Piano Library

Below we have compiled a library of helpful piano tips are articles for practicing, learning, and more. We hope these articles are helpful for you. If you have an article related to piano that you would like to submit, please visit our Contact Page and let us know about it. Once reviewed, we will add it to the site to share with our audience. We will continually add new articles to keep you informed on the best techniques to use when learning the piano.

How to Avoid Injury When Playing the Piano

No Pain No Gain is a motivating phrase to your average vampire. It's just an occupational hazard that the pain is someone else's problem. For a pianist, No pain no Gain should NOT BE an occupational hazard... EVER! (Even on Halloween).

We all know that pain is never a good sign when we are practicing, right? Did you also know that it is possible to protect yourself from even the smelli... Read Full Article

Practice Makes Perfect

"It's time to practice." "Practice makes perfect." "Showing up is half the battle." "That which you persist in doing gets easier." "A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link." You've heard it all by now I'm sure. It doesn't matter if you are just starting out, or if you have been playing your instrument for years, sometimes it feels like you just aren't getting anywhere at a... Read Full Article

Sight Reading and Your Musical GPS

Imagine what a trip through the mall or better yet... Disneyland would be like with NO MAP! You may have heard about that incredible Ferris Wheel that is a mile high and actually have to search for and hour to find it, or worse yet! You may end up with a defective seatbelt in the wrong line and find yourself traveling through "It's a Small World "over and over and over. And over.... Read Full Article

Chopin Prelude in Db Major Op. 28 No. 15

Written by Chuck Newsome

The last example we will examine in this study is another of Chopin's most famous compositions. Prelude No. 15 in Db major, the "Raindrop Prelude" is an important piece of today's concert repertoire, primarily due to its lyrical nature and memorable melody. Because of its importance, the melody is included above the harm... Read Full Article

Chopin Prelude in E Major Op. 28 No. 9

Written by Chuck Newsome

The next prelude, No. 9, features yet another texture. Although it is only 12measures long, this piece showcases Chopin's elegant use of common chord modulations, 3rd based root movements, and dense harmonic textures.

Figure ... Read Full Article

Chopin Prelude in E Minor Op. 28 No. 4

Written by Chuck Newsome

The first example examined here illustrates Chopin's interesting mixture of traditional and forward-thinking harmonic techniques is Prelude No. 4 in E minor, shown below in Figure 1, a harmonic reduction and analysis:

This short ... Read Full Article

Expanded Harmonic Vocabulary in the Preludes of Frédéric Chopin

Written by Chuck Newsome

Although Frédéric Chopin is known as a composer of inherently lyrical piano music, his influence has extended far beyond the piano and into the vocabulary of 20th century American jazz. Based on an analysis of several of Chopin's preludes, the forward-thinking tendencies of the composer emerge in his use of “upper ext... Read Full Article

Piano Lessons at Home?

As one of five children, I well remember the pack of us trooping 'round the neighborhood to school, to church, to piano lessons. We’d file one-by-one down Mrs. Connell’s narrow steps to a gloomy basement room divided by a curtain, upright piano on one side, ancient sofa on the other. This was her studio, and those of us waiting were left to fidget on the sofa while listening to brother... Read Full Article

Piano Lessons for Children

"Hello, Marge? You won't believe what my little Billy learned to play on the piano today . . . and he's only three-and-a-half years old!" These days, we believe in starting ‘em young. But when it comes to piano lessons for kids, just how young becomes an important question. Experts agree that early exposure to music is beneficial to children—just witness those progre... Read Full Article

Piano Teacher Guilds

Are you the best piano teacher in the world? How about one of the best, with a comfortable, well-appointed studio, a great instrument in perfect tune, a personal style your students absolutely adore and a passion for what you love to do. If so, congratulations! But even if you are all these things, if students and prospective students don’t know anything about you-... Read Full Article

Adult Piano Lessons

Too old to start playing the piano?

Nonsense! Remember how you felt not long ago when you first heard to word "Internet"? Most of us had absolutely no idea how much we were going to learn over the next 10 or 20 years about computers, about cyberspace, about the very foundations of how we communicate. The fact that you’re now on-line reading this article proves you learned... Read Full Article

Suzuki Piano Lessons

Just as the typical young parent will forever cherish the first words spoken by the typical child, so might the parent of a young piano student come to cherish the strains of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star as learned by their child using the Suzuki Method.

Psychologists and parents have long marveled at a child’s prodigious learning ability during its earliest years. Such... Read Full Article

The Benefits of Taking Piano Lessons

The Verdict is in. Piano Lessons Pay Off Big Time! Did you know that kids get smarter by playing piano? Pianists have less anti-social behaviour. Pianists are able to multi-task almost as good as mothers!!! No matter how you cut it, the piano is an incredible instrument. Below is clear proof why you AND your children should be putting aside time in your day to learn piano. There is no de... Read Full Article

Top 5 Benefits of Piano Lessons

Some of the most common initial questions people ask when they see someone who is an exceptional piano player include:

• How long have you been playing piano?
• What age did you start taking piano lessons?
• Do you play by ear?
• Do you read music?

