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

– 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

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,

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

It is not that the music is so bad; actually it is good, because its rhythm and cadence puts people in a convergence state of mind. In other words it puts them into theta state of mind and that is

Many Techno type songs are also negative in nature. But these songs do not have the proper beats per minute to put a person into a trance like state, where suggestive behavior is introduced that is a throw back to before the human change in society. Is it possible to disallow this type of music? Music is an escape for many people to the fast paced life, and being in a

But what are we allowing to be put into these minds of altered state? Songs of this nature are better than drugs, yet the drugs would effect the singular and not the victims of the deed that are done once the behavior of an individual are altered through this convergence. There is freedom of expression in this country

Let us instead make each record label and artist (I use this loosely as I do

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of

In the period of 6-9 month the agility of your baby develops and becomes more complicated. He or she is grabbling freely and even tries to stand up onto two legs. Simultaneously small

Formerly a baby got acquainted with his or her surrounding objects occasionally, now their actions are purposeful. Liberalisation of the little person s horizon will depend on adults. It is a serious thing for you to show your baby how to play with various toys: how to bang a little drum, how to play the small piano and press the keys, how to handle and ring the ball. At this age babies still chew and play with the rattles and tweeters, but they are also interested in more compound toys like little cars and books with bright

This age is a special period of time for the parents. Expression being all eyes more precisely describes the given situation. Some parents try to restrain the moving activity of their children from considerations of safety or not having enough time to look after them. But you must protect your child only against that is really dangerous to them. Children must learn out from their mistakes.

At the 9 months old the child understands that he or she can play with two toys simultaneously. For example, if they beat one toy on another, a sound will appear (tinkling, rattling) and the child likes these kind of sounds. Now they

By now a child can play simple games with the adults like clapping palms , cuckoo , and let s fly etc. Ask your baby to find this or that toy, asking Where is the rabbit? If your child does not understand or finds a difficulty in finding the toy, help

1) Toys must not be broken or cracked easily; these contain fine details, which can get into child s mouth or nose.
2) Plush toys are given to the child only in case if they are easily cleaned.
3) When the child begins to open the surrounding world in his or her room, cover the sharp corners of the furniture with something soft, close up plug sockets, and clear the wires away from the floor.
4) When entering your child s room, dear parents, do not forget that your child might be standing behind the door.
5) Look carefully after your child and what he or she

Any baby store can offer you a wide range of toys, but, dear parents please see carefully what toys you buy your little one, as not all are good and safe for them.

2007 First Baby Shop. This article may be used by anyone, anywhere as long as the author s bio and links are included.

First Baby Shop is a family run business, we strive to offer the best possible prices and quality of service. We sell baby products, clothes and equipment at excellent prices.

When creating a scrapbook for a home schooled child, you often need to get creative. One great item to include is all of the writing assignments your child does. Not only will your child see how his/her writing changes over the years, but they will also have a collection of their school work.

If you present your home schooled child with any type of award or certificate, these make a great addition to a school days scrapbook.

Has your child participated in any community service project? If so, can you obtain either a certificate or even a thank you letter on company stationary?

Often home schooled children will have outside teachers or specialists come in. Take photos of these people to include in the scrapbook. If the teacher or specialist provides learning materials, add these to the scrapbook.

Do you and your child belong to a group of other home schooled children? If so, again make sure to take lots of photos of these gatherings.

Have you assigned a book for your child to read? Take a photo of the book and include this photo along with any assignments the child may complete with regards to the book.

Do you visit the local library? Take

If you take field trips, snap photos and make sure to pick up brochures, business cards and any other literature about the place you are visiting.

Does your child participate in any afternoon programs? Karate classes? Dance classes? Piano lessons? Take photos. This too is part of their schooling .

Again, creativity is key when creating a school scrapbook for your home school child. I m sure as you start becoming aware of just how much your child is doing, you ll find plenty of opportunity to take photos and pick up materials that

Audrey Okaneko has been scrapbooking for several years. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

Creating a broken chord piano improvisation need not be difficult. All that you need to know is what chords to play and how to create the broken chord sound. Knowing the chords you will play is the easy part. Creating the broken chord sound can present some with problems. These problems can be easily overcome if we start out by using a special chord structure known as the open position chord.

