Piano article index

This section provides a variety of information about both acoustic pianos and digital pianos, as well as restoration, modifications, playing technique, advice on lessons, and more.

Roland intros F-120 digital piano [NAMM12]

Building on the successful F-110, Roland introduces its F-120 digital pianos, which it says are ideal for pianists wanting authentic sound and touch in a compact, contemporary cabinet.

Key features include:

• SuperNATURAL Piano engine onboard
• Ivory Feel-G keyboard for true piano feel and touch
• Compact, lightweight and stylish cabinet
• Dedicated front-panel buttons for piano practice, lessons, and performance
• Metronome, recorder, and Twin Piano features for lessons or side-by-side performance
• Environment friendly; low power consumption and Auto Off function
• Two classy finishes: Satin Black and White

Read more about the features below:

SuperNATURAL Piano

With Roland’s breakthrough SuperNATURAL Piano engine at its core, the F-120 brings a new level of authentic sound and natural performance to the digital domain. Roland’s engineers relentlessly analyzed the complex, ever-changing characteristics of concert grand pianos, faithfully capturing and reproducing the tonal variations based on the velocity of each keystroke. With SuperNATURAL, three key elements are dramatically enhanced: velocity response, note decay and key-range behavior. The end result is an incredibly expressive and authentic sound that blurs the line between digital and acoustic.

Ivory Feel-G Keyboard

The F-120 is outfitted with an Ivory Feel-G keyboard, featuring Progressive Hammer Action with Escapement, inherits the functions, appearance, and texture of keyboards found on Roland’s flagship pianos. Thanks to the combination of the latest sensor technologies and the SuperNATURAL Piano sound engine, the F-120 offers expression and performance that rivals that of high-end pianos.

Slim Cabinet Design

Compact, stylish and only 30cm deep, the F-120 can be placed anywhere in your room. The unique folding-lid design covers the keyboard safely when closed, and serves as a music rest when raised. The F120 is available in two beautiful finishes: Satin Black and White.

Skill-Building Features

More than a great piano, the F-120 is equipped with features to enhance your skills. The Twin-Piano feature, for example, is designed for side-by-side lessons or performances with a teacher or duet partner. It enables the keyboard to be split into two parts, each of which covers the same octaves. This makes it easy to see and hear when practicing beside a teacher. In the same way, the left and right pedals can be reassigned to act as damper pedals for either side of the split keyboard. The F-120 also has a built-in metronome and recorder, so you can practice with a perfect time reference, and record and listen back to your performances.

Digital Advantage

With the F-120, you can play day or night, year after year, and enjoy perfect sound and performance. Since the instrument is fully digital, there are no strings to tune. No need to worry about temperature changes or aging strings. And since it’s digital, the F-120 lets you play through its built-in speakers, its external output, or privately through headphones. The built-in external input lets you connect an audio player for play-along fun.

Pricing and availability to be confirmed.

Roland intros HP500 Series of digital pianos [NAMM12]

Hot on the heels of Roland’s LX-15 announcement come three upright digital pianos in the new HP500 series.

By now you’ll be fairly familiar with Roland’s SuperNATURAL sound technology. It’s appeared in many of Roland’s newer digital pianos including all in the HP300 series (the HP302, HP305 and HP307) as well as the HPi-6F and HPi-7F.

In the HP500 series, the HP503 seems to be the more entry level model. It features an Ivory Feel-S keyboard with escapement, while the HP505 and HP507 feature Roland’s PHA III (Progressive Hammer Action III) ivory feel keyboard. All three keyboards feature keys with moisture absorption properties, making them feel much more like authentic ivory and ebony.

