Piano Articles

Piano has become an integral part of music. Many musical
notes do not seem possible without it. And many notes would
not sound as good as they can do on a piano. Everyone must
have listened with relish to Beethoven’s fifth, Gershwin’s
Rhapsody, rock and roll of little Richard and Jerry Lee
Lewis. The piano can be played solo or with other
instruments. It would hold its own nonetheless.

In fact it is the change in volume that was the last piano
innovation to be perfected, and the hardest for piano
builders. Experts aren’t in complete agreement, but the
first modern-style piano was probably that built by the
Italian Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1709. It was at the time
described as a harpsichord with both soft and loud!

The difference between the harpsichords that came before and
the piano (or pianoforte) was the way the strings were
sounded. Inside each piano the strings are tightened into
tune – a grand piano looks a little like a harp on its side
– and somehow or other these strings need to be plucked to
make music. All that early harpsichords did was to use a
mechanism to pluck the string instead of the players own
fingers. This meant that you touched a keyboard to make the
sounds but that you had no control over the volume – the
string was plucked at the same volume however you hit the keys.

The modern style piano uses a different idea, and instead of
plucking the string with by passing a plectrum by it, modern
pianos use hammers to bang the string. This sounds pretty
unsubtle, but in fact it is what really released the potential
of the instrument by allowing the weight of your touch on
the keyboard to affect the sound of the note.
Gentle stroking of the keys will give you soft music, whereas
hammering away can give you ear-drum shattering noise!

Not everyone was initially convinced by the new instrument,
and even JS Bach, who went on to write the beautifully
nuanced Goldberg Variations for the piano, didn’t like the
instrument at first – however he became conviced and he gave
the instrument his official approval in 1747. But by the
time Mozart was born in 1756 or Beethoven in 1770, the piano
had become an accepted favourite.

It is the piano’s ability to shine as a solo instrument, so
wonderfully exploited by the great classical composers, that
has made it such a popular instrument. It is also what has
ensured that it has found a home in every kind of music
since. Jazz, blues, gospel, swing, rock all feature the
piano in a starring role. In many ways, it’s the perfect
instrument.

 

Author’s Biog

Sica Delenius is the administrator of B Factory Music, your premier source fall of your music needs. Get free piano lessons for beginners
here: www.ukpianos.co.uk/free-online-piano-lessons

 

Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2020. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).

 

Editor’s comments/ What you are about to read is 100% true. I witnessed this amazing boy myself and can verify the events that took place…

He is only 5 years old and has never had a piano lesson in his life. His parents are not musical at all.
Yet he has the genius of Mozart.

I heard these sounds coming from our piano showroom in the music school. I thought it was one of the teachers practicing her pieces.

As I walked through the showroom I saw a very small boy standing by the Classenti digital piano…

He’s playing the Chopin Fantasie Impromptu…

Don’t be silly, I thought. It looks like he is playing, but probably he’s just pressing the keys down and the demo song is playing.

But why does the demo song sound like that?

The Classenti demo songs sound a bit funny I thought.

I went to my office and thought nothing more of it.

The beautiful music continued to play and I heard it in the background as I continued to work.

Something is not quite right I thought.

I started to concentrate on this music again…

I could here the very complicated left-hand part of the Chopin Fantasie Impromptu being played. Then
shortly after it stopped I heard the right hand part being played… This is really weird?

I went back to the showroom to take a look…

This little boy was standing by the piano and actually playing the extremely technical Chopin Fantasie Impromptu all by himself.

He is only 5 years old, so his hands are very small. He cannot play every chord with both hands yet. But, he seemed to know every single note. If he played a wrong one, he would recognise that and correct himself. Every single note was played. None were missed.

As I stood there, some of the teachers of the music school wandered in to the showroom to see what was going on. They stood there with their mouths wide open.

Soon, the whole room was packed full of teachers and parents who realised something magical was happening. The atmosphere was electrical. No one could accept what they were witnessing.

Our principal teacher came over to the piano and started to play the same piece the boy was playing to see if he would then copy what she played. When she stopped, we all expected the boy to play something else, or run to his mother. Instead, he smiled (as if to say “you didn’t play that quite right”) then pushed her out the way and started to continue the piece at the exact point she stopped. Incredible!

The child’s mother (who is not a musician) asked what all the fuss was about?

I told her that her son is an extremely rare genius. He is only 5 years old yet he can play such a difficult piece.

She was shocked.

“I didn’t know anything about this”, she said.

His mother is not a musician and didn’t realise her son’s talent.

It appears that the keyboard he has at home has several demo songs.

The Genius Mozart Boy listens to the demos and then plays them on his keyboard – note for note!

It is obvious he has never been taught before as he plays the keys with his hands angled sideways.

Pure genius!

I wonder what he will be capable of if he is taught the correct techniques?

He doesn’t need to learn how to read music. His amazing mind remembers exactly every note and chord he hears. He then plays the correct notes on the piano completely naturally.

She told me that he has being doing this since he was 3 years old!

She bought him a keyboard 2 years ago and he just stands next to it and plays.

Not being a musician herself she didn’t’ realise he was doing anything special…

… Can you imagine!?

 

About The Author – Hejran

I am convinced this boy is a musical genius. His mum tells us that he is autistic (special needs) and is behind in most subjects at school but excels in maths. His brain seems to be laser focused in one area and weak in other areas. Like most geniuses.

