Learn To Play Piano Online

           

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Is it possible to teach children piano without them hating it and quitting?

The answer to both questions is surprisingly Yes, but a few warnings apply. In a nutshell, "Learn to Play the Piano" courses and software are now ubiquitous, and while some packages are amazingly effective, others are just short of being outright scams.

Caveat Emptor:

Do NOT waste your time, money and energy on "Learn Piano" scams or bad products!

You will be amazed at what an effective program can do to your singing. No matter if you are a complete novice or a seasoned pro - there are a program or two out there that can really help you. These Effective products will:

*

Teach you to play your favorite songs in a matter of hours or days.

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Continue improving your playing skills, to advanced or professional levels.

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Train your ear for "play by ear" occasions, while teaching how to read sheet music.

*

Offer tips & tricks for various playing situations (solo, jamming, etc.)

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Be fun and easy to follow.

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Offer a true money back guarantee.

However, Bad products frequently:

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Leave you playing like a novice, repeating a few chords.

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Are misguiding, and teach you bad playing habits.

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Are badly produced, difficult to use, boring.

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Take your money and practice time, leaving you feeling like a fool.

The problem is that sifting the good from the bad is difficult, as even awful products may come wrapped in shiny, tempting web sites. For many products, the only way to find out that they are scams is to fall into them. To help you find your way through the market, the Review team of experts performed hands-on tests of numerous piano lessons programs currently on offer. We also contacted some of the people behind the products, to assess our findings better. The following web pages provide in-depth reviews of the four top-rated learn piano courses, plus one top-rated auxiliary software product. The reviews are followed by our Conclusions where we compare these products to each, and by important Buying Tips.

The four top-rated courses are:

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Piano By Pattern, by Albert Edge

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Rocket Piano and Rocket Piano Gospel Method, by Ashleigh Southam

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Power Piano Chords, by Duane Shinn

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Piano Is Fun, by Anthony Fernando

The auxiliary software product is:

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Instant Keyboard Chord Finder, by Duane Shinn

Although we tested numerous other courses, software packages and programs, these did not make the cut. To avoid data overkill (and legal issues from sore losers), the also-rans and scams are not listed here. You may of course try other products, but we strongly advise you to be very cautious in doing so, as your chances of unknowingly falling upon a bad product and wasting your time, energy and money, are enormous.

Jay Bo is a pianist/composer and webmaster of business,health and product reviewer. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://piano4dummys-at.blogspot.com for a piano lesson!

Learn How to Play Piano

           

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Some people are more musically inclined than others, but that doesn't mean you cannot learn how to play the piano. Many tricks of the trade exist that can have you playing the piano within a couple of months of practice, and some online courses even claim to help you learn much faster. No matter what is claimed or what is available, the most important aspect of learning how to play any new instrument, hobby, or art form is dedication and practice.

Listening to Beethoven, Mozart, or any other genius composers might make you want to sign up with the best instructor you can find. Your aim might be to enthrall others with the beauty of classical, modern, or even jazz piano playing. Many adults who learn how to play the piano choose to do so through rigorous methodologies of learning the fundamentals of music first. This requires dedication and lots of practice, not to mention the cost of an instructor.

For other learners who want to give the piano a try, quicker methods won't mean you will enjoy playing the piano any less. It simply means you will not have the fundamental base that someone else has learned over a longer period. One of these quicker methods, both on and offline, involve the learning of chords. In an evening, someone who knows nothing about the piano might have the ability to play a melody just on chords alone. Playing by chords is usually encouraged more than playing by tablature. And, there are no problems with those who first learn chords then learn to read music later on.

Any piano melody is made up of its smallest parts - its notes. Those who learn chords do not actually learn these 'smallest' pieces, but instead learn how to break the music into chunks. By dealing with songs one chunk at a time and matching what is heard, many piano players enjoy greater freedom of creativity as they progress.

