Do you want to learn how to play the piano? You are not alone; the piano is perhaps the most popular of all instruments because it evokes a combination of feelings. It can show romance, anger, happiness, sadness, and a host of other feelings combined. Of all instruments, the piano is the most romantic and men or women who have ever been played "to" know exactly what this means. If you have had trouble learning how to play the piano in the past, we have the answers you need.
The following five steps will give you everything you need to start on your journey to learning how to play the piano.
1. Get access to a piano or synthesizer. This may sound silly, but some people actually think they can learn to play the piano by listening to music or reading a book. You have to have access to a piano to truly begin learning to play the piano.
2. Take piano lessons. Piano lessons can come in many different forms. The more forms you combine the more complete your learning experience will be. If you're totally dedicated to learning to play the piano then schedule piano lessons with a piano teacher, buy several beginning piano books, buy instructional CDs and DVDs, sign up for online piano learning classes, and find any other instructional piano helpers you can get. The more you combine and study thoroughly the quicker and more complete your learning will be.
3. Take advice from experts. Concentrate on the areas of learning they recommend. Your books and your teachers may take different approaches to things, but they all know more about playing the piano than you do. Do whatever they tell you to do for each of their respective lessons.
4. Make practicing the piano a priority. No matter how much you study or take classes, unless you find at least 10 minutes per day to practice, you will not improve. You should begin your practice with the warm ups at least four times per week.
5. Learn the music one measure at a time. You won't be sitting down and playing any advanced music pieces from start to finish on first try until you've spent hundreds of hours practicing the piano. In the mean time learning to play the piano music will always involve patiently going through it one piece at a time. When you can play the whole musical composition, move on to your next piece of music. Go back over the ones you've already learned at least once per month in order to retain what you've learned.
Learn The Piano In 5 Simple Steps
Want to learn to play the piano? It is not only you who is trying to learn it rather there hundreds of others who also want to do so. The piano is by and far the most popular and admired instrument in the world. It brings out combination of many feelings from you like romance, anger, happiness, sadness and many other feelings. Piano is considered to be the most romantic of all instruments, men and women who have been playing the piano will know exactly what I mean. And if any one of you has found it difficult to learn the piano in the past, then don't worry. We have got all you are looking for.
These five steps will help you take a plunge into the process of learning the piano.
1. First and foremost you need to get access to a piano or a keyboard. You won't believe me when I say this; there are a few crazy people who actually think they can learn a piano by just listening to music or by just reading a book. You actually by all means need to have access to a piano to start learning to play.
2. Take up piano lessons. There are many different forms through which you can take up piano lessons and the more forms you combine to learn your lessons, the better you get in your playing skills. If you really want to learn the piano very well then sign up for classes with a piano teacher, purchase many different piano books, sign up for online piano lessons, purchase instructional CD's and DVD's and also look for others (preferably pianist and musicians) who can give you tips on how to play well. The more number of methods you put together and learn the better your skills and technique gets.
3. Take a lot of advice from experts. Focus while you play and learn on the areas they tell you to. The method your teacher and books follow may be a bit different, but always listen to what they say; they actually know how to play the piano really well. Do what they tell you, it will actually help you improve your skills.
4. Practicing the piano should be the first priority for you. And no matter how much you study or how many classes you take, you are not going to learn the piano unless you practice for at least 10 minutes a day. And remember to always begin your practice with a warm up session and then move into the actual practice.
5. Always take time to learn music well, I would suggest you to go one measure at a time. Never as a beginner will you be expected to play a classical piece from start to end. You could actually only play classical pieces only after hundreds of hours of practice. In the mean time you will be expected to take it slow and learn each piece measure by measure. And once you are kind of perfect with the composition you could move to the next composition. And always practice the ones you have learnt at lest once a week to keep improving your skills and to help retain what you have learnt.
These five steps will help you take a plunge into the process of learning the piano.
1. First and foremost you need to get access to a piano or a keyboard. You won't believe me when I say this; there are a few crazy people who actually think they can learn a piano by just listening to music or by just reading a book. You actually by all means need to have access to a piano to start learning to play.
2. Take up piano lessons. There are many different forms through which you can take up piano lessons and the more forms you combine to learn your lessons, the better you get in your playing skills. If you really want to learn the piano very well then sign up for classes with a piano teacher, purchase many different piano books, sign up for online piano lessons, purchase instructional CD's and DVD's and also look for others (preferably pianist and musicians) who can give you tips on how to play well. The more number of methods you put together and learn the better your skills and technique gets.
3. Take a lot of advice from experts. Focus while you play and learn on the areas they tell you to. The method your teacher and books follow may be a bit different, but always listen to what they say; they actually know how to play the piano really well. Do what they tell you, it will actually help you improve your skills.
4. Practicing the piano should be the first priority for you. And no matter how much you study or how many classes you take, you are not going to learn the piano unless you practice for at least 10 minutes a day. And remember to always begin your practice with a warm up session and then move into the actual practice.
5. Always take time to learn music well, I would suggest you to go one measure at a time. Never as a beginner will you be expected to play a classical piece from start to end. You could actually only play classical pieces only after hundreds of hours of practice. In the mean time you will be expected to take it slow and learn each piece measure by measure. And once you are kind of perfect with the composition you could move to the next composition. And always practice the ones you have learnt at lest once a week to keep improving your skills and to help retain what you have learnt.
Piano Presents for a Musical New Year Pay Off for Kids
Make a decision in the New Year to choose gifts that invest in your child's future and you and your kids can look forward to an honest return for your money. Piano lessons are among the best educational investments you can make in your child's future because they improve overall educational progress as well as build a fun, life-long skill. Here's some ideas for the New Year so that when another holiday or birthday rolls around you'll be prepared to make a smart investment in your child's future.
1. A Piano or Keyboard -
The first place to start investing in your child's musical education is with a piano. There are lots of options, just choose the best piano or keyboard you can afford and you can feel good about your decision.
2. Keyboard Stand and Bench -
If you choose a keyboard be sure to get a stand and a bench to go along with it. Learning to sit at the piano with good posture and balance is important to success, so don't try to do without these.
3. Piano Bag to Keep Music Organized -
Organization is important. You don't want your child going to their lessons without the music books they will need. Keeping everything in a piano bag ensures that your child will get the most from their lessons.
4. Piano Journal to Record Goals and Progress -
Help your child in piano set goals and keep track of their progress by learning to keep a journal.
5. A Metronome to Aid Sight Reading and Counting -
Metronomes are great for helping kids in piano improve their sight reading ability and learn to keep a steady beat.
6. Piano Books and Sheet Music -
A New music book or special piece of sheet music will add energy and enthusiasm to your child's piano lessons and help them to set goals to learn new music. Don't force your children to play the music you like, however, but listen to what motivates your child.
7. Musical Inspirational Gifts -
Musical jewelry, stickers, pencils, bookmarks, etc. great ways to reward and encourage your child's musical efforts with a little surprise they won't be expecting.
8. Musical Games & Activities You can Play with Your Kids -
Why not use music to have more family time and fun with your children. Musical games make piano fun for the whole family while learning together.
9. Concert Tickets to Create Musical Memories with Your Children -
Take your kids to a piano concert or symphony. This is a great way to make a musical memory with your children that will inspire them to reach their musical dreams.
10. Classical Piano CDs Your Whole Family will Enjoy -
Having a nice collection of CDs is a great way to support your child's piano journey. Familiarity brings comfort to children. The more familiar they are with different styles of music, the easier it is for kids to learn the new music their teacher will assign.
Keep these gift ideas handy and and remember to invest in your child's future in a consistent way that will pay off over the New Year.
For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You'll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f'ree internet newsletter so you can download f'ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.
These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com.
1. A Piano or Keyboard -
The first place to start investing in your child's musical education is with a piano. There are lots of options, just choose the best piano or keyboard you can afford and you can feel good about your decision.
2. Keyboard Stand and Bench -
If you choose a keyboard be sure to get a stand and a bench to go along with it. Learning to sit at the piano with good posture and balance is important to success, so don't try to do without these.
3. Piano Bag to Keep Music Organized -
Organization is important. You don't want your child going to their lessons without the music books they will need. Keeping everything in a piano bag ensures that your child will get the most from their lessons.
4. Piano Journal to Record Goals and Progress -
Help your child in piano set goals and keep track of their progress by learning to keep a journal.
5. A Metronome to Aid Sight Reading and Counting -
Metronomes are great for helping kids in piano improve their sight reading ability and learn to keep a steady beat.
6. Piano Books and Sheet Music -
A New music book or special piece of sheet music will add energy and enthusiasm to your child's piano lessons and help them to set goals to learn new music. Don't force your children to play the music you like, however, but listen to what motivates your child.
7. Musical Inspirational Gifts -
Musical jewelry, stickers, pencils, bookmarks, etc. great ways to reward and encourage your child's musical efforts with a little surprise they won't be expecting.
8. Musical Games & Activities You can Play with Your Kids -
Why not use music to have more family time and fun with your children. Musical games make piano fun for the whole family while learning together.
9. Concert Tickets to Create Musical Memories with Your Children -
Take your kids to a piano concert or symphony. This is a great way to make a musical memory with your children that will inspire them to reach their musical dreams.
10. Classical Piano CDs Your Whole Family will Enjoy -
Having a nice collection of CDs is a great way to support your child's piano journey. Familiarity brings comfort to children. The more familiar they are with different styles of music, the easier it is for kids to learn the new music their teacher will assign.
Keep these gift ideas handy and and remember to invest in your child's future in a consistent way that will pay off over the New Year.
For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You'll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f'ree internet newsletter so you can download f'ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.
These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com.
How To Play The Piano Quickly
Tips On How To Learn To Play Piano
Though learning piano is a dream for many people for years, deciding to learn and learning wouldn't happen just like that. Luckily, some tools are provided by the technology and this makes it easier than ever to learn the piano even in the busy schedule of our lives. An offline lesson occasionally maybe needed or not along with your online learning materials according to your style of learning. It can be pleasing and beneficial in the growth and restoration of the mind, though learning piano may be difficult at an elder age.
Today, online courses on the internet have come as a great source to people who want to learn piano without leaving the comfort of their home. So you need not surprise if there are a number of piano aspirants moving on to the internet for courses on piano learning. And for the people who have patience, commitment and the money for those CD courses which are costlier, this is a great alternative. However, what about those people who want to learn piano in their style and their own conditions? It would be great if there were websites that provide piano learning aspirants with knowledge they needed to expertise the piano without overstressing them. Fortunately, there are sites which help you learn the piano in your own style, but there are only a few of them. Hence, you really need to research, particularly when many websites try to take your money and leave you disturbed without making you learn any skills.
