A keyboard instrument which uses felt-tipped hammers to strike at strings.
8
votes
3answers
162 views
Why are some measures separated by double lines?
I play piano. Sometimes, measures in pieces are separated by a double vertical line instead of a single one. What does this signify?
8
votes
2answers
3k views
How to turn any (pop) song into a jazz song?
Quite often there are pop songs wich get covered in a jazz style. These covers are seen from youtube to tv.
Now I tried doing something like this, with for example Bad Day by Daniel Powter. It's ...
8
votes
2answers
178 views
Is it easier to play on a Grand Piano than an Upright Piano?
I was just wondering if it's easier to play on a Grand Piano comparing to an upright ? Like can someone play well on a grand if he's used to an upright...
I also wanted to know if the keys weight on ...
8
votes
2answers
291 views
On the piano, how should you play staccato with the pedal?
In some pieces, there is a pedal designation along with staccato. How should this be played?
8
votes
2answers
415 views
What are the pros and cons of the Suzuki method of the piano teaching vs. traditional piano teaching methods?
What is a best and most efficient way to start playing piano? Suzuki method or Traditional? I'm 21 years old.
7
votes
2answers
287 views
Why does this note sound like it is not played?
I've been learning the second movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata 16 for a while. While I get most of the stuff memorized, some part of it just doesn't sound right comparing to recordings on YouTube ...
7
votes
4answers
187 views
Playing Guitar Tabs on Piano?
I was wondering if anyone could possibly explain how I could somehow translate a guitar tab into notes on piano. Is there some sort of algorithm I can apply?
ex:
...
7
votes
5answers
860 views
Fingering for octaves on the piano
Another question about playing octaves (as in Schubert's Erlkonig, Chopin's A-flat Polonaise, etc.):
I practice Hanon exercises, and Hanon recommends using the first and fifth finger on white keys ...
7
votes
5answers
519 views
What is the proper way to play A-Flat scales on piano?
Consider four cases:
A-flat major
A-flat (natural) minor
A-flat melodic minor
A-flat harmonic minor
I start them with the third finger on the A-flat key (both hands), but I have no idea how a ...
7
votes
3answers
393 views
Why is the left hand stave missing from the piano sheet music?
Normally, I have both the right and the left hand as here
The left hand stave was always missing in that book of piano sheet music I saw yesterday, however it had letters above the stave for right ...
7
votes
5answers
290 views
How to go learn through a book
This is not your average "which book to learn from" question. I'll post my research and background in as much detail as possible (since this could potentially help others with similar question).
I've ...
7
votes
7answers
2k views
How can I improve my playing of faster finger runs?
I am just preparing for my grade 8 piano exam. I'm struggling with quick runs in the 3rd movement of Beethoven's Sonate Pathetique. It really doesn't sound right. When I play I can't do it smothly and ...
7
votes
3answers
124 views
Is there a special way to notate a repeat for the right (treble) hand but not the left (bass) hand?
I'm working with a section of music where the right hand (treble clef) plays the same thing twice, but the left hand (bass clef) differs the second time round.
Usually I would just rewrite out the ...
7
votes
4answers
293 views
What should I do about composing 'soft' accents for piano?
When composing for the piano, I often find myself writing a lot of sudden soft notes. I need an accent mark that suddenly softens notes. From my knowledge (and searching the web), I can not find any ...
7
votes
1answer
803 views
Where can I find jazz piano scales to practice?
I played the piano for years classically when I was younger, but eventually left it alone in my late teens and twenties. I probably wouldn't have if I'd been allowed to do more Jazz as I always wanted ...
7
votes
2answers
878 views
How does the piano middle pedal work? Is there a standard symbol for it?
What are the mechanics behind the middle piano pedal? I have been using the middle pedal for a variety of music, it is wonderful, but I can't figure out how it works (I mean the mechanical process). ...
6
votes
6answers
1k views
Why is the highest frequency on a piano 4186 Hertz?
The human hearing range is between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. The lowest frequency on a piano is 27.5 Hz, which is almost at the start of the human hearing range. However, the highest frequency on a piano ...