One who learns how to play the piano using chords does it more so through trial and error. This person may not actually be able to read musical notations or scores, but he or she will at least be able to judge what chord is played and for how long. As the tune or melody is practiced, usually by breaking a song up into its basic elements and listening to it as it is being played, the person matches what he or she is hearing.

A player who learns how to play the piano by ear will not necessarily be able to judge if a key is sharp or flat, and that's where having some basic knowledge of the notes comes in handy. If you need to stay in key F-major, for example, then you will know how to keep that note flat during the entire scale. While flat keys and sharp keys follow similar patterns, learning how to play the piano is not based on this alone. For teenagers or adults who are inspired and self-motivated enough to pursue their goals, learning how to play the piano can be done within a short amount of time.

Nick Krueger is a review specialist at Reviewica.com. For more information on learning how to play the piano and related product reviews, please visit: ttp://Learn-to-Play-Piano.Reviewica.com.

Play Piano As Fast As Possible

           

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Proven Tips, Tools and Tactics (that anyone can learn) to Play Rock, Pop, Blues, R&B and "Smooth Jazz Piano.

One of the rules of practicing we all hear over and over is "Be sure to practice slowly."  (I'm guilty of this too!)  Often the result of this is a feeling of inhibition, which leads to tedium.  Picture yourself filled with excitement and yearning in setting out to learn a new piece.  Suddenly a voice from the darkness whispers: "Don't touch those keys!  Sit erect, play slowly, stay strictly in time, watch that fingering..." and your smile is gone.  I'm beginning to feel a cramp just talking about it.

The fact is, a certain amount of slow practice and attention to small scale detail is absolutely necessary.  But there is something lacking in the approach so many of us have taken; we set out to make music, and end up playing what amounts to no more than a series of sterile exercises.

How can we overcome this problem?

First of all, it's important to remember that music comes to life through shading, dynamics, differences in touch, the shapes of its phrases, the rhythmic vitality that is so much a part of the right tempo.  These qualities are all missing in a slow, rigid "practice" version of a piece.  They are just as essential as correct fingering, and they don't come across without careful work.

So, perhaps we should change that rule from "Be sure to practice slowly" to "Practice as fast as possible."  But Wait!  This requires some further discussion.  The slow part of practice helps teach the fingers where to go, and makes it mush easier to learn the work.  But in order to learn how to create music, how to make the piece singwe must practice it at a tempo that will help reveal musical relationships and subtleties of form.  Pianists must have the opportunity to experiment with touch and phrasing while practicing, and there is little chance of boredom when so many exciting elements are introduced to the practice session.

In my E-book, I've included many basic exercises with background music to assist you in acquiring this level of keyboard performance.  In other words, you will be practicing with other instrumentalists.  You will hear the drums, bass and an unobtrusive piano accompaniment that provides a harmonic blanket for YOU to practice your course material!

Ideally, then, both ways of practicing should be used! 

First, we should practice slowly enough to learn the notes and fingerings.  Then, we should "practice as fast as possible"; that is, as fast as we can without losing control of the basics we learned in slow practice.

Here' how this would work.  Take a short part of the piece; you might choose a four- or eight-measure phrase.  Practice it slowly.  When you feel comfortable with the music, increase the tempo.  Don't wait until you've practiced the entire work slowly.  In this way, at each sitting you'll get to learn a little section, bring it up to tempo, and feel into what is needed to bring it to life.

At the next sitting, work on the next four or eight measure.  When you have that section brought up to tempo, combine it with the first section.  Now, you will begin to understand how the phrases relate to each other.  You can introduce the idea of dynamic shading and decide which lines to bring out at a given moment.  In fact, you will be making real, exciting musiceven before you've learned the whole piece!

As you go on in this way, you will probably change your mind about how to play the work as new sections are added.  This is part of the process of discovery and experimentation.  Concert artists are always re-interpreting, because they think about these elements all the time.

So play as slowly as you need to; but as fast as you are able!

I wish you the best of success.

Ron Worthy

Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Songwriter and Performer.  His Website, Play Piano Like a PRO, offers online multimedia piano instruction for all ages.

