Music Basics

Rightfully or wrongly, musicians are often stereotyped. From the effete neighbor who looks down his nose as we load our gear into the car to the drunken bar patron who thinks his request to “Play...

Reading music can be as easy as ABC, as long as you know a few tricks. A piece of piano music has two staffs, the bass and the treble, indicating the right and left hand parts of the music. Each...

"My Immortal" is a pop song made popular by Evanescence and performed in voice and on the piano by the musician/artist. Written by Ben Moody, Amy Lee and David Hodges, the song expresses sorrows...

The Turkish March (or, more correctly, Turkish Rondo), composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), is actually the third movement of his Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331. This piece is...

Many music book lists CHORD SYMBOLS along with the melody. These books are sometimes called FAKE BOOKS and they use the chord approach to playing piano. Other books such as movie tunes or church...

Learning how to play the chords EM and DM on the piano is very easy if you have a person who is at all knowledgeable about the piano on hand to show you where the chords are. Learning how to play...

There are many obstacles to learning to play the piano. Many of these obstacles involve our emotions and beliefs. Getting past these may be what finally gets you playing.

Are you a novice who wants to learn to play piano? Or a music teacher who is a bit rusty? Maybe an experienced pianist who is considering playing professionally? How does the idea of an adult...

To the untrained musician, sheet music can look like a foreign language. This is not far from the truth. Fortunately, learning to read sheet music will be much easier than learning a second spoken...

Learning to make chords on the piano is one of the fundamental skills needed to play piano well. Knowing how to play chords will allow you to be able to read chord charts and play just about any...

Memorizing music is essential when performing. It eliminates the needs to handle sheet music and allows you to concentrate on performance.

Bastien Piano Basics are a series of method books designed to teach beginning piano players proper playing techniques and practices. The series consists of five separate books that must be used...

Chords are basic building blocks for musical accompaniment. Chords are combinations of notes played simultaneously. Whereas some instruments (such as the trumpet or flute) play individual notes,...

Finding a great piano teacher can appear daunting, but with a little knowledge and planning you can find one that is perfect for you or your child - one you or your child can connect with and...

Tuning a violin/viola can be a difficult and trying task, especially for beginners. A good musical ear and patience are a necessity to tune the violin/viola successfully. Since the violin/viola...

Teaching yourself to play piano may seem like a difficult and time-consuming task at first. With a little bit of patience and practice each day, you can learn to play simple songs in less than one...

Piano classics are the tunes most readily accessible to piano students. Piano classics range from classical music compositions such as "Fur Elise" by Beethoven to the pop classic "Close to You" by...

The keys of a piano are arranged systematically in order to provide an intuitive musical interface for the player. The piano keyboard includes white keys and black keys. Black keys are grouped...

Sheet music contains the written patterns of sound contained in music. Each symbol on the page represents either the duration of a sound or how the sound should be played. Many instruments have...

Many parents believe that finding a good teacher is the hardest thing about getting their child into piano lessons. Well, it isn't. The hardest part is getting the child to go in to the piano...

Learning to play piano is not difficult. All you need is a lot of practice, information and patience.

Sheet music is the medium through which musicians notate music. Different instruments require different types of sheet music, depending on the instruments key.

If your child is taking piano lessons, you want her to have a great experience at the piano recital. Even if you don't know much about music, you can help. Your child can do a good job and, more...

Obviously, learning how to play the piano solely based on an article is neither conventional nor the most effective. However, for those of you out there curious to learn and don't have the money...

There's no substitute for regular piano lessons from a qualified teacher. But between sessions, or if for any reason (finances, distance, time) you simply can't work with a professional on a...

The piano is one of the most versatile musical instruments, essential to many styles of music. While mastery of the piano requires many years of study and practice, a beginner can learn the basics...

Teaching the skill is the instructors goal. Enjoying the skill once learned is up to you.

The first step for most people interested in music is to learn to read notes. Some learn by ear, which means they are able to play songs without reading notes. Even for the most talented...

The Suzuki piano method was originally designed to provide a nurturing environment in which children could learn music during their early development. The Suzuki piano method can refer to the...

The piano has become a popular keyboard instrument mostly because of its ability to be a solo instrument and an instrument used to accompany others. Playing the piano is not as simple as learning...

Learning to read ABC music, or music that is written on a staff, is a fairly simple process. All it takes is a little time and you will soon find yourself reading sheet music with ease.

Teaching piano lessons to children can be a joy, especially when some of your students carry your instruction into their area of collegiate study and become teachers themselves or even...

Many students of piano set out with a repertoire of mostly solo music in mind. However, as you advance in your studies, the day may come that you are asked to accompany a friend or colleague while...

Learning how to perform in the gospel genre first requires an understanding of the unique attributes which set the music apart from other similar genres (jazz, rock, and hip hop are a few genres...

Guitar tab is a type of musical notation specific to the guitar. Guitar tab is written on a graph that features six lines representing the strings of the guitar. Numbers are placed on the lines to...

A piano is a keyboard instrument with 88 keys that span about seven octaves, with the keys repeating the musical alphabet. The white keys represent natural notes, and the black keys represent...

You want to play piano by ear but you have been reading notes on paper so long you’ve convinced yourself it’s the only way you can play. You think trying to play the piano without music would be...

Music is a universal language in more ways than one. Understanding and reading piano music fluently is an initial step to understanding music notes of all types. The instrumentation, meaning how...

Reading music involves one more step than reading books does; not only does the reader have to relate the symbols on paper to sounds, she has to be able to make those sounds using her motor...

Learning music at an early age can provide for a lifetime of enjoyment and potentially lead to a career as a professional musician. Regardless of the motives for learning music, make sure your...

Ever wanted to play piano by ear? It takes a lot of practice, but here are some basics to get you started!

Teaching piano can be a fun way to earn money while being involved in the music that you love. Being an accomplished performer is a great way to attract students and develop a personal studio....

Just getting started in music, piano, or music theory? Start here! The major chord is the most basic building block in musical harmony. Once you learn this one, you can work outward and learn...

Can you play piano by ear? You’ve played piano for years. You are a great sight reader. But you were at a club the other night listening to a really great piano player. You sat down and talked to...

Okay, so you want to play a B major scale on the piano. Many piano students have trouble with this scale, because it involves a lot of sharps (the black keys), which can seem confusing.

Reading music is of one of the most basic skills needed for playing new music on the piano. Playing by ear is a valuable skill, but being able to read music is essential for playing new music...

Sometimes chord changes are hard to grab. It can be the tempo, your hand position, the “space” between chords, and sometimes we just get twisted up. Here I’m going to show you how to use...

Finding middle C on a piano can be a bit difficult for the beginner. Before you can start learning to play the piano this is the first key you will need to find. Middle C is the key by which all...

Once you've decided to take piano lessons, your first task is finding a teacher. This isn't always as easy as you'd think - especially if you're looking for a quality teacher. This article will...

Preschool children can be difficult to teach on the piano and each child is different, and you will need to be energetic and enthusiastic and encouraging to help them learn. If you are having...