Looking at the Piano

By Michelle Edward

Even though most people want to jump right on the piano, it's important to know the instrument first. There are various forms of pianos out there that can range from large, heavy, or even tall vertical upright pianos. They hit somewhere around 36-51 inches tall. If you want one on the shorter side then the Spinets are around 36-39 inches. If you're looking for a studio vertical piano, then you need something 44 inches or more.

Then again you may get the chance to play on a grand piano, which of course usually sounds better. These are considered more horizontal pianos that are around 5-9 feet in length. You will also see that the strings are horizontal as well. If you look at a vertical piano the stings are set up in a vertical position.

When you sit on your stool, there will be a music rack that allows you to place your sheet music on it. There are various styles that range from ones that fold down or possibly slide into a slot. When it's time to play just place your sheet music there. Obviously you will be sitting on some sort of bench that allows you to reach the keys at any part of the piano. Be careful though, if you sit too far or too close, you might not be able to reach them all.

There will be pedals at the bottom of the piano where your feet are. These need not be used by beginners. Once you become more proficient at playing the piano, you can learn how to use these pedals to sustain sounds or cut them short.

The part of the piano that will be most important to your learning is the keyboard. It is made up of white and black keys which run from the left to the right of the piano face. These keys do not alternate white-black-white for the entire length of the keyboard.

Seriously take a look at them. There is a consistent pattern where there are 7 white keys and 5 black keys. An interval can be performed at the beginning of one set and ending on the beginning of the next set. This is the musical distance between 2 sounds that are better known as an octave.

The keys are lined up on the keyboard in order from the lowest on the left to the highest on the right. Starting at the left and moving to the right, each black or white key is a half step higher in pitch than the key before it. For a full step, it is necessary to go up (or down) two half steps. Try some half steps and some full steps. With a little practice, you should be able to learn the sound of those intervals easily.

It's recommended that you try other intervals just to hear different sounds. Take a look at the amount of half or full steps you might be taking. Basically just pick out a key and play the next key up in the same position. Eventually you will be able to play those octaves with no problems at all. Remember, this is one of the keys to piano playing.

If you can get a better understanding for the piano in the beginning, it will be much easier to learn how to make music. In a short amount of time you will see yourself being able to play simple songs. All it takes is a little effort and drive on your part to make it all happen. - 31814

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