It would be great if you find such a website, and you can learn playing tunes on the first day itself without any difficulty even if you have not touched a piano key before. And it is possible as there is no reason for you to get surprised by the greatness of this instrument. Nevertheless, a piano keyboard is just a row of buttons, and if you can push buttons, you can create music easily. Therefore, the great determination to make music and being well on your way to become a pianist is what are all really needed.
Sometimes, as people were told that to learn piano one needs to put a lot of hard work, they used to withdraw themselves from trying to learn piano. Now, this wasn't actually untrue some years back, as there were terribly painful exercises to be played by students and learn songs they didn't like for the preparation of the songs which were fearful. In other way, learning piano was made an unpleasing and boring task in those days. Now a days, easy to understand and visual cues and "tricks" have replaced the boring lessons in books, which is a complete contrast to the older ways of learning. With some practical changes like these, learning piano has become so easy and enjoyable than it was.
On the other hand, along with beginners, even qualified performers can take the advantage from the vast piano learning opportunities out there. So if you know the basics already and want to easily play the keys and tones very well, you need not worry, because, if you believe it or not, now you can get a way to many hidden secrets on learning how to play keys and play piano as your favorite musicians do.
To conclude, believe in yourself and look forward to the best you can do, without giving the thought that you can never be excellent enough.
Another 5 Simple Steps To Learn How To Play The Piano
1. Get access to a piano or synthesizer. This may sound silly, but some people actually think they can learn to play the piano by listening to music or reading a book. You have to have access to a piano to truly begin learning to play the piano.
2. Take piano lessons. Piano lessons can come in many different forms. The more forms you combine the more complete your learning experience will be. If you're totally dedicated to learning to play the piano then schedule piano lessons with a piano teacher, buy several beginning piano books, buy instructional CDs and DVDs, sign up for online piano learning classes, and find any other instructional piano helpers you can get. The more you combine and study thoroughly the quicker and more complete your learning will be.
3. Take advice from experts. Concentrate on the areas of learning they recommend. Your books and your teachers may take different approaches to things, but they all know more about playing the piano than you do. Do whatever they tell you to do for each of their respective lessons.
4. Make practicing the piano a priority. No matter how much you study or take classes, unless you find at least 10 minutes per day to practice, you will not improve. You should begin your practice with the warm ups at least four times per week.
5. Learn the music one measure at a time. You won't be sitting down and playing any advanced music pieces from start to finish on first try until you've spent hundreds of hours practicing the piano. In the mean time learning to play the piano music will always involve patiently going through it one piece at a time. When you can play the whole musical composition, move on to your next piece of music. Go back over the ones you've already learned at least once per month in order to retain what you've learned.Check out more for how to learning piano fast and easy with the best piano program.
Though learning piano is a dream for many people for years, deciding to learn and learning wouldn't happen just like that. Luckily, some tools are provided by the technology and this makes it easier than ever to learn the piano even in the busy schedule of our lives. An offline lesson occasionally maybe needed or not along with your online learning materials according to your style of learning. It can be pleasing and beneficial in the growth and restoration of the mind, though learning piano may be difficult at an elder age.
Today, online courses on the internet have come as a great source to people who want to learn piano without leaving the comfort of their home. So you need not surprise if there are a number of piano aspirants moving on to the internet for courses on piano learning. And for the people who have patience, commitment and the money for those CD courses which are costlier, this is a great alternative. However, what about those people who want to learn piano in their style and their own conditions? It would be great if there were websites that provide piano learning aspirants with knowledge they needed to expertise the piano without overstressing them. Fortunately, there are sites which help you learn the piano in your own style, but there are only a few of them. Hence, you really need to research, particularly when many websites try to take your money and leave you disturbed without making you learn any skills.
It would be great if you find such a website, and you can learn playing tunes on the first day itself without any difficulty even if you have not touched a piano key before. And it is possible as there is no reason for you to get surprised by the greatness of this instrument. Nevertheless, a piano keyboard is just a row of buttons, and if you can push buttons, you can create music easily. Therefore, the great determination to make music and being well on your way to become a pianist is what are all really needed.
Sometimes, as people were told that to learn piano one needs to put a lot of hard work, they used to withdraw themselves from trying to learn piano. Now, this wasn't actually untrue some years back, as there were terribly painful exercises to be played by students and learn songs they didn't like for the preparation of the songs which were fearful. In other way, learning piano was made an unpleasing and boring task in those days. Now a days, easy to understand and visual cues and "tricks" have replaced the boring lessons in books, which is a complete contrast to the older ways of learning. With some practical changes like these, learning piano has become so easy and enjoyable than it was.
On the other hand, along with beginners, even qualified performers can take the advantage from the vast piano learning opportunities out there. So if you know the basics already and want to easily play the keys and tones very well, you need not worry, because, if you believe it or not, now you can get a way to many hidden secrets on learning how to play keys and play piano as your favorite musicians do.
To conclude, believe in yourself and look forward to the best you can do, without giving the thought that you can never be excellent enough.
Another 5 Simple Steps To Learn How To Play The Piano
1. Get access to a piano or synthesizer. This may sound silly, but some people actually think they can learn to play the piano by listening to music or reading a book. You have to have access to a piano to truly begin learning to play the piano.
2. Take piano lessons. Piano lessons can come in many different forms. The more forms you combine the more complete your learning experience will be. If you're totally dedicated to learning to play the piano then schedule piano lessons with a piano teacher, buy several beginning piano books, buy instructional CDs and DVDs, sign up for online piano learning classes, and find any other instructional piano helpers you can get. The more you combine and study thoroughly the quicker and more complete your learning will be.
3. Take advice from experts. Concentrate on the areas of learning they recommend. Your books and your teachers may take different approaches to things, but they all know more about playing the piano than you do. Do whatever they tell you to do for each of their respective lessons.
4. Make practicing the piano a priority. No matter how much you study or take classes, unless you find at least 10 minutes per day to practice, you will not improve. You should begin your practice with the warm ups at least four times per week.
5. Learn the music one measure at a time. You won't be sitting down and playing any advanced music pieces from start to finish on first try until you've spent hundreds of hours practicing the piano. In the mean time learning to play the piano music will always involve patiently going through it one piece at a time. When you can play the whole musical composition, move on to your next piece of music. Go back over the ones you've already learned at least once per month in order to retain what you've learned.Check out more for how to learning piano fast and easy with the best piano program.
Piano Sheet Music - Kids Look Forward to Special Songs Chosen Just for Them
Piano sheet music provides a great incentive for piano students giving them a chance to expand their repertoire and play special pieces chosen just for them. Piano lesson method books are important for children who are learning musical ideas and concepts that are brand new to them. Following a plan or method that has been tested ensures students will succeed and there won't be gaps in their musical knowledge. In method books, piano knowledge is incorporated into simpler, shorter pieces of music that allow students to gradually add new playing skills to their list of piano abilities. Method books cover such topics as hand position, note reading, articulation, dynamics, and music theory concepts. While they are important, however, once a student has accumulated a set of playing skills they're ready apply this knowledge to more creative music.
Piano teachers often give students who have enough experience special sheet music to play for occasions such as recitals and holidays. Sheet music doesn't have to be a single piece of music though. Sometimes piano teachers will give students special music books with a variety of unique pieces suitable for recitals. The important point to remember for you child taking piano lessons is that they may need encouragement at first to learn these more challenging pieces and to of course bring them to their lessons.
Because children like routine and are accustomed to playing the next song in their regular piano lesson book which is generally not too difficult, progressing to sheet music can make students feel uncomfortable at first. They may come to their lesson without their new piece of sheet music saying, "Was that part of my lesson? It's not really a book, just a few pages." For reasons only children understand they may think the piece of sheet music their teacher assigned it is not important, or not their "real" piano book. So pay attention when your child brings home their first piece of sheet music and be sure to celebrate it. For example, "Wow! Your piano teacher gave you a real piece of music to play! Cool! Congratulations!" Sometimes children have things a little up-side-down and need adults to invert situations to help them broaden their perspective. Piano lessons are no exception.
Once children have played a few pieces of sheet music that their piano teacher has chosen just for them, they look forward to getting this special music to play. Just be sure to encourage your piano student when they get bring their first piece of sheet music home and make sure they take it with to their piano lessons so their teacher can help them learn to play it.
For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You'll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f'ree internet newsletter so you can download f'ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.
These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com
Piano teachers often give students who have enough experience special sheet music to play for occasions such as recitals and holidays. Sheet music doesn't have to be a single piece of music though. Sometimes piano teachers will give students special music books with a variety of unique pieces suitable for recitals. The important point to remember for you child taking piano lessons is that they may need encouragement at first to learn these more challenging pieces and to of course bring them to their lessons.
Because children like routine and are accustomed to playing the next song in their regular piano lesson book which is generally not too difficult, progressing to sheet music can make students feel uncomfortable at first. They may come to their lesson without their new piece of sheet music saying, "Was that part of my lesson? It's not really a book, just a few pages." For reasons only children understand they may think the piece of sheet music their teacher assigned it is not important, or not their "real" piano book. So pay attention when your child brings home their first piece of sheet music and be sure to celebrate it. For example, "Wow! Your piano teacher gave you a real piece of music to play! Cool! Congratulations!" Sometimes children have things a little up-side-down and need adults to invert situations to help them broaden their perspective. Piano lessons are no exception.
Once children have played a few pieces of sheet music that their piano teacher has chosen just for them, they look forward to getting this special music to play. Just be sure to encourage your piano student when they get bring their first piece of sheet music home and make sure they take it with to their piano lessons so their teacher can help them learn to play it.
For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You'll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f'ree internet newsletter so you can download f'ree piano sheet music and mp3s of original piano compositions.
These exciting stories, games, piano lessons, and inspirational gifts feature the Piano Adventure Bears, Mrs. Treble Beary and her new piano student, Albeart Littlebud. Young students follow along with Albeart to learn what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that kids readily understand appreciate. Click here to visit PianoAdventureBears.com For a wealth of information about piano lessons, visit tallypiano.com
Learn to Play the Piano
Rocket Piano is a very professionally done piano lesson package. It includes a number of ebooks, audio tracks, and video tracks to support the instructional material. In addition, there's a ton of extras, all extremely well-done, and described below. The product is simple to download, and is perfectly paced for the introductory piano student. It runs on Windows and Macs, so it doesn't matter what kind of computer you have. In a word, if you want to learn to play, you'd be nuts to pass on this. I highly recommend it. Read on for the details.
Chapter One - Piano Facts and History
Don't skip this chapter. It's full of really interesting facts about the piano and includes a bit of history, a lot of physical facts about the instrument that the beginning piano lesson student should know, and some great diagrams that show the mechanics of how a piano produces sound. There's also a nice section about the pedals, which you don't find in most courses, that actually explains what the pedals are for and how they work. All in all, a great introduction.
