Archive for March, 2009

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Online Piano Instruction for Adults

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

 

You’re an adult learning to play the piano, but you don’t know where to start. The hectic nature of life doesn’t always allow for you to seek out piano instructors, but you’d really like some help with your playing. In the information age, online piano instruction is a great place to start. It’s easy, quick and often free of charge.

Adults learning to play the piano can easily find online piano instruction. There are a variety of services available, whether you want to learn from the Internet or just find a reputable teacher. They key is to know what you are looking for when you begin your search.

If you’re either already knowledgeable on the piano or are just self motivated, online piano instruction may be what you need. Online piano instruction covers the entire spectrum of the instrument. Whether you need to reinforce your skills or start from the beginning, there are many sites dedicated to the piano.

Online piano instruction helps you understand the basics of the instrument. From posture and hand positioning, to exercises and simple songs, the Internet is full of sites featuring piano basics. Many services are free, as piano players post advice on different social networking sites. As more pianists use these free services, more information becomes available that used to cost money.

Once you’ve moved past the basics, gradually search for more difficult exercises and pieces. Take your time, and don’t go too far beyond your skill level. You can become frustrated or injured if you try to move too fast.

Maybe you already know quite a bit about music. Do a simple search to find more about scale and chord theory. This will greatly expand your knowledge of musical theory. No musician knows every chord and scale, and there are always new things to learn.

You can connect with other piano players and learn from them online, as well. The more musicians you learn from, the richer your playing will be. There’s no reason to be isolated from other players. Join a piano playing forum, and receive a different kind of online piano instruction by interacting with other pianists. Think about how the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys all influenced each other. Every musician has their own unique view of music, and each has something great to contribute.

Perhaps you really would like to find an instructor in the real world. Most reputable instructors have online listings, and many will have their own websites. Find an instructor that looks good, and contact them. They’ll list a phone number or e-mail address. Find out their rates, how long they’ve been instructing and their location. Many instructors will travel to your home to make it easier for you to learn.

Another great way to learn is by searching for instruction books online. Many sites provide their own instruction books or links to good resources. Look at user reviews before committing to any purchase.

Whichever path you choose, online piano instruction is a great tool in the modern age. When you have a free moment, find a new lesson, print it out and practice. You’ll see your playing improving exponentially, as long as you keep a regular schedule and keep learning.

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What every piano player should know about “transposing instruments” (instruments in Bb, Eb, F)

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

Instruments such as a trumpet and clarinet (tuned to Bb) and alto saxophone (tuned to Eb) require transposing. For example, when the written note C is played on a trumpet, it is the same note as an Bb on a piano. Other instruments requiring transposing include English horn, alto flute, baritone sax, and French horn.
For the pianist, it means they must be aware of the keys of these different instruments. For example, if the pianist is accompanying a trumpet player, they need to realize that communicating with them will be difficult unless they “transpose” notes when they speak of them. If they say to the trumpet player, “Let’s start at measure 14, where you come in on the note C,” the pianist is, in fact, looking at the note Bb on their piano music. This ability takes time to learn. But in the case of a piano and a trumpet, the pianist knows that every note they see on their music is a whole note above what the trumpet is playing. The same care has to be taken when purchasing music. Most sheet music of this type will say something to the effect of, “written for piano and Bb trumpet.”
Seasoned musicians know how to do this and after a few months of training (and performing with a number of different instruments), transposing becomes second nature.
When it comes to a vocalist, there is of course, no transposing needed. For example, a vocalist in the jazz group above, will speak (in terms of transposing and instruments of different keys) the same way as the pianist. The vocalist sings the notes C, D or G in the same way, and on the same pitch, as they are played on the piano. Instruments such as guitar, mandolin, banjo, and recorder do not require transposing.
If the pianist is a composer, these differences pose quite a challenge when composing for a number of different instruments. If the composing is done on paper, large “score” paper must be used to easily see the different parts for each instrument. And every time the pianist writes a part for a trumpet, sax, or other instrument that requires transposing, they have to be adept in writing out the part in a different key, paying attention to all the rules and requirements for that key (such as sharps and flats).
Although learning the different instruments in different keys can be difficult at first, it makes for a very well-rounded pianist and musician.

