Piano Guidance
Piano Guidance
Photo: Brett Sayles
A mnemonic that works forward and backward is “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle,” which reversed is “Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father.” A helpful learning device to remember the order of keys in relation to the order of sharps and flats is the circle of fifths .
The six-string F chord is one of the hardest standard chord shape to play on the guitar. When many people try to play the F chord on guitar (and...
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A key signature is placed at the beginning of a piece (or the beginning of a section) and is written with the clef on the beginning of each line of music. The key signature reminds the performer which sharps or flats are in the scale (or key) of the piece and prevents the composer or arranger from writing every sharp or flat from the scale every time it occurs.
Beethoven first noticed difficulties with his hearing decades earlier, sometime in 1798, when he was about 28. By the time he was 44 or 45, he was...
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Chopin's piano works are often technically demanding, emphasizing nuance and expressive depth but Chopin was not a piano maestro in the way that...
Read More »most basic chords, the changes should come in a day or two depending on how hard you practice. some fingerings i still have problems with because i may use a different fingering that feels more comfortable for me. mostly though, it all boils down to practice.
Yeah, chords can get nasty, especially when playing jazz. My best tip to you is to:1) try different fingerings of the chords. Any given chord can be played a million different ways2)make sure you're warmed up first. I have really, really thin fingers, and blood circulation issues. That means that during the winter, I HAVE to play in a warm room and spend half an hour warming up. Cold fingers = choppy playing.3) when you practice the chords, do them SLOWLY. Ignore the rhythm of the song. Focus on making the chord changes correctly, and on your own time. Then start building up the speed of your chord changes. In fact, you can even use a metronome. Pick a comfortable speed, and change your chord every four beats. Then slowly build up your speed. Make sure you get a clean sound each time. Trust me, it's easier to do it murderously slow and get it right, than to do it fast and have to unlearn mistakes.Break it up into 10-15 minute bits. Practice the chord changes for 10-15 minutes, then move onto something else. Come back to the chord changes a little bit later. You'll have them down like silk in no time. :)My biggest challenge to date has been this chord change:Am7 -> Bm7 b5 -> Em7 b5From the song "Black Orpheus." I spent a good week learning that chord change. :POh, and another little cheater's trick: Sometimes if you throw in a little bass line from one chord to another, it gives you a chance to get all your fingers in place. Try doing a chromatic walkdown from the bass note of one chord to another to get you in place.One big example is
And since most Western music is composed on either piano or guitar, musicians are most likely to play in the key of G which is convenient for both...
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Piano strings should be replaced when they break, become tarnished or corroded, or when they sound dull and thin. The lifespan of piano strings...
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Mechanical keyboards can last for up to 10 years or more depending on how heavily they are used. Mechanical keyboard switches are rated for 50+...
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How Long Does It Take To Learn Clair de Lune? To play Clair de Lune decently, a beginner player would require 2-3 years of playing, while an...
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