Other features include:

• Natural, organic multi-dimensional sound field of an acoustic piano produced by Acoustic Projection technology (HP505/507)
• SuperNATURAL Piano sound engine with seamless tonal changes according to touch, plus beautiful decay and faithful reproduction of the differences in tone between each key
• PHA III (Progressive Hammer Action III) Ivory Feel Keyboard with Escapement (HP505/507) and Progressive Damper Action Pedal
• Play classical piano masterpieces using the authentic sounds (such as true fortepiano) they were written for
• Elegant and bold design; HP500-series pianos are perfect for traditional or contemporary interiors
• Onboard LCD offers user-friendly operation with straightforward front-panel layout
• Energy-saving technology achieves powerful and dynamic sound with lower power consumption

Although we don’t have the detailed specifications yet, we expect to see at least 128 note polyphony (possibly 256 on the higher models).

Read more on the features below:

Innovative Acoustic Projection Sound System

The unique sound space that is created when you play an acoustic piano — the resonance between strings and the resonance from the piano’s frame or body — is realized through a complex and yet harmonious combination of elements. The HP507 and HP505 create this realistic sound space through innovative Acoustic Projection technology, which marries the multi-dimensional sound system found in the flagship V-Piano Grand with our SuperNATURAL Piano sound engine. Acoustic Projection delivers its magic though a multi-channel speaker system, with each speaker located properly to project each sound element in its natural position. The sound elements from each speaker are intelligently blended to reproduce the true soundfield of an acoustic piano.

SuperNATURAL Piano Engine

All three of the new HP-series pianos incorporate Roland’s SuperNATURAL Piano technology for seamless velocity response, natural note decay, and authentic key-range behavior to reproduce perfect piano sound and expression. Tone color changes seamless in response to touch, accurately translating the player’s emotions. Tone decay is natural and organic, with the decaying sound not only decreasing in volume, but also gradually changing in color to a softer tone. Each note has its own character, which creates variations in tonal color and resonance of each note.

Authentic Fortepiano Tones Onboard

In addition to the selection of onboard grand-piano sounds, the new HP500 series features a newly added Early Piano category containing four fortepiano variations and two harpsichord variations. Masterpieces composed by maestros such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin can be played with the original sounds from the period. The appreciation and understanding for the piece is heightened when using the instrument that was actually used by the composers. You can also play these early piano sounds with built-in historic temperaments which are ideal to play with other classical instruments.

Real-Feel Keyboards

The HP507 and HP505 are equipped with Roland’s flagship PHA III (Progressive Hammer Action III) Ivory Feel keyboard with Escapement. The HP503 contains an Ivory Feel-S keyboard with Escapement. With fast key-repetition and sensitivity, these keyboard faithfully translates into sound the subtle differences in tones from different playing styles and force at which they are played. The keys are finished with material that provides moisture-absorbing properties, resulting in a keyboard with the natural texture and tactile sensation of real ivory and ebony.

Progressive Damper Action Pedal

The HP500 series is equipped with “Progressive Damper Action Pedals” that have light resistance at the beginning of the stroke and more resistance the instant they begin to take effect, just like real acoustic pianos. This makes it easy for the performer to know when the pedals begin take effect, and also allows half-pedal techniques for subtle control of aftertones and resonance. This pedal can accurately convey the techniques of the most demanding pianists.

Built-In Audio/MIDI Recorder with Flexible Control (HP507/505)

The built-in recorder lets you capture your performances as audio and/or MIDI data — a convenient feature for pianists as well as students who want to evaluate their playing (HP507/505/503). Connect an external digital music player to the input jacks, play a song file, and the HP507 and 505 can transpose it in real time. You can even minimize the melody of an audio song using Center Cancel function. Play along and capture your performance as audio data. Recorded audio data can be saved onto USB Memory, and copied to an external computer for making audio CDs or for uploading to the Internet.

* USB memory is required for audio recording.

** The HP503 captures your performance as well as play backed SMF data as audio data.

Ease of Use

The simple and intuitive control panels afford quick and easy access to the HP500 series’ numerous features and applications. LCD panels provide the ideal visual interface with the instrument.

Environment-Conscious Design

All HP500-series pianos achieve low power consumption while still delivering high-impact performance. They also feature an Auto Off function, which, when activated, automatically switches the power off after a specified period of inactivity; inactivity time is selectable from 10 minutes, 30 minutes (default), 240 minutes, and off.