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The Power Of Concerts To Motivate Young Musicians

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Among the many ways to motivate a young musician one of the finest ways is to take that young musician to a concert. It really doesn’t matter what kind of concert it is - it just has to be a concert of good music.

I remember well when I was probably 14 I was invited to see Errol Garner play at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium for a concert and I barely knew who Errol Garner was at that time. He was the great jazz pianist who composed Misty and lots of other wonderful tunes but I had no idea what I was in for - it was just a piano concert and I thought “well, how can a piano without an orchestra or band entertain everybody for a full two hours?” To the surprise of my life I had no idea before that the piano could be played that well to make it sound like an orchestra and more than an orchestra - to sound like nature itself with the dancing keys in the high glissando and the deep bass chords - all the exciting stuff that the best of music has to offer. I remember he played “I remember April” a great jazz tune of that era and I just was so thrilled because I had no idea that music could be that exciting.

After the concert it was about an hour back to my home. I got home probably 11 o’clock or so but I remember staying up late and probably driving my parents mad but I just couldn’t get enough of what I had heard and wanted to try out all that on the piano. Of course what I played I’m sure sounded silly and continued to sound silly for lots of years and of course compared to Errol Garner it still sounds silly but I was inspired to really practice hard after that and learn my chords and to learn improvisation and so on. So that was a great motivation in my life - that single two hour concert.

A year or so later I was invited to attend another concert at the Memorial Auditorium of touring there in Sacramento on 16th St., (still there by the way) and this concert was called Jazz at the Philharmonic -a guy and impresario named Norman Granz organized this concert. He got a bunch of great jazz musicians together to play in this concert. I remember some of the musicians that were there were Illinois Jacquet, Sonny Stitt, Ray Brown the great bassist, Oscar Peterson the great pianist from Canada who greatly influenced me as well and again I had no idea the piano could be played like that. He was different than Garner but equally as exciting. I also saw Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz and many other of the great classic artists of that day and of course they are all in the Jazz Hall of Fame right now. So that was another concert that greatly motivated me to practice and to learn my my chords in and learn how to improvise and so on very very inspiring.

Still another concert that I went to when I was so probably 15 was a classical concert - an opera called “Amal And The Night Visitors” by Gian Carlo Menotti and it was a wonderful opera is based on the story of the of the Oriental Wise Men coming to see the baby Jesus from the East with very haunting music - exciting stuff - great singing, great music. That was another inspiring concert.

Then when I was about 16 or 17 the Dave Brubeck Quartet came to my high school auditorium in Auburn California to Placer high school and Dave had his whole Quartet there including the great alto sax man Paul Desmond and of course bass and drums. I don’t recall who was on bass and drums at that time. It was so exciting to see the interplay between Desmond and Brubeck as one would play a melodic line and the other would imitate it or play it back upside down or inside out - playing little games of cat and mouse - all off-the-cuff, all improvising and it was just extremely exciting and again it motivated me highly to start practicing and refine some of the things that I had wanted to learn.

So never underestimate the power of a concert to motivate a young musician. It has the power to make them excited and to get them practicing and to let them see that lessons are worthwhile and that some worthy goals lie ahead for them, and that these kinds of goals are achievable.

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Vince Guaraldi: The “Charlie Brown Sound”

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

Vince Guaraldi’s music will forever stand as the sound of Charlie Brown. While other composers wrote quality music for Charlie Brown TV specials after his death, he is the true original. His jazz riffs that are part of the Peanuts musical oeuvre are instantly recognizable. His musical talent was a gift to the American public.

Known as Charlie Brown’s piano player in the music industry, Vince Guaraldi also had the moniker Dr. Funk. His early piano playing inspirations were the boogie-woogie pianists. He then developed a taste for the more laid-back styles of jazz pianists like Bill Evans.

