I love the facial expressions of new students the first day they sit in front of a piano and actually get to play some notes. Most find it daunting, others find somewhat complex, and a few are excited to know they soon will be able to play their favorite song on the piano.
As any professional athlete, the best piano players have invested hundreds of hours to refine their musical talents to play the piano better with each passing year. They still study famous piano songs such as "Fur Elise," they still study sheet music, and they still practice on a daily basis, and even music history.
Today, we are able to enjoy the piano thanks to Bartolomeo Cristofori, who is the inventor of the piano. Mr. Cristofori was a music shop owner in Padua, Italy and first introduced the piano to his community in the late 1690's. During this period, the piano's price was too expensive that only the affluent were able to afford it.
Initially, the keys in the instrument were made of ivory but now they are made of plastic. The piano is mostly made out of wood but other metals such as copper are used to build it. Believe it or not, almost all parts of the piano move when you play a song because of the hundreds of strings attached to the piano keys.
As far as piano maintenance, it is recommended that pianos get a tune up every quarter the first year of its purchase and twice a year thereafter. If you are unaware, temperature fluctuations could change the elasticity of the strings in the piano and therefore have an effect on the sound that each key makes. For piano professional, having the perfect note is critical, especially if giving a concert to a sophisticated and affluent audience.
Some tips to actually start playing the piano include knowing the basics such as the number of keys in standard pianos (88), and learning that piano's musical notes range from letter A to letter G. Learning how to read music is a bit more complex and will take some time. Most importantly, learning the sound of each key will help you identify its note name in the future. For instance, to the right of the piano the keys have a lighter pitch and it will slowly get deeper and deeper as you move to the left.
As you advance in your ability of playing the piano, your body posture will become critical, especially if you plan on making a living from playing music. However, it is your hands that will be more critical to your success. Your hands must always be flexible for maximum mobility around the piano, especially when playing fast notes. Also, your hand "curve" can reveal a lot of your expertise as a musician. A great way to become accustomed with this hand curve is placing your and in your knees while sitting down. Take that hand shape and lightly place your hands on the piano keys and voila! That is the shape you need to maintain throughout your piano lessons.
I am heartbroken to learn new students, especially children, will drop after their first piano lesson. I strongly believe this is because the standard music notation is boring, unexciting and very complex to beginners. What I do recommend before quitting is to think about all the great musicians you admire. Reality is that they have spent hundreds of hours honing their skills to become better and better at every concert they perform. There are not different that you - they simply invested all that time to become successful and you too can become great!
Finally, have discipline and persistence to invest at least 25 minutes daily to learning how to play the piano. Exposing yourself to the piano will speed up the process of familiarizing with sheet music, piano sounds, and hand flow throughout the piano. Above all, make this experience unique, romantic, fun, and thrilling.
As any professional athlete, the best piano players have invested hundreds of hours to refine their musical talents to play the piano better with each passing year. They still study famous piano songs such as "Fur Elise," they still study sheet music, and they still practice on a daily basis, and even music history.
Today, we are able to enjoy the piano thanks to Bartolomeo Cristofori, who is the inventor of the piano. Mr. Cristofori was a music shop owner in Padua, Italy and first introduced the piano to his community in the late 1690's. During this period, the piano's price was too expensive that only the affluent were able to afford it.
Initially, the keys in the instrument were made of ivory but now they are made of plastic. The piano is mostly made out of wood but other metals such as copper are used to build it. Believe it or not, almost all parts of the piano move when you play a song because of the hundreds of strings attached to the piano keys.
As far as piano maintenance, it is recommended that pianos get a tune up every quarter the first year of its purchase and twice a year thereafter. If you are unaware, temperature fluctuations could change the elasticity of the strings in the piano and therefore have an effect on the sound that each key makes. For piano professional, having the perfect note is critical, especially if giving a concert to a sophisticated and affluent audience.
Some tips to actually start playing the piano include knowing the basics such as the number of keys in standard pianos (88), and learning that piano's musical notes range from letter A to letter G. Learning how to read music is a bit more complex and will take some time. Most importantly, learning the sound of each key will help you identify its note name in the future. For instance, to the right of the piano the keys have a lighter pitch and it will slowly get deeper and deeper as you move to the left.
As you advance in your ability of playing the piano, your body posture will become critical, especially if you plan on making a living from playing music. However, it is your hands that will be more critical to your success. Your hands must always be flexible for maximum mobility around the piano, especially when playing fast notes. Also, your hand "curve" can reveal a lot of your expertise as a musician. A great way to become accustomed with this hand curve is placing your and in your knees while sitting down. Take that hand shape and lightly place your hands on the piano keys and voila! That is the shape you need to maintain throughout your piano lessons.
I am heartbroken to learn new students, especially children, will drop after their first piano lesson. I strongly believe this is because the standard music notation is boring, unexciting and very complex to beginners. What I do recommend before quitting is to think about all the great musicians you admire. Reality is that they have spent hundreds of hours honing their skills to become better and better at every concert they perform. There are not different that you - they simply invested all that time to become successful and you too can become great!
Finally, have discipline and persistence to invest at least 25 minutes daily to learning how to play the piano. Exposing yourself to the piano will speed up the process of familiarizing with sheet music, piano sounds, and hand flow throughout the piano. Above all, make this experience unique, romantic, fun, and thrilling.
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