How does a piano make noise? Well, as much as I like to imagine that there are little piano-gnomes that live behind my sheetmusic, sometimes it’s better to face reality. And in reality, how a piano works has a lot to do with physics and mechanics, and less to do with mythical creatures.

While the piano is often grouped in with percussion instruments, it actually depends on strings to make noise. The pitch of a string (that is, the high or low quality) depends on a string’s length and tension. The longer and looser the string, the LOWER the pitch will be. The shorter and tighter the string, the HIGHER the pitch will be. This makes a lot of sense if you think about sound as a series of vibrations. Long and loose strings will vibrate more slowly, so the resulting FREQUENCY of the note will be LOW. Short and tight strings will vibrate more quickly, resulting in a higher frequency, and therefore a higher note.

So, if you took a look at the inside of your piano, you would find a series of strings – each corresponding to a key on the keyboard. A keyboard with 88 keys will have 88 corresponding strings. So now that we know about the existance of the strings, how does the piano use them to make noise? With other stringed instruments the noise-production process is more obvious: You strum the guitar, stroke a violin with a bow, and pluck a harp. But in the piano, you press a key, a bunch of magic happens, and a sound comes out.

This “magic” is actually a complicated mechanism that translates the downward stroke of the key (or action) into a hammer striking a string. Rather than me explaining this mechanism to you, take a look at it here.  You’re glad I didn’t explain it to you now, aren’t you? This mechanism varies depending on whether you have an upright piano or a grand piano. This is because the upright piano strings are strung vertically, while the grand piano strings are strung horizontally.

So we’ve made it to the point where we have sound. A little bit of sound, but sound nonetheless. If the piano were only to consist of keys, hammer, strings, and nothing else, your fortissimo’s would sound a little… pianissimo. That, my friends, is why we have a soundboard. Because nothing is worse than having your fortissimo sound like a pianissimo.  Trust me. To combat that problem a soundboard collects the vibrations from the strings, and retransmits the sound, kindof like the body of an acoustic guitar.

The last thing I’m going to mention is the damper. It is a felted block that rests against the strings to stop their vibration. Without the damper in place, a key that is pressed will ring out until it gradually fades away. The damper absorbs the vibrations of the string so that it only sounds for a short time. The damper pedal (rightmost pedal) actually lifts the damper block from the strings so that the strings can ring out. Try it! Play a short note without the pedal, and then play the same note with the pedal depressed. You’ll notice that the note played while the pedal was down will last longer than the note played while the pedal was up.

That’s the piano in a nutshell. Now that the physics lesson is over, I’m going to resume my piano-gnome fantasies.

photo credit: Zellaby

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Tempo

I discussed the use of the word tempo in a previous post. Basically, the word tempo is synonymous with speed. It can be used in a musical context; For example, to describe the speed of a piece of music. However, it can be used outside of the musical context as well, to describe the rate of a repeating event. For example, runners may use the word tempo in the context of describing running pace, or heart rate.

Largo

Largo is a term that you will come across quite often in classical music. Translated literally, it means “broad”. A piece marked Largo will be slow and drawn out.  A piece of music you may want to listen to is the second movement of the New World Symphony by Dvorak. This will give you an idea of what largo is. Actually, you can listen to it here! Yay, don’t you just love the internet?!

Presto

The word brings up imagery of magicians and rabbits popping out of hats… In music, it should bring up the same imagery. OK, maybe slightly different. There are no magicians, and no rabbits. No hats either. Really, all it means in music is VERY FAST. Check out this piece of music and tell me it isn’t presto enough for you!

Rubato

The literal translation is  “robbed time”… Hunh? This is my favourite tempo marking. It means that the music can be free flowing, and doesn’t have to follow a steady and strict rhythm. This means you are free to take some creative liberties with the music. My buddy, Claude used this marking in his music quite often. You may know Claude – he composed the famous piece called “Clair de Lune”, which is marked “tempo rubato” in sections. Great guy.

photo credit: David Paul Ohmer

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So, I’m going to prepare some lesson plans, and hopefully some additional downloadable material that can be incorporated into lesson plans for kids.