In fact, Vince Guaraldi was a talented and proficient jazz pianist himself. His desire was to write memorable standards. He felt this was more important than just penning hits.

Guaraldi was born on July 17, 1928 in San Francisco, Calif. He grew up and went to high school there. He then graduated from San Francisco State College. He began performing as a pianist while in college. He played musical gigs, such as weddings and high school shindigs, among other events.

He developed as a musician and eventually made it into the recording studio. His first recorded work was a 1953 album put out by the Cal Tjader Trio. In 1955 he put together his own trio and did more studio work that year. In 1956, Vince Guaraldi toured with the legendary Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd.

The year 1963 was one of great recognition for the composer and pianist. He earned a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Composition. His song “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” was the winner that year in this category. This was a laid back, congenial song. It was a contrast to much of the music on the airwaves at the time and resonated with listeners.

That year, and the following, saw Vince Guaraldi record many more albums. Then, on the horizon was a major compositional work for the musician. He composed a modern jazz piece for the choral Episcopal Eucharist. This was for the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

He spent 18 months creating, and with his trio and a 68-member choir, constructed an exemplary work. This music received a live performance on May 21, 1965. The recorded album version was a success both critically and with the public.

Vince Guaraldi composed the music for the first Peanuts television special in 1964. The Peanuts franchise was the brainchild of cartoonist Charles Schulz. Today, fans of the cartoon know Guaraldi’s music immediately upon hearing. The music is a manifestation of the personality of the piano player. He had a penchant for funny hats, extravagant moustaches and varied hairstyles. His persona was evident in this unique music.

This first Peanuts television special never did sell to the networks. No one in the general American viewing public has ever seen this program. However, it did lead to the making of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” This program originally aired in December of 1965.

This television special led to subsequent Charlie Brown music work for Vince Guaraldi. The signature theme we recognize today and other compositions became part of numerous Peanuts TV specials. Fifteen Charlie Brown programs contained the composer’s original music. Some of these songs include “Peppermint Patty,” “Linus and Lucy,” “Red Baron” and “Great Pumpkin Waltz.”

Vince Guaraldi died from a heart attack on February 6, 1976. He died at 47 while waiting in between performances in his room in Menlo Park, Calif. He was performing at a nightclub there, forever at the piano giving musical enjoyment to others. That afternoon he completed his recording work for the most recent Charlie Brown television special.

Audiences today have the gift of Vince Guaraldi’s music as a reminder of his talents. He was, and still is, through recordings, the sound of Charlie Brown. Whenever you hear those catchy songs from the cartoon specials, think of the man gently playing in the background.

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The Triple Threat of Steve Allen: Pianist, Writer and Comedian

Friday, March 6th, 2009

One of the most legendary musical satirists of the 20th century, pianist and comedian Steve Allen was born Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen on December 26, 1921 in New York City. His mother and father were Vaudeville comedians with the stage names Belle Montrose and Billy Allen. In fact, Milton Berle once stated that he considered Belle Montrose the funniest woman in Vaudeville.

Steve Allen was raised by the Irish Catholic family of his mother on the south side of Chicago. Allen attended college in Tempe, Arizona through his sophomore year, when he dropped out to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War II. He became an infantryman, but he served his time domestically in California instead of overseas. After the war, he lived for a brief time in Arizona and then moved to California.

Shortly after he moved to California, Allen began a career in radio. By 1946, he managed to talk the Mutual Broadcasting System into giving him a five night a week radio show with co-star Wendell Noble. Allen had quite a bit of local success, and he was pushed into the national limelight when a show called Talent Scouts needed a stand-in host for Arthur Godfrey. He was a huge success, and CBS picked him up to host a local show in New York City called The Tonight Show.

In fact, Johnny Carson was a guest on The Tonight Show with Steve Allen. Following his tremendous success with the NYC show, NBC offered him a prime-time Sunday night slot aimed to dethrone The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. He had acts like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis on his show in its early episodes, but Allen really disliked rock and roll music. He instead wanted to showcase comedy and jazz, since he was an ardent lover of the piano. He beat out Sullivan for ratings on a couple occasions, but ultimately another show called Maverick beat out them both.