Is My Child Old Enough to Start Piano-Music Lessons?

           

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Before I give you my opinion on this, I want you to ask yourself this question: ?Why do I want my child to take piano lessons??

Proper answers should include these types of responses:

• ?I want to give my child a love for music that they can enjoy and carry on throughout their entire life.?
• ?I want to give my child a boost in creativity and spatial reasoning skills by studying music.?

They should not be this:

• ?I want my child to be involved in music from an early age because I hear that they can earn big scholarships to colleges/universitiesand I wont have the money to send them to a good school."
• ?I want my child to be a famous music star!?
• ?I took lessons when I was young and hated them, but I wish I would have kept going, so now I am going to force my child to take lessons so that they don?t have the same regret that I do."

Although these 3 responses, phrased differently, may have some positives, they are focused on YOU, and not your child. Please make sure that you are enrolling them in piano lessons because you want them to have a great experience that they can enjoy and keep with them for the rest of their lives, while increasing their brain?s capacity for doing math and other augmenting other reasoning skills. With that being said, let me answer the first question, ?Is my child old enough to start piano lessons?? This depends on a number of factors:

• Can your child physically sit still for at least a half-hour? (The typical length of a beginning-level piano lesson)
• Can your child mentally focus on doing what is expected of them for at least a half-hour?
• Does you child need you to be in the room, or will they suffer from separation anxiety causing them to be focused on where you are and not at the task at hand, which is learning music?
• Can your child read the letters of the alphabet?
• Can your child read and count numbers?
• Can they do very simple addition like 2+2=4?
• Do they get enough exposure to the types of music that would complement what they will be learning?

Although each of these factors can be worked around in some fashion, especially when first starting out in music, these could be considered a good list of pre-requisites. In my personal experience, I have started children as early as 4, but suggest that they probably wait till 5, in order to be more familiar with the pre-requisites I just spoke of. One of the good things about learning to read notes, at such an early age, is that children pick up on them rather quickly. They are learning to read the letters of the alphabet (putting a name to a symbol) which is exactly the same thing as learning to read the notes. The closer together these two experiences happen (learning to read letters and learning to read notes) the better. I have even heard of parents using flash cards with notes on them (can be picked up at just about any music store) while doing letters of the alphabet at the same time and find that their children learn both equally as fast, and better yet retain them! This can be a great advantage because once they can read music (both treble and bass clefs), learning to play an instrument becomes very easy, since it is a matter of motor coordination (something that is generally easier to learn once the ?notes are out of the way?.)

It is also beneficial for your child to have friends that are going through the experience of learning music at the same time. They often will want to show each other what they have learned and play together. This is exactly what happened to me. I had friends that were taking lessons and showing me what they were learning and I wanted to do the same thing. Before I knew it, we were in school band together (now playing band instruments as well as piano) and were enjoying it ?socially?.

I wish you and your child/children all the success in the world and welcome any questions that you may have for me. Please feel free to contact me at my website:

http://JerryGreene.Com

Jerry A. Greene is a private music teacher in the San Antonio, TX area. If you are interested in taking private lessons with him, please click one of the links below:
Piano Lessons in San Antonio, TXPrivate In-Home Music Lessons in San Antonio, TX

How To Choose The Right Online Piano Lessons For You

           

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Back before the internet dominated the way in which we find products and services we relied on more conventional means such as; the yellow pages, print advertising and word of mouth. While these are still effective ways to find information, the internet is certainly as effective and in many ways far more efficient.

The major difference between them is; the internet can display hundreds of thousands of search results for a single search. And, although a search engine like Google can give you many relevant results, it makes it hard sometimes to filter through it all and find what you're looking for. The choices are often overwhelming.

For example, a Google search for piano lessons reveals a million and a half results. How would you even begin to sift through it all and find yourself a piano course that's right for you? Try it yourself. Do a search and visit some of these websites, you'll find thousands of online piano lessons and thousands of different piano methods.

