What do those sharps or flats mean at the start of a song? They are known as “key signatures” and they announce what key a song is in. If there are no sharps or flats, a song is either in the key of C major or A minor. Every major key has a relative minor key. Watch this short video on key signatures.

Did You Know That Music Is Based On Natural “Laws”?

Did you know that music is based on natural “laws” — like gravity — and by learning to understand how those natural laws work we can actually understand what we are doing when we play — we don’t have to be at the mercy of what someone else has written on a piece of music.   How many of these facts do you know about music & piano playing? Test yourself and then check the answers at the bottom of the page:    

• Did you know that by learning just 3 chords you can play hundreds of songs?
• Did you know that there are only 12 major keys you can play in, but you only really have to master one key to play most popular songs?
• Did you know that it is possible to easily match any melody note (tune) to a chord, so you can harmonize any note?
• Did you know that Beethoven’s Fur Elise and the blues song “Summertime” uses the exact same chords for the theme of the song?
• Did you know that it is quite possible to predict what chord comes next in a song with accuracy approaching 85%?
• Did you know you can use the same chords to play boogie, blues, new age, gospel, pop, rock, jazz, country - anything except classical music? (And even some classics!)
• Did you know that guitar chords are the same as piano chords — the only thing different is the instrument and the resulting sound?
• Did you know that hundreds of songs use exactly the same form, so by learning that form you can know what’s coming next in a song?
• Did you know that by coming in through the backdoor of piano playing — chords — you can start making wonderful and satisfying sounds on the piano in just a few days instead of a few years — even if you don’t know Middle C from Tweedle Dee?

Answers to piano playing music questions:

     

• True. That’s because there are just 3 primary chords in any key — like family members: Mom, Dad, Child. Get to know those 3 and you’ve got it.
• True. It’s like languages. It’s great to be able to speak several, but you can get by with just one. I’d love to speak other languages, but I can get by with just English.
• True. Every note is part of several different chords. So it is easy to harmonize any song once you know the secret.
• True. Yep. They both use the A minor chord and the E7 chord in their themes.
• True. I know that’s hard to believe, but remember that music is based on math. Once you understand a thing called the “Circle of 4ths” it’s a piece of cake. In fact, I can tell you right now that 85% of the time the G chord comes directly after the D7 chord. So next time you run into the D7 chord, you have an educated guess of 85% that the next chord will be some form of the G chord. (G, G7 etc.) If you’re into amazing your friends, that’ll do it!
• True. Apply different rhythms to the same chords, and you have many styles of music! With the very same chords I can play boogie, jazz, rock, pop, gospel, new age, ragtime.
• True. Chords are chords. Once you know them, you can apply them to any instrument.
• True. Musical forms such as “AABA” and “ABA” are the basis of thousands and thousands of songs.
• True. Understanding chords and how them form the skeleton of music accelerates the learning curve exponentially.

The bottom line is this: music is based on natural law and is mathematical in nature. Understanding is the key to both rapid learning and getting more enjoyment out of the process.    

As you know, there are many many ways to arrange songs on the piano and bring your own unique twist to them. Here is one way you can use left-hand voicing in 4ths to create an interesting sound in this old Christmas Carol. For more ideas on arranging Christmas Carols, be sure to check out “How To Play Spectacularly Beautiful Christmas Carols On The Piano!”

Proper piano instruction is an element extremely vital to learning the instrument well. Though it’s very possible to be a self-taught piano player, piano lessons can really increase the speed and efficiency with which one learns the instrument. That’s not to say that great piano instruction makes great piano players overnight; even the most naturally talented pianists still play for years before they consider themselves advanced. But proper piano lesson instructions will maximize those years to the fullest and ensure that the student is learning the correct techniques. Though teaching styles always vary from instructor to instructor, piano instruction generally covers the same basic areas: fingering, , music reading, scales, technique, and sight reading. The early lessons will cover fingering and posture, making sure the student knows how to hold his or her hands and where to put them on the keys; series of scales practiced repeatedly will be the basis of this area. Piano instruction will then move on to notation essentials, starting with the basics of notes and key signatures and time signatures and then moving forward to more advanced concepts in rhythm, tempo and dynamics. Many of these concepts are introduced into the piano instruction while the student is learning to read music, a practice that runs through the entire course of the piano instruction. Teachers will assign short, easy pieces to kick start the student’s music reading knowledge and eventually move forward to more advanced pieces. Sight reading, the ability to play a piece of music without ever having seen it, is sometimes placed sporadically throughout the piano instruction, after a student is fairly well-versed in reading music. One crucial element of piano playing that is often left out of traditional piano lessons is the study and practice of chords and music theory. To learn to read music without understanding the theory behind the music and the chords and chord progressions that form the music is almost like teaching a surgeon to cut without understanding the human anatomy and it’s interrelated parts. The student will be able to play the piano from a piece of sheet music, but take that music away or have it blow off the piano and he or she is immediately in big trouble. There is a famous story about a lady who was a concert pianist and could impress people with her playing, yet when asked to play “Happy Birthday” at a party had to decline with great embarrassment because she didn’t have sheet music for the song handy. To be tied to the written music is a shame, when learning chords and music theory adds so much to the value of piano instruction. Given a healthy dose of music theory and chord instruction mixed in, all of the other elements of piano instruction eventually begin to work hand in hand. Piano instruction then becomes an intricate web of gaining bits of detailed knowledge little by little and understanding the music that’s being played without fully realizing that it’s being gained. Then playing the piano becomes more fun and a joyful event that can be shared with full understanding of the theory and form that lies behind each song.    

