Correct Fingering For Playing The Piano

By Michelle Edward

You wouldn't believe how often I see students playing piano while using extremely awkward fingering, and I'm sure that this is something which interests beginners and intermediate players alike.

Even though you may not think so, this is in fact a controversial topic.

There are people who strongly believe in proper fingering for piano pieces. There are also those who are firm believers in free-style fingering.

Let me share with you my own perspective on this topic

Though the length of fingers differ from person to person, we all have thumbs that are shorter than the rest of our fingers.

Also, the thumb is usually the most powerful finger we have, followed by the index finger and middle finger, and it's these three figures which are the most used when it comes to playing piano.

Here are some tips concerning fingering which you should certainly consider:

1. The thumb should never be used for playing a black key. The only exception to this rule is when you: a) Play a musical piece which only has black notes. b) When you play a piece where they are black and white keys.

Thumbs are not meant to be used for black key because of its length.The most used fingers for black notes are the 2nd and the 3rd fingers. If you are playing certain scales that start with a black key such as Bb major, Eb major, Ab major, etc. You will use 2nd or 3rd finger to play the first scale note instead of the thumb.

2. When playing melody with the right hand, if there are keys that are out of reach, you may move the hand to play the note. If the key is only a couple steps down from the thumb, you may use the thumb as an anchor and cross the second finger over to reach the note on the left side of the thumb. You do not need to move the hand. Only move the second finger over.

You'll notice that as soon as the second finger has played the key, the thumb will automatically follow across to play the next note to the left of the key. The best way to familiarize yourself with regards to what finger should follow, is to practice the scale regularly.

3. Identical rule applies to the left hand.

4. You should always make a point of trying to watch experienced players so that you can look at their fingering, and then you should try to imitate them. My personal advice would be for you to watch those who have experienced at playing classical music, simply because they've probably spent many years perfecting the different repertoires.

One important point: The function of good fingering is to ensure smoothness of musical passages.

When playing the work of Bach and that of other similar composers, this becomes especially important, in that disruptions can occur when there is even a slight change in fingering structure. Of course, if you're only playing improvisational and accompaniment pieces then there's less need for strict fingering. When I play improvisational pieces my fingering usually changes in line with my mood and the rhythm.

You'll also notice a change of fingering if you look at musical pieces which have been edited by different editors. For example, you'll notice that fingering suggestions for the "Sonatina" piece composed by Clementi, can vary quite dramatically depending on the different editors.

In conclusion: if you are improvising, pay less attention to which finger you are using. As long as you abide by the above rules and ensure a smooth flow of musical passage, you are fine.

If you get too critical about fingering, it distracts your musical thoughts and flow. After all, it is music that you are conveying. Piano playing gets rather complicated when you are trying to balance both hands, keep a steady tempo (rhythm), make sure the pedals are going in at the right time, listening to the music, - 31814

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Getting Your Child to Play Piano

By Janice Corker

Playing piano is a great and subtle skill and one that takes many children years to master. It is both hard work and a labor of love to broaden my child's horizons. It will take a lot of careful thought to select the right piano instructor and get your son or daughter to actually play. If your child is young, he or she would rather play with their nintendo DS or PSP than learn piano. I hope that for your child he will be a good pianist some day, an nurture his or her creative talent. At the very least I hope your son or daughter has fun. Here are some of my experiences and tricks I learned to getting my child to play and practice.

Praise your little maestro often. Children are very sensitive and your kid is no excepton. I would often listen to my son play and look for genuine opportunities to compliment him. I felt it was important to praise my son often so that he could build up his confidence and enthusiasm for piano and become more involved with his music. My son is shy though so I made sure not to compliment him in front of others because he would get embarrassed.

Another element that was important to my child's development was sitting down and listening to him play often. I made sure I was there as his mother and not his teacher, smiling, listening and enjoying his music and not handing out criticism or lessons. This helped Brian enjoy his time playing and relax.

I also gave my son stars and other incentives for accomplishing certain skills while playing songs and his great music. Stars work great with some young children and my son was very responsive to them. You can set up your star incentives anyway you want. I gave Brian a sticker for every time he sat down at the piano, every time he played a song and every time he played his notes perfectly for his song.

Sometimes I let my son set the rules and tempo. It's important to change the pace and schedule sometimes so that piano music is fun and not another routine or chore. I found that sitting down with my son to set the schedule or rewards made his song recitals more enjoyable. It's also important in that your son or daughter will feel as if they are part of the decision making process as opposed to be told what to do.