Here,

We can begin in the left hand and go up to play what is called an ascending piano run, or we can begin in the right and go down. We can alternate fingers back and forth to create different textures and use the notes under our fingers to explore a whole new world of broken chord possibilities.

For example, in the lesson Forest’s Edge, we use open position chords in the Key of

Of course, broken chords can be played using triads, closed position chords, and any number of infinite chord varieties. But by using the open position chord first, students can quickly create a modern broken chord sound right away!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups,

Piano sheet music is no more than ink blots on paper. So how does a professional pianist or a piano student transform this into a beautiful picture of sound? The same way a painter does, with brushes! Yep, there are lots of different brushes available to a pianist, as well as hues of color. Piano artistry includes a palette of playing styles, rhythms

Music always has a story to tell. The Russian Sailor Dance for example is a traditional physical endurance test sailors perform to music in a minor key. It has a steady march beat famous for repeated notes. It s not a happy tune, but it helps sailors impress girls with their physical strength. It s the one where they bend their knees and kick out one foot at a time to the music with their arms crossed over their chests. Get the picture? It s awesome! Now imagine military Muscovites in Red Square performing their traditional dance to a waltz. It just wouldn t produce

Pianists and other musicians tell stories illustrated with music that has the power to bring history back to life and touch the hearts of people everywhere. Just imagine what the movie Star Wars would be like without music?

If you re a piano student who wants to play with more artistry and style, ask What s the story that I m trying to tell with this piece of music? Am I conveying the right picture? How could I get this message across to an audience more clearly?

For great home piano activities parents can use to help children ages 5 to 11 develop their musical talent, visit Piano Adventure Bears Music Education Resources You ll find a treasure box filled with piano resources to create an exciting musical adventure for your child - right in your own home! Visit their website and subscribe to their f ree internet newsletter so you can download f ree piano sheet

I wish it weren t the case but, it s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist or group that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Obon. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

The nice thing about a

Listen to this CD and I believe you ll find there’s not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, and the production is simply outstanding. If you’re even mildly into Smooth Jazz music you’ll enjoy this CD.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore […as in “Stuck On REpeat”] is track 10, The Lighthouse. Great track!

Obon Release Notes:

Hiroshima originally released Obon on Apr 26, 2005 on the Heads Up Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Swiss Ming 2. China Latina 3. Kototsu-Han (San Kyoku) 4. Atomic Cafe

Hiroshima: June Kuramoto (koto); Dan Kuramoto (flute, shakuhachi, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, keyboards); Kimo Cornwell (piano, keyboards); Dean Cortez (bass instrument); Danny Yamomoto (drums); Shoji Kameda (taiko, percussion). Additional personnel include: Allen Hinds (guitar); Munyungo Jackson, Richie Gajate Garcia (percussion); DJ T-Rock (scratches).

Get the information you want on your favorite smooth jazz songs and artists at http://www.iLoveSmoothJazz.comClyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. SmoothLee is a life long music fanatic, smooth jazz in particular, and does a daily online radio show featuring smooth jazz music that can be heard at http://www.SmoothJazzHouston.com

Buying compact jewel cases online is as easy. There are countless websites that sell them. A lot of compact disk jewel cases manufacturers have their own

The specifications of compact disk jewel cases vary depending on the type. The common compact disk jewel cases are now slimmer, and more space saving than the older cases and are only about half the

CD Jewel Cases provides detailed information on CD Jewel Cases, Double CD Jewel Cases, Slim CD Jewel Cases, CD Jewel Case Covers and

Peace Of Mind launches with an outstanding track, Wait And See, that I suspect will be heard on radio stations everywhere, and deservedly so. It s a really nice track.

The nice thing about a CD like this is when the talent is this rich even if Smooth Jazz isn t your favorite style you still can t help but appreciate the greatness of the artist.