Can anyone out there offer advice on how to teach this boy piano? Should he be taught how to read music? Or might this destroy his natural talent? Should he be left to progress by himself? Send your thoughts and comments to: admin@ukpianos.co.uk.

Piano keys are not made from ivory anymore. These days you will find that most piano keys are made from either plastic or a cellulose mix.

It is possible to have your piano keys recovered with ivory tops. It is a difficult and time consuming job, because the piano technician has to remove all the old piano keys and refit them with ivory. The old piano keys are stuck down with glue and the technician has to be very careful not to take off any wood along with the old key tops.

Ivory is very difficult to get hold of these days. If you employ a piano technician to recover your piano keys in ivory, they will either have to have stock of the correct size key tops, or they will have to take the ivories off an old piano. Recovering piano keys with ivory is a very expensive job.

 

Graham Howard – Author and Piano Advisor.
Email for piano advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
or Call 01327 300 016

 

How can you tell if your piano keys are ivory?

– Piano keys that have ivory tops are made in two parts. If you look carefully you will notice a join.

– Another sign of ivory piano keys is the off-white colour. Generally, as ivory ages, it turns yellow.

– Ivory has a grain. Modern pianos have plastic keys which does not have any grain. Be careful not to mistake ivory keys with cellulose keys, cellulose also has a grain, but the cellulose grain is more even than ivory.

 

How to clean ivory piano keys

Cleaning ivory piano keys is a very delicate job. It is best to ask a qualified piano technician to do this kind of work.

If you are attempting it yourself, first you need to asses what condition the ivories are in. Are they a little dirty? Is the dirt really deep inside the key top? Are they yellow? Are they stained?

1) If your ivory piano keys are just a little dirty, then this is an easy job. You will need the following: Damp cloth, dry soft cloth, and washing up liquid.

Here’s how you do it:

• Rinse your cloth under the tap and squeeze out all the water
• Put a tiny amount of washing up liquid onto your damp cloth
• Press down firmly onto the key top and rub until the dirt has been removed
• Polish the key with a soft, dry cloth
• There are several liquid key cleaning products on the market, but in my opinion, you needn’t spend your money on them – just use ‘old fashioned’ washing up liquid, it does the job just fine
• Lemon juice or vinegar also does a good job of cleaning ivory piano keys

2) If your ivory piano keys are really dirty then you will need to buy an ivory scraper or the finest gauge 000 wire wool. Please note: the ivory scraper is the right tool for the job. Wire wool will leave very fine scratches in the ivory that may be noticeable in certain lighting.

• Break off a little wire wool
• Rub the key top very gently all over
• Wipe off the excess with a dry cloth

Best results are obtained by taking the keys out of your piano and placing them on a table. If you are not sure how to take out your piano’s keys, it is best to ask a trained piano technician to clean the keys for you.

3) If your ivory piano keys are yellow or stained, then you will certainly need to buy an ivory key scraper. There is no guarantee that you will be able to completely remove the stain from the key top though.

 

Can you whiten yellowy ivory keys?

Over time and with repeated cleaning, the yellow in your ivory keys can be significantly reduced. Vinegar on a soft cloth is probably the best method I know of. Whitening your ivory piano keys takes along time and a great deal of patience.

 

How to clean plastic or cellulose piano keys

Cleaning plastic or cellulose key tops is easy. Just follow the steps in number 1) above. To give your plastic or cellulose keys a shine, try a little T-cut.

 

How to clean black piano keys

Black piano keys are made from either ebony or plastic. Modern pianos use plastic and older pianos use ebony. You can usually tell a plastic key by the shiny finish. Ebony keys are usually mat and can discolour with age. If your black key top has come off the key, take a look underneath. Plastic keys are usually hollow, wooden, ebony keys are solid.

The black keys are best cleaned with just a damp cloth and a little washing up liquid. No other materials or liquids should be used.

 

How to repair chipped or broken piano keys

If your piano keys have chips in them, it is not advisable to try and repair them.

It is best to replace a chipped or broken piano key with either a new key or an old one of the same size from another piano.

If the chips are on the end of the key and they are small, you can usually just file them down to make them smooth. A wood file or some sandpaper will do the job.

 

Sticking piano keys

Sticky piano keys are a real nuisance. I remember when I was learning to play the piano years ago. I had a couple of sticking keys on my piano that caused a problem every time a played my favourite piece of music. I had to try and flip the key up (whist playing) so I could repeat the note again later!

Talk about making playing the piano difficult – as if it isn’t difficult enough already.

If your piano keys are sticking, there could be several causes. Before you call your piano technician in, you might want to check through this list to see if it’s something you can do yourself.

 

Are the keys rubbing together?

Press the sticking key down slowly and listen for a scraping sound.

Solution/ Found out which part of the key is scraping and gently sandpaper the area.

 

Is the lead weight at the back of the key swollen?

Remove the key and check to see if the lead is protruding. It should be either flush with the wood or slightly inset. Usually when the lead weight at the back of the key is swollen, the adjacent key moves together with the sticking key.

Solution/ Rub across the lead with a rough file until the it is flush with the wood.

 

Is the key getting stuck at the bottom of the down stroke?

Check to see if your piano’s front rail has warped inwards. Warped rails tend to catch and hold the piano key at the front in the down position.

Solution/ Pack out the front rail with cardboard or thin pieces of wood so it clears the piano keys. You will usually need several pieces spread evenly along the length of the rail.