If you’re thinking of taking piano lessons — or if you already take them — it’s a good idea to learn something about the long musical tradition in which you will be participating. After all, nobody’s choice to play piano is made in a vacuum. No, we decide to learn the instrument because of its special musical qualities and its unique history.

Unlike piano-playing children, whose lessons are often strongly urged upon them by parents, adult piano players like to have as much knowledge about our instrument as possible. Such knowledge not only enhances the experience of playing, but it also motivates us to play with care and respect for our piano masters.

Most piano players are aware that the instrument’s modern name is actually a shortened version of its original name, “pianoforte,” which is a compound of the Italian words for “soft” and “loud.” This name was given to the new instrument in order to differentiate it from its forbear instrument, the harpsichord, whose volume range is far less flexible than that of the piano. While earlier instruments such as the harpsichord generate sound by plucking strings, the piano was the first instrument to successfully generate sound by striking strings. Invented around 1700 by the Paduan instrument-maker Bartolomeo Cristofori, the revolutionary mechanism of the piano, with hammers that return to the rest position immediately after striking, made possible a far greater degree of control and nuance than previous instruments. With good reason, second-generation pianos — which came soon after Cristofori’s and his followers’ groundbreaking developments — are commonly referred to as “Mozart-era” pianos. Mozart, whose work was both the pinnacle and the embodiment of music during the second half of the 18th century, was an immensely popular figure even in his time. His decision to play, compose for, and perform on the piano did more to popularize the instrument than any other single person has done. Because so many of his works, great and small, popular and obscure, were composed and published for piano, Mozart’s music has always been a major selling point for the instrument. By the time Mozart passed away in 1791, the Industrial Revolution had begun to take hold of Europe, dramatically transforming all aspects of life, including music and the arts. In the early 1800s, technological progress allowed the piano to evolve almost wholly into the modern instrument we play today. Advancements in technology related to the piano’s steel strings and iron frame came just in time for use in Beethoven’s later works. Some musical historians have even suggested that the amazing musical and acoustic genius of Beethoven’s final works simply would not have been possible earlier in the composer’s life. This is thanks to changes made to the piano, the instrument that Beethoven loved above all others. By the end of the 1800s, the piano had all but fully developed into the instrument we have now. This is why piano works by Romantic and Modernist composers such as Chopin, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Stravinsky sound as if they could have been written today. Also, thanks to the instrument’s unprecedented power and range, as well as groundbreaking piano works by Beethoven and others, these composers were able to expand the instrument far beyond its early, harpsichord-influenced repertoire. In short, the vast range of 20th century music — from traditional compositions, to experimental orchestral music, to jazz, blues, and rock music — would not have been possible without the piano. And here we are today, proudly carrying the piano tradition into the 21st century. As you already know, the piano is now commonplace in middle-class American households. Many children grow up listening to their parents play, and many become pianists themselves at a very early age. Plus, as scientific studies continue to show the health benefits of playing music throughout life, recent years have seen a surge in adult music. Because of its beauty, simplicity, versatility, and its long and storied history, the piano is a top choice for budding adult musicians.    

“I want to play music!” How many millions of people have either said or thought that? And why not? Music is the universal language that we all speak, and we all want to express ourselves and communicate our feelings to others. Music is the perfect vehicle for that. I have often thought that if during the presidential campaign the candidates were only allowed to sing their stories and oppions rather than pound the pulpit and preach them, we might just have a more civil campaign with a lot more mutual respect and understanding.

