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.

Easy Steps to Compose your Own Piano Music

Want to compose your own piano music but don’t know here to start? Then no more worries. By just following these simple steps I prepared for you can ensure a breezy and fun ways of composing your own piano music.

Even though you only have beginner piano lessons or still taking them, the basic knowledge of the piano chords and the music are the main keys on composing your own piano music.

Step 1
Piano lessons. I might have mentioned before about not much piano lessons but getting at least the basic piano chords and the music theory can be advantageous to anyone. Piano Chords are basically the building blocks of sounds in music. Everything that’s in C Chord will always be the same with other sometimes just in a higher note or octave.

Did you know that a lot of songs are made from the C Major Scale or the C Chord? It’s because that the C Major Scale is the easiest scale to work with.

Step 2
Your left hand does the piano chords or other piano chords progressions and runs while the right hand balances it with the main melody of the music. Remember that not all piano chords will sound good at some certain melodies.

Step 3
Where will you start? Some pianists and composers prefer to start off with the piano chords then add the melody after. To some pianists it works but in most cases, it causes more confusion. So if this is you first time composing your own piano music, then you can try using easy piano notes first then add the appropriate piano chords.

Step 4
Okay, so you’re going to use the C Major, I usually consist of the piano notes G and C as the melody. You can try doing some runs and chord progressions or broken chords to create the beat and the speed you want to create. Just experiment and try as many patterns as you can just make sure it still fits for the earlier melody you created.

Step 5
You can try different piano chords that still has the same mood that may eventually lead up to a whole song. You can start your music at the intro or the chorus or the verses.

Step 6
It’s alright to repeat some piano chords that you’ve already set just make sure that the next one will be a little different than the first pattern so you won’t bored your listeners.

Step 7
Transfer it! You can now try putting it in a piano sheet music. Although this step can be set aside for later if you’re music theory isn’t still broad enough or if you are piano beginner.

Easy right! If you’re still confused you can watch this video on how to compose piano music using piano chords and other more tips to help you compose you own music.

Become a Piano Accompanist

Are you joining a band to perform? Or are you planning on doing a duet like where you see a pianist playing the piano while a singer sings beautifully? Then you want to become a piano accompanist.

A Piano Accompanist is a piano player/a pianist that acts as a background musician for a singer or a band or an orchestra. Piano accompanists are very musically talented because they should be able to accompany and assist another musician or a singer. Although the soloist (singer or another musician) whose being accompanied is highlighted, the performance or the show would not be successful without a talented piano accompanist.

To become a piano accompanist you must be able to sight read music well. Most of the time when performing, some singers or soloist provides a piano sheet music of their own version or key to be played.

While in some occasions such as gatherings or parties, a piano accompanist must know how to play music with ear and piano chords improvisation. You may encounter performances requests from friends and guests. A piano accompanist must be able to know what key does the singer sings. This helps for a great show and performance. It also allows an accompanist showcase his or her talent even if the singer is off-key. It’s all about you, piano accompanist.

There are endless possibilities and careers when you choose to be a piano accompanist. You can play with bands, with a soloist or even with an orchestra. Just harness your piano playing skills and you’re good to go.

Simple tips for piano accompaniment:

• Practice your piano regularly.
• Make sure to practice the piece you're going to play.
• Run-through the piece several times with the singer you're going to accompany.
• Make certain adjustments to your playing to suit the singers' vocal style and technique.
• On the day of the performance be prompt and dress appropriately.

Quick Tips to Sight Read Music

Are you an adult piano beginner or a parent giving your kids easy piano lessons? Then probably you both are having some trouble with sight reading music.

It’s not that rare for people to have some problems with piano sight reading. Training your mind and fingers to read piano sheet music is difficult especially for a beginner.

I often see people asking for piano sheet music for beginners with letters. I guess by having that you can easily learn a new piano sheet music. But honestly by doing so you are actually learning less than you thought you’ll learn. You become very dependent to the letters instead of reading the notes.

So here is my advice. Learn the music theory and piano sight reading. Note values can be expressed by letters that’s why they’re musical notes. Piano sheet music for beginners with letters is very rare. Most of this piano sheet music may be self-published by a pianist or hand-written by a piano teacher then scanned and shared. So you probably only have a 5% chance of getting one online.

If you’re a total newbie, I suggest you take beginner piano lessons, and learn easy piano notes first. Learning them slowly will actually help you sight read music better. For more retention of the musical notes, you can try doing piano finger exercises and reading easy piano sheet music first. Even if you’re an adult piano beginner it’s pretty music the basics for a total newbie.

And lastly, practice. The more you practice the faster you learn and understand it. Learning how to play the piano is like learning a new language. You won’t learn or understand it overnight. Practice it and you’ll be playing like a pro.