Beginner Piano Lessons Online – 3 Must Have Features For Online Piano Courses
January 16, 2012
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
Brahms – Rhapsody For Piano in G Minor
January 16, 2012
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]
January 16, 2012
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
December 7, 2011
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:
Here’s what it sounds like:
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:
And here’s what it sounds like:
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:
And here’s what it sounds like:
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
December 3, 2011
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”.
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.
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:
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:
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:
And here’s what it sounds like:
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:
And here’s what it sounds like:
We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Auld Lang Syne: Mastering Songs on the Piano and Keyboard
December 1, 2011
Click on any of the music scores to view/print higher resolution versions
This guide will show you how to play simple arrangements of “Auld Lang Syne”.
Introduction
Here, Auld Lang Syne is written and played in the key of D Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.
Main Melody
Here are the melody notes you need to play:
A | D D D F# | E D E F# E | D D F# A | B B |
A F# F# D | E D E F# E | D B B A | D B |
A F# F# D | E D E B | A F# F# A | B B |
A F# F# D | E D E F# E | D B B A | D |
Here’s the complete melody written out:
Feel free to alter the timing of the notes to make the music “flow” better. Remember, musical notation is not an exact science and there’s room for your own interpretation of the music.
Here’s what it sounds like:
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 one whole note (semibreve) per bar, with the exception of the final bar which contains a dotted half note (minim).
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Walking Bassline – Arpeggios
To inject a bit of movement into the piece, here’s a walking bass line comprised of quarter notes (crotchets) played as arpeggios (broken chords).
After the bass note in the bass clef of each bar, you play the next three notes in the major chord arpeggio – that is, the major third, perfect fifth and octave intervals.
In fact there are only three different arpeggios used — a D major (as per bar 2), an A major (bar 3) and G major (bar 5).
Though these should be fairly easy to play, do watch the big jumps between the top note at the end of one bar and the lower note at the start of the next bar. This is particularly noticeable in bars such as 3 and 4, jumping down from a high A to a low D.
It’s important to keep these notes steady, so the four notes maintain a regular rhythm. It may take a bit of practice when played against the first two melody notes in many bars (2, 3, 4 and so on). Listen to the music to hear how these should be played.
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Walking Bassline with Right Hand Chords
In the final version of Auld Lang Syne, I’ve added three-note chords to the right hand to give fullness and a richer harmony.
Generally there’s a chord to play on the first and third beats of each bar. Try to hold the lower notes of the chord while you play the melody over the top. Using the sustain pedal will really help smooth the sound out.
The exception is in bars like 5 and 9, where you have a dotted half note (minim) followed by a quarter note (crotchet).
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Mastering Christmas Songs on the Piano and Keyboard
December 1, 2011
Click on any of the music scores to view/print higher resolution versions
This guide will show you how to play simple arrangements of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.
Introduction
Here, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is written and played in the key of C Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.
Main Melody
Here are the melody notes you need to play:
G A G E C | A G | G A G A G C | B | F G F D B | A G | G A G A G A | E |
G A G E C | A G | G A G A G C | B | F G F D B | A G | G A G A G D | C |
A A C A | G E G | F A G F | E | D E G A | B B B | C C B A | G F D |
G A G E C | A G | G A G A G C | B | F G F D B | A G | G A G A G D | C
Here’s the complete melody written out:
Feel free to alter the timing of the notes to make the music “flow” better. Remember, musical notation is not an exact science and there’s room for your own interpretation of the music.
Here’s what it sounds like:
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 one whole note (semibreve) per bar, with the exception of bar 11 which contains two half notes (minims).
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Walking Bassline – Octaves
To inject a bit of movement into the piece, here’s a walking bass line comprised of quarter notes (crotchets).
Generally in each bar you play a bass note followed by a note one octave above, then repeat.
Bar 19 has two different sets of octave intervals. The first starts on D and the second on G.
In the final bar hold the third note (C) for two beats.
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Walking Bassline with Right Hand Chords
In the final version of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I’ve added three-note chords to the right hand to give fullness and a richer harmony.
Generally there’s a chord to play on the first beat of each bar. Try to hold the lower notes of the chord while you play the melody over the top. Using the sustain pedal will really help smooth the sound out.
Watch out for bar 19 which contains two half note chords.
You’ll notice that the bass line has changed slightly in bar 16 to add a bit of interest. However, the song doesn’t sound bad if you play the original version of that bar (a repeat of bar 15).
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.
White Christmas: Mastering Christmas Songs on the Piano and Keyboard
December 1, 2011
Click on any of the music scores to view/print higher resolution versions
This guide will show you how to play simple arrangements of “White Christmas”.
Introduction
Here, White Christmas is written and played in the key of C Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.
Main Melody
Here are the melody notes you need to play:
E | F E D# E | F | F# G | A B C D | C B A G |
C D | E E | E A G | C C | C G F | E | F E D C | D | (D) | E |
F E D# E | F | F# G | A B C D | C B A G | (G) | (G) C D | E E |
E A G | C | (C) C D | E E | A B B B | C | (C)
Here’s the complete melody written out:
The musical notation is written to allow for a slight ‘push’ ahead of the beat in bars 5/6, 6/7 and again in bars 21/22 and 22/23. You may wish to alter the timing when you play. Listen to the recording below, which is taken directly from this notation, and see what you prefer. You are totally at liberty to add your own artistic interpretation.
