Old Piano Books- Are They Any Use?

t strikes me as amusing that one thing that tends to not ever be thrown out is old music books. People that don’t play the piano, have never wanted  to or will ever want to learn to play the piano, will hold on to piano music, sometimes for generations. This has been the case on … Read more

Ways to Count When Learning a New Piano Piece

There are some people who can sit down at a piano and just play stuff with seemingly no effort at all. They seem to get the notes and the timing (or rhythm) without even really thinking. This is the perception but it is not actually a reality. I would be one of those people who … Read more

How is Crescendo and Diminuendo Different From Playing Forte and Piano?

You might be familiar with the expression terms of crescendo, diminuendo, forte and piano, as well as mezzo forte, mezzo piano, fortissimo and pianissimo, if not then here is their definitions: Crescendo – gradually becoming louder Diminuendo – gradually becoming softer Forte – loud Piano – soft Mezzo Forte – moderately loud Mezzo Piano – … Read more

Tenuto Marks and Ledger Lines – What is the Difference?

Across piano music, there are frequently little lines scattered throughout written music notation and if they both were taken out of context, it would be impossible to tell the difference between the two. Fortunately the context of either one makes it really clear as to what they mean and how they impact the music. The … Read more

Learning to Play the Piano with Chords

Most people are aware that there is more than one way to play the piano. Some people play the piano by ear, while the rest of us either play classical, jazz or modern piano music. Naturally is a lot of overlap between classical, jazz and modern, but there is also a number of elements that … Read more

Why I Love Playing the Piano

There are several reasons why I have always loved playing the piano. I remember when my parents bought a second hand piano so my sister, who was older and taking piano lessons, could practice at home. As soon as it came into our family home, it captured my attention and it started  an incredible learning … Read more

A Different Perspective on Beethoven

I have to admit that Beethoven is one of my favorite composers ever. I think that he was a total genius who could write music that has endured for a couple of centuries and that he wrote a significant amount while being totally deaf. He was a complete genius, to be able to achieve what he … Read more