Before you jump head first into playing the piano, it’s important to get a better feel of how it works. First off you have to take a look at all the various forms of pianos that are out there. Upright pianos have a certain appeal that offers vertical options that are large, heavy, and even tall. They can be around 36″ to 51″ high. Now, if you’re looking for a shorter version like Spinets, these are 36″ to 39″. Studio vertical pianos are 44″ and higher.

If you have the opportunity to play on a grand piano, you will usually get a better sound and a more responsive touch. Grand pianos are the more horizontal pianos, ranging from 5 to 9 feet in length. In a grand piano, the strings are horizontal. In a vertical piano, the strings are, well, vertical.

The piano will have a music rack of some kind where you can put your sheet music. It may fold down or slide into a slot. When you are ready to play, put it into position. There should also be a bench for you to sit on. Adjust the position of the bench so that you can reach all the keys from one end of the keyboard to the other. Do not sit either too far or away or too close.

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.

If you hit each note from left to right you will see that the setup order is from lowest to highest. In order to reach a full step you have to go up or down two half steps. It sounds difficult now, but after a little practice you will notice that it comes very easy.

We also recommend trying a few other intervals so you can hear different sounds. Just glance at the amount of half or full steps you are taking. Choosing a key and playing the next key up in the same position is basically how it works. Over time you will gain plenty of abilities to play octaves without an issue. No pun intended, but this is one of the keys to playing the piano.

Learning about the piano is the first step in understanding how to make music. Granted this is only the beginning, but the simple songs will come quickly. It will come down to a little time and effort if you want to get your songs right. However, the first time you start playing all the songs you enjoy, there isn’t a greater feeling in music.

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A scale consists of eight tones that are spread equally between one key and the key that is exactly one octave above it. Scales can be in many different types. They are all considered to be either major or minor scales. The happier scales are considered to be the major scales. The dark or deep sounding scales are known as the minor scales.

Practicing keying scales is very important as the muscles in your hand must form a memory of where the keys are in relation to each other. As you spend some time practicing your scales you will find that your fingers seem to move on their own as they have developed a pattern and are following suit. As your eyes move across the sheet music or as you play back a favorite song or tune in your head, you will find that your fingers are moving right along, almost without any thought on your part at all.

To talk about scales, you must talk about keys. There are two kinds of keys when you are learning to play the piano. There are the physical blocks of ivory, or some look-alike material, and wood. There are also keys that scales or songs are played in.

You may hear a singer who is about to give their big performance lean over to the piano player and whisper “The key of C please”. The singer is telling the piano player where he or she wants the pianist to being on the keyboard. The keyboardist will know which keys to begin with as well as the chords that will need to be played to accompany the singer. Playing in the correct key is a vital part of any good musical piece.

As you begin to learn the scales, you can learn them without all of the key signatures. (This is the notation of the keys that are written and could be the key of G or the key of C). Playing the C scale is a great place to start. Using only the white keys you can play the major C scale. Simply place your right hand on the keys in the home position. Keep the numbering of your fingers in mind and that your thumbs will always the number one.

Begin playing following the 1-2-3 pattern. Once you have completed this pattern you have keyed the notes C, D, and E on the piano. When you get to your ring finger in the count, place your thumb on the F key by sliding it under the other fingers. Once your thumb is there, reposition your other fingers in order and begin the sequence again. You will be playing 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5, or C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. You have done it. Your first scale has been played. Be sure to take some time to practice what you have learned.

After you are comfortable with the C scale on your right hand, move on to mastering it with your left hand. Rest your pinkie finger on the C key that is below middle C. Your fingers should be mentally numbered from one to five beginning with the pinkie finger. Play the keys as 5-4-3-2-1. After you have completed this step, use your middle finger to reach across the other fingers and put it on the next available key. Play 3-2-1 beginning at this location on the keyboard. When you put it all together you are playing 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1, otherwise known as C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.

Combining the functions of both hands at the same time is the next step once you have spent some time practicing with each individual hand. You will be playing the C below middle C using your pinkie on your left hand just as you are using your right hand thumb to play the middle C. Travel up the scale using both hands. The task may seem a little challenging until you have gotten over having to maneuver one hand over and the other under to finish the scale. After you practice you will find that it comes much easier.

Learning how to do this fluently can make it much easier for you to play the remaining major scales. If you think about the steps and half steps that make up a major scale then you will have no problem. A major scale is traveled up in the following order: first note – step – step – half step – step – step – step – step – half step. As your fingers hit the B to C key combination and the E to F key combination, this is considered one half step because there are no black keys that are found between them.

Your scale can be played from any point on the keyboard. You only need to select a starting point and you are ready to begin. You can begin on a black key or a white key, it doesn’t matter as long as you are following the steps that were described above and are playing a scale that consists of eight notes. You may even want to begin the scale with the key on the furthest left and play the scale until you reach the last key on the piano. All you need is some practice and you will find that your fingers are flying down the keyboard playing major scales.

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Well, since you’re here we imagine you already know the excitement that revolves around being able to play the piano. Maybe over the years you’ve listened to some of the greats like Count Basie or Duke Ellington. Then again, you might enjoy modern players of today who have won the hearts of many.

Take Jim Brickman for instance; the guy is the most versatile we’ve ever seen. He can play various genres, and do so while performing his own compositions. You can hear his music just about anywhere from jazz and inspirational stations, to pop and new age arenas.