Allen left Sundy night television for LA in 1959. In 1962, Allen revived his late night show and broadcasted it from Hollywood. This time around, it featured a substantially larger amount of jazz played by Allen and his musical accompaniment, the Donn Trenner Orchestra. It was influential on nearly every big and aspiring comedian of the day. Steve Martin, David Letterman and Robin Williams cite the show as a big influence on their careers.

In later decades, Allen appeared frequently on several game shows as a regular guest. He also managed to write over 10,000 songs. He was extremely prolific, having once bet another songwriter he could pen 50 songs a day for a week. He won the bet. He even won a Grammy award in 1963 for Best Jazz Composition.

On October 30, 2000, Allen was in a minor traffic accident on the way to the home of his son in Encino, California. He did not believe he was injured, but later that afternoon he did not feel well and took a nap. During his nap, he suffered a major heart attack and passed away. His autopsy results concluded that the accident caused a blood vessel in his chest to rupture.

Over the course of his long career, Allen had great success in music, radio, television and comedy. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television and one for radio. His prolific songwriting catalog and contribution to the legacy of comedy will live on for decades to come.

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What Is Music & How Did Music Begin?

Thursday, March 5th, 2009


Music has been defined in hundreds of ways, including:

“An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.”

“The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.”

“Vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm.”

These are all accurate definitions. But where did music come from? When and where did it begin?

If you think of music as communication, perhaps it started with all creatures, including humans, communicating. To this day, we hear birds communicating with distinct melodies and tones and consider it music. Even today we refer to music as the “universal language.”

In ancient Israel a thousand years before Christ, King David composed and sang hundreds of songs called psalms. A few of them are cataloged in the old testament in the book of Psalms.

But music as we know it now, as having structure and form, may have begun in the 10th century with the Gregorian chants. These chants were organized and detailed with soloists and small groups singing distinctive parts. This lead to the need to notate and write down particular tones and passages.

Common rhythm notation began around the year 1200 and soon after, troubadours singing “folk” music starting to appear in parts of Europe. In the 14th century, sacred music (church music and hymns) was quite common (but secular music had begun to take hold as well). During the renaissance (around the year 1500) one of the most significant events occurred—the birth of the composer. The appearance of composers, of course, spawned instrumental music and the creation of the instruments such as the piano and lute.

1750 to 1820 is considered the Classical period with the piano being a composer’s instrument of choice. During this time, Mozart wrote his first symphony, Bach performed in London, and Beethoven was born. Many of the symphonies we enjoy today were written during this time.

By 1900, Scott Joplin had composed and published the “Maple Leaf Rag,” an event many see as the beginnings of the music we know today as popular music. Strauss and Stravinsky were active during the early 1900s, but with regard to popular music, a ground breaking performance occurred in New York in 1924, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” This was hailed by many as the first truly American composition (most compositions at that time were still derived from European forms). Not only was Gershwin a fine composer, but he and his brother, Ira, helped usher in the Broadway musical with “Porgy and Bess” being their most well-known.

Soon after, new musical forms were taking hold. Jazz in the 1930s (Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday), big band music in the 1940s (Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington), and rock-and-roll (Elvis Presley, Chuck Barry) in the 1950s. Other countries (most notably France and Spain) were creating their own popular music during this time (although their music were not as vibrant and as influential as the music happening in the United States).

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Three Things Every Piano Student Should Know About Metronomes

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

Piano students, even beginners, are probably familiar with the metronome. Using one during practice can help students play more proficiently and consistently. Some piano instructors even insist on it. A metronome should be a basic tool for every person learning to play.

A metronome is a device that helps keep rhythm and timing during a piece of music. Most emit some type of a sound, typically a clicking sound. Many sound like a ticking clock. However, some emit other sounds, like rhythmic beeping. Others may use some type of a visual cue. Mechanical metronomes use both: clicking plus a pendulum rod that swings back and forth in tempo.