 

How to mend broken keys:

The best way to mend broken keys is to take the key out of the piano and place it in a vice. Glue the broken part and when it has set, glue a thin bit of veneer to the glued area to strengthen it. If you don’t use the veneer, the piano key is likely to break again at the same point.

 

Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2020. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).

 

When the practicing “blahs” strike, you just need an attitude adjustment. You don’t have to sweat blood to practice well. You don’t even have to think of it as work, or duty, or even something that you ought to do.

Stop a minute and think about it. You like music, and you want to play some special piece that really means something to you. You want it to sound through you – right through your fingertips.

Okay? Well, you practice it to fulfill that desire, not to frustrate it.

Pause here and ask yourself some questions:

What if you could look at a piece of music for the first time, and play it correctly straight off, just as fine as you please?

How would you feel about practicing then?

Or, what if you were practicing for the Olympic swim meet next year, and felt deep down that you had a chance? How would you feel then about the training? Would you plunge into it each morning?

What if you were interrupted at a good point in yesterday’s practicing? What if you had just about broken through a tough spot when you had to stop? Would you want to get back to it today as soon as possible?

You answer those questions, honestly, for yourself. There are ways to say “YES!” every day.

But, first, you’ve got to stop blaming yourself. You don’t have to be perfect every time. You don’t have to be the best player, today. And you don’t have to listen to what other people say about your playing – people who are only half listening, and don’t care the way you do.

Put all that out of your mind. What matters is your desire to play as well as possible.

Just start with playing – one note after another, and keep going. As the Chinese say, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first, step.” And, if the very first step leads to the first slip, be glad for it. You can’t, repeat, cannot learn without mistakes!

The best value for money online course I have seen so far is the Rocket Piano by Ashley Southam. Read more about it here.

Do you want to use this article on your website? ukpianos.co.uk gives you permission to copy this article and use it, providing you include this author’s biog box.

Now, start to think more personally about your instrument.

The piano, like the guitar, is a “touchy” instrument. Touch it, and you both produce and color its tones, like a potter molding clay. Think of the keys, all gleaming white, as the “skin” of the piano; you can either please them or hurt them. Stroke them, and the sound will come out mellow and purring. Poke them, and the sound will either “bark” sharply or woodenly “thud.”

Stop thinking of yourself as playing “on” or “at” the piano. Rather, think of the instrument as an extension of your own body. When an artificial leg is fitted to an amputee, he is then taught to walk with it. Gradually, it feels more natural – more like his own leg walking. The French call the keys “les touches,” or “touch-points” – as if the keys, not you, were doing the feeling.

Every musician wants to personalize this instrument. Take a look at the vocalist who hugs his guitar, or without a guitar, woos his microphone, or, without a microphone, simply woos the audience?

Every musician seeks to make his instrument an extension of his own body, the tool he or she needs to put across the strong feelings he as for the music.

Nadia Boulanger, one of the greatest teachers, put it best: “Don’t speak to me of talent; speak to me of desire.”

Go to the piano or keyboard not to reproduce a piece, but to experiment with your best way to bring out what is there. There is no one right way to play a piece – no matter how loudly some people protest that there is.

Artists in fact, vary greatly, and audiences return again and again to hear the same piece, as played by pianist X or pianist Y. You simply cannot play a piece twice the same way. Try it!

Here’s how to practice an exercise or a song:

Sit quietly, upright and relaxed Hear the music in your head: hear it better than life. Sense its movement and pulse rolling through you, turning and adjusting your own pulse, you are the prime “instrument” of this music – sitting there alert, tuned by silence, vibrating to is rhythm, lending it your own life entirely.

As you feel the music filling you, heart and soul, you will know that it is getting ready to be born.

When it has stirred you, lift your hands to the keyboard. This is the reason you wanted to play in the first place: to bring alive what has already moved you. And, suddenly, by centering your focus, you’ve turned practicing from a duty into an attraction.

 

Author’s Biog Box

Ron Worthy is a Music Educator, Pianist and Songwriter. He offers online instruction that focuses on Rock, Pop, Blues, Cocktail, R&B and “Smooth Jazz” piano styles. Get free piano lessons for beginners here: www.ukpianos.co.uk/free-online-piano-lessons

 

Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2020. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).

 

Editors comment/ This article by Christopher Carlin tells you how to practice, handle nerves and prepare for your piano examination from 3 months out. I enjoyed this article very much and believe every student should read this as part of their preparation for a piano exam.

 

Graham Howard – Author and Piano Advisor.
Email for piano advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
or Call 01327 300 016

 

Whether you are a new piano player or a full-time professional, exams can be a strenuous and often daunting task. Each exam has its separate challenges. However, if you prepare for your exams correctly, it could mean the difference between passing and failing.

For this example, let us pretend that we are sitting for a Grade Six piano exam. Let the record denote that I have sat and passed a Grade Six exam. Although admittedly I did not pass it well – this was caused by a severe lack of preparation leading up to the exam. I did not put the time or effort into my preparation for this music exam. I can assure you from first hand experience that you need more than 15 minutes practice three to four times a week to effectively prepare for a Grade Six piano exam!

 

THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE EXAM 

At this time you should be doing approximately one hour’s worth of practice a day, five days a week. In your selected pieces you should be able to at least press all of the right notes. This is the time to start developing your pieces from a series of notes to a piano masterpiece. Concentrate on things like expression, dynamics and tempo. Put some feelings and emotion into your pieces.

