Learn to Play Piano – Effective Ways to Learn Piano
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Yoke_Wong]Yoke Wong
No matter what your age, you can still learn to play piano. Though children do tend to pick up on their piano lessons fairly easily, adults often approach their lessons in a more structured manner, which makes learning piano manageable for them as well.
You will likely find that when you learn to play the piano it is one of the most enjoyable things that you will ever do, and today finding options to help you in learning piano is easier than ever.
To learn to play piano most people take music lessons, and there are a variety of methods in which you can do this. You can look in your local newspapers classifieds to see if there is someone locally who may be giving piano lessons, you may also want to ask around at your local schools and churches to find out if they can refer you to a piano teacher.
The fees associated with piano lessons vary with each instructor; while some may only charge a small fee because they are only teaching part time, professional music teachers may be quite expensive.
Another option to learn to play piano would be to opt to take online lessons, or you can choose to learn through a DVD program. The online piano lessons tend to be less expensive than traditional piano lessons, and if you do have problems in learning to play the piano, there is an instructor to help you. On the other hand if you choose to learn to play piano on your own and begin to have some difficulty, you won’t have an instructor to help you understand the lesson.
Each method of learning how to play the piano has its advantages and drawbacks; so it really comes down to personal preference when it comes to how you will go about learning piano.
In addition to taking piano lessons, to learn how to play piano you will also need a piano, or a small, portable keyboard. A piano purchase can be quite a large investment, so to begin with while you are learning piano, the portable keyboard may be your best option. You can shop around and find several portable keyboards that have all the same keys as the standard piano, but they are far less expensive.
Once you have bought a piano or portable keyboard, you’ll be all set to learn to play the piano, all that will be left is to find a good piano teacher, and to set your mind to learning how to play piano.
Yoke Wong is the founder of [http://www.yokewong.net]http://www.yokewong.net, a leader in publishing piano courses to piano players throughout the world.
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Piano Tabs – Learn to Play Fur Elise
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Peter_Edvinsson]Peter Edvinsson
In this piano lesson you will learn to read easy keyboard tablature. Piano tab notation is easy to read even if you do not know how to read sheet music. You will also learn to play an easy piano version of Fur Elise.
To know how to read and play piano sheet music is a great asset. It is worth developing this skill as you have a nearly unlimited amount of piano sheet music titles to play.
When you try to learn piano sheet music I suggest that you take time to learn just a few notes at a time. Learn the placement of the notes on the sheet music staff and also where to play them on your piano.
Meanwhile you can learn to read the easier piano tab notation.
Piano tabs or keyboard tablature is an easy way to learn melodies and other types of piano music. We will use a common way to describe how you are to play the keys on your piano.
Sheet music notation shows the notes to play but not how to play them on your instrument. Tablature on the other hand shows the keys to play on your piano.
To read the piano tabs you have to learn the note names of the white keys on your piano. First we will take a look at the note c at the middle of the piano keyboard. It is called middle c or sometimes c4.
The black keys on the keyboard are organized in groups consisting of two or three black keys. Middle c is immediately to the left of two black keys at the middle of the keyboard.
As we mentioned before middle c is sometimes called c4 as it is in the fourth octave of a piano or a grand. Octave means eight and you have played eight notes if you start with c and play the white keys until you come to the next c.
The following notes to the right of c is d e f g a b and then you have the next c. This c is subsequently called c5 as it is in the fifth octave of a piano. On a smaller type of keyboard with fewer keys you will still use c4 to show middle c.
The c note to the left of middle c is called c3. All notes to the left of two black keys are c notes in different octaves.
The easy piano tabs we will use to play Fur Elise has the following rules:
1. The white keys are indicated with lowercase letters. An example: c d e f g a b
2. The black keys are shown by uppercase letters. For example, A D-major chord is written d F a. The uppercase letter F shows that the note is the black key to the right of f.
3. The octave to play is showed with a number after the letter. The note c4 means, play middle c. The following notes will not have a number until it is time to change octave. Here is a C-major arpeggio: c4 e g c5
It is time to play the first notes of Fur Elise. It is written as an easy melody for your right hand:
e5 D e D e b4 d5 c a4 c e a b e G b c5
e4 e5 D e D e b4 d5 c a4 c e a b e c5 b4 a
I suggest that you memorize the melody one line at a time. Now we will come to a new part of the melody. If it had been a pop song it would be called the bridge:
b c5 d e g4 f5 e d f4 e5 d c e4 d5 c b4
We finish by playing the first part again:
e5 D e D e b4 d5 c a4 c e a b e G b c5
e4 e5 D e D e b4 d5 c a4 c e a b e c5 b4 a
This is a simplified version of the first part of Fur Elise with an easy form of the most common piano tabs on the Internet. You can learn more about piano tab notation on Wikipedia. Search for keyboard tablature. These piano tabs are an introduction to the little more advanced tablature system on the Internet.