As far as making piano fun is concerned play as many fun songs as possible. Let's face it, kids like to do fun things and piano should be nothing short of fun. My child for instance didn't like playing the classics or pounding away at the keys to work on his scales or music theory. Playing popular or more familiar contemporary songs makes the whole process more natural and likeable. I find that when the child plays a song that they recognize they will be more apt to practice it and improve upon it. While they do this their skills improve naturally. Following this approach enabled Brian to have more fun and gain more confidence because he was able to play songs that people recognize and were impressed by.

Also involve your piano teacher in such decisions so your are both on the same page. He or she is the one with the technical / musical expertise and will be spending most of the time going over the nitty gritty of piano and music. I think of my music teacher as Brian's partner and, knowing that becoming skilled at playing piano doesn't happen overnight, I make sure that there is always a positive interaction between Brian and his teacher.

As my son's musical skills improved, I saw that he became more confident about his abilities and chose more complex songs to play and practice. I don't expect my son to be the next Mozart but my hope is that one day he will have fond memories of our time together and hopefully give him the ability to express himself through the music lyrics and songs from his earlier days playing piano. - 31814

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Music Lessons Offer Many Great Benefits For Children

By Adriana Noton

Children are great and you want to keep them that way. As a parent or teacher, you want to give them all you can in life to help prepare them for whatever life happens to throw at them. It might be somewhat surprising to know that there many children thrive from having music lessons. Let us help you look at music lessons for children - benefits to help you understand what they can do for the children that are in your life.

When you look at psychology with children, they talk about a lot of different areas that need to be worked with throughout life so that it can fully develop. The cognitive development is the way they think. You need to work on their senses and attention. As well as work with the motor skills. Music helps a child do all this as they learn to play a musical instrument or sing.

Those who are into music do well when it comes to the two areas that a normal child struggles with on tests. These are the math and the verbal portions of tests. It is shown that children who are doing music lessons score better points on these areas. What parent would not want that? As these are the two areas that kids mostly struggle, it is nice to know that there is some hope for them.

Those high school students who struggle with math might benefit from this as well. As we all know, math gets more complicated in middle and high school. Those kids who have played an instrument while in high school has been said to have done better in math by the time they graduate.

Those who have had the music programs throughout their life have said it has helped them. It gave them motivation to stay in school. Though they did not fully understand math and reading, music and the arts program gave them something to keep them going.

There was even a study done to show the social impact that music lessons have on the social well being on children. These were even more amazing. Studies have shown that children who do music lessons often stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Studies have also shown that the simple music lesson can help a child when it comes to racial injustices, fighting, and boosts ones self esteem. This are all things that a child wants to learn to deal with, but in ways we cannot teach it. They have to learn how to deal with it. Many do this by putting the anger and the negative feelings to music.

As you can see, there are a lot of things that can happen from the simple use of allowing one child to do music lessons. Sure kids might give up on it like they do other things, but it is your job to encourage them to stick with it. Look at all the reasons one should feel honored to. If you do not believe us look at what the Board of Education has done to seek these benefits. - 31814

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Benefits of Music Lessons For Children

By Adriana Noton

There are always reasons for doing what we want to do. For some of us it is all about fun. That should be an incentive that is enough for children to take music lessons. However, some parents need a bit more prompting as far as reasons go. Here is what every parent needs to know when it comes to music lessons for children - benefits.

There are many aspects that as a child grows, these areas need to be trained. One of those is the cognitive and motor areas. This helps them so that they can manipulate their mind and their body. Other areas include problem solving. All of these can be worked with when a child does music lessons.

It has also been stated that those children who take music lessons throughout their life will be better in some areas as they are exercising certain parts of the brain. It is said that children do better verbally. They also do better at math. These areas are the ones that more and more schools are finding children having difficulty with. For whatever reason, much of it is because kids are trying to learn so much at one time, this is great news for children as they will do better in school. This is what we all want from children. Is it not?

The same is true for kids in high school. A study has been done by the Board of Education that has proven that while a child is in high school and is involved in either band or choir; they double their chances at doing well in math. This is the hardest sort of math that is out there as well.

We all know that school can be hard. Many kids who do not do well have found that they just want to give up. Music has been the thing to keep some kids who are ready to give up the incentive they need to keep going. There has been a relationship between music and kids staying in school that is.

There are social impacts that music lessons hold as well. Not only do children learn to have a mentor and to listen to their mentors, but they learn to work along side with people. They learn to talk things out.

They also learn to channel the negative emotions that sometimes run along with what many kids face from day to day. They are the racial injustices, the social economic standings, and much more. It is really interesting what all music can help children with.