You should also profusely study all of your theory and scales. Too often scales and theory are neglected at this time and are only revised about a fortnight before the exam. This is a terrible mistake! Remember the more you study now, the more you will retain this information, thus having a better chance of recalling the required knowledge during your exam.

 

ONE MONTH BEFORE THE EXAM  

It is time to up the anti a bit. You should be spending one and a half to two hours practicing a day, six days a week. This is the time to smooth out all of the minor flaws in your pieces of music. Practice things like getting that tricky triplet sounding fluent and making sure you hit the F sharp with your fourth finger rather than the fifth. These issues might seem minor, but it will help you immensely with your exam.

Practice without the sheet music in front of you and see how well you go. During your exam if you rely too heavily on your score, I can guarantee you will stuff up. Learn your music off by heart.

Also, make sure that your exam becomes your number one priority. Do not be distracted by other issues in your life. Do not become distracted by relationship, financial or other issues that might divert your attention from your exam. You will become stressed and worn out, and you will not perform at your potential.

 

ONE WEEK BEFORE YOUR EXAM 

Now is the time to just practice, practice, practice! I would recommend doing between two to three hours per day by now. You should have all of the knowledge required for the exam. It is simply a matter of revising it for your exam.

Whilst we are working and studying hard, we have to remain relaxed. Put it into perspective; it is only an exam. There is no need to worry about it 24/7.

 

DAY BEFORE YOUR EXAM 

Most people on the night before an exam practice for 5-6 hours, studying until some ungodly hour in the morning. This is a big no-no! At maximum you should only play through your pieces once. What I like to do is pretend I am actually sitting for the exam. So I would do my scales first, then my pieces in order, and then do some sight reading.

Don’t try to do any last minute revision for your exam. Chances are that you will only put unneeded pressure on yourself and more importantly you will only have a small chance to remember it for your exam. Do not get distracted by other things in your life. Your piano exam is tomorrow – everything else can wait another day.

Relax! It is essential that you get a good night’s sleep. I would recommend that you get 8 to 10 hours solid sleep if you can afford the luxury.

 

MORNING BEFORE YOUR EXAM  

Do not do any work, whether it is piano related or not. Do something fun that doesn’t require a lot of brain power. Watch a movie. Kick a soccer ball. Do whatever that suits you.

Try to eat a healthy breakfast. However, if you suffer from butterflies in the stomach, which I suffer from immensely, don’t try to force anything down. It will only comes straight back up! (Trust me!)

I will say it again, RELAX! Try not to think about your exam. Don’t try to think about your theory, scales, pieces, fingering etc. etc. Don’t think about what you have and haven’t done for your exam. This is only going to get you all frazzled and this will seriously hinder your exam.

 

30 MINUTES BEFORE THE EXAM 

By now you should be at the venue where your exam is being held. Do some ultra-light revision. Look through your music sheets and visualize yourself playing it as you read the notes. Play some ‘air-piano.’ Test yourself with a couple of theory questions.

Do not under any circumstances talk to other people about the exam. Do not ask each other theory questions. Do not discuss your pieces. Do not talk about previous exams or examiners. This is nothing more than an unwanted hindrance. Take a few deep breaths, relax and focus on your exam.

 

5 MINUTES BEFORE THE EXAM 

Close the books for a moment. Take three deep breaths and focus. Think to yourself that this is just like any other piano practice session. Go into the exam with positive thoughts. Whether you have prepared yourself for the exam as I have discussed above or not, it does not matter now. All you can do now is concentrate on the upcoming task of your exam.

 

DURING THE EXAM 

Two things will be happening to you about now. Firstly, you think you are doing well. Great! Ride on this wave of euphoria until the end of the exam. But you must not slack off! You still have a couple of pieces or a couple of scales or some theory to do. You must concentrate until the end of the exam. A lot can happen between now and then.

The second thing that could be happening to you during your piano exam is that you think you are performing badly. Forget about it! It doesn’t matter what has happened. You still have the rest of the exam to impress the examiner. A lot can change between now and the end of the exam.

Another point worth thinking about is just because you think that you have done a bad job, doesn’t mean that the examiner knows you’ve done a bad job. He/She will not pick up every single mistake you make. Just forget what has happened, clear your mind and start again with your next task. Think about what is going to happen, not what has just happened.

 

AFTER THE EXAM 

Congratulations! You have completed your exam! You can now breathe a huge sigh of relief! It’s finally over!

Carefully analyse your exam. What did you do well? What do you do badly? What could you have done to improve? Make notes so you can use them as a reference for future exams.

Be careful not to be too confident with your exam. You might be disappointed when you see your results. Conversely, do not be too negative with your exam and think that you have done badly. More often than not you will get a nice surprise!

 

RECEIVING YOUR RESULTS 

After waiting one to two weeks for your results to come back, you would be naturally excited, or at least inquisitive to see your results. Have you done well and/or better than you expected? Have you done worse than you have thought? Either way, read your examiner’s comments at least three times. See what they liked about your piano examination and what they didn’t. No matter how well you did, you can always improve! Next year’s exams are guaranteed to be harder than this year.

Take the assessor’s comments on board, but also take your own thoughts on board. Was your preparation leading up to the exam as good as it could have been? Nine times out of ten, if you have done badly you generally know why. Think about why you did badly and improve! Learn from your mistakes. Do not get depressed! It is not the end of the world. There is always next year.

