Piano Guidance
Photo by Rachel Claire Pexels Logo Photo: Rachel Claire

Is key of G or C higher?

So the G chord has 3 different G notes; the bottom G is higher than the lowest note (E) in the C chord, and the top note (G) is also higher than the top E in the C chord – making the G chord generally 'higher' than C. However, the notes you sing can be in a higher or lower octave depending on your voice.

What degree takes the longest to get?
What degree takes the longest to get?

Doctoral degrees can take up to 7 years of intense study to complete. Feb 8, 2022

Read More »
Is piano really hard to learn?
Is piano really hard to learn?

The piano is one of the most difficult and rewarding instruments to learn; not only do you have to learn to read notes and translate them to the...

Read More »

I had a message from Rod asking about the relative pitch of keys when playing chords on the guitar, but unfortunately he didn't include a complete email address so I can’t respond directly. I'm hoping he may see this post - and someone else may have a similar question, too.

Here is the query:

"I have a simple question that I have been asking people for years and no one seems able to answer. Is the key of C lower than the key of G on a guitar playing open chords? Is there a way to list the keys in order of pitch from low to high. What is complicated about this, and why are people unable to answer it? I play guitar, but I have a hard time telling what key best suits my baritone voice. I want to know what key to transpose to, but no one seems to know what keys are the lowest and what keys are the highest. Can you help me?" I’m no theory expert but I’ll try to address this question. It seems to be simple but it is complex because a chord is made of several notes - and on a guitar, there are 6 notes you can play together to make a chord. A ‘normal’ open G chord on guitar has a low G, then a B, then a D, a higher G, a higher B and then an even higher G... whereas the C chord usually starts with an E at the bottom, then a C, then a ‘middle’ E, then the same 'middle' G as in the G chord, a higher C, then a higher E. So the G chord has 3 different G notes; the bottom G is higher than the lowest note (E) in the C chord, and the top note (G) is also higher than the top E in the C chord – making the G chord generally 'higher' than C. However, the notes you sing can be in a higher or lower octave depending on your voice. Some songs will have a smaller range of notes, so they're easier to sing in a few different keys, but others range from low to high notes so you may need to find a key that best suits your vocal range. In our Friday Folkies group, we often try D as a starter key, as the girls can sing in a high octave and the guys can sing down lower... but if we went up to a 'higher' key (e.g. Eb or F) it might suit the guys better but if it's too high for the girls we'll try singing an octave lower and we may find it's too low for us! For your voice, I'd suggest trying the key of Eb (e.g. D with capo 1st fret), then push the capo up further if it suits better. If you find it's not working, try key of G, then use the capo to try to find the best key for you.

Does playing guitar damage your nails?
Does playing guitar damage your nails?

Classical guitarists all play nylon-string guitars, which don't damage nails nearly as much as steel strings, and the amount of nail involved is...

Read More »
Do keys have a chip in them?
Do keys have a chip in them?

When using the correct key, the chip inside the key disengages the immobilizer to allow the car to start. Most people ask if they can program chip...

Read More »

How do I log into MuseScore?

1) download the musescore app and create a new account with your email(not apple, google or facebook) also note down your password. 2)open a browser and then come to musescore then click login and type in your new account username and password.

for some reason a while ago I created a musescore account on my iPad(in the app). I used it for a few months then decided it would be good if I could use it online too. I knew my login and put in the login details, it then came up saying it was wrong. then I used my iPhone and the musescore app to try and slowly put in the passwords I sometimes used on different accounts(not associated with musescore) I then used my login details which I had already used to log in online and it worked. I did try this on another account I created and this one to post the issue.

To try this yourself

1) download the musescore app and create a new account with your email(not apple, google or facebook) also note down your password. 2)open a browser and then come to musescore then click login and type in your new account username and password.

Can you learn piano with a book?
Can you learn piano with a book?

With piano method books, you can enjoy more personalized learning, and you can learn at your own pace. Using a piano method book for self-teaching...

Read More »
What is the end of a piano piece called?
What is the end of a piano piece called?

Coda Coda. Coda (Italian for "tail", plural code) is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage which...

Read More »
What has 88 keys?
What has 88 keys?

standard piano A standard piano has 88 keys: 52 white and 36 black. May 10, 2021

Read More »
What level is Fur Elise piano?
What level is Fur Elise piano?

The full version of Fur Elise is considered reasonably difficult, broadly an intermediate piece around grade 5, but a shorter arrangement of only...

Read More »