body to the keyboard. Don't worry too much about this. If you have the wrong height of chair your back will start screaming at you to change your position!!! Please make any adjustments to keep your back straight and your arms at a 45 degree angle and you enjoy hours of music in one seating.

PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Please practice as long and as often as you like. I am not going to recommend a particular practice schedule for anyone. You will find your own pace. Sometimes people ask me how long it will take to learn to Play Piano Now. I simply answer with the question of how much time are you willing to put into it on a daily basis. Since this is an introductory piano course for beginners, I think it would be very effective to work at 30 to 45 minute intervals on a daily basis. The longer you put in, the more quickly you will learn and progress. However, your mind needs a while to 'soak up' the information and will work best when you have some hours or a day or so in between practice sessions. The main thing is to make up a schedule and stick to it! The longest journey begins with the first step!

As a convenience for you I have created a practice chart and placed it below. Please feel free to make copies of this practice chart and use it daily. As I am sure you have heard before, a habit of doing anything takes root much better when we write down the thing that we are doing on a daily basis.

Take advantage of this practice chart by placing it beside your piano or keyboard and filling in your practice times on a regular basis.

PRACTICE RECORD

Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min


Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min


Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min


Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min

Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min

Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min

Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min


Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min


Week of _____________, 2003
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min ___min



MUSICAL TERMS

Let's begin our musical study with a review of the main musical terms you will need to be familiar with to proceed with your music education.

BAR LINE - A vertical line which separates notes into groups

DOUBLE BAR LINE - A set of two (2) vertical lines which stand for the end of a piece of music

REPEAT SIGN - Double bar with two dots at the end of a section or piece of music which
indicates that section is to be played twice.

MEASURE - The distance between two bar lines.

TREBLE CLEF - The S-shaped symbol which stands for notes played with the right hand.

BASS CLEF - The reversed C-shaped symbol which stand for notes played with the left hand.

STAFF - The five lines and four spaces of both the bass and treble clefs.

QUARTER NOTE - Musical symbol with solid note head and stem which gets one count.

QUARTER REST - Musical symbol resembling a sideways W which gets one count.

HALF NOTE - Musical symbol with hollow note head and stem which gets two counts.

HALF REST - Solid half block sitting on third line of the staff which gets two counts of silence.

DOTTED HALF NOTE - Musical symbol with hollow note head, dot and stem which
gets three counts.

WHOLE NOTE - Musical symbol resembling a circle on the staff which gets four counts.

WHOLE REST - Solid half block hanging from the second line on the staff which gets four
counts of silence.

CHORD - Two or more notes played together.

BLOCKED CHORD - Two or more notes played at the same time

BROKEN CHORD - Two or more notes from the same chord played in sequence

INTERVAL - The distance between two notes on the musical staff



EACH FINGER HAS A FINGER NUMBER!


5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5


LEFT HAND RIGHT HAND

**THE THUMB OF EACH HAND IS FINGER #1

**THE INDEX FINGER OF EACH HAND IS FINGER #2

**THE MIDDLE FINGER OF EACH HAND IS FINGER #3

**THE PINKY FINGER OF EACH HAND IS FINGER #4

WHICH FINGER IS #4???????????



USE CURVED FINGERS AT THE KEYBOARD

It is very important to use curved fingers while playing any keyboard

instrument. This simply means to try and play on the finger tips

instead of on the finger pads. Keep the fingers relaxed while slightly

rounding them as if holding a soft ball in the palm of each hand. Hold

the ball gently and keep your arms and hands as relaxed as possible

while playing.




CURVED FINGER EXERCISE

Are you ready to play your first piano piece? Let's start with a right
hand finger exercise. Place your right hand thumb on any white key in
the middle of your piano or keyboard. Then simply place each finger
numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 (pinky finger) next to each other on the next white key. Each finger should have a key of its very own to strike. Never put more than one finger on a key. Now start with your thumb and plan the white keys in sequence. Say 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5- 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 as you play each of those fingers. Repeat this pattern three times.