I hope this article was helpful for your preparations for your exam. This is what I personally do when preparing for a piano exam. Obviously, if you have your own routine that works, by all means stick to it. However, if you do pick up one piece of advice from this article and apply it successfully, I will consider this article a success. Good Luck for your exams and most importantly, remember you can only do your best.

 

About the Author

Christopher Carlin is the founder of the new resource for piano players. He has applied over twelve years of piano knowledge and experience into this article. Visit Free Piano Sheet Music to get articles, tools and much more, free-piano-sheet-music.net

 

Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2020. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).

 

Congratulations, you have just acquired a wonderful new addition for your home!

This new addition will not only add beauty to your home, but will also bring musical pleasure to you and your family.

Now that you have your new piano, you will want to make sure that you are caring for it properly. Caring for your piano properly will not only ensure that it plays to its maximum potential, but will also ensure that the value is maintained and, in the case of a new piano, that your warranty is maintained.

In this article, I will outline some tips on caring for your piano, including how often you should have your piano tuned, how to help maintain your piano’s tuning stability, and how to safely clean and care for the exterior of your piano. I will also define piano tuning, and explain why it is necessary for your piano.

 

Graham Howard – Author and Piano Advisor.
Email for piano advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
or Call 01327 300 016

 

What is a piano tuning and why is it necessary?

There are over 200 strings in your piano, which are stretched at high tension across the frame of your piano. When a piano technician performs a piano tuning, he or she carefully adjusts the tension of each of the strings in the piano in order to ensure they not only sound in harmony with each other, but that they are also playing in standard pitch (when A sounds at 440 Hz).

While not having your piano tuned regularly will not in itself damage the piano, playing on a piano that is not in proper tune can be very de-motivating for anyone trying to practice on that instrument. It is common to hear children commenting to their parents that their piano at home does not sound or feel as “good” as their teacher’s piano.

This is usually more due to the fact that the piano has not been regularly serviced, rather than that the piano at home is an inferior piano. Not having your piano tuned regularly also increases the risk that problems occurring in the piano due to environmental factors will go unnoticed. This could lead to more permanent and costly damage. In addition, it is more difficult to tune a piano that has not been regularly serviced.

 

How often should I have my piano tuned?

Generally a piano should be tuned twice per year in order to keep it in good playing condition. Please note that a piano will go out of tune whether it is played or not. A brand new piano or a piano with new strings on it will probably need to be tuned 3-4 times in the first year. This is because new strings tend to stretch as they are being worked in, causing the piano to go out of tune more often. A piano that is used quite often, such as one being used all day for piano lessons, or one being used by high level pianists who practice many hours a day, will need to be tuned every 2 – 3 months.

 

How can I ensure better tuning stability in my piano?

The biggest factor that causes a piano to go out of tune is the temperature and humidity in the room where the piano is located. In more hot and humid weather, the strings and moving parts on the piano will expand, causing the piano to play sharper than standard pitch. In more cold and dry weather, these parts will contract, causing the piano to play flatter than standard pitch.

Unfortunately, the parts of a piano do not all expand and contract at the same rate. This not only causes the piano to go sharp or flat, but it causes the piano to sound out of tune with itself. If the room in which the piano is located is too dry, there is the risk of getting cracks in the sound board of your piano. This can seriously hamper the sound of the instrument. If the room is too humid there is the risk of problems such as sticking piano keys, caused by the swelling of the wooden parts of the piano, as well as a greater risk of rusting strings.

While temperature alone does not generally affect tuning stability of pianos, fluctuations in temperature tend to cause fluctuations in humidity. It is therefore recommended that a moderate temperature be maintained in the house throughout the year.

If the temperature and humidity in the room are kept stable, the piano will stay in tune longer. A good way to monitor the humidity in the room is to use a humidistat. This can be purchased at your local hardware store and can be mounted on the wall. The ideal humidity for a piano is between 40 – 50%. In the winter, it is a good idea to have a small humidifier in the room, to control the dryness. Central air conditioning helps to control humidity in the summer. However if you do not have central air conditioning, a dehumidifier may be used. A humidifier or a dehumidifier should be placed in the room with the piano, but not directly beside it.

 

Placement of the Piano in the Room

Place the piano away from heating ducts, hot air registers and radiators. These items generally dry out the air around them, and can not only affect your tuning stability, but can also cause cracks in your piano’s soundboard. Try to keep the piano out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can damage the finish of the piano.

Also, be aware of how other items in the room will affect your piano’s sound. Items such as carpets and draperies tend to absorb sound, while wooden items tend to amplify it or make it sound more “live”. If you feel that the piano you have is either too loud or too muted, try adjusting the items that accompany the piano in the room.

 

Cleaning and Polishing Your Piano

Polishing the Piano: It is generally not recommended to use furniture polish on pianos. The best way to clean a piano is to use a soft cloth which has been slightly dampened and wrung out. A micro fibre cloth is useful for cleaning dust off high-gloss finish pianos. Micro fibre cloths can usually be found in the same section as home car wash accessories in your local hardware store. Piano polishes may be purchased from your local piano store. Some of these polishes are anti-static, and help to keep the dust off your piano.

Cleaning the Piano Keys: It is recommended to use a clean damp cloth to clean the tops of the piano keys. In cases where the keys are tougher to clean, a mild soap solution may be used. Make sure to thoroughly dry the keys after cleaning and do not let any water spill down the sides of the keys. Never use any chemicals or cleaning fluids on the keys.