6
votes
3answers
607 views
What is the best way to become super-accurate on the piano?
For an example of what I mean, look at Volodos or Marc-Andre Hamelin -- both well-known for their incredibly crisp and accurate technique.
The answer is NOT to play more. There are some pieces I'm ...
6
votes
6answers
423 views
Assess child's ability or interest in music and piano
I've played the piano a while ago (24 years to be exact!), then had to stop for a number of reasons.
Now I'm 37. I want to start playing again, not just for myself, but to get my 5-year old daughter ...
6
votes
2answers
456 views
Need help with a measure within Mozart's 'Rondo alla Turca'
In the 21st measure of Mozart's Rondo alla Turca/Turkish March (3rd movement of K. 331), there's a trill in the treble clef that I can't quite get right. Would you be so kind to expand the measure as ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Jazz piano versus classical piano
What are the main differences between a jazz Pianist and a classical Pianist, If there are any. If I play mainly songs of pop artists (e.g: The Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John, etc.) does this count ...
6
votes
5answers
407 views
Should I take piano class?
I had been playing keyboard for years. But I'm kind of interested to learn and practice in more proper way. As I had been self learning since the beginning. I know the basic of music theory and also ...
6
votes
2answers
225 views
What happens when I start to get music “down” to the point where I can play it fluently?
When I am learning a new piece on the piano, at first I struggle to get it together bar by bar. It depends on how tricky it is, but most of the time I start out real slow, trying to get it 'down'. At ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
With regards to piano sheet music, when are you supposed to press the pedal(s)?
I've been playing piano for about 8 months. I have a digital weighted 88-key piano with only one pedal.
My friend, who used to play piano, taught me to hold the pedal down when there is an arc in ...
6
votes
2answers
235 views
What does a grid with dots above the staves mean in a piano sheet music?
First I thought it was for some other musical instrument (guitar?) but both the title and the shopkeeper told me that the music sheet was for piano.
6
votes
2answers
932 views
Pinky is raised uncontrollably when doing finger exercise
When I do finger exercises (e.g. Hanon's), my pinky finger is being raised after I play (press and release) a key with my fourth finger, and then is raised even more and is striated after the third ...
6
votes
2answers
251 views
How do I improve the rate at which I learn arpeggios?
I'm referring specifically to this sort of structure, where the notes cascade upwards or downwards but most often up and then back down. Many of the pieces I play (on piano) involve this rather ...
6
votes
4answers
7k views
How high from the ground should the keyboard from a piano be?
When installing a digital piano, I have the freedom of vertically placing the entire piano at any height I want.
But, I want to know what the ideal (preferred) height is. Is there a standard height?
...
6
votes
4answers
6k views
Using keyboard/MIDI controller to learn piano
I'm an adult just starting to learn music from scratch. The piano I have been using is sometimes not available for me to use, so I would like to buy a keyboard/MIDI controller so I can practice ...
6
votes
4answers
641 views
How can I learn to sing and play an instrument (like Piano) at the same time?
I find this a very difficult thing to do, and also not easy to put as much energy into singing, while playing piano.
I have started off by just trying the chords on the piano, though it is still ...
6
votes
3answers
145 views
Is playing with two hand really necessary in this passage?
This is an except from Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 by Liszt from John Thompson's Grade 3
(The key signature of this section is F Major):
Is playing this passage with two hand really necessary? or is ...
6
votes
2answers
258 views
How do I describe the difficulty of my song?
As part of my practice and for my mini-concerts I compose arrangements to songs. Most of them so far are Simon & Garfunkel songs. I also have started giving away some sheet music to some friends ...
6
votes
1answer
99 views
How is this piano chord fingered in “Graceful Ghost”?
From the first page of the sheet music for "Graceful Ghost" (preview available from Sheet Music Plus), you can see that in the third measure (the first chord the right hand plays after the repeat ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
What is the foundational book of Czerny finger exercises for piano?
I've recently started teaching myself piano (via Bartok's Mikrokosmos) and feel it would be helpful to supplement the pieces with some standard exercises. Everyone I speak with suggests Czerny, but ...