As you can see, there are many things that can help children, but music lessons are just one thing you do not want to miss out on. The things that you can give your children just by allowing them to do this are amazing. The sad thing is, these are usually the first areas that schools cut when the budget gets too low. Look at all the things that can be accomplished just by letting them do this. - 31814

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Music Lessons Offer Many Great Benefits For Children

By Adriana Noton

Children are great and you want to keep them that way. As a parent or teacher, you want to give them all you can in life to help prepare them for whatever life happens to throw at them. It might be somewhat surprising to know that there many children thrive from having music lessons. Let us help you look at music lessons for children - benefits to help you understand what they can do for the children that are in your life.

When you look at psychology with children, they talk about a lot of different areas that need to be worked with throughout life so that it can fully develop. The cognitive development is the way they think. You need to work on their senses and attention. As well as work with the motor skills. Music helps a child do all this as they learn to play a musical instrument or sing.

Those who are into music do well when it comes to the two areas that a normal child struggles with on tests. These are the math and the verbal portions of tests. It is shown that children who are doing music lessons score better points on these areas. What parent would not want that? As these are the two areas that kids mostly struggle, it is nice to know that there is some hope for them.

Those high school students who struggle with math might benefit from this as well. As we all know, math gets more complicated in middle and high school. Those kids who have played an instrument while in high school has been said to have done better in math by the time they graduate.

Those who have had the music programs throughout their life have said it has helped them. It gave them motivation to stay in school. Though they did not fully understand math and reading, music and the arts program gave them something to keep them going.

There was even a study done to show the social impact that music lessons have on the social well being on children. These were even more amazing. Studies have shown that children who do music lessons often stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Studies have also shown that the simple music lesson can help a child when it comes to racial injustices, fighting, and boosts ones self esteem. This are all things that a child wants to learn to deal with, but in ways we cannot teach it. They have to learn how to deal with it. Many do this by putting the anger and the negative feelings to music.

As you can see, there are a lot of things that can happen from the simple use of allowing one child to do music lessons. Sure kids might give up on it like they do other things, but it is your job to encourage them to stick with it. Look at all the reasons one should feel honored to. If you do not believe us look at what the Board of Education has done to seek these benefits. - 31814

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How Can I Learn To Play Blues Piano?

By Michelle Edward

When you are interested in learning to play the piano, you will find that for the most part, all you need is time, patience and a certain amount resources. The piano is an instrument that lends itself to styles ranging from classical, to pop, to jazz to alternative and no matter what music you love, there is a good chance that you can play it on the piano.

What exactly is blues piano? It is a music style and once you learn to play it on the piano you will have fewer troubles in learning to play other music styles. Keep on reading and by the end of this article, you will know a great deal about blues music and playing it on the piano.

If you want to play blues piano, start by getting to know the 12-bar blues. This is the progression that is essential for playing the blues. To begin, make use of seventh chords. When a song is broken into three set, each set will have four bars. Play the song in the C key, and then use I tone show off the tone in the C key. Then the IV tone will be F while the V tone comes out to be G.

This means that the initial set can be rendered as I, I, I, I, while the next set is going to be IV, IV, I, I. This makes the final set V, IV, I, I. With your right hand, make sure that this is the set that you are playing on the piano.

As you start with your left hand, use the eight note pattern. This pattern uses I-III-V-VI-VIIb-VI-V-III. As you play the C chord with your right hand, you will be playing C-E-G-A-Bb-A-G-E. When you turn to the G chord, you will be using G-B-D-E-F-E-D-B, while the F chord uses F-A-C-D-Eb-D-C-A.

When you are looking into learning to play blues piano, make sure that you look at the chords and the notes that are played by your left and right hand. Consider the different piano chords and notes that you are learning and realize that blues piano is no where near as hard as you might think it is.

When you are interested in putting together a good foundation for the piano, begin by learning to play the blues. You will find that some pianists start by playing the blues and then they begin to make their way into playing other styles that they love as well. Consider what a strong foundation you can create when you are looking at moving forward with your blues skills and you will find that it can be something that will serve you well in your career to come. What kind of performance do you think you can draw?

When you are looking into how to play blues piano, make sure that you find a good teacher. If you cannot travel for lessons, look into CD or DVD programs that can get you where you need to go. Online piano lessons or a piano guide book can help you along as well. When you want to master your lessons, take some time to look into what you can invest in learning about it.