Chapter Two - The Basics
Chapter Two provides all the basic information you'll need to get started in the right direction. It has the most complete description of how to sit at the piano that I've come across so far. You get the idea very easily from the included diagram that shows the proper position for your head, back, arms, and legs. Pay attention students There's nothing worse than seeing a beginning player struggling because of a slouch or being too high or too low in relation to the keyboard. Chapter Two continues with an explanation of proper hand position, and dispels the popular myth that you need very long fingers to play well. The author correctly points out that finger strength and agility are far more important characteristics than finger length. The standard and necessary assignment of numbers to each finger is included too, accompanied by a very good diagram. No confusion possible here. The layout of the keyboard is explained next, again with very clear graphics, and then the connection between the finger numbering system and the keyboard is introduced with some very simple exercises - so after only sixteen pages of background, the new student is actually using the keyboard. Note reading is introduced next with a very clear and simple approach that starts with the definition of a note, and then introduces the concept of rhythm. The notation for whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes is illustrated, and the standard duration of each is explained. What follows is a series of easy exercises to reinforce the basic concepts of note type and duration. Audio clips are available for each exercise to assure the student that they are proceeding correctly.
Chapter Three - The Musical Alphabet
Chapter Three starts with a graphic of the keyboard with all the notes labeled and then shows you the middle C hand position, followed by a short exercise that gets both hands going to familiarize the student with middle C and the surrounding notes. Chapter Three also introduces time signatures, the other component of rhythm. Good examples follow the explanation, and there are a few practice exercises, again with sample audio tracks. The rest of the chapters in the book are just as good and cover such topics as:
* the musical staff
* intervals
* sharps and flats
* playing scales
* rhythm
* arpeggios, and more.
Okay...if I review any more Chapters, you won't need the package, But I do want to tell you about the extras that come with Rocket Piano. First of all, there's a Music Theory Game called Jayde Musica that is really wonderful. When you start up the game, notes move past you on the screen from right to left and your job is to identify them before they scroll off the left-hand side of the display. You can click on the name of the note with your mouse, hit the letter on your keyboard that corresponds to the note(s) displayed, or type the number that you'll see associated with each note. The game has an Options menu that lets you control the level of difficulty (basically the speed at which the notes move), and there's even a high score screen that records your name once you start to excel. Kids love this stuff. This kind of game makes learning to read notes so painless, that there just isn't any excuse anymore
And it gets better...the second extra is another game called Keycelerator which helps you learn chord nomenclature and keyboard patterns. The game consists of a display of a chord pattern on the left of the display, and four choices on the right - a multiple choice test...the choices are shown as keyboard segments with different notes depressed. So if you can read the notes of the chord, you then pick the notes that represent the chord from the set of four choices; much more fun than studying a chord manual. The game keeps score and has a number of options you can control. (I'm not bragging, but I got a perfect score on my first test :)
The next extra is called Chordinator , which is designed to improve your chord recognition abilities. Structured much like Keycelerator , but the answer choices are in the form of chord names, not notes on the keyboard. Okay, I missed one on this game, but it was only because my finger slipped off the mouse and hit the wrong choice :) ...99/100 isn't bad though, right?
The next extra is really addictive It's called Perfect Your Pitch - it's an ear-training tool to help you home your pitch recognition skills. It plays a series of four notes and you have to pick the right choice from a set of four answers. It really is a lot fun. My score wasn't perfect on this one, and I had to force myself to stop ....like eating ice cream As you ear gets sharper it gets much easier to play songs by ear , and you'll start to recognize note combinations in common melodies and songs on the radio...just like learning a new language. This one is highly recommended. But don't ignore the other parts of the course while you try to perfect you pitch recognition abilities.
There's yet another bonus included called Advanced Learning Techniques for the Piano , but I think the little book is misnamed I think you should read this first when you get the package, and I also think this little gem is worth the cost of the package all by itself. What it tells you is how to practice - a topic that is completely ignored by most teaching packages - even by a lot of teachers I think it's one of the most important aspects of learning to play any instrument. Read it as soon as you get Rocket Piano. If you're just starting out, the insights you'll pick up here will save you a lot of frustration.
The Metronome program (another bonus) is really well-done. Just turn up the volume and save yourself the cost of a physical metronome. The graphics are marvelous.
If you like jazz, after you've gone through the basic Rocket Piano book, take a look at the add-on called Introduction to Jazz Piano . It has eight informative chapters that cover everything from jazz rhythms to chord progressions to syncopation. If you're not familiar with those terms, don't worry Start with the basic Rocket Piano book and then dive into the more advanced Jazz book.
So, my advice to you is to start your own personal countdown, and then blast your musical knowledge and your playing skills to new heights with this piano lesson package. Think about it...you get all the stuff described above for less than the cost of one or two private lessons.
Chapter One - Piano Facts and History
Don't skip this chapter. It's full of really interesting facts about the piano and includes a bit of history, a lot of physical facts about the instrument that the beginning piano lesson student should know, and some great diagrams that show the mechanics of how a piano produces sound. There's also a nice section about the pedals, which you don't find in most courses, that actually explains what the pedals are for and how they work. All in all, a great introduction.
Chapter Two - The Basics
Chapter Two provides all the basic information you'll need to get started in the right direction. It has the most complete description of how to sit at the piano that I've come across so far. You get the idea very easily from the included diagram that shows the proper position for your head, back, arms, and legs. Pay attention students There's nothing worse than seeing a beginning player struggling because of a slouch or being too high or too low in relation to the keyboard. Chapter Two continues with an explanation of proper hand position, and dispels the popular myth that you need very long fingers to play well. The author correctly points out that finger strength and agility are far more important characteristics than finger length. The standard and necessary assignment of numbers to each finger is included too, accompanied by a very good diagram. No confusion possible here. The layout of the keyboard is explained next, again with very clear graphics, and then the connection between the finger numbering system and the keyboard is introduced with some very simple exercises - so after only sixteen pages of background, the new student is actually using the keyboard. Note reading is introduced next with a very clear and simple approach that starts with the definition of a note, and then introduces the concept of rhythm. The notation for whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes is illustrated, and the standard duration of each is explained. What follows is a series of easy exercises to reinforce the basic concepts of note type and duration. Audio clips are available for each exercise to assure the student that they are proceeding correctly.
Chapter Three - The Musical Alphabet
Chapter Three starts with a graphic of the keyboard with all the notes labeled and then shows you the middle C hand position, followed by a short exercise that gets both hands going to familiarize the student with middle C and the surrounding notes. Chapter Three also introduces time signatures, the other component of rhythm. Good examples follow the explanation, and there are a few practice exercises, again with sample audio tracks. The rest of the chapters in the book are just as good and cover such topics as:
* the musical staff
* intervals
* sharps and flats
* playing scales
* rhythm
* arpeggios, and more.
Okay...if I review any more Chapters, you won't need the package, But I do want to tell you about the extras that come with Rocket Piano. First of all, there's a Music Theory Game called Jayde Musica that is really wonderful. When you start up the game, notes move past you on the screen from right to left and your job is to identify them before they scroll off the left-hand side of the display. You can click on the name of the note with your mouse, hit the letter on your keyboard that corresponds to the note(s) displayed, or type the number that you'll see associated with each note. The game has an Options menu that lets you control the level of difficulty (basically the speed at which the notes move), and there's even a high score screen that records your name once you start to excel. Kids love this stuff. This kind of game makes learning to read notes so painless, that there just isn't any excuse anymore
And it gets better...the second extra is another game called Keycelerator which helps you learn chord nomenclature and keyboard patterns. The game consists of a display of a chord pattern on the left of the display, and four choices on the right - a multiple choice test...the choices are shown as keyboard segments with different notes depressed. So if you can read the notes of the chord, you then pick the notes that represent the chord from the set of four choices; much more fun than studying a chord manual. The game keeps score and has a number of options you can control. (I'm not bragging, but I got a perfect score on my first test :)
The next extra is called Chordinator , which is designed to improve your chord recognition abilities. Structured much like Keycelerator , but the answer choices are in the form of chord names, not notes on the keyboard. Okay, I missed one on this game, but it was only because my finger slipped off the mouse and hit the wrong choice :) ...99/100 isn't bad though, right?
The next extra is really addictive It's called Perfect Your Pitch - it's an ear-training tool to help you home your pitch recognition skills. It plays a series of four notes and you have to pick the right choice from a set of four answers. It really is a lot fun. My score wasn't perfect on this one, and I had to force myself to stop ....like eating ice cream As you ear gets sharper it gets much easier to play songs by ear , and you'll start to recognize note combinations in common melodies and songs on the radio...just like learning a new language. This one is highly recommended. But don't ignore the other parts of the course while you try to perfect you pitch recognition abilities.
There's yet another bonus included called Advanced Learning Techniques for the Piano , but I think the little book is misnamed I think you should read this first when you get the package, and I also think this little gem is worth the cost of the package all by itself. What it tells you is how to practice - a topic that is completely ignored by most teaching packages - even by a lot of teachers I think it's one of the most important aspects of learning to play any instrument. Read it as soon as you get Rocket Piano. If you're just starting out, the insights you'll pick up here will save you a lot of frustration.
The Metronome program (another bonus) is really well-done. Just turn up the volume and save yourself the cost of a physical metronome. The graphics are marvelous.
If you like jazz, after you've gone through the basic Rocket Piano book, take a look at the add-on called Introduction to Jazz Piano . It has eight informative chapters that cover everything from jazz rhythms to chord progressions to syncopation. If you're not familiar with those terms, don't worry Start with the basic Rocket Piano book and then dive into the more advanced Jazz book.
So, my advice to you is to start your own personal countdown, and then blast your musical knowledge and your playing skills to new heights with this piano lesson package. Think about it...you get all the stuff described above for less than the cost of one or two private lessons.
Popular Easy Piano Music Encourages Students
Popular easy piano books work wonders to encourage beginning and intermediate piano students. These simplified arrangements make it possible for students to gain confidence in their playing through familiar tunes.
It doesn't matter whether the student is young or mature, nor what kind of music he or she prefers. Whether the piano student loves folk music, popular ballads, adult contemporary, sacred music or show tunes, more than likely there's a popular easy piano arrangement suitable to their skill levels.
Popular easy piano music also introduces students to the beauty of songs that have become music standards. Playing this popular piano arrangements makes listeners recall the artistry of singers such as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis. In fact, a student who becomes proficient in songs from the era of the great song stylists such as could find himself or herself accompanying many a sing-along session.
Adult contemporary, pop and rock and roll aren't neglected by popular piano collections. There are arrangements for songs made famous by Elvis Presley and The Beatles, by Harry Chapin, The Eagles, Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart. Younger pianists in particular will thrill their Baby Boomer parents when they learn to play the songs of their elders' youth.