Cleaning the Interior of the Piano: It is generally recommended that the inside of the piano be cleaned only by a technician. As there are many breakable parts on a piano, it is best to have a professional take it apart in order to avoid any damage. Dust buildup in the piano may cause the mechanisms to stick or work more slowly.

Taking the time to care for your piano properly and having it service by a qualified piano technician will not only keep your piano in optimal playing condition, it will also maintain the re-sale value of your instrument.

 

About The Author

Margot Hamilton works for Rentpiano Inc, a piano rental and tuning centre in Toronto, Ontario – rentpiano.ca. Get free piano lessons for beginners here: www.ukpianos.co.uk/free-online-piano-lessons

Editors comment/ NEVER try to move a piano yourself UNLESS you know what you are doing. It is just too dangerous. If you want to tackle the task of moving the family piano you had better read the following article so you are aware of what you are letting yourself in for.

 

Graham Howard – Author and Piano Advisor.
Email for piano advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
or Call 01327 300 016

 

A young woman asked her father to help her move a piano from one place to another in her house. Her father got a couple of his friends to come along and they brought a dolly. While they were lifting the piano — a full-size vertical — it tipped back too far and got away from them. While it was falling, its upper corner dug down through the wall. The trench it made was deep enough to sever an electric conduit, which shorted and began to burn. The “movers” were unable to stop the fire, which also spread to the floor below, another person’s apartment. After the fire department was done, there was little left of the two apartments – or the piano.

Obviously, this is an extreme example of the damage that can be inflicted when moving a piano in do-it-yourself fashion. Even if you don’t burn down your house, there is a substantial risk of personal injury, not to mention damage to the piano.

Pianos are very heavy. The average spinet or console upright piano weighs in at from three hundred to five hundred pounds, full-size uprights at about seven hundred, but sometimes as much a thousand.

Grands vary from about five hundred to a thousand pounds, though a concert grand may weigh as much as thirteen hundred pounds! If it were simply a matter of weight, though, all it would take would be enough strong people to do the job. Unfortunately, along with the weight come problems of balance and inertia, knowledge of which can make all the difference in doing a moving job safely and efficiently. Piano moving may conjure up images of men with monstrous arms and huge torsos, but actually two or three people of average build can do most piano moving jobs – even grands if they have some brains, experience, the right equipment, and a knowledge of just when and where to apply a little force.

So, the task of moving a piano is not just a matter of weight. The asymetric shape, the fragility of the outer cabinet and inner mechanics, the uneven distribution of parts — all this and more demands not only proper equipment, but also an understanding of the unique dynamics of balance and inertia that pianos pose.

Attempting to move a piano by yourself may easily result in a costly trip to the doctor for both you and your piano. Don’t take chances, hire a professional!

 

How to Move a Piano

If you need to move a piano, hopefully you’ll have professional help available. If you decide to ask friends, you will have to give them very clear instructions to avoid inflicting damage to bodies and objects.

 

Move a Piano Within a Room

1. Make sure the piano you want to move is easily accessible from all sides.

2. Make sure the new location you have chosen is suitable for the piano. Do not move it into cold drafts or close to heating devices.

3. Lower the lid and lock it before you start moving.

4. Position at least one person on each end of the piano if you are moving an upright piano.

5. Move the piano endways, not sideways. 6. Make sure you do not bend your back when handling the piano to avoid severe back strain or injury. Lift with your knees bent and your back straight.

7. Be certain there are no obstacles in the way the piano is moving.

8. Be careful not to strain the legs of the piano if you have to move it on carpeting or over a threshold.

9. Move the piano slowly and carefully, just a few inches at a time.

10. Put at least three persons around a grand piano, one at each leg.

11. Take enough weight off the castors to make it roll more easily, but do not lift it off the floor.

12. Make sure you lift the castors over bumps in the floor, one leg at a time.

Warning: Because most of the weight of an upright piano is located toward its back, it does tilt over easily. When moving it away from a wall, be absolutely sure no one is standing behind it. Spinets and console pianos have thin front legs that can break off easily if caught. Tip the piano back very slightly as you roll it to avoid damage.

 

Moving an Upright Piano From Room to Room or House to House

1. Assign a team of four movers and place two at each end of the piano. Let no one other than your assigned movers touch the piano.

2. Make sure none of the movers has a history of back problems.

3. Make sure your helpers are wearing work gloves to protect their hands.

4. Cover the piano with protective plastic if you have to move it outside for transport.

5. Make sure the lid is down and locked.

6. Give your movers very specific instructions on how and where to move the piano safely.

7. Put the piano on a heavy-duty dolly. This will preserve tuning. It will also keep movers from damaging the piano or your home.

8. Remember to lift and roll the piano endways.

9. Keep hold of the handle behind the piano all the time it is rolling.

10. Be careful rolling the dolly over thresholds and door jambs.

11. Make certain that the piano won’t tip over by being pushed over any obstacle too fast.

Warning: You should use friends for moving your piano only if you really cannot afford to pay professional movers. Paying a moving company might well be worth the money you might save on paying for damaged pianos and bodies! And don’t even think about moving a grand across town, let alone up and down stairs, without professional help!