Exact pricing and availability is still to be confirmed.

Roland intros LX-15 upright digital piano [NAMM12]

Roland has introduced its LX-15 digital piano, building on the technology found in the LX-10 and LX-10F.

Featuring the SuperNATURAL sound engine with Soundboard Behaviour system, it offers organic sound and expressive potential.

The Acoustic Projection system delivers a natural, multi-dimensional sound, with a range of new and expanded keyboard instrument sounds to choose from including modern grand pianos, fortepianos and harpsichords.

The keyboard has been upgraded to the PHA III (Progressive Hammer Action) system for enhanced playing feel, including escapement. There’s also a progressive damper pedal, making the whole experience much closer to that of an acoustic upright piano.

Added to this there’s USB audio recording capability and a stylish, classical cabinet design so it will look great wherever it’s placed.

You can read more about the individual features below.

Innovative Acoustic Projection Sound System

The LX-15’s newly developed Acoustic Projection sound system creates a multi-dimensional sound field with accurate piano-resonance characteristics. The technology is derived from Roland’s acclaimed V-Piano Grand sound system. Six speakers are used for this system: The upper speakers provide ambience or various resonance portions; the middle speakers, located near the keyboard, enhance the image of the direct piano sound; the lower speakers recreate the piano body sound for rich bass and energy. The blend of those speakers creates a unique, deep sound field that dramatically enhances the expressiveness of the SuperNATURAL Piano.

SuperNATURAL Piano with Soundboard Behavior

The LX-15 incorporates Roland’s SuperNATURAL Piano technology for seamless velocity response, natural note decay, and authentic key-range behavior to reproduce perfect piano sound and expression. Newly developed Soundboard Behavior technology emulates the natural characteristics of string vibrations on the soundboard, and is not found on conventional sampling pianos. The technology is based on the V-Piano’s soundboard modeling, and can enhance sound clarity even when many notes are played simultaneously.

Expanded Piano Selection

The built-in piano selection has been expanded in the LX-15. In addition to modern grand-piano sounds, a newly added Early Piano category contains four fortepiano variations and two harpsichord variations. Enjoy a treasured lineup of instruments new and old, spanning centuries.

Polished-Ebony Finished Cabinet

The LX-15’s polished-ebony finish gorgeous design cabinet features a contoured design for a strong, bold look with classical elegance. The graceful design fits well into any home environment, from classic to contemporary interiors. The mirror-finished fallboard reflects the keyboard and moving fingers, bringing a sense of visual enjoyment to your playing. The top lid can be closed and opened smoothly to shape the piano’s overall tonal character.

PHA III Ivory Feel Keyboard with Escapement

Roland’s high-end PHA III keyboard accurately responds to the players touch, from the most subtle and delicate to the most dynamic technique. The escapement mechanism reproduces the authentic click-feel of a grand-piano keyboard. The keyboard also features Roland’s acclaimed Ivory Feel surface material, which replicates the texture of ivory and ebony.

Progressive Damper Action Pedal

The LX-15’s Progressive Damper Action pedal accurately reproduces the pedal response of an acoustic piano. When you first start to press the damper pedal, it offers lighter resistance, but as you continue to press, the resistance increases, just as on an acoustic piano. The damper pedal can also accurately express the unique sound decay when half-pedaling.

Built-In Audio/MIDI Recorder

The LX-15’s built-in recorder lets you capture your performances as audio and/or MIDI data — a convenient feature for pianists, as well as students who want to evaluate their playing afterward. Recorded audio data can be saved onto USB Memory*, and copied to an external computer for making audio CDs or for uploading to the Internet.

* USB memory is required for audio recording.

Exact pricing and availability is still to be confirmed. Be sure to also check out the new HP500 series of digital pianos.

Beginner Piano Lessons Online – 3 Must Have Features For Online Piano Courses

By Lynda Kringel

The easiest and most convenient way to find affordable beginner piano lessons is to go online and look for courses which allow you to access lessons online after paying one membership price. Instead of paying an ongoing fee and trying to work the beginner piano lessons into your busy schedule, you pay one time and then complete your lessons whenever you have the time.