Nor is contemporary rock ignored, to the surprise of some students. There are piano arrangements for songs from groups such as Green Day Plain White T's, Katy Perry, Lifehouse and many more.
Imagine thrilling listeners by playing deeply romantic ballads. They'll swoon to "As Time Goes By, ""Blue Moon, " or "I Only Have Eyes for You." Or the pianist could inject energetic joy into the gathering by playing Jackie Wilson's R&B hit, "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher."
With popular easy piano books and music, beginning or intermediate piano students can please every musical taste.
It doesn't matter whether the student is young or mature, nor what kind of music he or she prefers. Whether the piano student loves folk music, popular ballads, adult contemporary, sacred music or show tunes, more than likely there's a popular easy piano arrangement suitable to their skill levels.
Popular easy piano music also introduces students to the beauty of songs that have become music standards. Playing this popular piano arrangements makes listeners recall the artistry of singers such as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis. In fact, a student who becomes proficient in songs from the era of the great song stylists such as could find himself or herself accompanying many a sing-along session.
Adult contemporary, pop and rock and roll aren't neglected by popular piano collections. There are arrangements for songs made famous by Elvis Presley and The Beatles, by Harry Chapin, The Eagles, Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart. Younger pianists in particular will thrill their Baby Boomer parents when they learn to play the songs of their elders' youth.
Nor is contemporary rock ignored, to the surprise of some students. There are piano arrangements for songs from groups such as Green Day Plain White T's, Katy Perry, Lifehouse and many more.
Imagine thrilling listeners by playing deeply romantic ballads. They'll swoon to "As Time Goes By, ""Blue Moon, " or "I Only Have Eyes for You." Or the pianist could inject energetic joy into the gathering by playing Jackie Wilson's R&B hit, "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher."
With popular easy piano books and music, beginning or intermediate piano students can please every musical taste.
Grace is a musician, pianist and music arranger. I hope this article could encourage piano students find the best way learn the piano by playing songs. Discover more about step by step famous song lessons at http://www.rocketpianos.com
The Only Piano Book You'll Ever Need
I'll never forget the time I took my first piano class. It was at the Community College of Philadelphia 1984. It was a group class with 20 or so electronic keyboards arranged around the room. We each received a class text book titled "Class Piano." No shocker there.
I opened up the book and saw that I would be learning how to read music and play triads. I also saw that I would be playing very simple classical pieces. Now, while I enjoyed this and learned how to play these easy pieces, it just didn't do it for me. It was because as I soon as I put the book down, I was dumbfounded! I didn't know what to do on the piano without the book!
I soon realized that I didn't want to become a professional note reader. No. I wanted to be able to sit down at the piano, place my fingers on a chord that called to me, and just play. I wanted to express myself at the piano in the same way visual artists are able to take pen and paper and artfully color their inner worlds. Why was this so difficult to do?
It was at this time that I started to look for new ways to play. I came upon a book that taught a modern chord position which could be used right away to make music with. Amazing! No note reading. Just chords. And once I learned a few chords, I was able to create my own music. This open position chord structure allowed me to improvise music quite easily.
Another book influenced me as well. This one showed how to play chord progressions using 4, 8 and 16 bar phrases. With this chord charting technique, I could see that I could create my own pieces. It taught me the principles of repetition and contrast - the cornerstones to musical composition.
A few chords arranged for 8-bars is repeated 2 or more times giving you what is called an "A" section of music. Another few bars of different chord changes and the "B" section is produced. And all of this was taught within a very slim volume. Maybe 46 pages or so.
After a few years of working with this material, I synthesized both methods so beginning piano players can take a modern sounding chord and work with it within a set framework. The result is a method where students are able to improvise their own music right away!
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!
I opened up the book and saw that I would be learning how to read music and play triads. I also saw that I would be playing very simple classical pieces. Now, while I enjoyed this and learned how to play these easy pieces, it just didn't do it for me. It was because as I soon as I put the book down, I was dumbfounded! I didn't know what to do on the piano without the book!
I soon realized that I didn't want to become a professional note reader. No. I wanted to be able to sit down at the piano, place my fingers on a chord that called to me, and just play. I wanted to express myself at the piano in the same way visual artists are able to take pen and paper and artfully color their inner worlds. Why was this so difficult to do?
It was at this time that I started to look for new ways to play. I came upon a book that taught a modern chord position which could be used right away to make music with. Amazing! No note reading. Just chords. And once I learned a few chords, I was able to create my own music. This open position chord structure allowed me to improvise music quite easily.
Another book influenced me as well. This one showed how to play chord progressions using 4, 8 and 16 bar phrases. With this chord charting technique, I could see that I could create my own pieces. It taught me the principles of repetition and contrast - the cornerstones to musical composition.
A few chords arranged for 8-bars is repeated 2 or more times giving you what is called an "A" section of music. Another few bars of different chord changes and the "B" section is produced. And all of this was taught within a very slim volume. Maybe 46 pages or so.
After a few years of working with this material, I synthesized both methods so beginning piano players can take a modern sounding chord and work with it within a set framework. The result is a method where students are able to improvise their own music right away!
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 Books to Help You Become the Player You Want to Be
If you would like to become a real pianist, a variety of good piano books is really needed. You can spend as a ton of time to practicing scales, but it's just not everything you need to do.. If it's all you do is practice your scales, you most likely get bored with playing piano, and when you become bored, your playing will suffer. By taking advantage of piano books with songs that you like, you can keep playing fun and interesting, and that is the highest priority on the list that there is, hands down, to to push you to become a really best of the best musician.
There are a lot of good piano books around, no matter what kind of music you are into. From grassroots, to jazz, to blues to rock,, and everywhere in between, there are manuals on piano available for every genre. Myself, I like to shake it up a lot. I buy piano books for all of the great classical pieces, and then learn to play the music, but sometimes i want a change. It is good to be able to play the songs that your friends know. I mean, why be an entertainer if you can not entertain? So, I ensure that I purchase piano books covering all of the top hits of today so that I'll have the ability take requests whenever I happen to become entertaining. I even own piano books filled with songs that i don't even much care for.
Of course, once you've gone through enough piano books and studied a ton of songs, you beging to understand you really don't need the sheet music for everything anymore. After years of diligent and daily study, the special minute is about to occur for you, I know it happened for me after i was able to play anything that your heart desires with little effort. The music will just come to you you can hear a song once, and can almost get the groove of the song in your head first try. Oh, If you want to play it note for note exactly as it has been arranged originally, you will still probably need the piano books,but if you just wantto be able to come up with a version of the given song that will have everyone excited to hear that song when the time calls for it, you'll most likely need nothing but your own wits, and your nimble little fingers. After that occurs you can finally rid yourself of all those piano books for good.
If you want to find more information about piano playing and music lessons take the time to visit our website at Music Tips
There are a lot of good piano books around, no matter what kind of music you are into. From grassroots, to jazz, to blues to rock,, and everywhere in between, there are manuals on piano available for every genre. Myself, I like to shake it up a lot. I buy piano books for all of the great classical pieces, and then learn to play the music, but sometimes i want a change. It is good to be able to play the songs that your friends know. I mean, why be an entertainer if you can not entertain? So, I ensure that I purchase piano books covering all of the top hits of today so that I'll have the ability take requests whenever I happen to become entertaining. I even own piano books filled with songs that i don't even much care for.
Of course, once you've gone through enough piano books and studied a ton of songs, you beging to understand you really don't need the sheet music for everything anymore. After years of diligent and daily study, the special minute is about to occur for you, I know it happened for me after i was able to play anything that your heart desires with little effort. The music will just come to you you can hear a song once, and can almost get the groove of the song in your head first try. Oh, If you want to play it note for note exactly as it has been arranged originally, you will still probably need the piano books,but if you just wantto be able to come up with a version of the given song that will have everyone excited to hear that song when the time calls for it, you'll most likely need nothing but your own wits, and your nimble little fingers. After that occurs you can finally rid yourself of all those piano books for good.
If you want to find more information about piano playing and music lessons take the time to visit our website at Music Tips
My Piano Room
My piano room
Excitements always fill my chest as I walk through the glass folding doors with white wooden frames is my piano room. It is not big in size, just like the size of a garage that fits two cars. It is rectangular in shape surrounded by four walls that are light green with bumpy textures. The ceiling of my piano room is reachable if I make a casual leap. There are three windows in the piano room. Two of them tall and skinny on the chimney side of the wall and behind the piano is the big window taking out almost the entire wall space giving a view to my back yard. On a sunny day the windows allow the sunlight to brighten up the entire room splattering shadows of the dogwood's shaky branch and leaves on the wooden floor. Near the entrance is a dark grey sofa. It is somewhat modern and square looking with four short dark wooden legs and the front two legs anchoring the carpet in front of it. It is a mid-size sofa. Four guests could barely fit on it. This is the room which I fancy the most in the entire house. This is where most of my joys were found and numerous precious memories were stored.
The attention grabber is often times not the shiny black concert grand piano in front of the sofa, but the carpet under the sofa. The carpet has such a unique feel to its texture and look. It has countless little marshmallow-like cotton cylinders on it. They are so marshmallow-like that you could almost taste its sweetness and would want to take a bite out of it if it weren't on a carpet. On the carpet is a square shaped black wooden desk with four skinny square legs. A book as thick as a dictionary is always available for the guests on top of the table and in between two dark green scented candles, and it is full of different landscape photography taken by a Taiwanese photographer.
The fire place has a mantel made of piled up red bricks that climbs up the wall that forms the chimney which reaches all the way to the ceiling. The fire place is old and it makes the entire piano room smell like burnt wood especially during winter times when the fire place is often lit. The fire place reminds me of Christmas. Perhaps I've just seen way too many Hollywood Christmas films that whenever I look at the chimney I feel like playing "The Christmas song" by Mel Tormé for it appreciating all those warmth it had brought to this room.
The piano is the main theme of the room. It is to the far right corner placed at an angle with its back towards the sofa, and it adds a level of graceful atmosphere in this room. It is placed at the corner of the room even though it does not fit at all. I received this piano as a birthday gift on my seventeenth birthday. It is a concert grand piano with a black exterior so shiny that it is mirror like. The keys are made out of wood with snow white finish contrasting the black wooden keys in between them. The keys always appear so calm and graceful, even though they have gone through countless arpeggios and melodies.
I first saw this piano in a piano gallery in northeast Portland. In the piano gallery there were all brands of high end pianos, Steinway & sons, Böesendorfer, Mason and Hamlin. I played on every piano in the showroom like a four-year-old kid who just wants to touch everything he sees. They all sounded like expensive pianos. However, there was only one piano that I immediately felt a connection to after playing just a couple notes on it. It was the YAMAHA grand piano. The piano had a really unique echoic quality to its tone, making the pianist's playing brighter and clearer, and it is the kind of sound quality that I have always been looking for in a piano. Therefore after a radical debate with the seller about the piano's price we bought it.