Tips from eHow Users: Rent Proper Equipment! by eHow Friend Piano dollies (four large castors mounted on a sturdy frame) are usually available for rent from do-it-yourself centers (same place you’d rent a tractor or floor sander). The dolly simplifies moving an upright piano while protecting the floor.

Rate this tip: Tilt method Get one person at each end of the piano, fold the lid back and have one person pull back on that panel and lean back, while the other person lifts the other side of the piano to it’s balance point. The person pulling back will make it a lot easier for the person lifting. This technique will allow you to get a piano trolley under the piano properly (uprights only).

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruth Searle is a pianist with years of experience behind her. Piano is her passion, and she is also the drive and inspiration behind Jamorama Piano – the Ultimate Piano Learning Kit. If you want to take your piano playing skills to a new level, you need the Jamorama Piano Kit. You get step by step instructions complete with audio and video lessons, and you can get instant access by clicking through to Rocket Piano

 

Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2020. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).

 

Many great pianists are also regarded as great singers.
People like Ray Charles, Elton John and Billy Joel can play piano to a high level and also sing just as well.
I think it’s pretty difficult to play piano and sing at the same time.
Of course the artists I mentioned make it look easy.

There are several ways to go about your practice to be able to sing and play at the same time.  It takes lots of time and practice.

Some people may find it easier than others, I personally find it quite hard to sing and play the piano at the same time.

The most difficult part is that as soon as you start to concentrate on one thing the other one seems to go a little wrong.  You know, if you concentrate on the singing, the hands get out of time and if you concentrate on the piano part, the voice starts to fade.

So the best way to practice is to learn each part independently. Start by learning the piano part so you can play it well and then do the same with the singing part.

The idea is to gain independence.

This is a term that’s used a lot in regards to piano playing.  Independence of each hand is very important in playing piano.  Sometimes one hand will have to play something quite contrasting, rhythmically or otherwise, to the other hand.  This idea of independence can also be applicable to singing and playing simultaneously.

You need to be able to get independence from your hands.

It’s important to be able to sing something regardless of what your hands might be doing.

 

Practice Tip

A good way to try this out is to try singing and washing the dishes at the same time.  Keep your hands moving while singing a song.  Remember to keep your hands moving the whole time you are singing.

For some people this might come very easy.  It can be quite interesting trying to concentrate on one thing while letting something else be independent.  This usually requires that at least one of the things you are working on to be almost instinctive.  This way you don’t have to concentrate on too many things.  Say if your piano part is memorized, then you’re free to concentrate on singing.  Some pieces are harder to play and sing at the same time.

When more advanced syncopation’s and rhythms are employed in the piano part, it’s harder to think about singing at the same time.  Of course as you get better at playing the piano and better at singing you will naturally find these things easier.  It’s important not to get to frustrated … take your time.

If you’re having trouble with the piano part, take the time to learn it thoroughly, even off by heart, and be patient.

The same goes with if you’re having trouble with the singing part.  Again, take the time to learn the singing part separately and thoroughly, and then try putting the two together.

Go over any bits that you are finding difficult and just keeping repeating them until things start sounding unified.

The best thing to do is to find a song that is simple. There are many songs that have very easy piano parts and vocal parts.  Begin with easy songs.   Play as much and as often as you can.  As you get better, try playing more complicated songs.

 

Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2020. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).

 

Comments about this article

Hi Graham,

I’m pleased to say I’m back to practice again and have added a drum kit
to my arsenal (come on you Spurs!) of things to annoy the neighbours with.

I like this article very much. Here’s my 2p worth.

I’ve always approached musical performance with the notion of playing
live. Even though this is rarely the case these days, I still play and
practice as if I’ve got a gig the next day. I’ve always found it gets me
through a song quicker. When learning a new song I nearly always try and
include vocals, or at least have the vocals in mind because it’s nice to
be able to play songs that people recognise. Playing the vocal melody
alone is usually enough to get people to join in too !!

The points I would like to raise are practice and familiarity….. and
maybe a little bit of cheating !!

Practice

There is no shortcut to successfully playing and singing at the same
time. I learned most of the technique from playing guitar. When I began,
I was “going to be a rock star !!” (ha !) so I had in mind that I’d be
playing on stage one day. I couldn’t go on stage and mess it up, so I
had to get it right.

(I’m still not a rock star, but a fair amount of live experience certainly
helped me learn). The main stumbling block for me was timing. I would
start off ok, but more often than not ended up singing the words to
the time of the instrument part. This lead to some very strange vocals
for a while !! However, over time my brain began to seperate the two tasks.

I didn’t wait until I could play the piano / guitar part perfectly either.
As soon as I have the basic chords and song structure nailed, I add
the vocals. I print out a lyric sheet and read that while I’m playing
the chords, just thinking the vocals through a few times to see if
there are any potential tricky parts. Then I just have a go and
make a complete hash of it. This is normal when you’re learning
anything.

It’s a good thing. Jump in, have a go, mess it up, jump in again….

Also I learn a lot of songs by ear.

I will often hear a song I like and will dash through and see if I can
work it out straight away. The only reference I have is usually the
vocal melody of the chorus, so I will sing that over and over while I
find the right chords for the chorus. After playing that a few times,
I’ll move to other sections (if I can remember them!) and if I still
want to be able to *perform* it I’ll get the lyrics in front of me and
learn the whole thing. After this, it’s the 3 P’s. Practice, practice
and practice……

Familiarity

Learn songs you know well at first. The better you know the lyrics to a
song, the less time you will have to spend thinking about the actual
words. One less thing to trouble your brain with !! Twinkle Twinkle
Little Star is enough to learn the basics of doing two things at once.