Most of these sites do very well at pitching you why they're the best method for you. Most focus on the beginning piano player. Why? Because, it's an audience that know the least and it's easy to appeal to their emotions. Bold selling statements like, "learn to play by ear" and "impress your friends by playing all your favorite music after only 1 hour" and "the secret piano method that makes the pros jealous!"

I admire these people for their ability to pitch. In fact the internet has made it possible for anyone with an idea and a few copy writing courses to sell just about anything. And, it works. But, what is the aftermath of learning one of these so-called shortcut piano methods. Do they really teach you how to play in and hour? Can you really learn to play by ear overnight? Well, not really.

Certainly, it's possible to learn how to play by ear and to learn how to play all your favorite songs but for most beginning piano players these are just completely outrageous claims.

What should you look for instead, in order to avoid getting sucked into these "learn to play fast" schemes? First of all, if you're even considering learning how to play from an online course I would recommend that you do a little research on who is actually giving the course. Are they professional musicians or just someone with a little knowledge? Do they have backgrounds in music? Do they have recordings that you can listen to? Or, are they offering only shortcuts to amazing playing?

Once you've done your research on the teacher then look for anyone else who has taken their courses. What are they saying? Do they give any testimonials as to the effectiveness of the courses? Do other students give any proof of their new piano playing abilities?

What I'm trying to point out is; if you dig deep enough you'll avoid spending your hard earned money on bogus schemes that simply do not work. Learning to play the piano is a lengthy process and should not be taken lightly. It can be fun, but it still takes practice. Anyone who thinks otherwise simply does not understand or does not have enough experience to know any better.

So, let's say you do find yourself a true professional; someone with a lot of experience, a great track record and plenty of proof to backup it up. What's the number one reason why you should learn online from this person rather than find a local teacher?

For starters, your online teacher will likely have way more experience and credibility that your local teacher. But, the main reason to learn online is price. A local teacher of any credible stature will be charging at least $75 an hour. An hour online video lesson will run you an average of about $25.

There are other benefits such as; you can learn at your own pace, there are no travel expenses, it's anonymous, it's stress free and your lesson is always available for review at any time. But, for most people it's a question of economics. It's way cheaper to study online than in person.

So, the next time you do a search for "piano lessons" on Google, please use the above information above to help you choose the right piano lesson for you.

If you are looking for highly motivating and entertaining online piano lessons, Paul Tobey is a certified piano lesson trainer and multi-award winning concert pianist whose piano music is known throughout the world.

Private Piano Lessons are a Waste of Money!

           

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Have you wasted your money? Are you wasting your money? Or are you about to waste your money on private piano lessons?

In the following article you will find out exactly what I mean.

* * Private Piano Lessons Are a Waste of Money! * *

When you are starting out, you will realize that there are lots of different ways you can learn the piano.

* From a book * Private teacher * Online lessons * Music School (group lessons)

All of them have their advantages and disadvantages.

What you are about to learn in the following article is the advantages and disadvantages of having private lessons and the answer to the controversial statement "private piano lessons are a waste of money".

Having private piano lessons means one-to-one piano lessons in your own home or at your teacher's home.

* * Piano lessons in your home * *

- - Advantages - -

* Saves you time, zero traveling * You can make "your own cup of tea just the way you like it" * You can keep up-to-date with your favorite TV program at the same time!? * You can disappear to the toilet at anytime to escape from the boredom

Only joking! But it really does happen sometimes. Really there is only ONE advantage and that is saving the time it takes to travel to lessons.

- - Disadvantages - -

Distraction is the biggest disadvantage if you decide to have piano lessons at home. It really is unavoidable.

* Your phone rings * Your dog is barking and wants attention * Your neighbor is banging nails into the wall * Your other neighbor is 'not the greatest fan of the piano' and is banging something else on the wall * Your teacher is stuck in traffic and is running late * Your teacher complains every week about the poor quality of your piano, and that it is always out of tune * Private piano lessons are incredibly expensive and you usually have to commit for a certain period of time

And on...and on...Well, you get the idea.

Distractions affect your concentration, your ability to learn and remember things and it really wastes everyone's time.