My piano and I have gone through numerous memorable times together, either the good times playing all the Chopin and Mozart or the bad times playing the dull scales. Usually Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninoff's solo and concerto pieces are layered over one another on the piano's music stand, just because I never bother to put them back onto the book shelf after playing them, and even though the shelf, which fits perfectly in the corner, is only two steps away from the piano. The piano lid is usually raised and kept at a thirty five degree angle, making the piano's sound brighter and crisper when played. It also allows people to see its golden sound board and strings that can create amazing sensations through simply vibrating the air with their unique frequencies.
Due to the fact that my mother and I both absolutely love arts, there are several paintings in the room. The biggest painting is on the wall behind the sofa, hung at the mid-wall height. The theme of the painting is gods from a Chinese folk tale. It was imported from China which my mom paid a celestial price for. It doesn't quite fit with the western interior design of the house, but it is one of those things that after a while you kind of just get used to looking at it. The other two that hang on each side of the chimney are contemporary oil paintings by this artist who only draw pianos.
The piano room has also been known as the lady bug's room. By the time spring arrives, lady bugs start showing up in the piano room. No one knows exactly where they come from and why they only appear in the piano room, but they have become some of my most loyal music fans. Whenever I am playing the piano, my dear fans are always here to back me up. They do not criticize my playing but simply appreciate the music which I find to be quite noble. However, every once in a little while there would be an exception where one of them would stand on the staff on the score reminding me that I missed the F sharp back there. To be honest sometimes it really makes me wonder why the lady bugs suck up to me so bad, maybe it's because they don't want me to call the bug exterminators on them.
Ever since I've moved into the dorms, all I have for practicing piano is in my small studio room and the Yamaha electric keyboard. The piano room back at my house seemed luxurious by comparison. Excitements of playing in my piano room always fill my chest whenever I am heading home once in a little while. When I start playing in my piano room after a long span of separation from it, the room would feel somewhat unfamiliar to me at first. However, the unfamiliar feeling goes away as I play a piece or two on the piano.
Warming up is important before playing. After sitting down on my adjustable piano chair, I usually warn my fingers up by playing Chopin's Etudes. When I feel like my fingers are ready, I move on to playing whatever piece I am trying to mastering currently. Before I start playing, I like to close my eye and imagine if I am playing on the stage of the Carnegie hall in front of a full house. Doing such usually makes my playing more precise, because I feel the responsibility of performing professionally for my imaginary audiences. And usually what happens after I'm finish playing the song is that I all the sudden realize that I've day dreamed again. Nevertheless, it is always fun while it last, even if it seems stupid afterward.
The Piano room brings me joy, is my favorite room in the house. It is here where I can toss all the worries and pressures aside and simply indulge in playing the music that I like. No matter if I am feeling angry like a new born volcano, under pressure like a deep sea submarine, or depressed like the U.S.'s economy, playing a piece on the piano always relieves me like a shot of morphine. The stress, anger and sadness are absorbed by the piano bits by bits every time my fingers contact the keys. The Piano room is my play room and my source of endorphins.
A Review of ‘learn and Master Piano
I was one of the few fortunate people who got an advance copy of the 'Learn And Master Piano' and got have taste of it before it could hit the markets. This was compiled by Legacy Learning Systems; it was the same company that produced the highly appreciated 'Learn And Master Guitar' program. I knew the kind of work they produced and was expecting something really good; I wasn't disappointed at all this program was of really good standards. Will Barrow, the Grammy award winning piano player was hired to be the instructor of this program. Will Barrow is a well renowned pianist, other than this he is also a good singer, composer and piano teacher. I am going to give you a small look into what is included with this program and what it's potentials are:
1. DVD's – they are the most important part of the program or course. The program is inclusive of 14 DVD's, each containing of two sessions. I have gone through these lessons and I wouldn't exaggerate by saying it was absolutely amazing. Mr. Barrow teaches you each lesson with well defined step by step instructions, which you get time to practice later. The user interface of the program makes it really easy to browse through. The onscreen key board which helps highlight the keys that are being discussed are truly helpful.
2. CD's – This course comes bundled with 5 play along while you listen CD's which has over 120 tracks. The best part about it is that all the songs have 2 versions one with piano playing and in the other the piano is muted. As you start learning you can play along with the piano and slowly as you get better you can play along the track without the piano. The recordings are so good that you will get hooked on to the tracks. A professional band was hired to do the recordings.
3. Lesson Book – the lesson book is a real blessing. It is a good compilation. The book is to be used along with both the CD's and DVD's. Every song that is found on the disks is in the lesson book in music notations.
In short this excellent training program that can simply just teach how to play the piano or even help a person improvise on his or her piano playing skills. All in all this is a great guide to help you learn the piano.
Piano Software Courses Vs Piano Tuition Books (Part 2)
Piano software courses have become very popular in recent years, due in no small part to the simplicity of the idea, that being that you can learn in your own home with a virtual teacher on your computer. They are certainly more user friendly than tuition books, but what else do piano software courses offer.
The benefits of piano software courses
The immediate benefit is that you can get it so fast. If you find a piano course you want and it's located on the other side of the world in another country, no problem, you can download it to your computer in a matter of seconds.
Piano courses include audio and video files which can explain, as a piano teacher would, the things that on you own, you might not quite grasp and you can get a video file to explain things to you as many times as you wish until you understand it. It's like having your own personal piano teacher with you all the time.
There are also many audio files for you to listen to and copy. When playing a new piece of music or a new music phrase, it is very useful to listen to that phrase before playing it yourself. A big part of piano software's success is the listen and copy and also the see and copy approach to learning to play the piano, which is the closest thing to having a real teacher.
The drawbacks of piano software courses
It's difficult to find any drawback with these courses. I could say the cost, because they are more expensive than tuition books, but most, if not all of them have a money back guarantee. I suppose the only drawback is that initially you need a computer to download the course and to play the audio and video files and obviously a printer to print out your songs to play on your keyboard or piano.
Conclusion
If cost is an issue then tuition books are a good option, but you must learn the basics first. Software, in my opinion the absolute best way to go, with help from audio and video files your more likely to succeed. Whatever method you choose enjoy your piano playing. As soon as you have played your first song, you will get greedy for it. There really is nothing like sitting down at a keyboard and playing a piece of music, and its not as difficult as you might imagine.
Get learn and master piano dvds for improved your piano playing now!
Piano Lesson: Learn Piano Improvisation Through Classical Piano Music
Piano improvisation in a classical music way is an interesting complement to ordinary piano improvisational practicing. Let me suggest a way to practice!
Piano sheet music is a means and not an end. It's a way to notate what to play on the piano.
You will find a lot of interesting passages in classical piano solos. These solos can help you collect improvisational material to work on to make your piano improvisations more interesting.
How to develop your classical piano improvisational skills?
I would suggest that you begin with an easy piano solo with just one voice in your left hand and your right hand.
Learn a phrase with a few bars by heart. Play the melody over and over again changing the melody slightly without losing the classical touch.
One advantage of using classical piano music in piano improvisation exercises is that you will find many interesting melodic bass lines in counterpoint style that you can use to enhance your piano improvising.
The use of playing separate melodic lines together this way to create music is known as counterpoint. Counterpoint is a musical technique involving simultaneous sounding of separate musical lines.
Classical piano compositions are filled with wonderful licks that you can incorporate in your playing.
What can you do with a classical piano composition to improve your piano improvisational skills? Here are some examples:
1. Study different ways used to play left hand bass patterns. Play around with the patterns and try to transpose them into different keys.
2. Study interesting chords, experiment with them, change keys and positions.
3. Find chord progressions to develop.
4. Find interesting passages with unusual musical material.
5. Many more things.
As I can see it there are two different approaches to learn and work with the material mentioned before:
1. You can memorize the classical material and start a growing bank of chords, unusual melodic phrases, chords progressions and other classical piano oriented material you'll find in the piano compositions for further use in your piano improvisations.
This approach will of course develop your skills but it will also be a very time consuming and maybe overwhelming if you can't devote all your time to piano playing. Who would that be?
Another drawback is that you might lose interest in this type of piano skill development because of the stress involved in learning so many different skills and maybe the joy of playing piano will diminish.
2. Another approach is to use the before mentioned methods in a more laid back way without learning everything by heart. Let me give you an example from my childhood:
When I was quite young I used to read a lot of books on popular science from the public library. I had a bunch of books laying beside me as I lay comfortably on my bed with pillows and just having a good time.
I never felt compelled to read a book from cover to cover or to read in a certain way. The only thing I did was to read the things I was interested in, looking at pictures and enjoying what I did.
I know I learned a lot from these nice reading experiences. If I had a goal it was to feel good and I was reading out of curiosity.
I think you can do the same with the classical music you play. If you enjoy discovering the secrets in the piano sheet music the way I have mentioned, you are sowing seeds that will sooner or later manifest themselves in your playing.
The classical music will creep out in your fingers and you will feel new ideas coming up in your piano improvisational endeavors!
How Can I Learn To Understand Music & Piano Playing?
The graceful flourishes of a well-played piano masterpiece are sounds that many people would love to create. From trained professionals to child prodigies, a brilliantly
played piano can steal the show. But great lessons are costly and involve scheduling time away from your busy life. So how do you learn how to play the piano or deepen your
knowledge of the instrument?
Piano workbooks can provide a solid foundation in theory, an effective practice routine, and piano classics in one package. If you don't have the time or money for lessons,
consider buying a few piano workbooks.
The obvious advantages of piano workbooks are the ability to set your own pace and practice at your convenience. Just sit down at the bench after dinner, crack open the
book, and hear your playing improve.
The only downside is that you must develop self-motivation to flourish when studying from piano workbooks. Like any great discipline, you must develop some kind of regimen
to progress. With a teacher, you'll always have someone keeping track of how well you're doing. By studying from a workbook, you'll have to keep an eye on your own
progress.
Piano workbooks range from those that focus on the basics to those that provide a comprehensive explanation of musical theory. The best offer a good amount of theory,
exercise and musical notation. Whatever type of study you are seeking, there are certainly several piano workbooks available that suit your needs.
Some piano workbooks may be a look and listen experience. They may come with CDs that let you hear the examples listed in the book. This is great for the unsure learner who
may need more than just text to explain a concept. It's also wonderful for hearing how an exercise is supposed to be played or how a particular piece is intended to sound.
Many books give examples of practice methods. Be sure to follow their instructions so that you don't overexert your hand muscles, especially if you are a beginner or trying
advanced techniques. Warm-up your hands with simple and light playing for a little while before going into an extended run across the keyboard.