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your [http://www.capotastomusic.com/piano.htm]piano tabs and free piano sheet music at http://www.capotastomusic.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Edvinsson http://EzineArticles.com/?Piano-Tabs—Learn-to-Play-Fur-Elise&id=1232366
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Piano Tabs – Learn to Play Happy Birthday to You
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Peter_Edvinsson]Peter Edvinsson
Piano tab notation will help you learn melodies without knowing sheet music. In this piano lesson you will learn to read easy piano tabs. You will also learn to play Happy Birthday To You!
If you do not know how to read piano sheet music I suggest that you try to learn it. If you start with very easy melodies with just a few notes you will not get too frustrated. Learn the names of the keys of your piano. Also, learn the names of the notes as they appear on an easy music sheet, focusing on just a few at a time.
To read sheet music well you have to have the patience and devote time to practicing. This practice time will pay off as you will have an immense amount of sheet music waiting to be played. Until you have mastered the art of playing sheet music you can use piano tabs to help you play melodies.
With the help of piano tablature you can easily learn melodies, chords and other music on your piano. Tabs cannot replace sheet music but you can notate much musical information even with this type of notation.
What is piano tablature?
Piano tab notation is an established system for reading and writing music. Actually there are several systems, some with numbers and others with letters but we will use a simplified form of the most common system on the net.
Sheet music notation shows the actual notes to play but not how to play them on your piano. This task you have to perform yourself. Piano tablature on the other hand is a way of showing which keys to play on your piano. When you have learned the system you will find it easy to play melodies. But, first you have to learn the note names.
The note names
We will use the note names on the piano as the basis for the notation. You will have to learn the names of the notes on the white keys of your piano. The first note we will learn is the middle c. It is easy to understand that the middle c is at the middle of the piano but exactly where?
You have probably noticed that the black keys on your piano or keyboard are organized in groups. You will find groups with two and with three black keys all over the keyboard.
If you take a look at the two black keys at the middle of your piano you will find middle c immediately to the left of these black keys. This middle c is sometimes called c4. The number 4 shows that it is the c in the fourth octave.
What is an octave?
Octave means eight and if you play the note c and the following notes until you come to the next c you have played eight notes. This c note is to the left of the next two black keys one octave higher.
The notes after middle c are d e f g a b and then comes c again. When you play these notes from c to the next c you have played a c-major scale. The next c is sometimes called c5 as it is in the next octave which is the fifth octave of a piano keyboard. The c in the octave to the left of middle c is called c3.
Now we will take a closer look at the piano tablature we will use in the song Happy Birthday To You.
The rules
In this article we will use a simplified version of the piano tabs you will find on the Internet. Here are the rules:
1. Lowercase letters show the white keys. That is, c d e f g a b.
2. Uppercase letters show the black keys. The note C means that you shall play the black key to the right of c. This note is written as c# in traditional sheet music language.
3. A number after a note name shows in which octave to play the note. The note c4 means middle c. The following notes to play will not have a number until you change octave.
Happy Birthday To You
Now it is time for you to read the piano tabs to Happy Birthday To You! I will write down the lyrics, one line at a time with the corresponding piano tabs below. It is written in the key of F-major.
The chords to play if someone wants to accompany you are written in brackets before the appropriate syllable. If you already know how to play chords with your left hand you can try to play them yourself as you play the melody with your right hand.
Happy (F)Birthday to (C7)you, happy birthday to (F)you
c4 c d c f e c c d c g f
The number 4 after the first c shows that you are to play the notes in the fourth octave until you find a new octave indication.
Happy (F)birthday, dear (Bb)”Liza”
c c c5 a4 f e d
(Bb)Happy (F)birthday (C7)to (F)you
A A a f g f
Remember, uppercase A is the black note to the right of a.
Remember, the note A is the black key to the right of a.
I suggest that you memorize the melody one line at a time so you do not have to rely on the tab notation. These piano tabs are an introduction to the little more advanced tablature system on the Internet.
