1956 Blonde Cable-Nelson spinet piano [eBay]

A fantastic acoustic upright piano from the mid-1950s, this Cable-Nelson spinet piano is beautiful and available via this auction.

This is a beautiful piano that still looks and sounds great after 56 years! It belonged to my mother and she gave it to me a few years ago. We’re making a big move and I have to part with it.
It has received regular maintenance and tuning (my piano tuner will vouch for this!) and overall has no major issues.

Cable-Nelson was a name so well established that it was to become the first rank of the piano industry on the strength of the excellence of its product. You can read more about Cable-Nelson pianos here: http://www.bluebookofpianos.com/agesc.htm#CABLE-NELSON

This beauty boasts a metal-supported key bed, metal-reinforced legs, an Equi-Balanced scale, and was made from rich, blonde wood.

The only known flaws on this gorgeous piece are the following:

The pedals have lost most of their leather covering over the years. What remains is a brass metal pedal.

There is a water stain on the right top and a few along the underside of the lid.

There are some chips in the wood at the bottom of the piano from moving. Nothing very noticeable and certainly does not affect the overall appearance or sound.

Safety pads left some adhesive on the corners of the seat. This can be removed gently.

One or two of the keys are chipped. This nicks are small and do not affect overall appearance or playability.

Piano Keyboard Wall Clock [eBay]

Check out this piano keys wall clock.

Complete your room with this custom Piano wall clock. The clocks are lightweight plastic, measure 9 inches in diameter with a clear, plastic cover that protects the hour, minute and second hands.

The frames are available in both black or white.

Piano keyboard wall clock

Via auction

Baldwin Piano [eBay]

Baldwin acoustic piano

One apartment size piano for sale with beautiful sound, in excellent condition.

37 inches in height, and 57 inches long.

Value when new $6,000.00, will let go for only $2,200.

Via auction

How To Play The Piano

Learning to play any new instrument can be daunting, particularly if you’ve never tried it before, but the benefits are worth the effort.

The piano is a wonderful instrument and fits nicely into a wide variety of musical styles. Here are our recommendations for the beginner wanting to learn how to play the piano.

Buy or Borrow the Best Piano You Can

Real acoustic pianos, even upright ones, can be very expensive — not to mention heavy, difficult to transport, and requiring considerable maintenance to keep them at their best.

You might do well to purchase a good digital piano instead. Digital pianos tend to be cheaper, more portable, and requiring less upkeep to sound good. Moreover, modern digital pianos sound and feel extremely realistic. Additionally, they sometimes come with built in features to make learning and playing easier.

If buying a digital piano, you should definitely look for one with 88 keys. Good manufacturers to go for are Yamaha, Casio, Roland and Korg.

Buy the Book: Buying a Music Keyboard or Digital Piano.

Find A Good Teacher

If you are serious about playing and can afford to go to a teacher, it’s definitely worth investing the time and money into doing so. Most towns have at least one decent teacher.

If you know someone who already takes piano lessons, ask for a recommendation.

It’s important to get on well with your teacher, and additionally to ensure that they’re happy and able to teach the kind of music you really want to play. Traditionally, piano teachers have swayed towards teaching classical music, but today it’s much easier to find tutors who will teach rock, pop, jazz or other styles of music — or indeed a mixture.

Invest in Some Software

There are a number of decent pieces of computer software available which can provide tutorials on the fundamentals of music and the basics of playing the piano. They can be a worthy alternative, or supplement, to having a piano teacher.

Recommended software includes Rocket Piano and Piano Wizard.

Online resources include OnlinePianist.com

Practice Often

Students who play the piano often will benefit the most, particularly if they have some kind of schedule or goal in mind.

It depends what you want to get out of playing the piano, but aimlessly tinkling the keyboard will generally not lead to great progress being made.

You don’t have to commit to learning so many pieces of music every month or doing this, that or the other, but it can be good to set even an informal schedule of the sorts of music you’d like to play, and then work out how you’re going to achieve that.

Of course, if you have a teacher you will more than likely have a weekly schedule of practice. Your tutor will help you achieve certain goals on a regular basis, such as learning to play particular pieces of music proficiently.

Whatever you decide, playing often (ideally, every day) will definitely help you improve.

Work on Technique

Playing technique is very important and it’s worth learning it early. A teacher will help you out in the early stages.

Think particularly about your posture, positioning of hands in relation to the keys, and the way you play the keys.

Poor posture and technique will, at best, impair the quality of the music you play. At worst, it could lead to injury.

If playing an acoustic piano, invest in a decent piano bench. If playing a digital piano, you should get a decent, adjustable stand as well as piano bench.

Technique can be improved by playing through various exercises such as scales and arpeggios.

Recommended Reading:

• 7 easy ways to improve your piano-playing strength and dexterity
• Essential Accessories for Keyboard Players: Keyboard Benches

Understand the Theory

Music theory may not seem like the most fun thing to learn at first, particularly if all you want to do is play, but in the long run it makes learning new pieces of music, as well as sight reading, improvisation and playing ‘by ear’, much easier.