This is a great way to learn the piano, but how do you determine which online courses are the best bargain for your money? Following are three must have features that you should look for when selecting an online course.

Large Volume of Lessons

You want to find a program which will offer at least enough beginner piano lessons to last you for six months, or it isn’t worth your time. Just purchasing a small collection of lessons will only get you so far toward learning the piano while a large collection of lessons will allow you to progress naturally and develop higher levels of skill without having to search out and pay for additional lessons later on.

Look for an online system that gives you enough lessons to last at least six months, if not an entire year. That will ensure that you never run out of beginner piano lessons and are able to continue progressing with your skills.

Variety of Styles Included

While looking at the number of beginner piano lessons being offered through a program, try to find something that delivers lessons in a wide variety of musical styles. Programs that only use classical songs can become rather boring, but programs that expose you to a wide variety of songs and style selections will keep you entertained.

The more interesting the song selections, the more interesting you will find the lessons. This is the best way to ensure you will continue enjoying the beginner piano lessons, especially if you are purchasing the lessons for a child.

Multiple Forms of Learning Material

Finally, make sure that the learning material you will receive with your beginner piano lessons is varied and well rounded. Some forms of learning material that may be included with many programs are:

• Video Lessons
• Audio Files
• Pictures
• Diagrams
• Step-by-Step Directions

When you have a wide variety of resources besides just the beginner piano lessons you are more likely to pick up the lessons and develop your skill quickly and efficiently. Everyone has a different learning style, so a program with a wide variety of learning materials is more likely to teach to every learning style.

Finally, a good online program that includes beginner piano lessons should teach you how to play music by ear as well as how to read sheet music, not just one or the other. You want to be able to pick up a song just by listening to it without losing the ability to pick up sheet music and learn the tunes as needed.

Finding beginner piano lessons online is the most cost effective way to learn the piano. A good program such as the one offered through http://www.therocketpiano.info will be suitable for students of all skill levels, ages, and learning styles. You will receive high quality video lessons as well as ton of other resources that will aid you in picking up the piano as quickly and accurately as possible.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynda_Kringel

http://EzineArticles.com/?Beginner-Piano-Lessons-Online—3-Must-Have-Features-For-Online-Piano-Courses&id=4012535

Can I play piano notes on the keyboard? [FAQ]

The answer to this question boils down to how authentic you want your piano-playing experience to be.

On the surface, there really isn’t much difference between an acoustic piano, a digital piano, and any of the multitude of music keyboards and synthesizers.

This means it’s possible to play the same notes on both a piano and a keyboard.

However, all instruments vary in how they feel and how they respond to a player’s touch.

Acoustic and digital pianos often have heavier keys which are weighted more heavily at the lower end (left-hand side) of the keyboard and have a lighter touch at the top end (right-hand side). Most standard keyboards and synthesizers do not have this.

Additionally, nothing can completely rival a true acoustic piano in terms of sound. High-end digital pianos come close. Every digital instrument is only giving an approximation of the sound of an acoustic piano.

Cheaper instruments, and those for whom a realistic piano sound is not a priority (such as some synthesizers which are more geared to creating non-acoustic sounds) may not offer all the nuances and subtleties you’d expect from an acoustic piano or a very good digital piano.

However, the average musician and listener may never notice the difference. A seasoned classical or jazz pianist might do, but could still use a digital piano or keyboard from time to time for convenience.

It’s also worth considering that most pianos have at least 76 keys on their keyboard, and usually 88 keys, whereas some keyboards and synths have 49 or 61 keys (four or five octaves). This means that some pieces of music which have a wide range might be very difficult to play seamlessly.

So yes, you can play piano notes on a keyboard but you should be aware of its possible limitations.

Yamaha P95 Digital Piano – An Unbiased Review

By Roger Svenson

This article gives you a short, unbiased review of the Yamaha P95 digital piano and is based on what actual users say. You will find out what people think of the piano so that you can decide for yourself if it’s worth the investment.