You may be more interested in the rock keyboard players. Some of them have been: Rick Wakeman of Yes, Tony Banks of Genesis, Dennis De Young of Styx, and David Sancious who played for Springsteen, Santana, and Sting. Rock piano players include Elton John, Billy Joel, Carole King, Paul McCartney, and Carly Simon.

Once upon a time, these individuals probably played a little classical music at some point. Sure, it’s not the most exciting style of music to listen to for some, but when you actually play a piece it is simply unbelievable. Can you imagine being able to throw back a rendition from Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert or Brahms?

Most people want to play the piano find that emulating these individuals is one of their passions. Maybe you’ll be good enough to play in a band or look forward to a solo career. Whatever the case may be, you will definitely be able to play well enough to entertain yourself, some friends, and maybe even your family.

Seriously, there are several people who play the piano just to get away from everyday life, even if just for a moment. Being surrounded by notes and various sounds that are built from your fingertips is something everyone should experience once in their life time. It will allow you to focus your energy in a more positive tone and deliver a sense of relaxation throughout your body.

Those who enjoy playing can build this into a secondary or even full time income. Granted, some piano players earn very little, but there are others who enjoy unlimited financial gains if they are both talented and lucky enough to be seen.

Another reason to learn to play piano is to develop discipline. If you are someone who starts and stops activities without giving them a fair shot, you might have better luck with the piano. It gives rewards at every level, keeping you motivated to stay at it and work harder.

Most importantly, compared to playing vocal music, this is one of the easiest things to learn. You probably don’t want to have to deal with playing slightly above or below the singer, but if you work with the vocal kind you will. Instead, when you play the piano this will never happen unless it’s out of tune. This means you would need a new technician to come out and fix it.

The main reason anyone should learn to play the piano is for their own fulfillment. No matter what that means to you, you will be happy when you have strive to reach your full potential. You will feel joy when you play a composition well. You will be a happier person for letting music into your life.

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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.

Contrary to what you may believe, this is actually quite a controversial subject.

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

So, let me go ahead and discuss how I feel about this issue.

First of all, everyone has different fingers in terms of length, but one common factor is that our thumbs are shorter than our other 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.

Below are four fingering tips that I have worked up as general rules for your use and information:

1. Always avoid using your thumb to play a black key. The only exceptions are: a) if you’re playing a piece that only as black notes. b) When you need to play a group of keys where there are black and white. For example, your thumb will play Bb if your right hand is being used to play Bb, D, and F together in Bb major chord root position.

The bottom line is; the thumb is not designed for playing black keys, simply because it’s too short. Instead, it’s the second and third fingers which should be used for playing black notes. In other words, if you find yourself playing a peace which starts with a black note such as Bb major for example, you should use your second or third finger rather than your thumb.

2. If you’re playing a melody with your right hand and there are certain keys which are out of reach, then by all means, you can go ahead and move your hand to play the note. In fact, if the key is only a few steps down from the thumb, then you can use the thumb as an anchor well you cross the second finger over in order to reach the note on the left hand side of your thumb. Rather than moving your hand, you simply move the second finger over.

As soon as the second finger has played the key, you’ll notice that your thumb will immediately follow across in order to play the other note situated on the left of the key.

3. This same rule applies to the left hand.

4. Watch other experienced pianists whenever possible, look at their fingering and imitate their movements. I suggest you watch those players who are well trained classically as they have spent many years going through the structured repertoire and virtuoso training that help built a firm foundation.

One very important factor regarding good fingering is that it helps to ensure smoothness while playing musical pieces.

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.

Bear in mind that if you become too critical with regards to your fingering, you’ll probably noticed that it will interfere with your musical line of thought, as well as the flow of the music. Piano playing can get rather complicated, particularly when you’re trying to balance both your hands while as the same time maintaining a steady rhythm. Also, you need to make sure you’re pressing the pedals at the correct time. Lastly but not least, listen to the music.

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Though it seems difficult, the truth of the matter is that learning to play the piano is simply a matter of time and persistence. One of the big reasons to love the piano is thanks to how versatile it is. For instance, if you want to learn how to play blues piano, you will find that it is simply a matter of learning how to control the style to your satisfaction!

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.

The initial set is played as I-I-I-I. The next set is played as IV-IV-I-I. The final set is V-IV-I-I. Use your right hand when playing these three sets on the piano. To come up with a sound that’s just like blues piano, try to master playing 7th chords.

With your left hand, make sure that you are following the 8 note pattern. This pattern will run along I-III-V-VI-VIIb-VI-V-III. Then, when you are looking at playing the C chord with your right hand, you have the notes as C-E-G-A-Bb-A-G-E. Finally, when you are looking at the F chord, you will have F-A-C-D-Eb-D-C-A, and then for the G chord, you will be rendering it as G-B-D-E-F-E-D-B.

Try to examine the chords and notes played both by the left and right hand. If you already know the different piano chords and notes, learning blues piano can be very easy. Before anything else, you will have to master 12-bar blues in the key C. Once you’ve mastered it, you can try playing it using other keys.

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?

Find a good teacher that can teach you all the things you need to know about blues piano. If you can’t find a piano teacher, you can use other methods like using DVD or CD programs, online piano lessons, and a piano guide book. The learning process will be solely determined by you. If you’re serious with playing piano and if you’re determined to master your lessons, you will soon learn to play blues piano.

It will take time before you become really proficient at playing the piano; it can take literally years, and you will need to keep learning and practicing. With enough time, energy and effort, you will find that piano is easier than you think!

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