Where Piano Playing Retirees Get Information and Encouragement
When I was a music student, I learned that mezzo staccato means moderately short and detached. To me, this made sense because my understanding of mezzo meant moderately and staccato meant short and detached. For the longest time, the definition seemed quite suitable. However, it seems that in the last few years there has been … Read more
Most, but not all scales have scale degree numbers of 1 through to 7. The starting note is known as 1 and the numbers are assigned in order, so the 7th degree or note of a scale is the one just before you get to a higher version of your starting note. So the scale degree … Read more
As a piano teacher, I have been asked this question many times and sometimes the information available is not clear cut. First of all, every time signature that exists in western traditions of music falls into the category of either simple time or compound time. Simple time includes: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 Compound time examples are: … Read more
There are all sorts of online piano course that teach you to play the piano by chords, which is a perfectly valid way of learning to play the piano. From what I gather they teach you about various rhythms that you can use but what I have not picked up from their advertising is how … Read more
I have heard and read, particularly on social media that reading music is hard if not impossible. Clearly it is not actually impossible otherwise literally no one would ever be able to read it and interpret it. I’ve heard the opinion that it is really hard to read music from people who have never actually … Read more
Rests are one of those things that are really undervalued in western music and piano players, in my opinion, are the worst at valuing the function of rests. So rests are an indication of nothing that makes them truly something. I know that it seems like I have contradicted myself here, but I have not … Read more
So many people say that they can’t read music. This is probably true because there are many, many people that do not play a musical instrument and therefore have no need for being able to read musical notation. There are also many people who are musical but have never really tried to read music and … Read more