Workbooks also contain essential piano pieces that combine theory and technique into music. The pieces provided range from simple pop songs to classical standards that will
put your skills to the test. Piano workbooks often include biographical information on the composers of each piece so that you can learn the history of the instrument.
Besides simply playing, a deep understanding of the piano and pieces composed for it provides an appreciation for musical history.
Piano workbooks can offer an extensive training course to anyone willing to invest the time. Since they're often compiled by a company, they contain more information than
any one person can offer. Though a book can't make you practice, they can be a benefit to dedicated students. So when you decide to fancy yourself a pianist and set out to
master the works of Franz Liszt, consider the tutelage that piano workbooks can offer.
Adult Piano Lessons!
Adult piano lessons! Not sure if you should be going ahead with or not? I think it is perfectly alright if you have doubts in your mind. As adults, we become so engrossed in our day to day life that it hardly leaves us with any time to learn something new. That is the reason we have to think so hard to take that decision, since it means committing your precious time. To accommodate time for your new hobby and that too for a few months would definitely make you sit up and think about it.
At the same time you also need to realize that if you cannot get time for it now, you will never get time for it, and you will miss out an opportunity to play the piano. So definitely give it a thought, and after giving it a lot of thought, if you still are not able to completely remove this idea from your mind, then may be you should just give it a try… and not worry too much about the results. After all, learning the piano is something you always wanted to do. The good thing now is that you don't even have to ask for money from your parents -:)
Knowing Yourself
As an adult, you need to know yourself so that you can choose the correct approach to learning the piano. Adults learn differently from kids so plan accordingly. Adults also need lot more flexibility, just because they have so many other commitments. If you are talking lessons from a personal teacher, you may need lessons late in the evening or over the weekends so make it clear to your teacher.
Method Books
If you are one of those who do not want to learn from the teacher, you can try one of the several method books that are available. Almost all these books have accompanying CDs that can be used as part of the lessons. Some of the popular publishers of adult piano courses include the Alfred's Method and Piano Adventures Method by Fabers. Piano for Dummies is another good book which can also be used to learn the piano.
Piano Software
Another good way is to buy Piano software, which will help you to learn the piano on your computer. If you have a digital piano, it can be connected to your computer. If not, look for packages that come with a midi-keyboard (3-5 octaves). Connecting these keyboards to the computer can be of great help since the software can then actually tell you what notes you have played wrongly.
So as you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for you to learn the piano. Just pick up whatever you are comfortable with!
How much do your piano lessons cost?
You don't need to spend long on the internet to find at least twenty different systems for learning the piano.
Some are designed for kids and some for adults. Some offer a series of downloadable e-books, some have e-books and videos while others offer an online teaching scenario. Some have an emphasis on modern music, some on jazz, others on gospel. The cheapest is about $20. The best is $39.95, going up to two hundred dollars or more.
So can they be said to offer value for money? You're keen to learn the piano and realistically, there are three different alternatives: The e-books I?ve just mentioned (and it?s important to not that these e-books usually contain audio clips that you can listen to in order to guide you in your playing), ordinary teach yourself books that you buy from a bookstore and a real human piano teacher.
The big problem for me with the traditional book format is, of course, that it?s silent. As a novice though you really do need to listen to a piece of music being played so that you can copy the style and the emphasis. One you start to learn how to read music intuitively, it becomes almost second nature to hear the music in your head as you read it. Beginners can't do that and hearing the piece played properly is an essential part of the learning process.
So what about piano teachers? Prices vary considerably across the country, of course, but it?s fair to say that about $35 per lesson is the going rate at present. Most people would opt for a lesson per week. So if you deduct a few weeks here and there for various reasons the number of lessons each year is approximately 45. That?s $1575 per year. Of course, human nature being what it is, it's always possible that you and your teacher don't get on together very well!
Even the mots expensive of the courses provides more bang per buck, so to speak, than a human teacher could ever provide. And in most of the piano tuition courses I've ever seen there is more than enough material of one sort or another to keep you learning for well over a year. In fact some of them have such a vast quantity of material that it can be somewhat bewildering.
Well, I don?t know about you, but I know where I?m putting my money. I know piano teachers need to make a living, especially in these difficult times, but as far as I?m concerned it?s no contest, the software wins every time!
Piano improvisation: Learn To Improvise On Your Piano By Faking
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. See more the best way to improved your piano playing skill here.
How To Learn Piano Notes Without A Teacher?
To learn how to read piano notes it is essential to learn some basic theory. Nothing to complicated, just enough so you understand what the notes are called. This is actually easier than you might think because there are only seven notes to learn. These notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, B. These are all the white notes. The black notes are the sharps and flats and you won't even need these to start with.
There are various ways you can learn to play the piano. There are tutor books for beginners and there are piano courses that you can download to your computer. Tuition book such as "The Complete Piano Player" and "The Complete Keyboard Player" can be ordered online or at your local music shop. Piano courses are normally downloaded from music sites, which specialise in piano lessons.
Tutor books Vs piano courses
Tutor books are probably the cheapest option and it is possible to learn to play the piano with this method. However, they are really designed to be used by a piano teacher with a pupil. Unless you have some basic knowledge of music, it is possible to pick up some bad habits, which you may not be immediately aware of. A teacher would prevent this before it starts.
A piano course or piano lessons software is by far the better option. Many of these courses include audio and video files, which can literally show you how to play the piano without those nasty bad habits, which many learners can pick up without the proper direction.
Look, listen, copy and play
Most piano learning courses come bundled with lessons that will take you from beginner to advanced. The simplicity of how these courses are laid out is one of the reasons they have become so successful. The video and audio files are the key to your success. You just copy what is on the video or audio file until what you are playing matches what is being shown and that's it, move on to the next lesson. Don't expect to learn to play overnight, it's a gradual process and the piano software system is almost like having your own personal piano teacher 24/7.
Whichever method you choose, try to make your practice time a habit. If you were going to a piano teacher, you would need to practice every day. You should do the same if you intend to learn by yourself. All beginners need a minimum of half an hour per day learning and practice time, anything after that is just having fun time.
Pianos: What to Look for When Purchasing One
The piano as we all know is a big and bulky musical instrument played through a keyboard; however what most of us may not know is how it produces sound; by striking steel strings with small hammers made out of felt and after a rebound of these hammers the strings continue to vibrate at peak amplitude and frequency (or their resonant frequency). The vibrations from the steel strings are then amplified by the soundboard through a bridge (a device which supports the steel strings) producing sound.
The piano is and has been increasingly used in various countries including Australia and other western countries as part of a solo performance, chamber music, accompanying other musical instruments or as a part of an ensemble. I am sure most if not all of us admire a sight of a pianist or even better a signing pianist sitting on a chair doing their magic on the piano. Piano is not only used as a musical instrument but many musicians over the past have talked about its versatility in composing and rehearsal of songs. However, due to its bulkiness and expenses, other musical instruments are usually used instead of the piano.
Therefore it is very important to seriously ponder what you are looking for when buying a piano, to ensure that you are buying one that suits you, your skills and even better your budget. As I have already mentioned a piano can cost from about $2000 to as much as $80 000 for those grand performance pianos, therefore buying a piano is a major investment on your part. But what do you look for when you want to purchase a piano, even more so if you can’t play yourself and hoping that your kids, whom you are sending for those expensive piano lessons, will one day be able to play at least as half as good as Oscar Peterson.
Firstly, make a criteria of what you are looking for, in terms of size, colour, and most importantly how much you willing to spend. Shop around, I know many of us can be wary of piano salespeople and you may feel that they are steering you in a certain direction, but piano sales company that have been in the market for a long time such as Hutchings Pianos in Sydney are quite reputable. If you are not sure it may be useful to hire someone who knows about pianos to accompany you when you are going to make the purchase especially in checking out the technical aspects of the piano and whether these fit with your other requirements.
The other important question is whether you buy used or new piano. This is eventually up to you, after weighing the pros and cons of each. New pianos are an attractive choice because not only are you getting a brand new piano, but you are getting one without any wear associated with use thus it will last for over half a century, that of course depends on how you take care of the piano after buying it.
Brands like Yamaha and Schimmel are familiar to most people as these companies have been producing pianos over a century in various pats of the world such as Japan, Germany and the US, furthermore these companies have deservingly earned this reputation by producing high quality pianos . However, cheaper brands like Beale and Alex Steinbach have risen in the past few years and if you shop around carefully you may get a good deal.
After settling on certain piano, very carefully investigate the seller’s warranty and if this warranty covers you in your location. Also think in the long term, how hard or easy is it going to be for you to trade in the piano if you want to buy a better one. And also check what is covered in the warranty, especially the conditions of return. Also look at the aesthetic quality of the piano and how it is going to fit in with your house, for example certain pianos will work well in rooms without carpets and vice versa, check with the seller and the technicians.
Used pianos also offer an attractive alternative option as they are relatively cheaper and with careful consideration one can buy not only affordable but also a good quality piano. Besides, if you buy a grand piano, for example one made prior to World War II you can always claim and rightly fully so to your friends and family, that your piano is an authentic antique. And we all know how everyone loves antique products. To find good quality used pianos, again check with reputable Piano dealers, negotiate for a better deal. Before making a used piano purchase it may prove useful to determine the age of the piano, through enquiring about the name and the serial number of the piano. Caution should be exercised for rebuilt pianos.
I hope I have given insight about purchase of pianos, remember you are making a lifetime investment when purchasing a piano therefore, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the piano that you want to buy. It is important for you to ensure that you get a piano suited to you tastes as much as possible. Books about purchase of pianos such as one by Larry Fine may prove useful in providing a more comprehensive insight into buying of pianos. Good luck!
Keywords
Buy affordable pianos, Find New and Used Pianos for sale and rental, tuning and repair, Piano accessories, books, all AMEB grades, sheet music, piano CDs, music stands, metronomes, piano stools or benches, statuettes, piano lamps, piano covers and gifts.
Author
I am a thirty year old music technician; I also work part time in The University of Sydney in the faculty of creative and performing arts. I currently live in Bondi Junction in Sydney. Live with my family of four. My hobbies include, playing music, going to the beach, surfing and barbeques on weekends.
Piano Lessons Beginners For Adults With Easy And Modern Piano Instruction Systems And E Books
For many people, being able to play the piano is a dream come true because not only does playing on the piano in a social gathering look elegant, it is a difficult art to master and is regarded as a great accomplishment, especially for the fairer sex. In fact, in the 18th and 19th centuries, young ladies were forced to learn the piano to impress prospective bridegrooms and their families.
However in case of formal piano instruction, where a student has to rely on piano instruction books, the introduction to various types of confusing finger exercises, drills, limitless scales, notations through dry endless boring instructions can turn out to be killjoy and spoilsport. The reason why traditional books on piano instructions have lost their charm is because they concentrate only on finger exercises of a technical variety that can make your fingers dance to the tune of your mind's instructions and how to read music from score that is printed.