6
votes
1answer
702 views
Exercises for quickly identifying intervals on the staff
In order to improve my piano sight-reading, I want to practice recognizing intervals on the staff faster. If possible I'd like to combine the interval-recognition with a training for my finger memory, ...
6
votes
1answer
166 views
Sibelius op .75 Number 5: is the composer a bit sloppy, is my edition a bit sloppy, or am I missing something
In my edition of this piece, there's very specific (Ped) (*) markings, which suggests to me that the composer is laying out all the pedalling.
However, a bit after the Forte/fermata in the long ...
6
votes
2answers
443 views
Is Beethoven's title “Sonata quasi una Fantasia” an oxymoron, and does the title instruct how to perform it?
Beethoven's so-called "Moonlight" Sonata is fully titled "Sonata quasi una Fantasia".
Google translates this literally to "Sonata almost a Fantasy", but I'll assume it means more like "Sonata in the ...
6
votes
1answer
539 views
How can I learn Cuban/AfroCuban and Latin Jazz piano?
I'm wondering if some people can point me towards some learning material that they may have enjoyed for learning Cuban style Latin Jazz.
Ideally I'd like something I can learn on my own time -- ...
6
votes
1answer
187 views
Piano: Significantly right hand arrangement styles/composers
My mother would like to re-learn the piano. She has ability to use her left hand fingers 1-3, full ability with her right hand, the other left hand fingers 4-5 are very weak and come and go. Piano may ...
5
votes
4answers
215 views
Why do F#6 and higher notes ring more than F6 and lower notes?
I learned Overworld Theme 2 from Super Mario Bros. 3 a few years ago, which features the nice bright high notes of A6, G6, and F6:
I noticed on my 80 year old upright piano that the A and G rang ...
5
votes
4answers
732 views
Piano tuning just under the absolute pitch
The other day, the piano tuner came to the semi-annual tuning of my piano (a Blüthner baby grand). I was not at the house when he did the tuning. When I got home, the piano was tuned in respect to ...
5
votes
1answer
259 views
Is it a typo or how do I play it? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
The same note on two staves
I have put red arrows where I am in trouble. As I understand this, I should hit D but it is already pressed down. Do I misunderstand ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
What are the most common ways to “decorate” a melody?
Yes, I know, there are way too many possibilities and it depends on the style of the music... I would be happy with an incomplete list for beginners (like me). Here is what I have so far:
...
5
votes
2answers
144 views
Chopin op. 28 no. 2 - bar 16 symbols
There are two symbols I do not recognise below the stretto in this excerpt:
What are these symbols?
And also, form what I read the stretto here should be interpreted as an accelerando, am I ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
Are short fingers detrimental to becoming a pianist?
In this question, the OP asks about the problem of his wife's fingers being too short to cover the guitar's fretboard entirely. Similarly, my wife wants to start learning piano and her fingers are ...
5
votes
2answers
479 views
Learning 4/5 trills on the piano?
This has got to be one of the hardest technical things to teach your hands. I'm looking for advice from someone who's already surmounted this particular obstacle.
To be clear, I'm talking about ...
5
votes
3answers
233 views
Adding accidentals that are already expressed by the key signature
I have been learning piano for almost two years now, making good progress. I have good knowledge of the different scales and their corresponding key signatures. When I learn a new piece, I usually ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
Is there a color code for notes?
A few days ago, to learn to play music, I bought a keyboard (Yamaha, EZ-30). It has lighted keys and all light red. It somehow felt wrong that all keys light up red.
If A lights up red, then C should ...
5
votes
2answers
97 views
strange fingering in moonlight sonata
This is an except of bars 47-50 moonlight sonata from Henle
In bar 49 in the middle of the second triplet there is a fingering of 21 (pressing with the 2 finger and switching to 1 while pressing), ...
5
votes
2answers
129 views
Grace notes in Minuet by Boccherini
This is an excerpt from Minuet by Boccherini from John Thompson's Grade 3:
Is the grace note in the 3rd measure played concurrently with the E on the bass line, or just before it?