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your [http://www.capotastomusic.com/piano.htm]free piano sheet music and piano tabs at http://www.capotastomusic.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Edvinsson http://EzineArticles.com/?Piano-Tabs—Learn-to-Play-Happy-Birthday-to-You&id=1228131
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How to Learn Piano
How to Learn Piano
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Chris_E_Jordan]Chris E Jordan
Learning piano can be easy, if it’s done in the right way. For most people, the expense and inconvenience of getting to a piano teacher stops them from taking lessons.
The intimidation of teaching yourself, and the fact that it’s so hard to know if what you are doing is right, prevents most people from starting to learn at home. I know, I tried to teach myself for ages, but I just could not put it all together.
This is because, even if you want to teach yourself, or learn at home, you still need a structured course to be able to learn properly. A structured course teaches you how to play using the proper technique, which is very important and makes playing later a lot easier.
The best thing I found from a good learn at home course, is that everything was laid out for me. There are step-by-step lessons teaching you exactly what you need to know, and how to play. There are songs for each lesson organized so that you are playing songs using what you have just learned. This means that you get to practice what you learned, and you get to have fun playing songs right from the beginning.
Playing at home is a lot easier for a lot of people. You can learn at your own pace without having to worry that if you don’t fumble up or don’t practice something that week, you’ll have to pay a lesson for nothing. You can also learn at your convenience. If you want a break from learning something or playing, you can go have a drink.
If you get bored of learning a certain technique, you can practice some songs or a different technique. This really helps keep people motivated, as when you get bored of learning something or playing the practice songs, you can take out a songbook (most good courses come with these), and playa a song that is good for your level, and sounds great. What a motivator.
I’ve heard people say that you can’t learn properly without a good teacher. This is simply NOT true. A good how to learn piano course teaches you everything you need to know to become a well rounded musician. This may have been true in the old days, but with the advancement of technology courses can now come with audio and video, so you can hear that you are playing write, and watch how you are meant to be playing.
Anyone can learn how to play the piano at home, at their convenience, and easily. All it takes is structure so that you have a system to learn to play properly.
Did you know most people take years to teach themselves to play piano? Learn the secret to playing piano quickly with the best [http://www.productreviewsnow.com/PianoLessons/teach_yourself_piano.html]How to Learn Piano Course available.
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Piano Speed Limit For Kid’s Piano Teachers
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Aschenbrenner]John Aschenbrenner
Every child has their own internal speed limit for the piano. This is the pace at which they can comfortably learn the piano.
It is different for each child. Because one child learns Beethoven’s Fur Elise in five minutes doesn’t mean any other child will be able to do so as quickly.
A wise piano teacher is always testing their students, not for scales and abilities but for mood. It’s more important to make the child comfortable than to rush into new ideas.
A child who is happy and comfortable at the piano is far more likely to eventually accomplish what the piano teacher wants. The trick is for the teacher to be patient and move slowly enough that the child does not feel overwhelmed.
Since the main object of piano lessons is usually to make the child read music, it is important for the teacher to have a strategy for achieving that.
Thus, in between reading music, a piano teacher should play fun piano games when the child becomes fatigued with reading music. In my experience, younger children get tired of reading music in about five minutes. If you exceed this limit, you will have a sluggish student, for the mental exertions required to read music deplete kids of their energy quite quickly.
Keep using this bait and switch scenario. Start with a little work, when it becomes drudgery, as evidenced by the child’s mood, immediately switch to a light-hearted musical game.
When this game is finished, move back instantly to the problem that was exhausting them, and let them have another try. They will be refreshed and will make a little progress.
Don’t forget: the speed limit for hard work at the piano is five minutes.
Exceed it and you will have an exhausted child.
Obey it and you will be able to string those five minute periods into a musical education.
Visit http://www.americanpianoschool.com and Learn to Teach Your Kids Piano with our Free Online Course. John Aschenbrenner is an Emmy Award Winning Composer and a leading children’s music educator, book publisher, and the author of numerous fun piano method books in the series PIANO BY NUMBER for kids. You can see the PIANO BY NUMBER series at http://www.pianoiseasy2.com
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Piano Lesson – Learn To Play Easy Fur Elise Piano Solo
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Peter_Edvinsson]Peter Edvinsson
Fur Elise Is a very popular piano solo by Mozart. It is fairly advanced to play for a beginner. In this piano lesson you will learn a simplified version of the melody without sheet music.
