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Piano for Beginners

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you’ve decided it’s time to learn to play the piano or you need to brush up on skills you’ve lost over time, you’ll want to have a basic understanding of what to look for. You can’t just walk into a piano store and tell them to teach you to play. Finding someone to teach you might be a bit difficult depending on where you live. Of course you can always teach yourself with instructional material that you can order online or through book stores.

You have a few options when it comes to learning to play the piano:

• Books
• Teachers
• Internet
• Solo

The best place to find material on piano for beginners is in music shops. Piano stores will probably carry some sort of books on playing as well. You could find references at your local library but you might not be able to find much that will be helpful to you. This is where the internet can come in handy. There are so many websites out there that give away information for free.

If you can discipline yourself and understand what you’re reading, you might not need a teacher at all. Learning on your own can be a very joyful experience. You aren’t restricted to a set of rules laid out by another person. You’re given more freedom to express yourself. Just because you can do it alone doesn’t mean that you can’t turn to a teacher or tutor for help either.

Enlisting the aid of a teacher is a good idea for people who don’t want to learn from the wisdom of another. Teachers are also great for people who don’t have enough free time to do it themselves. Finding someone to teach you to play piano will be a task in itself. The best place to look for someone to teach you is at high schools or universities.

Almost every school has a music department and music teachers usually have degrees in the subject. A lot of teachers will offer classes to non-students as a side job. Ask around and see who would be available to help you. Sit down with them and make a schedule that works for the both of you. Staying committed to your teacher will make them that much more committed to you.

Taking these simple steps will allow you to transition between knowing nothing to learning the piano quickly. Remember that regardless of what you have available to you, playing the piano is the best way to learn. If you have a piano start teaching yourself whatever you can. Even if you don’t have material to go from, getting comfortable with the keys is a great learning experience.

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5 Tips to Piano Lessons

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you decided it’s time to start taking piano lessons? Making the choice to take lessons is just one part of the process. There are many things to consider when you decide that learning to play the piano is for you. Following these five basic tips for piano lessons will give you a higher chance of success at learning the piano.

When you have a plan you it makes things a lot easier. Here are the five tips to piano lessons:

1. Interest
2. Teacher
3. Instrument
4. Schedule
5. Dedication

All of these tips intertwine with one another. Having one will require having all of them. The first step is probably the most important out of all of them. Having interest in learning to play the piano is incredibly important since it will help lead to staying dedicated. Having interest is not the same as keeping interest. Keeping interest can be a problem when you don’t feel like doing the work. This is where you can fall back on dedication.

Choosing the right teacher is also very important. If you choose a teacher that doesn’t suit your personality, you’ll have a hard time learning from them. Do some research, talk to students and talk to the teacher. Learning their personality and what their students think about them will help you to understand if they’re the right fit for you.

Playing a grand piano is much different than playing an electric piano. Starting out on whatever you have available is alright. You don’t have to start with the best equipment first. Learning to play before you move to a nicer piano will actually help you to appreciate the piece once you’ve reached that level. Choose the best piano that suits your needs and having the same one you are taught on by your teacher would be very helpful.

Having a good schedule will help you to get better steadily. You can’t get better if you never practice. Playing when your teacher tells you to isn’t good enough. You need to take initiative and practice in your free time. Having interest will really help you to want to play more in your free time. Staying dedicated to a schedule will also help keep you on track.

Being dedicated encompasses all of the other tasks. Being dedicated to yourself, teacher, and practice will keep you moving forward. Stay focused, have a planned out schedule, and a plan of how you will approach learning. Talk with your teacher to help you make these choices easier. Teachers are there to help and they’ve done all of this before. Take their advice and not just on the piano.

Take each step slowly and make your choices carefully. Don’t rush into something just because someone else says that’s what you should do. Make the smart choice for you and you’ll have a much better experience when taking piano lessons. These five tips to piano lessons can help you reach your goal of playing the piano with little hassle.

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Piano Care: What You Need to Know

November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you just purchased a new piano and don’t know how to keep it in good shape? Do you have an old piano that is out of shape and needs a tune up? Knowing basic care of your piano should be important to you. It doesn’t matter if you have a new or old piano; it’s never too late to start learning what you can do to maintain it. Following a few basic tips will keep your piano in good working order and make you much happier when playing it.

These are just a few of the things you can do to keep your piano running well for years to come. If you have any questions about a specific piano, you can consult a professional technician, the company that made it or do some research online. Some things to consider when caring for your piano:

• Tuning
• Polishing
• Dusting
• General cleaning

When it comes to tuning your piano, you’ll want to let a professional technician do this. The strings of the piano are constantly at high tension and require a professional to not only tune them so that A is at 440 Hz, but also to ensure that no strings are damaged. Some companies that tune pianos also offer an internal cleaning of parts. While you could clean them yourself it’s highly recommended you allow a professional to do this. You should have your piano tuned about twice a year to keep it in good condition.

Depending on the type of piano you own, you may want to keep it polished. Some pianos are coated with a high gloss when they are made and only require that you keep the dust off of it. Some pianos can be polished with special piano polish. It’s not recommended to use regular furnisher polish as this could seriously damage the piano in the future.

Dusting your piano is one of the best cleaning methods. This keeps dust from building up in places that will cause your piano to sound out of tune or cause keys to stick. Most piano stores sell high quality cloths that allow you to pick up dust very easily. You could also shop at your local hardware store for anti-static cloths or high quality dusters.

Cleaning your piano with a damp cloth is ideal. Avoid using chemicals and harsh soaps. If you do have to use soap, use a very mild soap and very little. Don’t get water in between keys or strings in order to keep them from being damaged. Cleaning your piano every few months is recommended to keep dirt from building up from use.

These simple steps will keep your piano running well for years to come. The better care you take of it the longer you’ll have it. Make sure to keep your piano serviced by proper technicians and read up on the model you have to make sure you know as much as possible. Doing all of this will extend your pianos life and increase the happiness it brings you when you play it.

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