September 14th, 2009 at 10:15pm
Under General
If you are learning to play the piano, then one of the first things that you will need to consider is, of course, the note. The note is the fundament of all music and the basis of all the tunes. Unfortunately, it is also what makes the music quite difficult to learn – for the first time reader it will seem like there are an endless amount of notes that must be learnt.
To start with, you will need to learn the first 12 major notes. Most of us will have encountered the do-re-mi scale at some point in our schooling. In the table below we have applied it to simplify how those notes are transferred into musical notes. There a number of techniques that we will show you that will help you to memorize the notes and also to understand them a little better as well.
When you have these notes memorized, then you will be amazed at the number of doors that open for you. The next step is to move onto learning the 12 major chords. Just by simply learning the 12 notes, you are already well on your way to learning to play the piano.
These chords are the most important that you will learn, and, like the notes, will form the bedrock for your piano playing skills. Interestingly enough, these chords correspond directly to the chords that are used in playing the guitar, so when you have mastered them you will be able to play on both the guitar AND the piano!
You can probably see the comparison between playing the piano and playing the guitar for yourself – in both media, the only thing you really need to know is the positioning of the fingers for the 12 major chords. The table above also shows you exactly where to put your fingers to form the chord.
Learning these twelve will hold you in good stead for learning all the others. As you probably would have guessed, there are a lot more chords available than just the ones that we have illustrated above, but these twelve are among the easiest to memorize.
When you begin to tackle more complex chords as you continue to learn the piano, many will seem really complicated and difficult to learn. When you have mastered these – you will more than likely find it a lot easier than you think – you can move on to learning other chords. Other chords are just variations on the chords that we have illustrated above, and if you already know those, then you shouldn’t have too much of a problem.
As you progress you’ll discover that all the other chords you will learn are based around the location of Middle C, which is the most important location to remember. The variations around it are called the minor chords. The biggest difference is that whilst the major chords take only three fingers to play, the minor chords can involve anything up to five fingers.
When you are new to playing the piano, and just starting out, a lot of this can seem overwhelming. However, you will find that the rest will come quite naturally, especially as you discover that much of the variations are simply based on what you already know. Once you have learned the principles as we have set out above, the world really is your oyster.
Copyright 2009 Lauren Paltrow (Stage Pianist)
By writer
September 7th, 2009 at 10:34pm
Under General
It is a fact that at some point in all of our lives we strongly consider learning to play the piano. Do you have an idol that you admire because of their piano-playing talent? Do you have a passion for listening to well-played piano music?
Before you actually begin, you need to be aware that there are two real ways to learn the piano. You are not alone – many of us have considered playing the piano in the past, but never really taken that urge up. It may well be that all you need is a bit of a push in the right direction.
1) Chords
2) Note reading
Before you rush headlong into either of these methods, you need first of all to understand what you want to achieve. If you are quite content to read other people’s music, then all you really need to learn is how to read the notes. On the other hand, if you are feeling more creative and want to go down the route of composing your own music, then you will also need to have a good understanding of the chords.
Another dependant is the time-frame you are looking for. If you want to learn more quickly, then you should seriously look at the chord-based approach to learning the piano. Note reading can always come at a later stage, should you wish. Once you have mastered the chords, you will have a much better understanding of the sounds that they make (both individually and when played together).
Finding a qualified and experienced piano teacher is a relatively easy task, and there are a lot of benefits, like learning either at your own home or the instructor’s studio. There are number of ways to learn properly, and all people starting out to learn the piano should consider the pros and cons of getting a good piano teacher.
Remember the two approaches to learning – before you begin looking for an instructor, then it’s a good idea to have a goal in mind. If you want to play for a bit of fun (and it is good fun!), then you should be looking for a piano teacher who will teach you the note side of things. Conversely, if you are looking to expose your more creative side and want to compose yourself, then a chord-based teacher is going to be more productive.
It is vital to get this right, as otherwise you will find that you are wasting quite a bit of money on something that will not give you the benefits of achieving your goals. Piano teachers are often not too expensive, but if you are only learning something that you could learn from a book, it is still an unnecessary expense.
There are a lot of benefits of learning online – not least of which is that you can learn at your own pace – you might want to consider one of the many online programs that are available. There are a lot of benefits of learning online – not least of which is that you can learn at your own pace – there is no-one standing over you and breathing down your neck as you practice!
If you do indeed learn at your own pace, sometimes NOT having that person behind you can mean you get a drop in motivation – If it seems like learning online is the only way to go, then consider that there are also a few drawbacks to this method. If you are only doing it for yourself then the desire to continue can dwindle. Also consider his: if you learning to play the piano online, then there is no-one there to ask for help if you come across something you don’t understand.
The end of the lesson is quite simple: the piano should be something you enjoy playing, and enjoy learning to play. When you get frustrated and fed up with it, then you need to look at the approach you are taking to it. That’s not what playing the piano is all about!!
Copyright 2009 Lauren Paltrow (Stage Pianist)
By writer