When you want to make sure that you are going to be able to play the piano, you will find that time, effort and investment are necessary. Think about the styles that you want to conquer and what they might mean for you! - 31814

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A Fun Way To Learn the Piano

By Tony Jallit

The #1 online piano course, Rocket Piano, can now be instantly download. Learning Piano Can be Very Simple. Rocket Piano has several features that differentiate it as you don't have to learn how to play the piano. So there isn't a reason for delaying.

Ruth Searle created Rocket Piano and she is an expert with more than 15 years of experience under her belt.

Although a classically trained pianist, she is also skilled at playing other genres, such as gospel, jazz, blues and rock.

She will be your personal piano teacher in the Rocket Piano program. One of the best things about Rocket Piano is that it's small one expense that will equal a lifetime of lesson unlike a regular piano instructor that you have schedule for and pay every time you use them. And unlike a local piano teacher you will only have to pay her one time not for every lesson.

Local teachers often use old and inefficient teaching ways. Ruth Searle is a wonderful teacher who follows the latest teaching methods that enables you to learn playing the piano much faster and with greater ease too.

Rocket Piano was made by the same people who created the pioneering Jamorama software for guitar players which is the best selling guitar learning product online today. With their brand-new product for ambitious piano players, they've once again set a new standard for online self learning.

With the Rocket Piano Jazz Book, each song is broken down into small pieces so that they are easy to learn. The Rocket Piano is loaded with informative detail. However all these lessons are well organized piano lessons supported by video and audio files. These intuitive lessons will help novice players quickly become experts. The ability to make learning fun and simple to remember is what makes the Rocket Piano so successful. Using this unique system will help you start and you will be addicted. With our new product, learning how to read sheet music, play piano chords and piano tabs couldn't be easier. The course with Rocket Piano is highly focused and is worth its cost. Try it out to improve your piano skills. Those who want to master the piano shouldn't let this chance get away. The program has a too helpful learning exercise e-book and 2 extra e-books on Jazz and Gospel piano.

The more you use this material the faster you will learn, it should easy to stick with. You can become a pro in a matter of maybe 5 months or depending how you use it. Online piano lessons are the best way to learn in my opinion because you are able to move at your own pace with out being rushed and Rocket Piano is the best online piano course I have seen. With games to while learning and detailed-3 sound files and more you can't beat it. The price is very affordable at 40 buck. If you went to a professional piano class you might be paying hundreds of dollars in a two month time period. It also come with a 60 day money back guarantee so there's nothing to lose. For additional information on the best piano learning course online visit learn-toplaypiano.com - 31814

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Ways to Keep Your Piano Clean without Damaging it

By Adriana Noton

Those who have a piano know what a joy playing it can be. Learning to play the piano is a tradition in many families that is passed down from generation to generation. Much like any other musical instrument, one has to take care of it to ensure it lasts. One such method of care is regularly cleaning the piano without causing any damage.

The following is list of tips on how to keep your piano clean without damaging it:

1. Over time, piano keys, especially those made with ivory can accumulate dirt and oily fingerprint stains. Use a lint free cloth to wipe the keys.

2. Use a soft cloth that has been dipped in a mixture of warm water and a gentle soap or white toothpaste for washing ivory keys. For plastic keys, use warm water mixed with vinegar. Make sure the cloth is damp, not soaked, as you do not want any solution running in between the keys and into the piano. A mild soap or moist cloth with dish detergent can help remove tough to clean stains.

3. Completely dry the keys with a soft dry cloth. If you are using white toothpaste to clean the ivory keys, you can remove the toothpaste after rubbing by wiping the keys with a soft cloth that has been dipped in milk. It is better to use milk because chemicals from cleaners can damage the keys.

4. When cleaning a piano's wood finish, gently wipe the piano with a soft lint free cloth. Then use soft cotton that has been dipped in warm water to wipe down the piano. Make sure the cotton is moist, and not soaked.

5. Use a piano polisher to polish the piano. There are special polishes for pianos that are designed not to damage the piano. Do not use any aerosol spray that contains chemicals such as silicone as they can damage the piano.

6. To reduce the amount of dust from accumulating on the keys as well as any damage from occurring, keep the keyboard cover closed when not in use. As well, keep the keys out of the sun as it will yellow the keys.

7. Use a humidifier to keep moisture from getting inside the piano. High humidly can damage the piano and cause changes to its tuning. As well, the strings can rust when there is moisture.

Regularly wiping the piano with lint free cloth will help prevent dirt and dust build up. Don't clean the inside of the piano because it contains a mesh of strings, sensitive components, and components that can move and break easily. Hire a professional piano technician as they can clean it without causing any damage.

