5-Minute Piano Lessons

For a few, actually playing keyboard and piano beats simply listening

I have been thinking a lot lately about the differences between two types of musical joy- the joy of consuming music as a listener and the joy of making music as a piano or keyboard student.

As our technology improves, it becomes easier and easier to simply be a consumer of music rather than a producer. Now we all love to listen to music, and where would any producer be without a consumer?  However, some few folks want to take things further and actually make the music themselves. Naturally, I believe playing keyboard or piano beats other instruments but that’s my bias. (more…)

Why you might consider a keyboard instead of a piano

I’ve written extensively (see the other essays in this category: Keyboards) about why electronic instruments may provide the amateur pianist or piano student with an better instrument for learning. Of course, I am fully aware of the current resistance to this idea. I reject it, for reasons I will present in this essay. (more…)

The final six should cement your decision!

By Nancee Marin: The author is a piano/keyboard/guitar instructor from Redlands, CA. She is also a professional performer on those instruments. She can be reached via her website.

4. Easy maintenance of instrument.

You don’t need to tune a piano or a keyboard like you do other instruments. Have a professional piano tech do it for you. You don’t have a choice if you’re a guitarist, violinist, or wind instrumentalist. You have to tune the instrument yourself all the time, and intonation can be a tricky thing. (more…)

Just the first three might be reason enough!

By Nancee Marin: The author is a piano/keyboard/guitar instructor from Redlands, CA. She is also a professional performer on those instruments. She can be reached via her website.

Do you think that playing musical instruments is the domain of a few select talented people, especially whiz kids? Or is it just something that highly trained professionals do? Unfortunately, many older folks (anyone older than school-age students!) don’t think they can play the piano (or any other instrument, for that matter) because of the unfair comparison to child prodigies, who are actually the minority of the population. So, out of the gazillion things to do while you’re still alive, why should you learn to make music, especially on the piano or keyboard?

Let me count the reasons. (more…)

Everybody talks about it but what is it – and does it matter?

You know those cultural ideas – the ones people speak of every now and then but mostly accept without much criticism? This idea of “talent” is one of those. A large part of this idea is “some people have ‘it’ and some don’t.” Now I’m a piano instructor, and thus talent at making music on a piano or keyboard is what I live and breath. I’d like to share with you what I have observed. Wonderfully, my observations tell me that almost everyone reading this has enough “talent” to make good music on the piano. For specifics, read on. (more…)

Modern technology makes the piano easier – so why avoid it?

I’ve always wondered what kind of “stink” the harpsichord makers made over this new thing called “the piano-forte.” More precisely, wikipedia provides this info:

“The word piano is a shortened form of the word pianoforte, which is derived from the original Italian name for the instrument, clavicembalo [or gravicembalo] col piano e forte (literally harpsichord capable of playing at the normal level, or more strongly).”

Any stink would have been made because instrument manufacturers could see that this new, high tech, keyboard would eventually do them out of a job. That is, of course, exactly what happened. The world embraced the new instrument and today there aren’t many harpsichords to be found. (more…)

YOU and YOUR Goals are the Very Essence of My Approach to Piano Instruction

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about teaching piano to adult students it’s that they’re interested in different things and thus require different materials and different styles of teaching. Consider a few students from my current crop:

1. A student who loves classical music and wants to play it well.

2. A student who already knows classical but wants to learn pop and rock well.

3. a student who knows nothing about piano except she wants to play it.

4. The student that prefers the many sounds and features of her electronic keyboard to that of a simple piano.

Obviously (at least to me) one size does NOT fit all. (more…)

Once piano technique problems are solved the next question is piano interpretation of tempo

In my last essay, I discussed performing no faster than the pianist or piano student can hit the correct notes and still keep a steady beat. That essay was based on the question “How fast CAN I play?” This essay  will consider the musicality of the piece and ask “How fast SHOULD I play?” To really understand the answer, we must view some piano and keyboard history as if from the window of a  jet airliner, seeing only the broad shapes below. (more…)

Understanding the Piano Salesman’s “Pitch”

You need an acoustic piano, a digital piano, a keyboard, SOME keyboard instrument if you want to take piano lessons. The questions in your mind should be, “How do I get the best value on the right keyboard for my needs.” This would include not spending more than you need to spend. This rather long essay could save you thousands. (more…)

Is that “Bargain Piano” on Craigslist Actually a Bargain?

We all love bargains, right? If I could help you buy the very best piano, digital piano, keyboard, for your needs and wants AND get a great deal doing it, then THAT would be pretty useful. That’s where we’re going in this essay and I’d like to use an example of what is NOT a bargain to explain what IS – so bear with me for a bit ! (more…)