To begin with, it is important to understand that if you want an objective review of this (or any other) digital piano, your best bet is to read reviews by third parties, such as actual users.

The manufacturers of the piano (in this case Yamaha) will of course present their product in the most favourable light. They have a product to sell. But actual users, on the other hand, have no agenda or ulterior motive. They simply give their honest feedback.

And what do users say about the Yamaha P95? You can choose to read hundreds of reviews, but this article summarizes the main points and gives you what might be called the “general consensus”.

1. Most users appreciate the authentic feel or “action” of the keyboard – the “weighted action” keyboard means that you experience the same resistance from the keys as you would on an acoustic piano. The keys are heavier on the lower end and become progressively lighter as you move up the keyboard. The vast majority of users love this feature and point out that Yamaha P95 feels very much “like a real piano.”
2. Most users also appreciate the piano sound of the Yamaha P95. Every digital piano aims to replicate the sound of an acoustic piano. According to a very large number of P95 users, the Yamaha P95 achieves this goal very nicely. Even highly-experienced musicians comment on the resemblance in sound to an acoustic piano.
3. Some users point out that the Yamaha P95 has fewer voices and sounds than other digital pianos. The Yamaha P95 has 10 preset voices, which is admittedly not as many as some other digital pianos on the market. If you are looking for a piano with a huge selection of different voices, you will probably be more attracted to other digital pianos. However, if you are primarily interested in the acoustic piano sounds and do not require all the “bells and whistles” that come with more expensive digital pianos, the chances are that you’ll be more than satisfied by the Yamaha P95
4. Another pleasing feature of the Yamaha P95 is its portabilityIt weights just 26 lbs (or 12kg) and is certainly the sort of instrument that you can move around, take to gigs and so on. Nor does this mean that you’re getting a “lesser” piano. The Yamaha P95 has a full keyboard with 88 weighted keys, which makes its portability even more impressive.
5. If you live in small apartment or just don’t have room for a large instrument, then the Yamaha P95 is ideal. Its dimensions are such that you’ll be able to find a place for it even if you have limited space in your home. This is of course one of the main reasons why people purchase digital pianos over acoustic uprights or grands.

Hopefully this brief review has given you a better idea of the Yamaha P95. This digital piano receives extremely high ratings from customers on all the major online stores (4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon, for instance) and is likely to satisfy your needs extremely well if you are looking for a portable piano with authentic sound and feel.

Though there are other digital pianos available with more voices, few can compare with the Yamaha P95 in terms of calibre and popularity. In addition, at just over $500 (online) the P95 is highly affordable, particularly when you consider that a “real” acoustic piano costs about ten times the price.

The Yamaha P95 is not a perfect piano (if such a piano even exists) but if you are like the vast majority of users you will find that it provides an extremely satisfying alternative to its more expensive acoustic counterparts.

Roger Svenson is a music enthusiast and is interested in digital pianos such as the Yamaha P95 and other top models.

Click here for a great deal on the Yamaha P95 digital piano.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Svenson – http://EzineArticles.com/?Yamaha-P95-Digital-Piano—An-Unbiased-Review&id=6800679

Joy to the World: Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard

Click on any of the music scores to view/print higher resolution versions

View a range of Christmas Carols Music Books at Amazon.

A popular carol in our series on mastering Christmas Carols on Piano and Keyboard is “Joy to the World”.

Introduction

Here, Joy to the World is written and played in the key of C Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.

C major makes the higher notes more comfortable to sing, but you could transpose up (or indeed down) if needed.

Main Melody

The melody notes you need to play are:

C B A | G – F | E D | C – G | A – A | B – B | C | ^C C |
C B A G | G F E C | C B A G | G F E E |
E E E E F | G – - F E | D D D D E | F – - E D | C C – A |
G F E F | E – D – | C – - – |

Here’s the complete melody written out:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Fingering

The first four bars contain a descending C major scale, so play this as you would a normal scale, starting on the fifth (little) finger, running to the thumb (on F) and then bridging over with your middle (third) finger to play the E, ending up on the thumb again on C.