Pianos have become a well loved addition to millions of homes. To keep your piano in good condition and the tuning at optimum levels, it is recommended that you regularly maintain your piano with proper cleaning methods and have it serviced by a professional. It will help you enjoy this wonderful instrument for many years. - 31814

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Phoenix Pool Table Movers Take Care Of It All

By Amy Cunningham

If you would like to have a worry free move, consider a full service move. Phoenix pool table movers can take care of everything. You won't have to do hardly a thing. A full service move means the pool table movers will do everything for you.

Packing your closet can be very time consuming. How on Earth is one supposed to know what to do with all of those hanging clothes? With a full service move, the pool table movers bring special boxes called wardrobes. These are heavy cardboard boxes that have a metal rack suspended at the top to hold everything on hangars. Approximately 2 or 3 of these boxes will be used for each closet. They are also ideal for shoes and bags.

They will also have extra wardrobe boxes to use for your bedding and pillows or children's toys. Most Phoenix pool table movers will not charge you to use these boxes. Wardrobe boxes are usually available for purchase if you wish to unpack yourself later.

You can also receive full packing with your full service move. This means someone will actually open up your kitchen cabinets and take everything out. They will use special white paper (not newspaper) and carefully wrap your china. Next, the pool table movers will pack your china in special double walled cardboard boxes called dish packs. They are special boxes designed just for dishes. China should never be packed in boxes that are too large or too flimsy.

Other things you may want your pool table movers to take care of will be furniture assembly. They will bring special tools to take apart bed frames and other furniture that needs to be broken down. They will wrap the parts up with furniture pads to protect them. They can even unhook your major appliances and remove your curtain rods if your wish.

You don't have to deal with your pictures or wall art either. The pool table movers bring bubble wrap to individually protect each painting or picture. They also have picture boxes in various sizes. After the pictures are protected with bubble wrap, they are placed in the picture box. Picture boxes can hold several pictures.

The materials are extra and a full service move will cost more. Because the pool table movers are doing everything, your move may take a couple days. Your move will be expensive and the moving company will want to make sure that you are treated well. You are likely to receive the best crew member the company has. If your move is an employer paid relocation, be sure to ask your Phoenix pool table movers about a full service move since these types of move are usually reimbursable. - 31814

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You need a good Arizona Mover For Your Piano

By Jay Simms

If you are planning a move, it is important that you do what is necessary in finding the best Chandler moving company for the job. The truth is, you are entrusting strangers so if you are goods. You have no doubt heard of horror stories when it comes to moving. People often lose things, including valuable items during transportation of their items.

What a nightmare it is mandating a company who is mishandling your valuables. Very often, furniture is damaged by careless piano movers, by either bumping into walls or simply by breaking things. Some companies neglect to do any background checks regarding their piano movers. This way, you can easily be welcoming an ex-criminal into your home to handle all your furniture and valuables.

Therefore, you must be very knowledgeable about the industry and make educated decisions regarding the piano movers, you will be using. Finding the best may cost more, but you will be in good hands. You must act responsibly. Getting recommendations from associates or friends is always good practice.

Even after any recommendation, do background checks on the moving company. You can easily do this by contacting the responsible department in your area, like a trucking Association. In addition to that, the Better Business Bureau can help. If you hear of many complaints from other consumers against them, you should avoid working with these companies and start searching for other ones that are more reputable.

It's important to inform yourself whether they are a bonded company. Bonded companies will be held accountable to some degree if there are any problems. Not bonded companies will not be required to compensate you, if so required.

Besides that, when contacting piano movers, you'll have to make an appointment for your particular moving date. There is some information you will have to give them however. For one thing, if there is any over sized furniture or televisions, they need to know about it. In fact, any foreseeable problem should be communicated. Billing is based on the amount of time you will be using the piano movers. More often than not, moving companies charge a minimum fee that is about an hour's time.

So, prior to them arriving at your doorstep, make sure that you have valuables and small electronics, as well as small items packed away. You may also want to consider moving those items separately on your own. It may be wiser for you to move them, to ensure that they arrive at your new location safely..

The fact is, you won't be the first or the last customer that will be robbed by piano movers. So, make sure that everything is organized before they come to your home. Also, you should ascertain that you will not be distracted by anything else. So that you can supervise the entire move and keep an eye out on your goods.

The most important thing is to cover every step so that the entire move will be smooth. Even though there are horror stories that exists about piano movers, dealing with the professionals will provide you with impeccable service and extreme care of your furniture. Those are the piano movers that you should be dealing with. - 31814

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