More often than not, if someone is a good player they have taken piano lessons for a good amount of ti... Read Full Article

Tips for Practicing Without a Piano

There are two key ingredients to becoming a good piano player.  The first is finding a good teacher.  Getting piano lessons from a good teacher or good piano learning course will help you to master concepts more quickly and in the correct way.  If the teacher is right, you'll also get inspiration which is key to keeping your interest and motivation.  The second ingredient is... Read Full Article

Playing By Ear - Transcribing Methods

In this piano lesson, we discuss the importance of transcription.  As with anything, when approaching your first transcription you should start with something simple. Don't attempt to transcribe the most difficult piano piece ever written. If you do, you'll just end up frustrating yourself and possibly give up on the whole idea.

So what should you start with then? My advice is to pic... Read Full Article

Being In Tune With Your Piano

The Nut Shell Concept: Winston Churchill once gave this advice to his fellow speech makers.

• Say what you are going to say
• Say it
• Say what you just said

I will humbly try to do the same.

In a Nutshell - Pianos should be tuned twice yearly. Once yearly will get you by, but leaving it longer than that is doing damage to your instrument and will catch up... Read Full Article

Piano Scales Made Easy

Learning scales on the piano is an essential part of becoming a good piano player. Unfortunately, it is also something that many students dread. After all, how much fun can it be playing the same notes up and down, over and over again? Although I can?t promise to make scales the most exciting part of playing the piano, I hope to give you some pointers to make the most of this practicing and to ... Read Full Article

Analysis of Mozart's Piano Concerto in G major, K.453

In the following, I will discuss Mozart's Piano Concerto in G major, K.453.  This particular concerto was composed in 1784 and contains three movements (allegro, andante, and allegretto).  Due to the fact that I do not have the entire score, I will only be able to make certain comments on harmonic movements that are obvious to my ear.  I will try to provide as much harmonic analy... Read Full Article

Overcoming Stage Fright at the Piano

So you have your first piano recital coming up and you are scared to death. You start asking yourself questions over and over that only increase your anxiety. What if I forget the song? What if I'm the worst player there? What if people laugh at me? Your palms sweat and your fingers shake. These are all common feelings especially if you don't have any experience playing in front of people. The ... Read Full Article

Online Jazz Piano Lessons

I've met piano players who have played classical piano for many years but have always wanted to know how to improvise. I've also met players who want to learn how to improvise from the start and who are not interested in reading classical piano music straight off the page. Regardless of what category you fall into, if you're interested in learning to make things up as you go and improvise, the ... Read Full Article

My Funny Valentine - Rodgers and Hart

Among jazz musicians, there are certain tunes referred to as "jazz standards" which all jazz musicians are expected to know by memory.  These tunes have been in the jazz repertoire for many years and as a result, have been performed in a wide variety of arrangements.  Of the most prominent teams of writers for these types of "jazz standards" was Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (Rodger... Read Full Article

Learning Chords on the Piano

There are typically two types of piano students. One type is able to read music and can play songs and compositions so long as they are written note for note on a page in front of them. The other type is able to play music based off of the chords they know and typically from what is known as a fake book. Ideally you should be able to do both things (read music and know your chords) but I think ... Read Full Article

The Single Most Important Expenditure for Piano Owners!

I love pianos! Uprights or grands --- old or new --- scratched up wood or high gloss polyester --- I love pianos! When my wife and I were first married it quickly came to her attention that I owned 13 pianos but no dining room set! She seemed to think that there was something wrong with my priorities! Imagine that! And guess what? I did not win the argument!!! Even now, having conformed to the ... Read Full Article

Analysis of Haydn String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 74, no. 3 Mvt II

In the following I will discuss Haydn's string quartet in G minor.  In order to gain a more complete understanding of the piece, we will begin by discussing its phrase structure and overall ternary form.  Once these aspects are understood, we will look more deeply into what is happening within the phrases.  Through the analysis of Haydn's use of chromaticism, modulation, and moti... Read Full Article

5 Ways to Get your Child Learning Piano

After most piano performances, I always enjoy talking with people in the audience who took the time to come out and hear me play. One of the most common comments I get is ?how long have you been playing?? My response always the same: ?I started lessons when I was 5 years old and just seemed to stick with it?? So many people I speak with express disappointment saying they wish they had started t... Read Full Article

Finding a Good Piano Teacher

Are you looking for a good piano teacher for yourself or for your child? Finding a good piano teacher can be difficult but the extra effort to find the perfect match will be worth it in the end. As with anything you learn, being able to connect with the person who is teaching you is one of the most important elements of any good learning experience. When you are learning piano, you should seek ... Read Full Article

Analysis of Beethoven's Sonata in Eb Op. 31/3 (Minuet/Trio)

In the following I will discuss Beethoven's Sonata in Eb.  We will first understand the piece in terms of its phrase structure and overall form.  Once these elements are understood, I will highlight the ways in which the minuet and trio contrast.  Finally, I will identify any similarities that exist between the two parts.

In order to understand the overall form of the piece... Read Full Article