Stretch your index finger up to the next note – G – if you can as this makes the next run easy to play. Play the descending runs of notes with your fingers in sequence, arching over with your index finger where necessary.

Single Note Bass Line

Below is a simple bass line for the carol using just one note at a time. Most of the bass notes are whole notes (semibreves) with one bar of half notes (minims). You only play notes C, F and G.

Here’s the printed music:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

More elaborate bass line

This bass line is a little more elaborate and follows the melody rhythmically, often reflecting the melody in some way.

Here’s the printed music:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Adding harmony and fullness with chords

In the final version of Joy to the World, I’ve added two- and three-note chords to the right hand, always with the melody note as the highest note. The bass line has also been slightly altered to fit with the harmonies.

Here’s the printed music.

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.

Jingle Bells: Mastering Christmas Songs on the Piano and Keyboard

Click on any of the music scores to view/print higher resolution versions

A very popular Christmas song is “Jingle Bells“. Here’s how to play a simple arrangement of it.

Jingle Bells: Introduction

Here, Jingle Bells is written and played in the key of C Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.

Jingle Bells: Main Melody

This well-known Christmas song is made from four distinct phrases, with the first two being very similar to one another, and the second two following each other closely.

The first eight bars feature the first phrase. The second eight bars feature almost the same phrase repeated, with the exception of the final two bars.

The next eight bars feature the second phrase. The final eight bars feature that phrase almost identically repeated until the final three bars.

The melody notes you need to play are:

E E E – | E E E – | E G C D | E – - – |
F F F F | F E E E E | E D D E | D – G – |
E E E – | E E E – | E G C D | E – - – |
F F F F | F E E E E | G G F D | C – - – |
G E D C | G – - G G | G E D C | A – - – |
A F E D | B – - – | G G F D | E – - – |
G E D C | G – - G G | G E D C | A – - – |
A F E D | G G G G G | A G F D | C – - – |

Here’s the complete melody written out:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Jingle Bells: Fingering

The first 16 bars can be played with the right hand in a single position. It’s then a small jump downwards onto the right thumb to begin playing the last 16 bars. These can be played without much stretching involved, and with the right hand thumb ‘anchoring’ around the lower G.

Jingle Bells: Single Note Bass Line

Below is a simple bass line for the song using just one note at a time. It’s a very simple whole note per bar arrangement, where you’ll always be playing either C, D, F or G.

Here’s the printed music:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Jingle Bells: Adding harmony and fullness with chords

In the final version of Jingle Bells, I’ve added two- and three-note chords to the right hand, always with the melody note as the highest note. The bass line has also been slightly altered to fit with the harmonies.

Noting the only sharpened note in the whole piece, in bar seven. The F sharp at the root of the chord helps create an interesting harmony.

Here’s the printed music.

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.

Let It Snow: Mastering Christmas Songs on the Piano and Keyboard

Click on any of the music scores to view/print higher resolution versions

A very popular Christmas song is “Let It Snow”. Here’s how to play a simple arrangement of it.

Introduction

Here, Let It Snow is written and played in the key of C Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.

C major makes the higher notes more comfortable to sing, but you could transpose up (or indeed down) if needed.

Main Melody

Hum through the melody and you’ll notice that this effectively has A-A-B-A phrasing. That is, the first phrase is repeated (with only one or two differences in notes/timing) then followed by a different section before returning to the first phrase again.

The melody notes you need to play are:

- – - G G | G G F E D | C G – G G | D C D C | B G – A |
A A G F E | D – - B A | G G F E E D |
C – - G | G G F E D | C G – G G | D C D C | B G – A |
A A G F E | D – - B A | G G F E E D |
C – - B C | D E D B G | D – - B D | C C B A G A |
B – - B C | D E D B G | D – - – | G F E F G A |
G – - G G | G G F E D | C G – G G | D C D C | B G – A |
A A G F E | D – - B A | G G F E E D | C – - – |

Here’s the complete melody written out:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

You may want to add some artistic license to all of the dotted eighth notes (quavers) followed by sixteenth (semiquaver) notes, depending upon how you like the phrasing to sound. I know different recording artists have done things slightly differently. Remember, the printed music is only there as a guide for you to add your own performance nuances to, and not an absolute rule.

