Piano Guidance
Photo by cottonbro studio Pexels Logo Photo: cottonbro studio

How fast can a pianist play?

The natural speed set by nature for pianists is between 13 and 14 notes per second. “There's a certain physical, mathematical limit to the speed of pianists. There is a limit and it's a limit set by nature, by the universe.

Why do all the black keys on a piano sound good?
Why do all the black keys on a piano sound good?

The Black Keys Produce Only Consonant Harmonies There are no wrong notes on the black keys, kind of. The black keys only produce consonant,...

Read More »
What happens if you listen to the same song over and over?
What happens if you listen to the same song over and over?

By listening to the same song on repeat, you are altering your physiology. Over time the song starts to fade into the background. That's when you...

Read More »

A COMPOSER WHO claims to be the world’s fastest pianist says tinkling the ivories quicker than the human ear can hear is a surefire route to Nirvana. Ukrainian Lubomyr Melnyk is working his fingers at a dizzying 19.5 notes per second, and reckons the result — what he calls “continuous music” — is the first innovation in piano playing for more than three centuries. “The concert pianist is like a propeller aeroplane, but the continuous music pianist is like a jet plane,” Melnyk, 65, said ahead of his first ever appearance in Tokyo. “It’s an enormous difference.” Melnyk, whose parents fled his home country after World War Two, is credited with pioneering continuous music, a technique based on lightning quick notes that create a tapestry of sound. “Nothing has happened with the piano for 300 years — since 1650, nothing,” he said. “What Scarlatti was doing, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev were still doing, 300 years later. “Finally something new has happened in the world of the piano. It’s terrible to think I could be the first and the last to do this.” Melnyk, whose long silver hair swishes as he talks, says classical pianists are often gripped by fear ahead of a performance because each piece has to be note perfect.

But, he says, that’s not a problem for him.

“In continuous music you can’t make a mistake because you are living the music with the piano. My fingers disappear. “All I hear and experience when I’m playing is the actual music, the sound, the piano. I barely feel anything. I’m barely aware, my mind is racing and I’m just flying through this landscape. It’s beyond nirvana.” Melnyk says he plays an average 19.5 notes on each hand every second, but the only way of measuring this is to count the number of times over a ten-second period that you play a given passage. Melnyk says the human ear cannot hear the 19.5 notes per second her plays. Source: Youtube/AFP

It is not, he says, possible to hear all 19.5 notes.

“The ear cannot hear that, you cannot actually discern the notes at that speed. The natural speed set by nature for pianists is between 13 and 14 notes per second. “There’s a certain physical, mathematical limit to the speed of pianists. There is a limit and it’s a limit set by nature, by the universe. Melnyk, appearing in Japan as part of the annual Red Bull Music Academy, which is being hosted by Tokyo this year, says performances — including of a three-hour composition played from memory — frequently slip into trances. “When music happens it’s a mystical, mysterious, magnificent thing,” he smiles through his bushy silver beard. “I’ve actually fallen asleep while I was playing the piano and kept playing. “You never get tired of playing — if you can stay awake you can play for 24 hours a day. I’m not claiming my music is as beautiful as Beethoven or Chopin. But I think it’s important that it exists.” With all the fervour of an evangelist, Melnyk says he is desperate for others to share the joy he feels as his hands work a blur on the keyboard. “I want to be like Tinkerbell and wave a little wand with some fairy dust and suddenly people know what it’s like to have this ability and speed, to have your body disappear.”

Source: Youtube/AFP

How much does Fretello cost?
How much does Fretello cost?

It's worth noting that although the app itself is free, the course is a paid subscription service. You'll get a few hits for free, after which the...

Read More »
Can you teach yourself to play an instrument?
Can you teach yourself to play an instrument?

The good news is that you can learn on your own and still develop your skills quite well. If you want a more professional level of expertise, you...

Read More »

How do I stop being so sensitive?

How to Stop Being So Sensitive Realize that it's most likely not about you. ... Give silence a try. ... Be realistic. ... Value your own approval. ... Understand that negative feelings take time and effort to maximize. ... Practice controlling your emotions. ... Keep your attention in the present.

Everyone has their own reaction to criticism, slights, and bad news. Some of us are naturally more sensitive than others. However, becoming very upset due to a perceived insult isn’t something you’re born with. It’s a skill that took a lot of practice to perfect. Some of us have a perspective and set of mental habits that strengthen negative emotions. Luckily, these are under our control.

Learn how to stop being so sensitive. Consider these ideas:

1. Realize that it’s most likely not about you. Overly sensitive people tend to take things very personally. But people say and do unkind things for all sorts of reasons. They might be having a bad day. They might be having problems at home. Health problems. Financial issues. The list goes on. Avoid assuming that every perceived slight and criticism is about you. Chances are, what someone said or did shows more about them than about you.

2. Give silence a try. It’s okay not to respond to every comment, criticism, and action. Responding can increase your emotional response. Have you ever voiced your agitation with someone, only to find that you became angrier once you got started?

How do you pronounce Niamh?
How do you pronounce Niamh?

Niamh is pronounced NEE-av or NEEV. Feb 25, 2020

Read More »
What does the 7 mean after a chord?
What does the 7 mean after a chord?

A dominant seventh chord, or major-minor seventh chord is a chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It can be also...

Read More »
Does your voice change when you get old?
Does your voice change when you get old?

Age-related voice changes vary widely, and people can begin to “sound old” in their 50s, while others retain a resonant voice well into their 80s....

Read More »
Can a broken key be remade?
Can a broken key be remade?

While broken keys can be copied, you need to take into consideration how badly damaged the key actually is, as the key is an exact duplicate of...

Read More »