Now place your left hand thumb on any white key of your piano or
keyboard and go through the same exercise. Be sure to say the fingers
number as above. Say the finger numbers reinforces the fact that
thumbs are one and pinky fingers are five. This will especially helpful
to you later as you will be saying counts instead of finger numbers.


LEARNING THE BLACK KEY GROUPS

Take a look at your keyboard and notice the pattern of two
black note groups and three black note groups repeating itself all up
and down your keyboard instrument. This is the same way that
these black note groups look on your piano or keyboard. Please take a
moment at your own keyboard and find the two and three black note groups in the following sequence:


2 Black 3 Black 2 Black 3 Black 2 Black 3 Black 2 Black 3 Black
(bottom of keyboard) (top of keyboard)


When I refer to the 'bottom' of the piano please go down to the left-
hand side of your instrument. Obviously, when I refer to the top of the
piano please go all the way up to the right hand side of the piano.
Using the diagram above, go to your keyboard and practice moving in
both upward and downward directions.



FIRST FINGER EXERCISES USING THE TWO AND THREE BLACK NOTE GROUPS

Following are two finger exercises:
The first exercise will introduce the two black note group. Please use finger numbers two and three (remember your right hand thumb is finger number 1, your right hand index finger is finger number 2, etc.).
Repeat the finger number sequence below as you practice on your keyboard or just on a table top. Just say the finger number that you are using at that moment. Use your RIGHT HAND FIRST and play evenly. Then use your LEFT HAND and repeat the same pattern:

2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3

The second exercise will introduce the three black note group. Use finger numbers 2, 3 and 4 on this exercise. Again, be sure to whisper the finger number as you play and keep an even rhythm.

Even though these are just finger exercises, it is still very important to practice evenly and clearly without rushing through. Use these two exercises daily to warm up your fingers and develop finger independence and strength. Use RIGHT then LEFT hands:

2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3 4 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 4 3 4 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 3

Be sure to pracitce doing these finger exercises daily for just a few minutes. It will really help your finger independence and facility in the weeks ahead.


INTRODUCTION TO THE WHITE KEYS


There are only seven (7) letter names used on the piano:


A B C D E F G


It is interesting to note here that no matter what instrument you play,
whether it is piano, tuba or violin, ONLY the seven letter names above
are used in the entire realm of music!

There are two very easy ways to visualize and remember the names of
the white keys on your piano and keyboard. Remember, the note names on an electronic keyboard are the same as on the acoustic piano.
Since it is not possible to include a graphic in this format, simply remember that the 'CDE' note groups in always located directly underneath the two black note group. The letter name 'D' in the white key always located directly inbetween the two black key note groups. ANY TWO BLACK NOTE GROUP on the piano has the letter name 'D' as the white key located inbetween them.

Go to your keyboard NOW and start to play all of the C-D-E groups
from the lowest (bottom left) to the highest (top right) on your
keyboard. Say C - D - E as you play each key.

Now we will learn about the F - G - A - B note groups. Simply located any three black note group on your piano or keyboard and realize that the F-G-A-B white keys are located directly beneath them. Directly outside of the three black note groups are 'F' on the left hand side of the three black note group and 'B' on the right hand side of the three black note group. Just fill in the outer 'F' and 'B' with G and A and you are done!

Go to your piano or keyboard NOW and find all of the F-G-A-G white keys underneath each three black note group. As above, play slowly and evenly saying the letter names as you play the F-G-A-B groups from the bottom of the piano or keyboard (low left hand end) to the top of your piano or keyboard (top right hand end).

Congratulations! You now know ALL of the white key names on the piano!


TREBLE CLEF NOTE NAMES

Both the Treble and Bass clefs each have five lines and four spaces. Learning the actual note names of each line and space (the spaces between each line) is very simple. Please memorize the sentences below for the Treble Clef Line and Space Notes:

Treble Clef Line Notes(starting from the bottom line and moving up)
EGBDF
Every Good Boy Does Fine (the first letter of each word helps you remember the order of the notes)

Treble Clef Space Notes (starting from the first space and going up)
FACE
Just remember that the treble clef spaces spell the word 'FACE'.