The most common type of metronome is the good old-fashioned mechanical, wind-up style. Various types of electronic ones are also available today. Both do the job well, and using one or the other is usually a matter of personal preference. Many piano teachers recommend mechanical ones though. This kind is easy enough even for a child to use. Plus, the combination of visual and audio cues reinforces the idea of keeping tempo.

Using a metronome is relatively simple. A mechanical metronome has a scale printed on the face. The scale contains numbers that represent beats per minute (BPM.) The scales on most usually range from 40 to 200 BPM.Usually the tempo is indicated by a notation that looks like MM=60 or MM-72 or any speed. MM-60 would be equivilent to one beat per second. (MM stands for Mälzel’s Metronome.) The pianist sets the scale, and the device keeps a steady tempo. Electronic metronomes have dials or buttons that control the tempo. The pianist sets the desired tempo and then turns on the device.

So why use a metronome for piano practice? The three most important reasons are:

1. It teaches students to understand time signatures. Most musical pieces have a designated time signature. It indicates the speed at which the composer intended the song to be played. It’s difficult to play a new piece of music and try to judge what the time signature is without some external cue(s.) Instead, students can look at the beginning of the song to see what the speed should be. They can set the device and play along at the correct speed. With practice, students will be able to play at the right speed without using a metronome.

2. It helps to develop consistency. Most every pianist has the tendency to speed up or slow down throughout a piece of music. Using a metronome forces the pianist to play at a consistent speed for the whole piece. Regular use will help the pianists develop consistency even when they aren’t using the metronome.

3. It helps students develop an inner sense of timing. Using a metronome regularly during practice helps pianists judge timing on their own. Eventually students will learn to perceive the tempo of a time signature without any external cues.

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Benny Goodman: “The King of Swing” and His Band

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

Known throughout the years as “The King of Swing,” Benny Goodman was the ninth of 12 children. He was born in the Maxwell Street neighborhood of Chicago on May 30, 1909 to poor Jewish immigrants from Russia.

At 10 years old, Benny Goodman was enrolled in music lessons at the Kehelah Jacob Synagogue. Within a year, young Benny had signed up for the boys club band at Chicago’s famous Jane Addams’ Hull House. His early influences included the classically trained Franz Schoepp, as well as jazz clarinet players Johnny Dodds, Leon Roppolo and Jimmy Noone. Benny Goodman caught on quickly, and he was soon a consummate professional in the world of music.

At 16, Goodman joined the famous Chicago group, the Ben Pollack Orchestra. He made his first recording with the group and stayed with the orchestra until 1929. He also participated in numerous side projects during this time. For example, Goodman played with The Hotsy Totsy Gang, the Dixie Daisies and the Kentucky Grasshoppers during these years.

Sadly, in 1929 following Benny’s urging for his father to retire thanks to the professional success of Benny and his brother Harry in music, his father was struck by a car and killed as he stepped down from a street car. The event haunted Benny for years. He deeply regretted the fact that his father was never able to witness the extent of his musical success that was yet to come.

Shortly after his father’s death, Benny Goodman moved to New York City to make a name for himself at the national level. He played under several different band leaders and was even a featured clarinetist in Charlie Chaplin’s 1934 film, “One A.M.”

Goodman purchased song books from Fletcher Henderson in 1934 in order to prepare his band for a weekly gig on NBC’s radio program, “Let’s Dance.” While the show was never a huge success, the influence of Henderson’s music on Goodman proved to be a pivotal point in his career.

When the radio show was canceled, Goodman and his band headed out to tour America. Because their sound was ahead of its time, the band soon became flat broke and nearly gave up the tour. However, in July 1935 at the Palomar Ballroom in California, things changed. The show was supposed to be the tour’s last stop before they broke up the band.

The audience went crazy for Benny Goodman and his band that night. The group soon found themselves setting the jazz trends of the day and playing at venues like Carnegie Hall. Goodman brought swing to the forefront of American and even international culture. His big band, sextet, trio and quartet were hugely successful during the following decade, and he influenced nearly every jazz player that followed after him.

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