If you re a Jeff Kashiwa fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don t even have to be a fan of Mr.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore […as in “Stuck On REpeat”] is track 6, My Fantasy. Wow!

Peace Of Mind Release Notes:

Jeff Kashiwa originally released Peace Of Mind on Aug 24, 2004 on the Native Language Music label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Wait And See
2. Here And Now
3. Ecstasy
4. Homeward Bound
5. Peace Of Mind
6. My Fantasy
7. Stay With Me
8. Deep Blue
9. Stride
10. Falling
11. My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It) - (Bonus Track, featuring The Sax Pack/Kim Waters/Steve Cole)

Personnel include: Jeff Kashiwa (soprano saxophone,

Get the information you want on your favorite smooth jazz songs and artists at http://www.iLoveSmoothJazz.comClyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. SmoothLee is a life long music fanatic, smooth jazz in particular, and does a daily

The year was 1801, the man was Ludwig van Beethoven and his concept was finally realized in 1995 with the public acceptance of the Internet.

As a violinist and violin teacher I know exactly how frustrated dear Ludwig felt. Before the Internet I too was frustrated with the limited learning resources available to my students and me. Sheet music and books were expensive, any obscure information was near

Apparently other musicians felt the same way and used the Internet as a tool to overcome these and many other obstacles. Web sites, file transfer systems, message boards and music forums, software and other technologies improved communication between musicians, thus creating an advanced global music community.

To start I first used online encyclopedias for research projects and concert program notes, but soon learned to use other tools. I learned to use the

The availability of music on the internet is stunning! You can download any song your heart desires in MP3 format within seconds. This area of the internet has become controversial as the record companies want us to pay for the music and “peer to peer” protocol violates copyright laws.

Don’t want to rip off the artists and break the law? For only $1 per tune you can legally download all the music you like from sites like “puretracks.”

Can’t find the sheet music you’re looking for? Search for MIDI files (music reproduced digitally) then input them into a music notation application (computer program for writing music) that automatically turns it into sheet music.

Using the one of many sheet music writing programs available on the Internet I can create a song, edit it to suit the player’s skill level, add a harmony, include the lyrics and have it printed within 10 minutes. The best part, other than the cost, is the editability. I can make any changes to the music

Beethoven would have appreciated that.

One of my favourite things to do online is to download professional quality images of violins, musicians and composers for my newsletters and publications. Using such photos improves the projects I work on and is far cheaper than hiring a graphic artist. The search for good photos has been made easier with the invention of image searches, which scour millions of web pages and catalogue the images. During a recent image search I was completely stunned to find photos of myself playing violin!

As a teacher I am always furthering my education and training. I use the Internet as a source for enhancing my violin technique and knowledge and for sharing ideas with other musicians. If I can’t find what I’m looking for I can post the query on a “bulletin board” for another musician to answer.
Recently I saw comments on such a site by a former symphony conductor of mine regarding Saint Saens’ 3rd Symphony. I was surprised to “bump into” someone I know on a worldwide system with millions of users. Small world.

The ‘net has become the world’s largest shopping centre with millions of dollars working through the system

Gone are the days of being convinced by a sales rep that his product is the best. I check musician’s forums and read feedback on any of the products I am considering before I buy. I also shop and sell online using tools such as Ebay and a mutitude of E-commerce solutions. My business attracts buyers from around the world: a huge improvement on being limited to my local market.

There are numerous other facets to music on the Internet and countless more to more to come as

Beethoven once said, “Music is the soil in that the spirit lives, thinks and invents.” It’s been over 200 years since dear Ludwig invented his “art warehouse” and musicians are finally reaping the benefits of such a music exchange.

For me the creation of the Internet has enhanced and improved the way I enjoy music. More importantly it has helped me feel like a part of a wonderfully vast music community: a community visualized by Beethoven himself.

**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is a professional violinist and music teacher who has enjoyed creative writing for years. She writes for two Canadian publications and Australia’s “Music Teacher Magazine.”Her business, Fiddleheads Violin School &