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Piano Basics The piano is a fairly straightforward instrument; it consists of 88 keys for a full sized piano with smaller keyboards having 64 keys or less. How a piano works is when you press a piano key a hammer strikes a set of strings causing them to vibrate at the same frequency producing a note. How much pressure is used and how long a key is held determines how the note will sound.
The piano ranges from the far left end, known as the bass and the heavier, deeper notes, to the treble which is the far right end, consisting of the highest pitched notes. Most of the time your right hand will be treble and your left hand will play bass, and most music requires more effort from the treble. There are seven rudimentary notes (white keys). C, D, E, F, G, A, B. Middle C is the fourth C note on an 88 key piano and is typically where the treble hand is centered around. The note progresses from C to B, rising to a higher pitch with each note. Every seven notes is an octave, meaning the first seven notes is one set, and the next seven notes are another set with a higher pitch, and so on and so forth. The piano is arranged with alternating black and white keys. Black keys are minor notes and derivatives of the major notes. They can either be referred to as flats (b) or sharps (#), flats being a slightly lower pitch and sharps a slightly higher pitch. There are a total of 5 black keys for every set of 7 white keys. They are as follows: C/B#, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E/Fb, E#/F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A, A#/Bb, B/Cb Learning to Read Sheet Music Learning to read sheet music efficiently takes time but is more reliable than playing by ear. Playing by ear is basically trying to recite a song by listening to it, figuring out the notes and committing it to memory, which is a lot harder and time-consuming. Reading sheet music may be difficult at first but will be a breeze once you've gotten used to it. You won't even hesitate figuring out a note once you've memorized keys.
6 Important Tips for Learning the Piano 1. Don't think too much. Piano is about flow and gracefulness. 2. Rhythm and pressure is everything. It is the difference between playing a song well and playing it off, even if you are technically playing it correct. Take note of increases and decreases in pitch and have correct timing. Use a metronome to coordinate your notes. 3. Getting better at the piano requires practicing slowly. Be willing to play for 30 minutes a day. If you can't don't bother trying in the first place. Practice when you have the time. Study notes and sheet music. Use flashcards to further assist your learning. 4. When starting off, playing each hand separately yields better results. Learn a segment first then another and another. After you've mastered a piece with your right hand then play it with your left. After you've mastered both hands separately play the piece with both hands together at a steady pace. It will be much easier to play. 5. Sit correctly with good posture. Good posture includes level wrists, loose fingers with a curve (like a claw), elbows at 90 degree angles meaning not too far or too close to the piano, and a straight back. 6. Relax! Good pianists keep a relaxed composure at all times. Relax your hands when you're not playing and stiffen them once you play a key. Only stiffen your fingers when they are playing keys, if not then you should be relaxed. You can start playing beginner songs within a week if you practice enough and learn about all the notes and concepts but if you want to play well you will need dedication and hard work. Basically to learn the piano quickly you will have to learn at a steady pace daily. You can start playing full songs within a month! Hope you enjoyed the article! Here you can find moonlight sonata sheet music.
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