Download Playing the Piano

Playing the Piano
The piano is a musical instrument known for its beautiful sound. However, lot of
time and effort needs to be invested in learning how to play it. Areas of piano study have
to be mastered if at all a person intends on being a skillful player. Discussed below are
some of the aspects that have to be learnt.
Advanced piano lessons
Once a person has mastered the basic piano skills consisting of keyboard familiarity,
how the fingers fit and move on the keys, preparations may be made to engage in
advanced piano lessons. They consists of learning advanced piano chords, techniques,
music theory, scales, among others.
Piano glissando notation
Composers occasionally liven piano pieces by adding note combinations that add
elegance to the music. A glissando is one of the methods used to make the music more
interesting. It entails fast-sliding across several keys on the keyboard. A right-hand
glissando can be achieved by placing a thumb on a high C note and dragging it across the
keys very quickly till the bottom of the keyboard. This effect is notated with a wavy line
and the abbreviation “gliss” placed at the starting note, with the specific ending note
being shown at the other end of the wavy line.
Piano intervals
An interval refers to the distance between two tones. It identifies and builds notes in
a melody. It is measured by assessing the number of half-steps and whole-steps between
two notes. There are two kinds of piano intervals, a melodic interval which is the distance
between two tones played after each other, and a harmonic interval which is the distance
between two tones played at the same time. There are several ways of classifying them.
One of them is known as a major interval, and it is determined by measuring a major
second, third, sixth or seventh, by matching the second, third, sixth, or seventh notes on
the major scale, and counting half steps from the root note. A minor interval is made by
reducing its major counterpart by a half step. The third one, a perfect interval, is only
applicable to fourths, fifths, and octaves. An augmented interval is made by raising the
interval by a half step, while a diminished interval is achieved by reducing the interval by
a half step.
Names of music notes and values
There are six music notes, each of them having a duration and a pitch. They include
the double whole note, whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note, and sixteenth note.
The double whole note is worth two whole notes, or four quarter notes. The whole note is
equivalent to four quarter notes. The half note’s duration is two quarter notes. The quarter
note is equivalent to one beat music note. The eighth note is the first note to have a flag,
and it amounts to half of a quarter note. It may be joined in sets of 2 to make one beat.
The sixteenth note is 0.25 of a quarter note. Four sixteenth notes may be flagged together
to make a quarter note.
How to play dotted notes
A dotted note refers to a note with a small note after its note head. It adds half of the
note’s value to its length. When playing a dotted note, the halved value of whatever note
it is attached to is written in, and a tie is then placed between the two notes. A dotted note
can be a half note, a quarter note, or a double dotted note. A dotted half note has three
beats in total, as a half note has two beats, plus the additional half of that length. A dotted
quarter note has 1.5 beats since a quarter note has a single beat, plus the additional 0.5
beat. A double dotted note has 1.75 beats.
How to use the circle of fifths
A circle of fifths is a chart that organizes all the keys into a system that can be used
to relate them with one another. To use it, the twelve notes are arranged in the same order
as that of a clock. Starting with a C and going clockwise, five keys are counted to arrive
at a G. Starting again with a G, five keys are then counted clockwise to give a D. The
closer two chords are on the circle, the better they will sound., and this helps in coming
up with chord progressions.
Piano modes
Piano modes were popular during the medieval times, but are currently used by Jazz
musicians. There are seven types of piano modes namely Ionian, Dorian, Aeolian,
Locrian, Mixolydian, Phrygian, and Lydian. Taking an example of a C major, the Ionian
tonic will remain at C, the Dorian changes to D, the Phrygian will change to E, the Lydian
will change to F, the Mixolydian changes to G, the Aeolian will change to A, and the
Locrian will change to B. The difference between the piano modes and the regular major
scales lies in their order, which has a different root note.
Jazz Piano Chords
A chord is symbol that represents 3 or more notes. One of the jazz piano chords is a
major, which comprises of the first, third, and fifth notes of a scale. A minor is made up
of the first, lowered third, and fifth notes of the scale. A 7th chord is made up of the first,
third, fifth, and lowered 7th notes of the scale. A major 7th chord comprises of the first,
third, fifth, and seventh notes of the scale.
Autumn leaves chords
Autumn leaves is a jazz standard that moves back and forth between a major key and
its minor key. It is based on a song that is generally used by piano beginners. The song is
mainly played in G minor. The song is mainly played in the same key. In the 8-bar
phrases, the rhythm remains unchanged, the only change being in the double-stops.
Rhythm between phrases is kept similar, while the harmonic and the melodic content
keep changing.