* * Private lessons in the piano teacher's home * * If you don't have to travel too far and can avoid traffic jams then having piano lessons at your teacher's home is better than in your own home.

- - Advantages - -

* Your teacher's piano is usually a good one, and is normally in tune * You rarely get distractions at your teacher's home

- - Disadvantages - -

* Traveling time * Stressful driving in traffic * Finding a parking space * Parking costs * Fuel or public transport costs

- - Conclusion - -

Private piano lessons at home are ok if you have an endless supply of money (who has?), and distractions do not bother you.

Piano lessons in your teacher's home are slightly better, but the boredom level is significantly increased!

- - The Answer - -

Go and learn by yourself! Buy an online piano course (not a free one, as you usually don't get enough information).

The best online piano courses usually cost less than $50 and you get the same information and sometimes more than any teacher would give you.

You can also study the course in your own time, in the comfort of your own home, with your feet up on the desk, sipping the best cup of tea in the world ;-)

P.S. You may think that I'm out on a mission in this article to bash private piano teachers. This is NOT the case. There comes a time when you reach a certain level that having private piano lessons is the ONLY option. I am simply stating that these days there are much cheaper and more convenient ways for beginners to learn the 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 "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.alltalents.co.uk/Free_Piano_Lessons.html

[You're free to use this article on your website or newsletter as long as it remains intact and includes the author's biog box]

Piano Tricks Site Offers Online Video Piano Lessons

           

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Berkeley, CA--January 15, 2007-- PianoTricks.com is the collaboration of Jon Broderick, webmaster, and Christopher Schlegel, piano instructor. Jon and Christopher work in a successful partnership on the popular guitar instruction site guitartricks.com. They decided to expand their reach into cyberspace in 2006 by offering an innovative online piano lesson resource with modern video lessons. Because of the popularity of their sister site the team realized that the techniques they have learned teaching guitar online could translate to people motivated to learn piano online as well, while allowing the students to do it easily in the convenience and comfort of their own homes.

The instructor Christopher Schlegel has many credentials and he is an experienced musical performer and teacher. He has been playing music for 30 years, piano for 12 years, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Bethel College in Tennessee. Christopher loves music of many different styles and knows how to apply the basic fundamental unifying principles of music to any genre. He also composes and performs his own original music in addition to teaching classes and seminars involving music technology (MIDI sequencing, digital recording, scoring). Christopher has 20 years of private instruction experience teaching guitar, piano, and music theory to students of all ages and all styles and a very thorough and enthusiastic teaching style, which is visible in his lessons.

People today have hectic schedules to maintain and as the ability to relax and unwind becomes increasingly difficult, the internet offers an outlet for individuals to pursue activities they would not normally because of the constraints on time, travel, and expense. PianoTricks.com offers an outlet for your busy life and leaves no excuse in your way to take the music lessons you always wanted to.

Visit the PianoTricks.com site to get an example of how lessons are delivered right to your desktop in the easiest possible format. Online piano lessons can fit any schedule 24/7.

Contact: Jon Broderick
Company: Web Trick Inc.
Address: 2625 Alcatraz Avenue, #311, Berkeley, CA 94705
Phone: (510) 991-7414
Email
Website

PR Created and Distributed By MuzikReviews.com

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck conducts interviews, writes reviews, biographies, press releases and articles for Independent and Major artists Worldwide. Articles are dispersed on a vast network of websites. Links to sites with great music content are provided on Homepage and Links Page.

Piano Lessons Outside the Box: A New Approach to Learning Piano

           

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Usually, piano lessons consist of a teacher assigning a method book to students in an attempt to teach them how to play the music of the "masters."

The hopeful student learns to read music (in a year or two) and begins to play his first pieces.

For most, this is satisfactory. All they really want to to do is play classical music and entertain themselves and others. Nothing wrong with it at all.

But what if there was a way to play the piano that allowed you to express yourself creatively - just like painters do? There is a way. And it all has to do with a chord-based approach!