Before we get started there may be some basic supplies that you will want to consider:

1. A whiteboard - What classroom wouldn’t be complete without a whiteboard? It’s fun to write on, and easy to erase. A great way to provide visual stimulation. Get funky with the colours.
2. A computer – The internet is wonderful for so many reasons – there is a plethora of resources available to you and your child.
3. A method book - This may be Alfred’s or Bastien, or another method. You may choose not to use a method series, but I would recommend getting the books either way. At the very least they will provide you with songs for practicing, even if you choose not to follow their method.
4. Assignment books – This could be a notebook, or journal that you would use to coordinate assignments and progress on a weekly basis.
5. Achievement Awards – Depending on the age of child you are teaching, this could be any number of things. Some ideas are: ribbons, stickers, certificates, knick knacks, pencils, erasers, etc. These are intended to reward the child for their achievement.
6. Flash Cards – Flash cards are a fun way to do musical drills and memorization work.
7. Blank Staff Paper – Blank paper can be downloaded from any number of places. For teaching children, you want to make sure the staff is big enough for them to use.

These items will probably give you a good head start in your teaching ventures. If a specific lesson requires anything extra, I’ll mention it  in the lesson plan outline. If you have any ideas that I can use for this series, please reply with a comment or email me.

photo credit: Forty Two.

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• What is the best age start learning piano?
• Lesson 27: Accidentals – Putting it all together
• Lesson 26: More Accidentals! Double Sharps and Double Flats
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• Lesson 24: Rhythm Review – Whole, Half, Quarter, Eighth, Sixteenth, Dotted Notes

Step 1: Improve your knowledge of music theory. Know your key signatures and chords so that you can identify them in a piece of music. Know common chord progressions. And hey! it looks like you are taking a good step in visiting my blog! Good for you! Here you will find some useful (and some not so useful) information on musical theory. (<- shameless self-promotion)

Step 2: Start simple. You didn’t learn to read by picking up Tolstoy. Well, I shouldn’t speak for you. *EDIT* I didn’t learn to to read by picking up Tolstoy. Similarly, you probably won’t learn to sight read by trying to play Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu right off the bat. A good rule of thumb is to start sight reading several grade levels below your current level. If you find that unreasonably easy or difficult, adjust as necessary. If you are a beginner yourself, you are learning about sight reading at the perfect time! Starting early will allow you to develop your sight reading skills along with your technique. And that’s a good thing.

Step 3: Start slow. When first starting to practice sight reading, you don’t necessarily need to play the pieces up to the correct speed. The elements of music that you have to worry about when sight reading in order of importance  are:

• Most important: Notes and duration. Hit the right notes for the right amount of time, and you are golden!
• Next most important: Dynamics. Make your louds loud, and your softs, soft. Put some feeling into it!
• Also important, but a little less so: Your tempo. Advanced students will want to put a little more focus on this aspect of sight reading, but for beginners, slow and steady wins the race!

Step 4: Play A LOT of music. Don’t practice it! This means playing through the piece once, and then leaving it be. Don’t repeat sections, don’t study the music. Just let it rest.

Step 5: Play a lot of DIFFERENT music. Different styles, different keys, different books, just different!

Step 6:  Try not to look at your hands as you play. Learning to sight read is learning about where the keys are on the keyboard just as much as where the notes are on the page. Looking up and down from a piece of music can be difficult. Eventually, with practice, you will just KNOW where the keys are without looking at your fingers. (Kindof like a Jedi power, but cooler.)

Step 7: Scan ahead. As you play, try to be looking at the next measure and recognizing notes, rhythms, patterns, and other goings on. Scanning ahead will prepare your brain for what it needs to tell your hands to do.

Step 8: Use memorization with caution. I think I’ve touched on this before. Memorization is not always a bad thing. Indeed, it is sometimes even a good thing! But memorization can actually hinder your sight-reading progress. Don’t memorize every song you play. Look at the book while you play, and deliberately read the music.

As a side note, I feel like I’ve used more exclamation marks in this post than I usually do. Part of me finds this to be slightly disturbing.

photo credit: »grahamblackall

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Sight reading! It’s what we all do the first time we lay eyes on a piece of music. Whether or not we are GOOD at it is a whole different issue. Imagine, in the above scenario, that you have sub-par sight-reading skills. Not only would it take LONGER to learn the piece of music, it could be downright embarrassing. (Uh, Mr. Boico? Could you wait a second while I write letters above the notes?)

Here are a few reasons why having good sight reading skills is important:

• It makes learning a piece of music easier. A good sight-reader can identify notes and patterns without laboring over every note.
• It allows the musician to try more pieces. Being able to read music easily can allows the musician to “test out” all sorts of music. Sitting down and playing a new piece of music gives an idea of whether or not they like the composition.
• It improves versatility. Do you want to be a studio musician? A musician in a band or orchestra? Play the piano in church? Being able to sight read will allow you to be more versatile in these situations. A new piece of music will not be a major hurdle to overcome.

