How To Play The Piano » playing the piano http://www.the-middle-c.com Piano playing tips and techniques for everyone Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:56:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Playing The Piano and Piano Software – Common Questions http://www.the-middle-c.com/playing-the-piano-common-questions.htm http://www.the-middle-c.com/playing-the-piano-common-questions.htm#comments Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:28:55 +0000 ioventures http://www.the-middle-c.com/playing-the-piano-common-questions.htm Some people never learn how to play the piano because they still believe a number of myths about the instrument and piano software. Some of them are based in half-truths while others are completely absurd. By looking at some of the most common myths, you’ll be able to gain more perspective on whether you want to learn to play piano.

Do I Have It In Me to Play the Piano?

Oddly enough, one of the main reasons why people don’t learn how to play the piano is because they believe they don’t have the talent for it. Learning to play the piano does not require any kind of special musical ability. It is a skill that develops through repeated practice- in fact, it is only about 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration or a whole lot of hard work. Piano software can be the gate way to playing for you. Pianists do have an added advantage in that they can see the notes they need to hit- people who play stringed instruments have to learn through trial and error.

This brings us to the next myth about how to play the piano. It’s not easy. You won’t be able to master it in a few weeks or even a few months. Playing the piano means dedication and commitment- you need to be prepared to practice for at least half an hour everyday. You can’t jump into the tunes right away- you need to familiarize yourself with chords, progressions and scales before you can start playing songs. If you are really keen to learn how to play piano, make sure that you’re in it for the long haul.

Am I Too Old to Play the Piano?

It’s never too late to learn how to play the piano and it is never too late to learn with piano software. Many people believe that children learn to play quicker because they have higher absorption powers and their fingers are suppler. This isn’t completely true- your ability to learn the piano lies in your willingness to learn. If you are committed to practicing everyday and not missing a single lesson, then there’s nothing standing in your way to learn the piano.

Another common misconception many people have is about classical music. Some people think that you need to be fluent in classical piano to learn jazz and gospel. This just isn’t true- classical music is just one of the many genres that you can play on the piano. It is no better than any other genre. Some piano styles might have similar foundations and as a result, they are easier to learn. The basics for all these musical styles remain the same- if you can master your chords and scales, then there’s no reason why you can’t master a certain style of piano playing either.

By cutting through the myths about piano-playing and getting to the truth, you’ll find that learning how to play the piano is something well worth trying.

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]]> http://www.the-middle-c.com/playing-the-piano-common-questions.htm/feed 0 How Playing The Piano Will Effect You http://www.the-middle-c.com/how-playing-the-piano-will-effect-you.htm http://www.the-middle-c.com/how-playing-the-piano-will-effect-you.htm#comments Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:25:09 +0000 ioventures http://www.the-middle-c.com/how-playing-the-piano-will-effect-you.htm When we learn how to play the piano, we rarely think about how it affects us as individuals. After all, learning to play an instrument is something that we associate with how it affects others- but taking piano lessons can really have a profound effect on your life.

What A Little Music Can Do

It’s no secret that music in itself can be very healing and soothing to others. Music can give you an extra shot of energy when you’re feeling down or calm your nerves when you’re feeling frazzled. This feeling is even stronger when it comes to learning how to play the piano. The positive effects of this instrument are numerous but they are often so subtle, that we don’t immediately recognize them.

First let’s look at your posture. You can’t play piano properly if you slouch, so the more you practice, the more you become accustomed to sitting straight. This is a very healthy practice that relieves you of your shoulder and back pain and increase your levels of concentration. Learning how to play the piano is something that takes a lot of patience and effort- in fact, even the professionals practice every single day. This teaches you the importance of patience and hard work. It will soon become very apparent that the more you play and the harder you work, the better your music will sound. This attitude will naturally spill over into other areas of life. It will also teach you to listen to your own inner rhythm of learning and to encourage yourself as you play.

Get Creative!

Learning to play the piano or any instruments for that matter fine-tunes your senses. You will be able to identify and appreciate other kinds of music- in fact; playing the piano is a bit like an adventure. You’ll learn about different styles of playing from different parts of the world. Your cultural and musical outlook on life will start to naturally expand. Maybe you’ve had a secret little tune that’s been bouncing around in your head- learning how to play the piano is the perfect way to start writing some music yourself! This might have seemed like an impossible dream before but it can become a reality once you get a feel for the instrument.

Playing the piano is also an excellent way to divert your energy into something useful. When you are feeling depressed or nervous, sitting down at the piano will not only calm you down, it will harness also your energy in a positive way. Not only does it calm your mind and body, it can prevent you from doing damaging things like drinking and smoking to relax. Learning how to play the piano could be one of the best things you ever did for yourself.

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]]> http://www.the-middle-c.com/how-playing-the-piano-will-effect-you.htm/feed 0 7 Benefits Of A Child Learning To Play The Piano http://www.the-middle-c.com/7-benefits-of-a-child-learning-to-play-the-piano.htm http://www.the-middle-c.com/7-benefits-of-a-child-learning-to-play-the-piano.htm#comments Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:15:02 +0000 ioventures http://www.the-middle-c.com/7-benefits-of-a-child-learning-to-play-the-piano.htm Thinking of piano lessons for your child and wondering if it is worth the expense? There are more benefits to learning to play the piano than just being able to read and play a sheet of music. Playing the piano is a rewarding benefit in itself; below you will find seven other benefits that come from learning to play the piano.

Self-discipline- Children who are learning to play the piano begin to develop and understand self-discipline. They learn that as they are consistent in practicing everyday they progress faster and their instructed lesson time is more productive. They can start to see how that carries over into other areas of their lives like in their school work.

Hand-eye coordination- Learning to play the piano will help to develop the hand-eye coordination of your child, especially their fine motor skills. Reading the printed notes on the page and translating that into what your fingers should do on the keyboard increases the development of those fine motor skills. Playing piano chords is a big factor too, it teaches their small hands to do exactly what the child wants them too.

Be a better student- Research has shown that those children who learn to play the piano, or any other musical instrument have higher GPA’s and score higher on standardized tests. It especially seems to help in the areas of math and science.

Self-esteem- Children who develop the skill of playing the piano or other instrument have a high self-esteem. The persistent work to accomplish goals helps them to see what they can accomplish and to make the association between results and hard work. It also seems to help curb depression and loneliness.

Learn another instrument faster- Those who have learned to play the piano and tackled the complexity of reading both the bass cleff and treble cleff at the same time find it much easier to learn another instrument. Other instruments only require the reading of one cleff and one note at a time. Thus a new instrument is learned much more quickly.

Relieves stress and anxiety- Sitting at the piano and playing a piece that you know and love can be a great stress reducer, even for children. So many emotions can be projected through the playing of music that are often difficult to express verbally. Children need to be able to have an outlet to express those emotions and playing the piano can help them.

Sense of accomplishment- Being able to play the piano, even simple pieces can bring such a rewarding sense of accomplishment. For children who may be struggling in other areas of their lives it can be very satisfying to have a skill they feel is worthwhile. There is nothing quite like the feeling of hitting some strong chords on the piano to a melody people can recognize.

The benefits of learning to play the piano are not only felt in children, but in adults as well. It is a skill that will have benefits that carry forward through a lifetime.

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