You see, chords are to the pianist as what colors are to the visual artist. The artist uses color, form, and technique to create with. The improvising and composing musician uses melody, rhythm, and harmony to create music with.

Yet the sad truth of the matter is music students rarely learn this art. If they do, it's after they've mastered note reading and piano technique. The truly creative stuff doesn't appear until well after in most cases.

Now, I don't know why this is. But one thing is for sure? it doesn't have to be that way!

For example, by using a few chords and a way to play these chords, you can create your own music. Be it improvised or composed. Take my free lesson "Reflections in Water" for example.

Here we have 4 chords in the Key of C Major. The chords are modern sounding seventh chords and are all played in open position. By using the materials of music (chords) we can quickly begin creating music - much like visual artists do.

You don't have to be Beethoven or Mozart to do this. On the contrary, the less you know, the better you will be able to improvise because you haven't learned what you "should" be doing.

I believe piano lessons can be taught much like an art lesson. You first have the title of the piece you'll be creating. You then use a step by step method that shows you how the piece was made. I've been using this method to teach with for years now and my students love it.

In short, don't think going the classical route is the only way. It's not. If you want to create your own unique music, you can!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Creative Piano Lessons for the Absolute Beginner

           

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So, you've been thinking about taking piano lessons. And you're a beginner. You probably think you'll begin your piano lessons studies with note-reading and triads. And you'd be right!

Most piano teachers begin their students out on some obscure method book that drags out the teaching process. This makes your piano teacher rich and you a much poorer piano player.

You may be thinking there's a better way to learn piano. And you'd be right again! Listen to this. What if there was a method? a way to play piano right away using a modern sounding chord? And what if you could use this chord to create your OWN music instead of playing Kum ba ya 40-50 times for practice.

You're in for a treat because this kind of piano instruction exists and can be found right on the internet. I'm talking about something called the Open Position Piano Chord and with it, you can quickly and easily create your own unique music. Not in months or years. Not even in weeks. I'm talking about hours!

But how you ask?

The answer is easy. The Open Position Piano Chord uses both hands right away to create a modern sound. Once you master this chord position (takes about 10 minutes or less) you'll be well on your way to playing contemporary styles. The best part about this chord structure though is how easy it is to create with.

Because both hands are used immediately, you have the opportunity to play with the tones under your fingers. The lowly triad, while still used in much western music, is not so friendly in this regard.

With the triad, you get 3 tones to play around with and while you can create some music with this, it's just not what today's sound is all about.

The Open Position Chord however gives you a modern seventh chord to play with right away. Used in Jazz, New Age, and Contemporary styles, the seventh chord is the foundation of most of today's music!

Look, if you want to get really creative at the piano, try the Open Position Piano Chord and you'll see how your piano lessons will become that much easier!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Jazz Piano Lessons - A Whole New Approach

           

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Jazz. Just the word alone sounds musical. If you're looking for jazz piano lessons and a new way to play jazz piano, read on!

For the most part, jazz piano lessons begin with the study of chords. And that's a good thing! But chords alone will not help you make music. Sure, chords are important. But so is the other half of learning piano improvisation and that has everything to do with TRUSTING YOUR INTUITION!

This is where the usual jazz piano lesson routine falls apart. You're taught chords yes. But what do you do with these chords? You create music with them.

Now, most jazz students have as their goal, the ability to comp. They want to be part of a trio or duo or some other combination of musical group. The most common of these is the jazz trio. Here we have keyboards, bass, and drums. And this makes a very nice combo. But if you're interested in playing solo, you have a different problem.

The solo jazz pianist has to not only know how to play chords, but how to read from a lead sheet. A lead sheet gives you the chord symbols and the melody line and that is all you need to create your own arrangements.

There are many fine books out there for the aspiring jazz pianist to learn the art of soloing. But one thing most of these books don't teach you is how to improvise and compose YOUR OWN MUSIC!

It's no surprise that there's a shortage on this kind of instruction. It's not in high demand. As I mentioned before, most jazz pianists in training want to learn how to play in a group setting. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to learn how to compose your own music?