Fingering

There are a number of octave stretches which, unless you have a very large hand, you’re likely to want to play from thumb to fifth (little) finger (or reverse, for descending octaves).

There are a number of passages where notes descend, not with all consecutive notes in the scale, but it should still be easy enough to finger appropriately. Where there are six notes in a downward run (see bars 2 and 3 for an example) you can play the first five notes with fingers 5,4,3,2 and 1 (thumb) before reaching over with your index finger to play the next note, then switching back to the thumb ready for the next significant interval (in this case, from bar 3 to bar 4).

In bars 18 through 20, you’ll want to ensure you switch fingers when appropriate so that you don’t “run out” of fingers later on.

Single Note Bass Line

Below is a simple bass line for the carol using just one note at a time. From bar 2 onwards, the bass line alternates between a bar of two half notes and a bar of one whole note.

Here’s the printed music:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Adding harmony and fullness with chords

In the final version of Let It Snow, I’ve added two- and three-note chords to the right hand, always with the melody note as the highest note. The bass line has also been slightly altered to fit with the harmonies.

Here’s the printed music.

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.

Ding Dong Merrily On High: Mastering Christmas Carols on the Piano and Keyboard

Click on any of the music scores to view/print higher resolution versions

View a range of Christmas Carols Music Books at Amazon.

Another popular carol in our series on mastering Christmas Carols on Piano and Keyboard is “Ding Dong Merrily On High”.

Introduction

Here, Ding Dong Merrily On High is written and played in the key of F Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.

F major makes the higher notes more comfortable to sing, but you could transpose up (or indeed down) if needed.

Main Melody

Hum through the melody and you’ll notice several things:

• The first four bars are repeated note for note in bars 5-8.
• Bars 9-13 feature the same phrasing in the melody line, but gradually descending. This is useful to remember when playing at speed.

The melody notes you need to play are:

F F G F E D | C – - C | D F F E | F – F – |
F F G F E D | C – - C | D F F E | F – F – |
C Bb A Bb C A | Bb A G A Bb G |
A G F G A F | G F E F G E |
F E D E F D | E D C C |
D F F E | F – F – |

Here’s the complete melody written out:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Fingering

The first eight bars can be played by the right hand in a fixed position, starting with the fourth (ring) finger.

Start bar 9 on the little (fifth) finger and play naturally until the end of bar 11, where you’ll finish on the thumb.

If you can smoothly play the G at the start of bar 12 by scrunching your hand up then you’ll be able to play the rest of the piece without moving again.

Alternatively, use your third (middle) or fourth (ring) finger, but bear in mind you’ll need to move your hand again later on.

Single Note Bass Line

Below is a simple bass line for the carol using just one note at a time. Most of the bass notes are minims (half notes) so you play two evenly in each bar – one on beat 1 and the other on beat 3. The exception to this is in bars 2 and 6, which feature a dotted minim (half note) and a crotchet (quarter note). This means you play the first note on beat 1 and the second note on beat 4.

Here’s the printed music:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

More elaborate bass line

This bass line varies a little from the previous example. It features more crotchets (quarter notes) to give more of a “walking” feel to the piece. Bars 2 and 6 still feature the dotted half note and quarter note, while bars 4 and 8 feature two half notes.

Here’s the printed music:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Adding harmony and fullness with chords

In the final version of Ding Dong Merrily on High, I’ve added two- and three-note chords to the right hand, always with the melody note as the highest note. The bass line has also been slightly altered to fit with the harmonies.

In particular, pay attention to the chord and bass note in the 3rd beat of bar 13. It’s a G major chord with a B natural in the bass. Be sure not to play the B flats as you would at any other place in the music.

Here’s the printed music.

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.

« Previous Page — Next Page »