All these are true even in case of piano lessons beginners. It is because of these mindless hard exercises that many people lose their enthusiasm for learning piano very soon and give up learning altogether. These are the greatest limitations of conventional piano instruction books. That is why it is necessary for adult piano lessons beginners' courses to be simple, easy, fun and enjoyable and the exercises should include popular music pieces and interactive quizzes as well.
A piano lessons beginner's course should also concentrate on play from chord symbols and play by ear and other such similar techniques. This is where online piano lessons aimed at beginners score over their traditional counterparts.
The components described above are all included in online piano lessons' beginners courses while the structured patterns of conventional piano instruction have been retained, thus making online piano lessons a blend of the best of both worlds.
On top of this, many websites offer their piano lessons beginners' courses at a very reasonable cost to promote their site.
Secrets to How to Learn to Play Piano Online, the Fun and Easy Way
Much like with the guitar-playing course, Jamorama, I approached Rocket Piano with ZERO previous musical instrument knowledge. So I was quite interested to see what it could do for my useless piano fingers. Nothing, and no one, else had been able to make them work before!
That's when "The Piano Guy" entered my life.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are learning the piano, either as a beginner (like me) or as a slightly more advanced player, you can appreciate how frustrating it is learning the skills and techniques without seeing any noticeable results. Seriously, the time and effort that many put into exercises don't seem to be reflected in their standard of playing. There also seems to be a frustration in the lack of quality information on the market.
Fortunately, Rocket Piano is different.
In addition to the quality information in the glossy 3 book series, you also get hundreds of sound files that explain how to play, so you can hear what your playing is supposed to sound like. The songs are broken down into pieces, which enables the student to learn each piece before they are ready to tackle the whole song. Just by being able to play these songs, I really amazed my friends and family, who before were used to my useless fingers! That ALONE was worth the low price of the course. I never felt so confident, and I love it.
In addition to this, the pro version of Jayde Musica is now available as a free bonus as well as Perfect Your Pitch Pro, a useful program that is designed to give the student the ability to tune their ear to recognize notes and transcribe songs from the radio. Both of these programs are very well made and presented, and most of all are easy and fun to play.
Even better, that's not even all you get. With my purchase, I also got two additional free bonus books on how to learn to play the piano. The first is "Advanced Learning Techniques for Piano". This book introduces the idea of mental visualization, which is a powerful tool in speeding up your rate of learning. Mental visualization uses the same pathways inside your brain other than the fact you are not performing the activity physically.
The second bonus book, "How to tune your piano" solves the problem with tuning pianos, and introduced me to the most effective way of tuning a piano. Interesting stuff, believe it or not.
With all of the information in this package there really is no excuse to delay learning to play your piano. If I can do it, you can, too!
But as if all that weren't enough, The Piano Guy ALSO threw in free email consultations to customers who may have specific issues or problems that need addressing. This is of enormous benefit to students, like me, who need specific answers to their training queries.
And yes, they answer more than one question, even though they don't have to! Niiice.
This package is by far the most complete and fresh approach to piano playing that I have seen in a long time. I highly recommend this product because,
1. If I can learn how to play piano well with this course, ANYONE can!
2. I do believe it will deliver results and have you playing popular songs like a professional using the most effective techniques. There is something here for every piano player, regardless of ability. As you get better, you'll be met by more challenging and useful lessons. That's the way it hsould be.
And at the current cost, it really is worth every dollar spent--I know for a fact you won't even find a used piano stool for this low!
WORTH A BUY? Yes. Really, whether you're a first-time player (like me) or more advanced, you owe it to yourself to buy Rocket Piano.
Lots of products offer a free e-newsletter that gives you everything you need to know in it. But if you really want to learn to play piano, then you definitely to get both the free newsletter AND the full Rocket Piano course. For $39.95, you really can't go wrong (but if you feel you did, there's a 2-month satisfaction guarantee!)
Everything You Need to Know About Piano Moving
Moving can be a very stressful time in a person's life, especially if he or she has not hired appropriate help to move their furniture. Piano moves can be especially stressful, because the mover needs to have special knowledge and skills to safely move the piano. In this article I have outline a few frequently asked questions about piano moving in order to help understand what is involved in moving a piano and prepare you with the information to choose the right mover. At the end of the article, I have listed some questions that you can ask to help you choose your piano mover, as well as the information that you should have ready in order for the mover to be sufficiently prepared for your move.
Why do I need to hire a professional piano mover?
Many of you may be wondering why you would need to hire a professional piano moving company to move your piano, rather than using the household mover who is moving the rest of the contents of your house. The main reason for hiring a professional piano mover is that many household movers do not have adequate training or equipment to properly move a piano.
The average upright piano weighs between 400 and 900 pounds. Grand pianos can weigh between 650 and 1300 pounds. The value of a piano can vary from a few hundred dollars to 500,000 dollars depending on the make, model, age and condition of the piano. The majority of piano moves involve moving the instrument through a tight space such as a small door frame or staircase. In some cases, the piano may need to be dismantled in order to get it out of your house. Using and experienced professional piano mover will drastically minimize the risk of damage to the instrument and to your home.
As a piano mover, I have come across many cases where a customer has hired a household piano mover to move their piano and has had to make an emergency call to us because the household mover could not get the piano out of his or her house. In other cases, I have received calls from customers who had hired a non-reliable piano mover because their price was much lower, and had to book an emergency move with us, because that piano mover did not show up to move their piano or call to explain why they were not there.
How are pianos moved?
When you hire a professional piano mover, you can expect 2-3 people to come to your home equipped with piano skids, moving pads, ramps, slings, and the knowledge of how to move your piano safely. They will use special techniques to maneuver the piano out of your house. When the piano is put on the truck, it will be safely secured to the vehicle in order to avoid damage during transport. In the most difficult moves, 4-6 people may be used. Generally when a piano is moved by someone other than a professional piano mover, this equipment, knowledge and these safety precautions are not employed. While hiring a professional piano mover does not completely eliminate the risk of damage, it will drastically reduce this risk. Furthermore, a good piano mover will assess the situation and inform you if there is a chance of damage before he or she begins the move, and will give you the option of proceeding or not.
Are all professional piano movers equal?
Unfortunately, as in any trade, each piano moving company varies in their level of quality and experience. Some piano movers are better equipped and more prepared than others and act with more care and integrity than others. The best way to find a good piano mover is to call around to your local piano stores, piano technicians and piano teachers to find out which company they use. Piano stores in particular have a high stake in ensuring that they use reliable, high quality piano movers who have the least risk of damaging their instruments and are properly insured in the event that the unforeseen does happen.
Are all piano movers similarly insured?
Sadly, the answer to this question is no.
There are 3 types of insurance to consider when hiring a piano mover: 1. Commercial/automotive insurance: Is the company insured against damage to property and or vehicles? 2. Cartage/content insurance: Is the company insured against damage to the piano? 3. Workman's Safety Insurance: Is the company insuring its workers against injury? Some piano moving companies are insured for 1 or 2 of these types of insurance, but not all 3. It is the buyer's responsibility to make sure that he/she is properly insured, not the moving company. It is a good idea to ask about these 3 types of insurance when you are phoning piano moving companies, and also to ask what amount of insurance your piano will be covered for. A properly insured moving company should provide you with a Bill of lading, which is a legal document stating what is being moved, the names of all parties involved in the move, where the piano is being moved from and to, and the full declared insured value of the instrument. The Bill of lading should also include the moving company's terms of cartage. As a legal document, a proper bill of lading helps to ensure that the piano mover will repair any damages that were incurred during the move (unless a damage waiver was signed). It is also important to note that any damage caused to your piano or your property must be noted on the bill of lading to ensure that you have proper recourse if any action is needed.
Why is worker injury important to me?
You may be wondering why it is important that you ensure that the piano mover you hire has Workman's Safety Insurance. When you contract a moving company, they are considered your employee for the time that they are working for you. If you hire a moving company that is not covered for Workman's Safety Insurance, you are accepting full liability for any employees who are injured while working for you. Your liability will extend to medical bills, lost wages and possibly civil law suits. A company who is covered for Workman's Safety Insurance will take care of most of these problems for you. Some companies do not pay their required insurance premiums and are therefore not covered for all injury insurance claims. You may ask the company that you are hiring to provide you with an up-to-date workman's safety insurance clearance certificate, in order to ensure that you are properly covered. To be absolutely sure that the moving company's coverage is up to date, you can contact your local Workman's Compensation or Workman's Safety Insurance board to check on the company's status.
Does moving the piano affect the sound of my piano?
The actual move of the piano does not affect the sound or tuning of a piano. Generally piano tuning is affected by changes in temperature and humidity which cause the wooden and steel parts of your piano to expand and contract. You will probably need to tune your piano a few weeks after moving it, after it acclimatizes to its new location. Other factors that may affect the sound of your piano are the size and acoustics of the room in which the piano is located. Carpet absorbs sound, while hardwood reflects it. Sound reinforces in small spaces, seeming louder, while in large spaces the sound gets lost, seeming quieter.
How much does it cost to move a piano?
Piano moving is generally billed in one of two ways: 1. The household mover way - hourly rate, with a minimum number of hours (usually min. = 3 hours) 2. The professional piano mover way - flat rate based on the following factors: a. Type (upright, grand) and size of piano b. Distance being moved c. Difficulty level due to stairs, grass pulls, tight turns etc. d. Time restraints place on the move e. Waiting time that might be incurred. The advantage of a flat rate system is that, barring any unforeseen events, you be able to get an accurate idea of what the move will cost you before the movers arrive at your house and it is often less expensive than the hourly rate.
How much notice do I need to give the Piano Mover?
The amount of notice needed will depend on when and where you need the piano to be moved. Most piano movers book their deliveries on a first come, first served basis. If it is a high traffic time of year, you may need up to one month's notice. In a lower traffic time of year, you may only need one or two day' notice. Generally, if you need your piano moved on a specific day, you should book the delivery well in advance to make sure it's available to you.
Below are listed some recommended questions to ask when you are looking to hire a piano mover:
- How long have you been moving pianos?
- Do you have any references?
- Do you have full-time, trained staff moving pianos for you?
- How do you charge for moving, and what are your rates?
- What days of the week do you move pianos, and what is your availability?
- Are you covered for Commercial/automotive insurance, Cartage/content insurance, and workman's safety insurance?
- Will you provide me with a copy of your workman's safety insurance clearance certificate?
- What amount will my piano be insured for during the move? What does this insurance cover?
- What are your terms of cartage? Will you provide me with a copy?
- Will I be provided will a bill of lading when my piano is moved?