If you understand and can play 4 and 8-bar phrases, you're already aware of the importance of repetition and contrast in music. Repetition and contrast are the cornerstones of composition.

Listen, if you're already taking jazz piano lessons and want to learn the art of composition on your own, study and learn how to play in 4 and 8-bar phrases. It will serve you well in the long run.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Piano Lessons - Failure Is Not An Option

           

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Ever find yourself humming a song, or hearing a song in your head? Sometimes we find ourselves singing the same song over and over all day long, even if we can't stand the song! The fact is, music is just a part of us.

We are exposed to music from the day we are conceived. We can feel and hear it in the womb. Many of us on our day of birth can hear our Mother singing, "Rock-a-bye-baby." That turns to "Happy Birthday" every single year after that. Everyone has certain songs that invoke strong memories from the past. How about that special wedding song?

Music can make us laugh, and it can make us cry. Music is a part of our soul. Music education is important to our growth. It helps our brains process information better. Students involved in music get higher grades in Math and other subjects. They do better on their SAT scores. It improves self-esteem and social skills.

Everyone would love to play an instrument. Who wouldn't love to walk over to the piano at a party and be the life of the party?

Music is a birthright. We are all capable of learning and mastering it. So the question is: why don't we? Why are normal attrition rates at around 80%? The answer is simple: we do not fail the system; the system fails us.

Theory and Notation

Sheet music represents the universal language of music notation...a visual interpretation of what we call "Music Theory." It's a system of dots, dashes, circles, lines and other hieroglyphics that is richly layered with centuries of historical evolution and meaning.

The preferred method of teaching piano is to immediately introduce theory and notation, marking learning far more difficult than it needs to be. That is why there is such a high failure rate for most of us in learning to play. Focusing on the translation of notation as a first step is difficult for most of us and it is one of the contributing factors making practicing painful and un-enjoyable.

So how can we turn the odds in our favor at succeed at piano lessons?

Reverse the process

Music is a language, and like learning any second language, it is difficult. We learn to speak our own language naturally, not by going to school. Then, once we are in school we learn how to "read" that language. In music, we learn the "written language" first (notation) then learn how to play. This is contrary to the way we naturally learn our language, and that's what make it so hard.

Make it fun

First, make it fun and enjoyable. If it isn't fun, do you think a child would rather play their video games than practice?

Don't be pushy and let your child learn at his or her own pace. They'll tell you (either verbally or through results) when it's time to take the next step. Stick with it, and you can beat the odds.

Vincent Miele is an accomplished musician and consultant for Allegro Multimedia. To learn about the Piano Wizard, please visit www.piano-wizard.net

Piano Lessons For Your Kids

           

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Children can start taking piano lessons at the age of four when they already know ABCs and numbers. You don't have to wait untill your kids show interest in piano. You can always start introduce the instrument to them. When they can learn fast and enjoy the lesson, you know that it's in their blood to play piano.

When you planned to give your kids piano lessons, you better start planning to buy a piano if you don't have it already. Piano player, even the professional ones still need to practice on the daily basis.

Piano lessons need more than just understanding and memorizing, the fingers need to feels the lessons through practices. So it is very crucial to have a piano in your house.

You should not substitute piano with keyboard or digital piano. At this early stage of learning piano, the fingers are going to an important stage of forming the muscle. The kids also learn to coordinate their fingers with the sounds they make. Accoustic piano give an unlimited sounds that will influence the sensitivity of ears from the sounds it makes.

It doesn't have to be a good piano from an expensive brand, but an ordinary accoustic piano will do. A used ones will work nicely too. You can always try to rent them if you can't afford to buy one.

Last but not least. When choosing a piano teacher, you should examine if that person is really just a player or is a teacher. You will need to find a teacher. Not all piano player is a good teacher.

Dini Shanti is a working at home moms who own a site dedicated for moms including articles about piano. Please keep the links active when using this articles on your website.

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 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.

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.

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

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