Here’s what it sounds like:
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 one whole note (semibreve) per bar, with the exception of bar 29 which contains two half notes (minims), and bars 27/28 and 31/32 which have tied whole notes held for eight beats in total.
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Walking Bassline
To inject a bit of movement into the piece, here’s a walking bass line comprised of quarter notes (crotchets).
In the main, you play a bass note followed by a note a perfect fifth above it, followed by the original bass note an octave higher, followed by the second note again.
So, in bar 1 you play a low C followed by the G above it, followed by the C above that, followed by the G again. In bar 3 you play a low D followed by A, high D then A, and so on.
Bar 12 is an exception. This is a broken F minor chord (F, A flat, C) placed to give a better harmony.
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Walking Bassline with Right Hand Chords
In the final version of White Christmaws, I’ve added three-note chords to the right hand to give fullness and a richer harmony.
Generally there’s a chord to play on the first beat of each bar. Try to hold the lower notes of the chord while you play the melody over the top. Using the sustain pedal will really help smooth the sound out.
Watch out for bars 27 and 28 (first two bars on the last line). In the right hand, the F major chord changes to an F minor chord, but you should only play the A flat while holding on to the F and C (and releasing the A).
Here’s the printed music:
And here’s what it sounds like:
We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Winter Wonderland: Mastering Christmas Songs on the Piano and Keyboard
November 24, 2011
Click on any of the music scores to view/print higher resolution versions
This guide will show you how to play simple arrangements of “Winter Wonderland”.
Introduction
Here, Winter Wonderland is written and played in the key of C Major, and has a 4/4 time signature.
Main Melody
This well-known Christmas song is made from four distinct phrases, with the first two and last one being very similar to one another, with the third distinct ‘bridge’.
The first eight bars feature the first phrase. The second eight bars feature the same phrase repeated.
The next eight bars are quite different, while the final eight bars replicate the second phrase.
The melody notes you need to play are:
G G | G G G | E G G G | G G G | F G G |
B B B A A | G G G F | E E E E D D D D |
C G G | G G G | E G G G | G G G | F G G |
B B B A A | G G G F | E E E E D D D D | C |
B B G# G# C# C# A A | G# E | B B G# G# C# C# A A |
G# | D D B B E E C C | B G G | B B B B A A A A |
G G G | G G G | E G G G | G G G | F G G |
B B B A A | G G G F | E E E E D D D D | C |
Here’s the complete melody written out:
The musical notation may look a little strange to you if you’re not used to seeing triplets. Although the piece of music is written in 4/4, each beat is broken up into thirds. Another way of thinking of it is that each bar has 12 distinct, regular ‘pulses’ or beats in it (we could probably have written it in a time signature such as 6/8 or 12/8 instead).
In reality, there’s nothing much to worry about here, particularly if you know what the song sounds like. In each beat that’s made up of a triplet, you generally have a note that lasts for two-thirds of the beat followed by a note that lasts the remaining one-third (like the pair of notes in bar one or the last beat of bars 2,3 and 4).
Bars with tied notes such as bars 3, 5 and 6 might look confusing. If it boggles your mind and you want to get it completely right, try playing the song much slower than normal and count 12 beats in every bar.
If you do this, a triplet takes up three beats (with the split of notes as described above); a quarter note (crotchet) also takes three beats on its own; a half note (minim) takes six beats on its own; a dotted half note takes nine beats on its own, and so on.
Look at the beginning of bar 3. You should be able to work out how long that last note in the first triplet tied to the next half note lasts — 7 beats.
Or in bar 5, where the three Gs are tied together for a total of 9 beats.
When all is said and done, remember that the printed manuscript is only there as a guide. As you get used to the piece, you can play it with your own chosen swing and timing nuances (and indeed you should).
Here’s what it sounds like:
Single Note Bass Line
Below is a simple bass line for the song using just one note at a time. It uses four quarter notes (crotchets) per bar to provide a basic rhythm to the song. Be sure to play these notes steadily and regularly.
Many of the intervals between first and second notes in each bar are an octave, with some perfect fourth and perfect fifths.
Here’s the printed music, split over two pages:
And here’s what it sounds like:
Adding right hand chords
In the final version of Winter Wonderland, I’ve added two- and three-note chords to the right hand.
Generally there’s a chord to play on the first beat of each bar, except in cases such as bar 8 where two chords (the first on beat 1 and the second on beat 3) make for a better harmony.
Try to hold the lower one or two notes of the chord while you play the melody over the top. Using the sustain pedal will really help smooth the sound out.
Here’s the printed music, split over two pages:
And here’s what it sounds like:
We hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Mesmerism: Alexandra Dariescu to premiere work in Merseyside
October 1, 2011
Next Saturday, 8th October, 7.30pm, Merseyside composer Alexandra Dariescu will premiere her new piano work Mesmerism at the Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead.
Mesmerism was commissioned from Oxton-born composer, Emily Howard, by the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra (LMO), to celebrate the orchestra’s 60th anniversary year.
Mark Heron, the LMO Musical Director, will conduct the orchestra for the première, in a concert which will also feature well-loved classics performed by the orchestra in its first season in 1951.
The commission was made possible by generous support from the PRS for Music Foundation.
Tickets can be pre-ordered from www.pacificroad.co.uk.
(Via)