Now these are just some of the reasons why sight-reading skills are important for most musicians. Of course, it’s not important for every musician. There are plenty of musicians that can’t read music at all, but have excellent ear training and improvisational skills. It all depends on what your goals as a musician are. Next post I’ll introduce some techniques that you can use to improve your sight reading skills.

photo credit: m4r00n3d

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If you said: sharps, flats, naturals, double sharps, and double flats, you are correct! If you didn’t answer correctly, just pretend you did, and give yourself a pat on the back! I won’t know the difference!

Here is a look at all of the accidentals together.. I didn’t include any labels. Try to name the accidentals and identify what their function is.

The next challenge is to put them all together. For example: You have a piece of music with 3 flats: B flat, E flat, and A flat.  In your piece of music you encounter a B with a natural sign next to it. What note do you play? Well you would play the natural version of the key – the white key!

Try to answer theses questions yourself before you look at the answers:

• What symbol would you use to raise a flat 1 semitone?

• What symbol would you use to raise a flat 2 semitones?

• What symbol would you use to raise a flat 3 semitones?

• What symbol would you use to lower a double sharp one semitone?

• What symbol would you use to raise a double flat one semitone?

• What symbol would you use to lower a double sharp 2 semitones?

Here are the answers:

• What symbol would you use to raise a flat 1 semitone? A flat is one semitone lower than a note in its natural state. Therefore, to raise a flat one semitone, we must use a natural sign.
  

• What symbol would you use to raise a flat 2 semitones? Since a flat is one semitone lower than a note in its natural state, and a sharp is one semitone higher, if we use a sharp, the note will be raised 2 semitones.

• What symbol would you use to raise a flat 3 semitones? A natural will raise it one semitone, a sharp will raise it 2. To raise it 3, we must use a double sharp. Remember, a double sharp raises the pitch of the note by 2 semitones above its natural state.

• What symbol would you use to lower a double sharp one semitone? A double sharp is 2 semitones above the note in its natural state. A sharp is only one semitone above the note in its natural state. Therefore, to lower a double sharp by one semitone, we will use a sharp.

• What symbol would you use to raise a double flat one semitone? A double flat is 2 semitones lower than a note in its natural state. A flat is only one semitone lower. We would use a flat.

• What symbol would you use to lower a double sharp 2 semitones? A double sharp is 2 semitones higher than a note in its natural state. To lower a double sharp by 2 semitones, we would use a natural.

I hope this gave you a good idea of how accidentals work when they are all put together into the same picture. I have nothing more to say about accidentals. You know just as much about accidentals as I do now. I feel inadequate all of the sudden…

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• Lesson 23: Tones, Semitones, Chromatic Semitones, Diatonic Semitones

Let’s review. Do you remember what an accidental is? They are symbols that are located WITHIN a piece of music that modify the pitch of a note. If you need to review how accidentals work, check back on Lesson 22: Key Signatures and Accidentals. So far we learned about 3 types of accidentals: SHARPS, FLATS, and NATURALS. Each of them has a different purpose.  A SHARP accidental is used within a piece of music to RAISE the pitch of the note by one semitone. A FLAT is used to LOWER the pitch of the note by one semitone. A NATURAL symbol can be used in front of a note to change it back to it’s NATURAL state.  You can click on the highlighted words to review the lessons.

OK, on to the new stuff. DOUBLE SHARPS! You don’t see them very often, but they do exist (kindof like Big Foot .. dun dun duuunnnnn).. A double sharp is an accidental that RAISES the pitch of a note by TWO semitones (or ONE whole tone). This differs from a regular sharp which only raises the note by ONE semitone. Take a look at the image below to see what a double sharp looks like. Kindof looks like an ‘X’, and it is placed in front of the note you wish to change.

A DOUBLE FLAT actually looks like 2 flat symbols. Way too logical. I bet you can guess what a double flat does… It LOWERS the pitch of a note by TWO semitones (or ONE whole tone).  Again, peek at the image below to see what a double flat looks like. Exciting stuff.

Now you know your accidentals. All of them. It almost makes me want to sing. Next time we’ll put them all together. FUN!

Here is a fun (or not so fun) fact: Sharps and flats are not always accidentals, while naturals, double sharps, and double flats are always used as accidentals.. Can you think of a scenario where sharps and flats would be used as something other than accidentals?

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• Lesson 23: Tones, Semitones, Chromatic Semitones, Diatonic Semitones

The Royal Conservatory of Music is Canada’s most well-established arts educator. Their mandate is to help develop human potential through music and the arts. Although their programs are many, I’m going to focus mainly on the RCM Examinations certificate program, as it is an internationally recognized curriculum (not to mention I am most familiar with this program.)

