Piano Guidance
Piano Guidance
Photo: George Milton
"Somebody to Love" was the nearest Freddie ever came to the sound of the soul music that he so adored. He later conceded that his preoccupation with Aretha might have grated on his bandmates, but he was undeterred.
Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand pianos, handcrafted in Austria, retail for between US$256,000 and $560,000 in the U.S., depending on finish,...
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In many ways, online learning is more effective than face to face learning. As research shows 80% of organizations believe their use of digital...
Read More »Queen's iconic "Bohemian Rhapsody" might be Freddie Mercury's magnum opus and the band's most enduring hit, but Freddie himself was even more proud of another single, "Somebody to Love." Though Freddie had diverse musical tastes, by his own admission he was obsessed with Aretha Franklin and American soul and Gospel music. "Somebody to Love" was the nearest Freddie ever came to the sound of the soul music that he so adored. He later conceded that his preoccupation with Aretha might have grated on his bandmates, but he was undeterred. “And there’s me going on about Aretha Franklin, sort of made them go a bit mad…I just wanted to write something in that kind of thing," Freddie said. "I was sort of incentivized by the gospel approach that she had on her albums, the earlier albums.” Guitarist Brian May recalls feeling positive about "Somebody to Love" from the very beginning, and Freddie was just as exacting on the Gospel-inspired song as he was when the band recorded its opera-inspired "Bohemian Rhapsody" the previous year. “Freddie wanted to be Aretha Franklin, you have to bear this in mind, and that explains everything," May said. "He loved Aretha. And, this was his Gospel epic. It kind of followed in the steps of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in the sense that we were building up these multiple vocal parts, but this time we were being a Gospel choir, instead of being an English choir.” Much like "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Somebody to Love" enjoyed a resurgence in popularity some 15 years after it first became a hit. The song's second wind was largely credited to George Michael's passionate rendition of it during the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness. Watch Queen tell the full story in the latest episode of Queen The Greatest on YouTube via the video player above.
Kawai doesn't make as many pianos as Yamaha, but you will still find Kawai products in many places. As far as quality is concerned most would agree...
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A very obvious yet often overlooked warm-up for pianists is also one of the simplest. Run warm water over your hands or, if possible, immerse your...
Read More »How to Test a Piano To test sustain – play notes in three main sections of the keyboard and let it sound as long as possible. ... To test the performance of a soundboard – press the right pedal. ... Listen for how the piano combine in harmony.
1) To test sustain – play notes in three main sections of the keyboard and let it sound as long as possible. Check the sustain rate and notice any changes in the quality of sound as it decays. A piano is said to be “singing” if the sustain rate is long. In this test, comparing two or more pianos at the same time will help.
Debussy's 'Clair de lune' is written for solo piano – and it is actually quite straight-forward. If you can play piano up to about Grade 6 standard...
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If you can hear what sounds like a "quack" from a duck, this means the seal is working correctly. The gasket and the pressure relief valves are the...
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How much does it cost to copy a key at Lowe's? The costs of copying a key at Lowe's, when we contacted our local location, would depend on the type...
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