While I was out and about on the internet checking out neat piano stuff, I came across a site that offers a really fun musical quiz and also a lot of good content!
Take the Easy Ear Training Quiz and get your score at the end. I got a 5 out of 10 my first time. Hey, it’s been awhile since I’ve actually taken a class or refreshed my memory on actual music theory, I’m happy I got at least half right! You can also take the test a second time. The questions are the same, but each question has different examples. It’s a fun way to learn about and brush up on music techniques. Let me know how you did! Good luck!
Classical piano is my favorite style of music. It is so relaxing to listen to and so moving for me when I play classical pieces on the piano. There are so many different styles within a song, it always keeps my attention. To read more about Classical Piano, check out my article about it here:
If you’ve already read that article, visit this website to see clear pictures of right and wrong positions of the hands, wrists, and fingers on the piano.
So, I was with my parents and grandparents the other night and we got to talking about my piano.
The piano used to be my great-grandfather’s, which was passed down to my grandpa. When my grandpa had it, my grandma was cooking, left the room for a split second, and came back to a fire in the kitchen. The fire was too big for her to try to put out, so she grabbed the kids and pets and ran outside and dialed 911. The house was destroyed. However, the piano survived! Miraculously, the piano didn’t burn at all, but because of the intense heat, the soundboard cracked, causing the piano to get out of tune very easily.
I can’t imagine my poor piano being in a fire and I am so glad it didn’t burn. I feel like my out-of-tune piano is now justified by this story and I am so proud of it for surviving. I think this makes my piano that much more special to me, and especially since it’s has been in my family for so long.
Having the proper hand position while playing the piano is a crucial fundamental. It helps prevent any injury or strain to your hands and fingers. It also allows you to play faster, smoother songs. Look into my Proper Hand Position article to learn how to achieve this technique, or view it here:
Hey guys,
I just posted a couple of new articles on the articles page here at Piano Lessons Critic.
The first one is 5 Common Mistakes. Are you struggling with your piano lessons? Check out the article to see if you are making any of my 5 most common mistakes.
To find out more on where to get piano books, sheet music, learning the keys, instruments and accessories, unique piano gifts, DVD courses, even free piano stuff, check out my Resources page here:
Here are some basic piano scales that you can use to warm up before you start a lesson or to improve your fundamentals.
The proper fingering to use when you are doing scales is also below. Your thumbs are “1″ and your pinky fingers are “5″. When a finger is crossing over or under (such as going from your middle finger 3 to your thumb 1, or visa versa) it is important to keep your fingers relaxed, slightly bent, and close to the piano keys, even when doing this transition. It helps in playing faster, smoother scales and songs.
The most basic and easiest scale is the C-scale. This scale has no sharps or flats. When playing your scales, not only go up the scale, but also come back down the scale (reverse the notes and fingering). Here is an example:
C-Scale: C D E F G A B C - C B A G F E D C
Fingering (right hand): 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 - 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
Fingering (left hand): 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
Notice how your thumb will cross under your middle finger when going up a scale, but your middle finger will cross over your thumb when coming back down the scale. Use this fingering for all your scales.
You can also play the scale up and down continuously like this:
C-Scale: C D E F G A B C B A G F E D C
Fingering (right hand): 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
Fingering (left hand): 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
Do this 5-10 times on each hand before your lesson to loosen and warm up your fingers.
Once you learn sharps and flats, try these other basic scales:
G-Scale: G A B C D E F# G - G F# E D C B A G
G-Scale continuously: G A B C D E F# G F# E D C B A G
D-Scale: D E F# G A B C# D - D C# B A G F# E D
D-Scale contiuously: D E F# G A B C# D C# B A G F# E D
Once you’ve practiced these scales a few times on each hand and get good at memorizing the scale, try doing it with both hands at the same time.
For those of you who are learning how to read music, here is an easy way to remember the notes.
Treble Clef:
The notes on the lines are E G B D F.
A way to remember these notes: Every Good Boy Does Fine
The notes on the spaces are F A C E.
A way to remember these notes: Face!
Bass Clef:
The notes on the lines are G B D F A.
A way to remember these notes: Growling Bears Don’t Fear Anyone
The notes on the spaces are A C E G.
A way to remember these notes: All Cows Eat Grass
I hope this helps! Feel free to add some of the phrases that you use, too!
