Beginner Music Theory Lesson for Piano Students: Secret that Could Make or Break Your Piano Music!
How did the piano get its name? The answer to this question highlights a vital and greatly misunderstood piano part that can make or break your music playing!
The piano was the amazing invention of Bartolemeo Cristofori over three hundred years ago. The original name of Cristofori’s groundbreaking invention was the ‘Pianoforte’ meaning ’soft-loud’.
The forerunners of the piano in Cristofori’s time had major shortcomings:
– The harpsichord had strings that were plucked (unlike the strings of today’s pianos that are struck by little hammers). It was able to produce a reasonable volume of sound but it lacked expressiveness. The loudness of the notes was always the same no matter how hard the keys on the keyboard were played. So the music of
...session of blowing. You know, "moisture" can build up inside of your instrument. If it's not removed, this moisture can do a real number on the health of your instrument. To be sure you've removed all moisture from your instrument ...
– The clavichord had strings that were struck by little hammers, similar to a modern piano. This instrument was able to produce louder and softer tones in response to the player’s touch. However, the overall volume of the clavichord was incredibly soft: you could either play your music quietly or extraordinarily quietly!
The musicians of the world longed for a better solution.
Cristofori’s Pianoforte combined the best features of the harpsichord and the clavichord into a revolutionary new instrument. The strings were struck with felted hammers allowing the player to produce loud and soft tones by varying the force on the keys. And the sound was amplified with a crucial soundboard, giving it great potential volume.
Cristofori also added another
...of all instruments, and are widely associated with the glamorous jazz scene, and classical recitals. But what is it exactly about the grand piano that makes it sound better than other types of piano, and is the fact that grand ...
Using the Pedals to Control the Dampers
In today’s pianos, the action of dampers is controlled by foot pedals. Players who do not understand the purpose of piano pedals and how to use these pedals properly can ruin the quality of their music.
The most essential piano pedal for the player of modern popular music is the Sustain Pedal. This is the right hand pedal of the set of foot pedals seen on upright and grand pianos.
By using this pedal correctly, the player can blend multiple sounds together,
...Had A Little Lamb without the use of sheet music. We will be a little bit professional and use both hands!As you probably know Mary Had A Little Lamb is a popular nursery rhyme. Here is the first verse:Mary had ...
The correct Sustain Pedal technique is called ‘Syncopated Pedalling’. It involves depressing the Sustain pedal immediately after striking a chord, then releasing it at the moment of striking the next chord.
By mastering the use of the Sustain Pedal, today’s player of popular piano music can take full advantage of the wonderfully expressive tone and powerful capability of Bartolemeo Cristofori’s amazing Soft-Loud machine: the Pianoforte or the Piano.
About the Author: Betty Wagner of Music With Ease has
...keyboard lessons, they already have a certain style in mind. Classical, Jazz, Contemporary, New Age... all these styles are available to learn.The problem is, most students, especially adult students don't want to wait months or even years before they can ...