A good piano tutor will no doubt introduce the concept of music theory along the way. At the very least, it’s worth learning basic major and minor chords, scales and arpeggios, note intervals, chord inversions, and basic music notation.

Learn to Read Music

Being able to read printed music can be of real benefit, as it means you can pick up any manuscript and have a decent attempt at playing it.

If you have a teacher, they will recommend basic music books to begin learning.

If you’re self-teaching, pick up beginner books to start with and gradually work up. It’s better to start with something simpler rather than buy more advanced music that’s difficult to play well and can leave you frustrated. Simple music is always good to have around for things like sight reading practice, even if you graduate on to more complex music.

It’s also worth learning to read lead sheets, particularly if you’re going to be playing more contemporary music, working with bands and singers, or improvising. This tend to show just the main chords to be played at any point during a piece of music.

Make it Fun

Always remember why you’re learning the piano. It’s to have fun. Take practicing and learning seriously, of course, but not so seriously that you end up hating it.

Mix things up a bit if learning and practicing become stale. Try a new piece of music or have a go at playing by ear or improvising. Really, don’t be afraid to experiment with the music you’re playing.

Develop the Passion

Get to the point where every time you see a piano you have the burning desire to play it. Don’t become a show-off (no-one really likes them) but do get a passion for playing. Desire to be the best you can be. Don’t compare yourself to other players and worry whether you’ll ever be as good as them. Concentrate on developing your own style.

Play With Others

Playing with other people in a band, or accompanying singers, can be a real buzz and take your playing to a new level. It develops cooperation and commitment. Even if it’s just a few musical friends jamming together, that no-one else ever hears, that’s great.

Learning how to play the piano is an exciting journey. Start off the right way and you’ll enjoy playing for many years to come.

How To Play the C Major Scale on a Piano Keyboard

Structure

A one octave C Major scale is made up from the eight notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. This can be extended across the keyboard as required for two, three or four octave scales.

Here are the notes of one octave depicted on a piano keyboard diagram.

C Major Keyboard Diagram

Fingering

Number the fingers on both left and right hands as follows:

• Thumb: 1
• Index: 2
• Middle: 3
• Ring: 4
• Little: 5

Here’s a diagram of how to number the fingers:

Left and right hands fingering for C Major scale

Right Hand Playing

The ascending one octave C Major scale is most easily played by the right hand with the fingering 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Should you wish to play more than one octave, replace the ’5′ with a ’1′, continuing the sequence from the start, thus: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1…

To play the descending one octave C Major scale, reverse the sequence thus: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1.

Should you be playing more than one octave, repeat the sequence from finger ’4′, thus: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3…

Left Hand Playing

The ascending one octave C Major scale is most easily played by the left hand with the fingering 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1.

Should you wish to play more than one octave, repeat the sequence from finger ’4′, thus: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3…

To play the descending one octave C Major scale, reverse the sequence thus: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Should you be playing more than one octave, replace the ’5′ with a ’1′, continuing the sequence from the start, thus: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1…

Playing Both Hands Together

Once you’ve practiced both hands separately, it’s time to play the two hands simultaneously. There’s no particular trick to this — it just takes time to get used to it.

Scales are generally played with the hands one octave — that is, eight white notes — apart.

Start slowly, concentrating on fingering and playing each pair of notes at the same time, and gradually build up the speed. Ensure the scale maintains a regular rhythm.

Accenting

Sometimes scales are played with a slight accent on every fourth note. This works well for two and four octave scales.

Music Score

Here is the music score for one octave of the C major scale, with the right hand starting on Middle C and the left hand starting on the C below middle C.

C Major Scale music manuscript

Audio

The following MIDI file is of both hands playing a one octave C Major scale both ascending and descending.

C Major Scale MIDI

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

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Brahms – Rhapsody For Piano in G Minor

By Alan Beggerow

Like many composers in the 19th century, Brahms made his reputation by playing his own and other composers pieces on the piano. From what I’ve read, he was not the most brilliant of pianists as far as technique, but he was very musical. In his later years he hated to practice and played the premiere of his 2nd Piano Concerto after hardly touching a piano in years. He admitted he had better things to do than practice the piano three hours a day.

He played his own compositions to Robert and Clara Schumann in their home when he was 20 years old. Robert Schumann was not only a composer, but was an influential critic and writer. Brahms had been on concert tour with a Hungarian violinist as an accompanist when Joseph Joachim heard him, introduced him to Liszt and gave him a letter of introduction to the Schumanns. Schumann wrote about him in an article titled ‘New Paths’ in a music journal and hailed him as a genius.

Brahms continued to compose and be involved in the musical life of Hamburg, Dusseldorf and Vienna. His compositions were met with mixed results, his first piano concerto was roundly criticized and hissed at the first performance. It wasn’t until he composed his German Requiem in 1868 that Brahms got his European reputation as a great composer.