Cheating

Ok, it’s not really cheating, but try and learn songs that have very
very simple chord progression during the vocal sections. Also, learn
songs where the vocals are more important that the instrument, so you
can drop out occasionally and it won’t matter too much.

If you’re not very good in a certain section, just hold the chords you can manage,
sing the section like you’re accenting the song with the vocals and move
swiftly on to the next song before anyone notices what you’re doing !!

Once again, it’s all linked to live performance. When playing live, you
can’t just stop and repeat a section over and over. You have to play the
song as a whole, mistakes and all. I have always played like this and it
allows me to get the basics of a song down quickly, then practice lets
me fill in the missing parts and improve on those basics.

My next task is to learn to play the saxaphone and sing at the same
time. Now that’s going to be tough!

All the best, Mat Howlett

Hi Graham

I have not given up the piano, I did not do any for a couple of weeks then I started again doing the usual practice to get used to the up and down notes, trying to improve as well as trying to read the notes without writing on top of each one.

I am determined to learn to play well eventually. At the moment I am learning the bass guitar as I am in a group.

I have been playing for the last two months. It is my husbands group, he is teaching me. I can play Walk don’t run, Perfidia, Diana, Dance On,
Boogie 12 bars, Be bop a lula, etc. Only been playing for two months and have learnt a lot through your notes learning the piano.

I am going to put this evert into the piano at a later date. I really enjoy my piano. I cannot sing, cannot keep in tune and I sound terrible, but would love to learn how to sing. I am enjoying the up and down notes on the piano, with two hands obviously.

Hope to hear from you soon, Lindy

A group of scientists believe they are. A study conducted in Germany on two groups; one of non-musicians and another of pianists, pitted the two groups against each other in a series of challenges.

The two groups were asked to perform sequences of complex finger exercises or movements. While the exercises were being performed the participants were hooked up to a MRI (magnetic response imaging) machine. The machine was attached to the participant’s heads to measure brain response.

What the scientists found was surprising.  Both groups could perform the activities with the same amount of success. However the MRI report showed very different brain responses in the two groups. Simply speaking the pianists could complete the exercises correctly with less brain activation than the group of non-musicians.

From this we can see that piano player’s brains are more efficient. This is further evidence that learning a musical instrument can enhance your brain function.

The best value for money online course I have seen so far is the Rocket Piano by Ashley Southam. Read more about it here

Article by George Downe

 

Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2020. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).

 

Editor’s comment/ An interesting article that goes against most methods of teaching. Alex really has a good point here though about not starting with middle C. Read on and you will see why.

If you’re starting to learn piano, you should never start with
the C major scale. Here’s why.

You see, most teachers will tell you to start identifying where the
middle C is and then have you practice the C major scale. The
problem with this is that you’ll always have to look at your
fingers when you’re playing because there are no reference points
for you to count on. Let me explain.

When you’re starting out, you hardly have any sense of touch,
meaning you can’t feel one note from another without having to
look at the keyboard. And when you can’t feel where your
fingers are at any given moment, you’re more likely to look at
your fingers on the keyboard to know where to play the next note.

This will dramatically affect your note reading ability. How many
good sight readers do you know who constantly have to look at
their fingers while reading a piece of music?

I know what you’re thinking. You might say “I don’t care much
about sight reading, so what does it matter?” Well, it’s true. If
you just want to learn chord based piano, there’s not much reading
involved. BUT there’s still SOME reading, and the less you depend
on looking at your fingers, the more you’ll enjoy music… faster.

So instead of starting with C major scale, try this…

Place your left fourth finger (wedding finger) on B and your RIGHT
thumb on B, one octave apart. Now feel the next group of two black
notes (C# and D#, respectively). Play both at the same time with
the appropriate fingers (2 and 3).

Next, Pivot your right thumb over to the next note, E. You do not
Need to pivot your left thumb since it should fall naturally on
the next note, E (an octave lower than your right note, of course.)

Now play both notes at the same time, both hands.

Next, pivot your left fingers over to play the next group of three
black notes(F#, G#, A#). The fingers should be 4,3,2, respectively.
For your right hand you do not need to pivot this time. Just feel
the group of three black notes with your second, third and fourth
fingers on F#, G# and A#, one octave higher than your left hand
notes.

Play all three notes, both hands at the same time.

Finally, end with B, one octave apart with your left thumb and
right pinky.

Do it again, but this time play each note separately. You’ve just
played the B major scale. The difference between this and the
traditional C major scale that most people start with is that
you’re learning to develop a sense of touch from day one.

It’ll give big dividends later on when you start reading notes
because while others have to look at both their hands and the sheet
music, you’ll only have to focus on the sheet music. Your fingers
will take care of the next notes automatically by “reference notes”,
namely the group of two and three black notes.

Practice this a few times and you’ll be playing effortlessly
without looking at your fingers. You could expand to 2,3,4 octaves
if you wish. All you have to do is repeat the same pattern on the
next octave.

Enjoy!

Alex
The Rapid Piano Expert
rapidpiano.com

Please note: This article is copyright and protected. You may publish this article on your website providing you leave the article “as is” and retain the author’s biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2020. All rights reserved. Graham Howard, author of The Digital Piano Bible (a buyer’s guide) and The Howard Score (piano rating system).