You can get started easily playing music by taking a music course online from one of several excellent choices, including Piano Lessons By Video, How To Read Music, How To Play Chord Piano, and many other courses. Music courses are a great way to learn about virtually any area of music; history, theory, instrument instruction — you name it and somewhere music courses specialize in it. Though generally found through colleges, universities or high school programs, music courses are also offered via one-on-one instruction with a private teacher or community-based workshops. Some churches even offer music courses as a complement to their choirs; the music courses may be offered to the general public, but they’re often geared toward the choir members and congregation. But if you want to learn fast and start playing music, go to your web browser right now and type in “play piano” or “learn music” or “play music”. A complete catalog of over 300 individual courses in music theory and piano playing can be found at Play Piano Catalog.

 

But whatever you do and however you do it, get started playing music! It’s tremendously rewarding to play music of any kind.

Chopsticks was originally named the “Chop Waltz”.  It is a simple song written by a 16-year old girl, and is probably the most popular song ever for the piano, since it can be played by people who don’t play the piano. I remember playing it as a very young child, and most of my friends, none of whom were pianists, could play it too.  It was designed to be played in two-part harmony with both hands held sideways, little fingers down, striking the keys with a chopping motion, which is the antithis of good pianistic technique. But it’s fun, and you can make it sound a lot fuller by adding just 2 chords to it in the left hand. Watch this 3 minute video and you’ll get the idea.

In music there is a type of note which is never counted — it falls between the beats, and you never count it like you would count an 8th note or a 16th note.  When I was a kid I used to skip rocks on Lake Tahoe — you’re probably done it too. Grace notes are like that rock that bounces across the surface of the water. You don’t count it, but it sure adds a lot and its fun, too. Watch this 2-minute video and your understand easily: http://www.playpianocatalog.com

When interviewed, many famous “popular” musicians like Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown  say they were influenced by the jazz records their parents used to play in their homes. That’s true for many people, both famous and otherwise, who love music. The exact origin of jazz music is difficult to pinpoint. What is sure is that it came about as a result of a mixing of musical cultures. When Africans were brought to America as slaves, they influenced American culture with their own. In New Orleans in the mid-1800’s, African-Americans started to experiment with European musical instruments. Some of the first songs they experimented with were hymns from church. By the end of the 19th century, the piano was introduced as an instrument for producing jazz music. Unlike the saxophone or the trumpet that only play single notes, the piano plays chords. This added a new dimension to the jazz combo. Slave emancipation coincided with the emergence of ragtime, a type of music that threw the conventional system of metrical beats into disarray. Instead, its rhythms were syncopated, which means they didn’t conform to a conservative beat succession system. Ragtime encouraged the listener to get up and move to the music. Piano music came to the forefront in ragtime, giving way to stride piano where the right hand plays the melody along with supporting chords and runs and fills while  the left plays bass notes and chords and rhythm. Stride featured more improvisation and swing notes than ragtime. Scott Joplin, known at the time as the King of Ragtime, talked learning to pick up the “swing” of the music as you play. Swing was the next form of jazz than evolved from ragtime. The early twentieth century saw the growth of jazz music in New Orleans, as more and more jazz combos played in the city’s clubs and bars. The first few jazz bands began recording their music at this time. By then, the piano had become an integral part of the jazz combo. The Prohibition Era of the 1920’s didn’t slow the jazz bands down. In fact, it was during this era that the greats like Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington and Earl Hines emerged. Hines was probably the most influential pianist of the time, playing in the “Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five” band while cultivating a solo career. Swing hit big in the 1930’s. It was bigger than ragtime, and songs often carried on for several minutes as each band member got a chance to play a solo. A party wasn’t a party without a big swing band belting out song after vibrant song, and soon swing was all over the radio in the United States. Swing faded during the conflict of World War Two. Many band members were off fighting in the conflict. Bebop developed from swing during this time. Pianists Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk rose as two of the great jazz pianists of the era. In the 1940’s and 50’s, cool jazz became popular, with pianist Bill Evans claiming a place in music history as one of the most inventive and creative jazz pianists of century. The 1960s were all about free love, stringy hair and the beginning of Latin jazz and jazz fusion. Many Cuban and Brazilian musicians put their cultural stamp on American jazz and gave birth to a new genre. Jazz fusion came about with the electrification of jazz through the use of synthesizers, keyboards and electric guitars. They blended with brass instruments and the piano for a totally new sound. Today, jazz is still one of the most influential music forms in the world. Jazz music has asserted itself as a contemporary force in the music world, and the success of current jazz artists is a testament to that.