A contemporary of Brahms said that he played the piano like a composer. If his playing style is reflected in his music for solo piano, he was not a brilliant technician. his piano music is not full of scales running up and down the keyboard, but rather much of his music is dense with thick chords, with the melody embedded sometimes in an inner voice, sometimes an outer voice. This aspect of his music makes it difficult to play in its own way. Brahms piano music is not so much difficult because of technical glitter, but of musical substance and balance. Brahms had a tendency to write music in phrases made up of odd numbers of measures. Instead of 4-bar phrases Brahms many times writes 5-bar phrases. Couple this with the aforementioned thick chordal structure, and you’ve unlocked some of the reasons why Brahms music can sound not quite conventional, but not quite radical either. Brahms indeed found his own voice.

The Rhapsody For Piano in G minor is one of two that Brahms wrote in 1879 at the height of his popularity. It is in many ways typical Brahms. A lot going on, danger of the melody being swamped by all the inner workings, first theme threading through the accompaniment, the Brahmsian dilemma of keeping everything in balance. But Brahms leads the way for the pianist, as long as they remain alert and pay attention. Even the ritard at the end of the piece is worked out by Brahms, as the final six bars hold the melody in tied whole notes while the accompaniment is marked ‘quasi ritard’, with the eighth note accompaniment turning into quarter note triplets, and then to quarter notes thus creating Brahms’ ‘quasi ritard’.

Visit Musical Musings for thoughts and impressions about musicians, composers and their music. http://muswrite.blogspot.com/

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

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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.

O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum): Mastering Christmas Songs on the Piano and Keyboard

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

This guide will show you how to play simple arrangements of “O Christmas Tree” (also known as “O Tannenbaum”).

Introduction

Here, O Christmas Tree is written and played in the key of F Major, and has a 3/4 time signature.

Main Melody

Notice that the song is constructed from two phrases. The first phrase is played, then repeated. Then the second phrase is played. Finally, the first phrase is played again.

Here are the melody notes you need to play:

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

Here’s the complete melody written out:

(Download this as a PDF file)

Here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Single Note Bass Line

Below is a simple bass line for the song using just one note at a time. Most of the time you simply play a dotted half note (dotted minim) per bar.

You can see just how simple the accompaniment is. It comprises of a low F and a higher C. You can leave your left hand in position over those two notes, playing the low F with your little (5th) finger and the high C with your thumb.

Here’s the printed music:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Extended Bass Line and Chords

Here’s a full version of O Tannenbaum with an enhanced bass line and right-hand chords.

The rhythm of the bass line has changed so every bar (except the final one) has a half note (minim) followed by a quarter note (crotchet).

You’ll notice that the harmony in the first and second lines is identical. It’s the final line that has an alternative harmony, with slightly more changes in the bass and in the chords, to give a distinctive to the end of the piece.

If the variety of chords on the last line looks a little daunting, you might want to practice the transition between them.

In particular, look out for the change from the C minor chord at the end of that first bar and the F# diminished chord in second inversion (has the C at the bottom) at the start of the next bar. In actual fact, it’s easier to play than to describe the chord name! If you play the C minor chord with your thumb, index and ring fingers, then keep your thumb over the C and play the F sharp with your middle finger and A with your little finger, you get a smoother transition.

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.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: Mastering Christmas Songs on the Piano and Keyboard

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

This guide will show you how to play simple arrangements of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: Introduction

Here, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is written and played in the key of C Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: Main Melody

Here are the melody notes you need to play:

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

Here’s the complete melody written out:

(Download this as a PDF file)

There are five distinct sections to the melody. The first eight bars are almost repeated in the second set of eight bars, with a slight variation in bars 14 and 15.

This is followed by a middle section of eight bars, then eight bars that echo the second phrase.

The final four bars close the song.

Take a look at the melody and you’ll see it’s comprised of many runs of arpeggios (broken chords) and descending scales. For example, bar one is an ascending C major arpeggio starting on the root and moving to E, G and the C octave. This is followed by bar two which is a run of five notes descending in the scale of C major from the fifth note (G) to the root (C).

In bar 5 you’ll see a C major arpeggio starting on the major 3rd note (E) and rising to G, C and the E octave. Bars 6 and 7 feature a seven note descending C major scale starting on the second note (D) and going down to the lower E.

Interestingly, at the start of the final phrase (last line, bar 33) there’s a rising F major arpeggio.

If you listen to the recording below it may sound a little regimented. This is because it’s played exactly as the musical notation dictates. Feel free to alter the timing of the notes to adapt it to the timing you like, adding your own performance nuances.

Here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: Single Note Bass Line

Below is a simple bass line for the song using just one note at a time. Most of the time you simply play two half notes (minims) per bar.

Here’s the printed music:

(Download this as a PDF file)

And here’s what it sounds like:

Listen

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: Bass Line and Chords

Here’s a full-blown version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas with right-hand chords. This version really brings out some of the wonderful harmonies in the piece.

Note that the bass line has been altered a little from the previous example.

There are quite a few chord changes particularly on the third line. Do make an effort to play them, practicing the transition between them, as it really is worth it.

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.

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