Bass Clef Line and Space Notes are as follows:
Line Notes: GBDFA
Great Big Dogs Fight Animala
Space Notes: ACEG
All Cars Eat Gas

Now you know all the names of the white keys on your piano or keyboard. You also learned today the acutal letter names of each line and space on both the treble and bass clefs

BASICS OF RHYTHM

WHAT DOES A QUARTER NOTE LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES A QUARTER REST LOOK LIKE?
Both the Quarter Note and the Quarter Rest get one beat. The Quarter Note has a filled in note head and a stem. The Quarter Rest is a vertical musical symbol which resembles a 'W' turned on its side.

The Quarter note symbol stands for a note that is played for the length of one beat. In other words, play any key on your instrument right now and simply hold it down while you say 'one'. It is what we would call a short note.

The Quarter rest is a musical symbol which stands for one beat of silence.

In other words, beats of silence in music are counted just like beats of sound. The only difference between these two musical symbols is that there is complete sound for one beat during a Quarter Note and complete silence for one beat during a Quarter rest in music. Start off your experience in rhythm by simply clapping the rhythm pattern of quarter notes and quarter rests in the following exercise. Make sure that when you say 'one' you ARE clapping both hands together on that beat and when you say 'rest' you are holding your hands apart on that beat. BE SURE TO SPEAK THE WORDS 'QUARTER NOTE' AND 'QUARTER REST' AS YOU CLAP OR MOVE YOUR HANDS APART ON EACH BEAT.
'QN' - stands for Quarter Note
'QR' - stands for Quarter Rest

FIRST RHYTHM EXERCISE:
QN-QN-QN-QN/QN-QR-QN-QR/QN-QN-QN-QN/QR-QN-QR-QN/


WHAT IS A MELODY?

A melody is nothing more than a string of notes played one after the
other to create a tune or melody. How many times have you asked someone how a tune goes? Please whistle that tune for me.........Well, that, my friend, is a melody.

When you first sat down at a piano or keyboard and tried to pick out the correct sequence of keys to your favorite melody, you were
actually playing short melodies or tunes. Go to your instrument now and use the information you have learned today about Quarter Notes and Quarter Rests and make up a new melody all your own!

WHAT IS HARMONY?

Harmony is simply defined as notes, chords or other arrangements of notes that accompany a melody to make a fully developed piece of music. If one person sings a vocal solo, that would be a melody. Two people singing together is called a duet. When the second person sings different notes than the first person, that would be creating harmony with the melody. So it is in any other musical ensemble. The melody is the part of the music that we remember the most and even sing to ourselves later.

One of the most basic forms of harmony in piano music is the chord. A chord consists of two or more notes played together in either hand which can create harmony when played along with any given melody. You will notice that either hand can play the harmony, just as either hand can play the melody. In the Challenge Pieces Section of Play Piano Now (www.MakingMusicNow.com) is a piece entitled
Moonlight Melody'. The melody starts out in the right hand, then goes
to the left hand in the middle section and, finally, ends up in the right hand again to end the piece.


CHORDS

A chord is defined as two or more notes from a scale played together at the same time. Chords may be played in either blocked chord form or broken chord form. A blocked chord simply means that two or more notes are played at the same time. A broken chord is created when that blocked chord is just played one note after the other in sequence.

The first chord we will study is the C Major chord. The notes of the C Major chord are C, E and G. Try this C Major Chord Exercise by placing fingers 1, 3 and 5 of each hand down on your desk or table top right now(remember that the thumb is finger number 1, the middle finger is number 3 and proceed to the pinky finger which is finger number 5). Press down all three fingers (1,3 and 5) at the same time. You have just played the C Major BLOCKED chord. Use this same table top method right now and similarly press down each finger 1,3 and 5 in sequence (one after the other) to create a BROKEN chord.

SPECIAL TIP** Remember, a chord with stems up means the right hand is playing and a chord with stems down means the left hand is playing the chord.

