Learning to Read Music

Forget Practice Makes Perfect, Think Practice Makes Progress

by

We have all heard the expression that practice makes perfect, I believe that the goal is not to become a perfect piano player but rather an improved piano player. Sometimes the focus of practicing to make perfect a piece of music should not be the goal because it can induce anxiety and foster a belief … Read more

When Learning Piano Chords, Which Should Be Learned First

by

While I have definite opinions on this subject, I fully acknowledge that there could be other writers that completely disagree with what I say. Because I know that this particular subject has no particular consensus, I will endeavour to explain why I have the opinions I do. When learning about chords and how they are … Read more

What Do the Dots Near Written Notes Mean?

by

If you look carefully enough at printed music, you will often see dots all over the place. While those dots do look random, they are most certainly not. Every dot on every piece of music has meaning. The dots that are situated near a note can be confusing to some learning to read music. If … Read more

What is the Difference Between a Tie, a Slur and a Phrase?

by

A tie, a slur and a phrase all look quite similar and sometimes they can get confused with each other since they look like this: This symbol is typically used above the stave (staff) or inverted and used underneath the stave (staff), depending on which direction the stems of the notes are going. This applies … Read more

Free Print Music Available!

by

Whenever I am searching for anything to do with music (which happens quite a bit) I’ll often come across the opportunity to download and print off free piano music, even when I’m not even searching for it. Sure free sounds good, but sometimes it is hard to know if the website is a reputable one … Read more

Writing in the Note Names is NOT Good Practice but…

by

There is one practice that a lot of piano students make that is not a tool I would use. Some students think that they will learn to read the notes quicker if they write the names of the notes under every single note. I understand that they all genuinely want to maximize their efficiency by … Read more

Does the Way You Position Your Hands on the Piano Actually Matter?

by

The simple answer to this question is yes. It does matter how you hold your hands when you are playing the piano for a number of reasons. The most important reason is to prevent strain and injury and while I think that this is important for everyone who plays the piano, I think it is … Read more