The RCM Examinations certificate program spans 11 grades, from beginner (Grade 1) to ARCT (Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music). Each level has certain requirements that need to be achieved in order to obtain recognition for that level. Curriculum for a specific level includes technical requirements, ear training and sight reading requirements, as well as a selected repertoire. These skills are evaluated at a one-on-one practical examination in which a certified examiner will assess the student. The student will received a mark, as well as written feedback about their performance.

As the student progresses through the levels, the requirements become more demanding. Theory examinations, intended to complement practical study, begin at the Grade 5 level. There are several different types of theory examinations:

• Rudiments of Music - This examination evaluates the student on their knowledge of basic musical theory and notation.
• Harmony - The harmony curriculum is intended to introduce the student to composition, with basic theories of classical composition
• History - These examinations focus on a specific period in musical history, studying both the composers and the compositions
• Counterpoint - I’ve never taken this exam, so I have no personal experience in it. However, it also focuses on compositional principles.

The Royal Conservatory of Music also offers a Piano Pedagogy curriculum for those interested in teaching.

The cost of an examination can range from just under $100 for the beginner levels, to over $500 for ARCT examinations. For more information you can visit their website to see if examinations are taking place in your area.

photo credit: [phil h]

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So far we’ve figured out how to fit one note into the duration of one beat, using a quarter note. To fit two notes into one beat, we can use two eighth notes. To fit four notes into one beat, we can use four sixteenth notes. All of this we have learned in previous lessons. But… and you can probably see where I am going with this… how do we fit THREE notes into a beat? *insert anticipatory pause here…*

We can use TRIPLETS! The use of triplets tells the musician to play THREE notes in one beat.  Triplet notes look like 3 notes that are connected together using a bar. Additionally, the number “3″ is displayed above or below the notes, depending on their position in the staff.  See the image below for two examples of triplet runs.

Now that we know what the triplet looks like, we need to know what to do when we encounter triplets. There are different ways to count triplet notes, but I like to use the phrase “One-and-a  Two-and-a  Three-and-a Four-and-a… ” etc.  If you have triplet note runs, it can sound a lot like a gallop. Just try repeating the phrase “One-and-a Two-and-a Three-and-a Four-and-a” over and over again. You’ll be lucky if you don’t end up galloping around the room by the time you are done.   Now, you don’t HAVE to use the “one-and-a..” counting technique to count triplets. Some people like to say “trip-uh-let” when they encounter a triplet run. This doesn’t make much sense to me because the word triplet only has two syllables. But hey, whatever works for you!

So, in the phrase above, try to count out the rhythm using the method summarized in Lesson 14, including what you learned about triplets in this lesson. It will sound a lot like this: “ONE TWO THREE-and-a FOUR. ONE TWO THREE-and-a FOUR”. Remember to tap your foot slowly and evenly, and that each number will fall on a foot tap. Pretty soon I hope to get some worksheets up in the download section so you can practice your triplets!

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The Suzuki method was developed by a  Japanese violinist who had an interesting idea. The idea was that music is a language, and all children have an innate talent for acquiring languages.  And much like a child learning a language learns to speak before they learn to read, the Suzuki method does not focus on note recognition at first. Rather, it focuses on playing and mastering the instrument. First, become comfortable with the instrument and music. Then, learn to read.

So, how does one become comfortable with an instrument without knowing how to read music? Well, the Suzuki method first focuses on learning music by ear, that is, listening to a piece of music and then imitating it.  Along with ear-instrument training, the Suzuki method also prioritizes memorization of music. You can imagine that these techniques have led to some controversy over the effectiveness of the method. Some may (and do) argue that a child taught using the Suzuki method may not acquire the skills necessary to become a well-rounded musician.

Despite these types of arguments, supporters of the method argue that the method is most effective when used with very young children.  It facilitates the process of learning the instrument, and focuses on musical notation when the child is mature enough to remember and apply musical theory. It does not eliminate musical theory completely, only shifts the initial focus.

The Suzuki method requires a lot of parental involvement. In fact, it encourages parents to be active participants in their child’s musical education to the point of supervising every practice and every lesson.  Some may even be encouraged to learn the instrument themselves in order to more effectively coach their child.

The last key philosophy of the Suzuki method is musical immersion. The method encourages children to attend concerts, listen to music at home, talk about music, and perform in public often. This is intended to ensure that the child develops musicality and musical creativity, as well as becoming comfortable with public performance.

Like any other method, the Suzuki method has pros and cons. Ultimately, it is up to the parent to decide if the method is right for them and their child.

photo credit: camil tulcan

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