Piano tabs
Instead of using piano sheet music we will use a form of piano tabs that show you with letters and numbers what piano keys to press down to play Fur Elise.
First you have to learn a few notes on the piano. The note C4 is the middle C on your piano. You will find it immediately to the left of two black keys.
In some piano tabs it is called number 1. The number 4 indicates that the C is in the fourth octave of an ordinary piano keyboard with 88 keys.
Actually there can be pianos and other types of keyboards with a less number of octaves but the C in the middle of the keyboard is still called C4.
Fur Elise part 1
Now we will start to play the first notes on Fur Elise. Here is the first little melodic phrase:
E5 D#5 E5 D#5 E5 B4 D5 C5 A4/A3
E5 is the E in the octave that is to the right of the middle octave with the note C4. D#5 is the black key immediately to the right of the note D5. A4/A3 means that at the same time as you play the A in the middle octave you will play the note A3 with your left hand as a bass note.
A3 indicates that you play an A in the octave to the left of A4.
Let us continue with Fur Elise:
C4 E4 A4 B4/E3 E4 G#4 B4 C5/A3
G#4 is the black key to the right of G4.
E4 E5 D#5 E5 D#5 E5 B4 D5 C5 A4/A3
I guess the best way to learn the melody is to memorize it one line at a time. Here are the next piano tabs.
C4 E4 A4 B4/E3 E4 C5 B4 A4/A3
This was the first part of the melody.
Fur Elise part 2
The next part has a contrasting melody:
B4 C5 D5 E5/C3 G4 F5 E5 D5/G3 F4 E5 D5 C5/A3 E4 D5 C5 B4/E3
Now it is time to play the first melody again:
E5 D#5 E5 D#5 E5 B4 D5 C5 A4/A3
C4 E4 A4 B4/E3 E4 G#4 B4 C5/A3
E4 E5 D#5 E5 D#5 E5 B4 D5 C5 A4/A3
C4 E4 A4 B4/E3 E4 C5 B4 A4/A3
This was a portion of Fur Elise written with piano tabs. As I mentioned above the best way to learn this very simplified version of the composition is to memorize it one line at a time. You will then have access to it whenever you are asked to play piano for your friends!
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download a free easy piano version of Fur Elise as a high quality pdf music sheet and more [http://www.capotastomusic.com/piano.htm]free piano sheet music at http://www.capotastomusic.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Edvinsson http://EzineArticles.com/?Piano-Lesson—Learn-To-Play-Easy-Fur-Elise-Piano-Solo&id=1185896
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Learning Rhythm – Musical Rhythm
Learning Rhythm – Musical Rhythm
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Yoke_Wong]Yoke Wong
You have to learn rhythm in order to play notes on a piano with the correct rhythm. There are four steps to learning rhythm, and to begin with you need to understand that each note has a particular number of counts. Basically what this means is when playing the piano, you need to hold down the corresponding key for a certain number of counts. For example, if you were to play a whole note, which contains 4 counts, you would hold down that key as you count to 4. If the note were to be a quarter note, you would count to 1, if it were a half note you would count to 2, and so on. When incorporating musical rhythm, for quarter notes you would actually be doing 4 in the same time that it would take for 1 whole note.
Learning time signatures is another facet of learning musical rhythm. You will find the time signatures at the beginning of a piece of music; the most common time signature you will see in music is the 4/4. When you see this it means that the top 4, signals that there are 4 beats in a bar. A bar is the space between the vertical bars in sheet music. The bottom 4 would indicate a quarter note. So what the 4/4 means is that there are 4 beats per bar and a quarter note gets one beat. Both the top and bottom number in this symbol can change, meaning the beats would change.
The next step in learning music rhythm is learning to play notes in time. One of the best ways to learn to play notes in rhythm is to use an imaginary drumbeat that keeps time with the time signatures. You play the notes in time with the make believe drumbeat.
Once you understand these basics of musical rhythm, you will be ready to try playing a simple piece of music. Find a beginners piece in a book and start there. Remember that if you do have trouble keeping the correct musical rhythm, all you have to do is imagine that drumbeat, and soon keeping rhythm will begin to come naturally to you. To really get your rhythm technique down, you will have to practice on a regular basis.
Musical rhythm is important and one of the beginning things you should work on when you are learning how to play the piano. Learning this cornerstone early will help you through the progression of your piano lessons.
Yoke Wong is the founder of http://www.yokewong.net – a leader in publishing high quality piano courses to piano players.
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Pianotips >>> Learn How To Play Piano 