Listed below is the information that you should have prepared when you book your piano move:
- What type of piano is it that you require to be moved? (Upright or Grand Piano)
- What size of piano is it? (upright pianos are measured by height [floor to lid] and grand pianos are measured by longest length [keyboard to curve in bow end])
- Where is it being picked up from? (Have full address including postal or zip code)
- Where is it being delivered to? (Have full address including postal or zip code)
- Are there any stairs that the piano needs to go up or down (inside and outside)? If so, how many? Are they straight, spiraled or curved? Based on what you tell the piano mover, he/she will tell you how many people they believe it will accomplish your move. Missing important details or difficulties, or miss-estimating your move based on the information you have provided could mean that your piano move might not happen that day, and could incur you more charges.
- When are you looking to have the piano moved?
- Are there any time restraints involved? (As time-restraints tend to hamper the efficiency of the mover's day, placing a time-restraint on the mover could more than double your cost.)
- Inform the piano mover of any problems that you can foresee ahead of time.
The more information you can provide the piano mover, the more accurate your quote will be. If you are vague and provide few details, do not be surprised if you incur extra charges for your move. A good, reputable piano mover will make the process as painless as possible for you and usually be the highlight and most stress-free part of your whole moving process. They key is ensuring that the mover meets all of your requirements and providing them with the information they need to help you properly.
Piano Lesson: How To Play From A Fake Book
A fake book can be a source of many inspiring piano exercises. It contains a lot of melodies written in a concise format that includes only the melody and chord names. Let us take a look at how you can use these melodies to become a better pianist!
First of all we will take a look at how melodies are notated in a fake book. Usually you will find the melody of a song in sheet music notation together with chord suggestions above the notes. This economical way of notating makes it possible to fill a fake book with a lot of melodies.
The advantage of this way of notating melodies is that you can have a fake book as a reference book with a lot of melodies at your disposal.
The drawback is that you do not have a written out arrangement of the song for piano. You have to figure out how to play the song by yourself. Actually this can be an advantage that will help you develop as a pianist letting you interpret the song's performance as you feel is appropriate.
One little melody in a fake book can give you many exercises in different areas of your piano playing and help you in your development as a musician. Here are a few examples:
1. Learn to play chords together with a melody. For example, play chords with your left hand and melody with your right hand, play bass notes with your left hand and combine melody and chord notes with your right hand, play various combinations of bass notes, chord notes and melody notes with both hands.
2. Learn to find the right chords to use when playing a melody. In a fake book you will find chord suggestions that can easily be supplemented with more chords making the voicings and chord progressions more exciting.
3. Learn to improvise by using the melody as a starting point. This is often called melodic improvisation. You can also use the chords or the fitting scales as a foundation for your improvisation. This is called chordal improvisation and scale improvisation.
4. Learn to play the songs in the piano fake book in different keys thus developing your ability to play by ear and understand the piano keyboard by transposing songs you have learned.
Actually you can use a song in a fake book as the basis for your development as a pianist if your goal is to be a good piano player in the area of improvised piano music.
Let us take an example from a fake book. You have a song of your choice in front of you with melody, chord suggestions and nothing more. What can you do to use this song as a starting point for a piano practice session?
We suppose that the song starts with the chord C-major and then in the next bar you will find the chord F-major. Here are some suggestions on what to practice drawn from these two bars of music.
1. Work on chord voicings. Practice playing C-major triads with your left hand in the three inversions. That means that you play the chord C-major with the three notes involved, C, E and G, in three combinations, that is, CEG, EGC or GCE. Do the same with the chord F-major. Practice also to move from C to F in various combinations.
2. Work on playing the melody in different ways. Single right hand notes, playing right hand octaves, playing the melody with your left hand and chords with your right hand and more.
3. Work on adding more chords. For example, taking the C-chord to F could go via Gm7 and C7 thus creating the following chord sequence, C, Gm7, C7, F. Much can be done to spice the song by adding more chords to the ones in the fake book.
4. Add notes to the chords you use in your song. A C-major chord can easily be substituted with a Cmaj7 chord or a Cmaj9 and you can find more interesting chords if you focus on one chord at a time. Of course you can work on playing these new chords in different combinations and inversions too.
5. Use the song as a foundation for improvisation. Learn a melody passage by heart. Play this passage over and over again with small changes in the melody thus practicing melodic improvisation. Or use the chords. The chord C-major suggests two major scales to use when improvising. You can use a C-major scale or a C-major pentatonic scale for example.
To sum up you can use one single song in a fake book as the basis for piano exercises in many areas of your development as a pianist and at the same time you build up a repertoire with popular melodies for your own benefit and the enjoyment of other people.
Piano Lesson: Learn To Play Chords From A Fake Book
How can you use a fake book to become a better pianist? A fake book includes a lot of melodies due to the concise format. Let us use a fake book to make you a better chord player!
There are many things you can do with just one song in a fake book. In this piano lesson we will focus on the chords of a song and how we can use them in a piano practice session.
You can learn to play piano chords in many different ways. Here are just a few examples:
1. You can focus on just one chord memorizing it in twelve keys and then learning another chord the same way. This way of learning chords can be effective if you concentrate long enough on the chords committing them to your long term memory. Some people find this way of learning to mechanical and boring.
2. You can work on learning chord progressions by heart an then applying them in all twelve keys. You can find such chord voicings in piano method books or you can "invent" you own progressions and voicings. Maybe this approach is a little bit more interesting than the before mentioned method.
3. You can learn chords in a more creative way by just deciding to work on finding out variations of a chord as you sit down playing. For example, figure out as many nice sounding variations of the chord Cmaj7 as you can.
4. You can learn progressions and voicings in a more creative way too. For example, play the chord sequence C, A7, Dm7, G7 over and over again trying to create smooth chord changes in an improvised manner.
5. Compose your own chord progressions and write them down with sheet music notation. In the process of writing them down you will probably trigger your creative mind to come up with interesting piano chord voicings that you never have thought of before and that you also can share with others that can read sheet music.
6. Focus on a melody you like and use is as a basis for your piano chord practicing sessions. One melody can be the source of many chord exercises and at the same time you will have a melody at your disposal to play to others.
In this piano lesson we will focus on the sixth suggestion on piano chord practicing. Now we will delve a bit into the art of playing from a fake book.
Actually, what is a fake book?
It is a book with songs and melodies written with sheet music notation. It is produced in a concise format with only melody, lyrics and chord names. The songs have the lyrics beneath the notes and above the notes you will find the names of the appropriate chords to play. In other words, the notes of the chords are not written out. This way of notating gives you the choice to interpret the performance your own way.
Let us take a look at the previous suggestions on how to practice piano chord playing by using a fake book. Here are some ways you can play the chord suggestions above the melody:
1. The first step is to play the melody with your right hand and the chord voicings with your left hand. Practice to play the chords in different ways and practice to move smoothly between chords as you practice playing the chord changes.
2. The next step is to play the bass notes with your left hand and the melody and chords in your right hand. This means that some of the melody notes will be embellished with notes from the chord suggestions. You do not have to include the left hand bass note.
3. The third level is to use both your left and right hand to play chord notes. This can give the song a professional touch if handled with elegance. There are so many ways to play a song this way that it has to be covered in a separate article. You can listen to solo piano recordings to find inspiration. You can also play written out arrangements in sheet music notation of melodies to build up your ability and taste in this area.
10 Great Reasons Why You Should Learn to Play Piano Today
Start learning to play piano today! Learning to play the piano is one of the best things you could do for yourself. If you have even the slightest desire to play piano, you should start right away! Read on to find out ten great reasons to learn to play the piano!
1) Learning to play piano has never been easier. There are many ways to learn to play piano. You could learn piano by taking private lessons with a teacher, reading online tutorials, or using piano course books and watching DVD's.
2) Learning to play piano is a lot more affordable than you may think. At the cost of eating out, you can purchase a good instructional DVD or book. I am particularly a fan of DVD's, since you can see and hear a lesson as many times as you want. It's almost like having a private teacher by your side 24 hours a day. Piano course books are also great. Many piano course books are now accompanied by an audio CD which lets you listen to the lessons inside the book.
3) Learning to play piano will give you something to share with your children or grand children. Children naturally love music. You can entertain them with your favorite children songs. You might even attract enough of their interest that they will also want to learn! Give your children the gift of music.
4) Learning to play piano will give you the ability to perform your favorite songs anytime you feel like it! Everyone usually has a few songs in mind that they wished they could just sit down and play. Well, there is no better time than now to make that dream come true! Piano sheet music for all levels of difficulty is easily available at your local library, bookstore, or music store. There are even websites that sell printable electronic versions of sheet music online. The great thing about that is that some websites will even let you preview and hear samples of songs before you purchase!
5) Learning to play piano is a great way to entertain friends and family! Imagine being able to play your favorite songs while everyone is singing along. It's a great bonding experience. You could even teach a few simple songs to those who are interested.
6) Learning to play piano is something you will be able to cherish for the rest of your life. People keep playing the piano well into their 90's. The best thing is, the longer you play, the more you will learn, and the more enjoyment you will get out of it. Give your self this great gift now. Start learning to play the piano today!
7) Learning to play piano makes you a versatile musician. The piano is an extremely versatile instrument. The piano is the only instrument that allows you to play multiple notes simultaneously with great ease. This means that you can perform really nice renditions of songs from any genre. This also makes the piano an ideal instrument for composing since it basically acts as a miniature orchestra. If you are composing music on the computer, the electronic piano keyboard serves as a perfect interface for entering notes in real-time into your music software.
8) Learning to play piano will allow you to listen to music with greater enjoyment and appreciation. Since you will learn how songs are put together, your listening ability will become more refined. You will start to hear and notice more distinct details in the music that you listen to. Songs that you have been listening to for years will seem richer as you hear nuances that you have never noticed before. You may also start to enjoy songs from other genres of music that you would normally never listen to.
9) Learning to play piano is physically easy. The piano is much easier to pick up compared to other musical instruments. Take the violin for example, which takes some serious practice to be able to make even a single pleasing sound by using the bow. Another example would be the guitar. There are so many tough fingering positions that you will need to learn to be able to play even the most basic chords. By learning the piano, anyone can easily play notes and chords in their first lesson.
10) Learn to play piano and join a rich tradition that is over 250 years old. The piano has heavily influenced every major style of music since its first appearance. Today, pianists still use the piano keyboard to create great music, as heard by such performers like Gavin Degraw, Alicia Keys, and Vanessa Carlton. The piano is also being used behind the scenes as an instrument for composing music for movies, video games, plays, and much more.
There you have it! There are just so many great reasons to start playing the piano today. If you are even slightly convinced, I urge you to go ahead and give it a shot. It will be one of the best things you will ever do for yourself! You won't regret it!
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