Reading the Piano

One of the basic steps in your piano lessons is how to read the piano.

Learning and understanding how to read the piano and the easy piano notes are vital keys for success in any piano lessons whether it’s private or online piano lessons.

We’ll start with something simple. Let’s review the piano keys.

The piano keys are the white and black keys in a piano or a keyboard. By hammering or pressing or stroking down your fingers you will be able to create sound. These sounds are definite and exact in terms of reading it. For example, no matter where you play the key C in the piano it will always be a C, be it a lower C or a high C.

The black keys are often called as ebony while white keys are called ivories.

Common pianos have 88 keys. Grand and upright pianos are mostly available in 88 keys. There are other piano and keyboards that have lesser keys. Keyboards are known for having only 76 keys or 69 keys.

Having lesser keys limits what you play on the piano.

If you take a closer look at the image above, you’ll notice that it follows a certain pattern. This pattern is definite and it never changes whichever piano or keyboard you play.

The pattern as it follows: 5 white keys and 7 black keys. This makes up an octave. A piano with 88 keys usually have 7 octave and extra 4 keys.

These piano keys have a designated easy piano notes on each. It’s easy to remember on each octave because it will never change.

It is as follows; A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

There is no H on the piano. When you stop at G just go back to A.

Learn Your Piano Chords: The Easy Way

One of the most important basic music theory knowledge that any pianist should have is the piano chords. It basically forms the moods and creation of new music. In order to know how to form theses chords, you must know what they are as well. So what are piano chords?

Piano chords or chords are three or more notes played together to create sound or melody. There are actually 4 types of piano chords, the Major Chords, the Minor Chords, the Diminished Chords and the Augmented Chords. There are also known as triads. You can use semitones also known as the half-step to form these piano chords.

The most basic and known piano chords are the Major Chords and the Minor Chords.

Major chords are also called the happy chords because of the light mood it makes. It uses 4-3 semitones to form. To build a C major chord on a piano, you will use the C note, the E note (4 semitones from C. Db is the first semitone, D is the second, Eb is the third, and E is the fourth), and the G note (3 semitones from E is G. F is the first, F# is the second, and G is the third).

Minor Chords is known as the sadder chords. It uses a 3-4 semitone formula to form Minor Chords. This formula is the opposite of a major chord's. Using the formula, we can construct/form any minor chord easily. The minor chord can be called the "moody" chord or the sad chord.

Example 1:
F minor chord = F + Ab (3 semitones from F) + C (4 semitones from Ab).

Diminished and Augmented Piano Chords are rarely used or known but are also needed in piano playing.

Diminished chords are traditional piano chords and may sound quite unstable. After playing it either a Major or Minor Chord must be played. The diminished chord can be called the "suspense" chord. It uses a 3-3 semitone form.

For Example:
C diminished chord = C + Eb (3 semitones from C) +Gb (3 semitones from Eb)

Augmented Chords is also a traditional piano chord that serves as a passing chord. When used appropriately, it will make the piano music sounds spectacular.

Example 1:
D augmented chord = D + F# (4 semitones from D) + A# (4 semitones from F#)

Playing piano chords can make piano playing easy and fun. Try piano chords improvisation and create your own music.

Chirstmas Carols Revamped!

The Christmas Music

In a couple of weeks the greatest event of the year will happen, Christmas. This is the season where people decorate homes with thousands of Christmas lights, colorful Christmas balls and many more. But what makes the Christmas season merrier is the Christmas carol sheet music we hear every day.

People often just by cds in store or download Christmas Carols in Itunes to listen at. But if you ask me what’s the best way to spend Christmas. Well here is my simple answer: I love sitting in my piano and play those great Christmas Carols Melodies with my friends and families. Enjoying the festive together, singing and enjoying the Christmas Spirit.

But what if you’re looking for the best Christmas Carol to learn? Well, no need to look anymore. Why don’t you try some Christmas Piano Improvisation? It may sound impossible but the best Christmas music you hear on cds are actually improvised version of all-time favorite Christmas melodies.

I always do piano improvisation every Christmas and some other random days. Not only it is fun and interesting, I am able to create new tunes and possibly my own music. Not only that, I’m able to practice my piano playing skills. So how do you really do it?

Well the main secret here is to know your piano chords well. Piano chords with little tips and tricks can create amazing and beautiful sounds. Runs and fillers also create a major difference on how the music will sound. Also your hand coordination is very important. And the most important of them all is practice.

One of my most favorite Christmas piano sheet music that was improvised is Silent Night.

Practicing piano playing and understanding your piano chords will create jaw dropping Christmas Piano melodies that will make you the star of the night, of course next to Christmas.

I can’t wait for more awesome Christmas Carol Sheet Music Improvisation.