Please practice this C Major Chord Exercise with Right Hand Only:
'QR' - stands for Quarter Rest or one beat of silence
'Ch' - stands for the C Major Chord.
(Again, use your table top and press down 1,3,5 together for 'Ch'. Say 'Chord' each time you press down your fingers on the table top. Also, when you come to the 'Qr' symbol simply lift your hand off of the table top and say 'Rest')

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch/Ch-Qr-Ch-Qr/Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch/Ch-Qr-Ch-Qr

ALL ABOUT INTERVALS

An Interval is defined as the distance between two notes (Refer to Chapter 2 of this course: Musical Terms). The first interval to consider is the interval of a Second, notated as '2nd'. The second is also referred
to as a 'step' in music reading because it is the distance you can travel on your keyboard or piano from one key to the very next key.

It is important to learn to read music by INTERVAL rather than by FINGER NUMBER because the fingerings will not be available on all pieces of music that you encounter. Also, learning to read music by interval enables you to be a much more well rounded pianist because you can start on any given note and read your way through any piece
of music. If you concentrated too much on just C Position or Middle C Position, you would soon become less able to read notes in other areas of the staff.

Now look at the series of letter names below. This series of letters corresponds with your piano or keyboard. Keys C, D and E are in that sequence right next to each other on your keyboard. Moving from one note to the next either up or down in a sequential manner is moving by Seconds. This exercise is written is centered around the concept of the Second, or step. Place your right hand thumb (finger number 1) on a table top or on your keyboard in front of you. Your thumb will be resting on C, your second finger will be resting on D and your third finger will be resting on E. You will be playing interval or distances of a Second throughout this exercise. Be sure to practice this exercise two different ways:

1. Say the Letter Names as you play.

2. Say 'Step up' or 'Step Down' as it is written on the music.

EXERCISE USING AN INTERVAL OF A 'SECOND' :

C D E D / C D E D / E D C D / E D C D / C D E D /


INTERVAL OF A THIRD


The next interval we will learn is the interval or distance of a third or 3rd. This is also referred to as a Skip because we are actually skipping over one note to reach the next note on the piano when we play an interval of a third.

Intervals of thirds can be read easily because they go from one line note to another line note. They can also be from one space note to another space note. In the following space note exercise ALL of the intervals of thirds are both either line notes or both space notes.

Practice the following exercise using thirds the following three ways:

1. Place your right hand in the C Position (RH thumb on Middle C). You will be using note names C, D, E and F with finger numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4.

2. Say the Letter Name of each note as you play

3. Play again and say Skip Up' or Skip Down' as the music indicates.

EXERCISE USING AN INTERVAL OF A 'THIRD':

C E C E / C E C E / D F D F / D F D F / C E C E


INTERVALS OF FOURTHS AND FIFTHS

Larger intervals of fourths (4ths) and fifths (5ths) are also found a lot in music. We will explore these intervals and corresponding exercises later on. Keep in mind that intervals of fourths and fifths can be identified by the larger distance between these two note intervals. The interval of the fourth (4th) involves one line note and one space note with a larger distance between them than you found in the similar interval of the second (2nd).

The interval of the fifth (5th) involves either two line notes or two space notes. Again, this interval of a fifth is similar to a third except there is a greater distance between the two notes than there was between the interval of a third.

DYNAMIC MARKINGS

The vehicle for expression in music comes through the context of dynamic markings. Since the Italians were the ones to first write marks of expression in their music as well as print the first music manuscripts on paper, all of the marks of expression or dynamics are from Italian words. Please look over the list of dynamic markings below and familiarize yourself with them. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Only those basic symbols are included here that pertain to the pieces within the Play Piano Now piano course.



DYNAMIC MARKINGS START WITH SOFT AND GO TO LOUDEST:

Piano - Italian word for soft. symbol used in music: p

Pianissimo - Very soft; symbold used: pp

Mezzo Forte - Medium Loud; symbol used: mf

Forte - Loud; symbol used: f

Fortissimo - Very Loud; symbol used: ff

Crescendo - Gradually getting louder; symbol used: <

Decrescendo - Gradually getting softer; symbol used: >


You can also learn more about the Play Piano Now piano course at:

http://www.MakingMusicNow.com

All the best in your future musical endeavors,

Jan Durrant, Publisher
http://www.MakingMusicNow.com
Teacher@MakingMusicNow.com