Category: Lessons, Reviews
Its been a long time since I’ve talked about rhythm and the time values of notes. So perhaps a mini-refresher lesson is in order. (I know it is for me.) So far we have learned about the following notes:
- whole notes
- half notes
- quarter notes
- eighth notes
- sixteenth notes
- dotted notes
I’ll go over these one by one during this lesson so that we can move on to more complex rhythms during the next lesson.
OK, lets start with WHOLE NOTES. The whole note looks like a white circle with no stem; the simplest note there is. The whole note is worth 4 counts.
Next, we discussed HALF NOTES. The half note is white with a stem. It is worth 2 counts. That means in the same time that you play one whole note, you could play two half notes.
QUARTER NOTES are worth one count. It is a black note with a stem. You can play 2 quarter notes in the time it takes to play a half note, or you could play 4 quarter notes in the time it takes to play a whole note.
The diagram below displays the whole note, half note, and quarter note, and how they would be counted in a piece of music.
Now it gets a little more difficult. An eighth note is worth half a count. This means two eighth notes can be played in the same time as it takes to play a quarter note. It makes things a little more difficult to count, but you can use the technique discussed in Lesson 14 (Figuring out rhythm). The eighth note is a black note with a stem and a flag. The flag can either be a fancy flag that is not attached to it’s neighbor, or they can be connected together with a bar (see the image below). These two notations are equivalent, however the notation on the right is used more often when there are multiple eighth note runs. It just looks cleaner, and it can be easier to read.
So the SIXTEENTH note is worth half of the value of an eighth note. This means that 2 sixteenth notes could fit into an eighth note, and 4 sixteenth notes could fit into a quarter note. Again, it is more difficult to count than the other types of notes, but to help count these notes you can use the technique discussed in Lesson 14. The sixteenth note is a black note with a stem and two flags (as shown above). Like the eighth note, the flags can be (and often are) connected together if more than one sixteenth note occurs in a row.
Now for the DOTTED NOTE. A dot can be slapped onto any note: whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, etc. Putting a dot behind a note changes the duration of the note by increasing it by half of its original value. For example: A whole note is worth 4 counts; A dotted whole note would increase the duration of the note by half of it’s original value (+2), so a dotted whole note would be worth 6 counts. A dotted half note would be worth 3 counts. A dotted quarter note would be worth 1 and a half counts. (This is where it gets fun.) A dotted eighth note would be worth 3 quarters of a count, and on and on it goes.
Lesson 14 does not cover how to count dotted notes. Keep you eyes peeled and your ears tuned for the next lesson where I will explain how to count out the most common dotted notes and commonly-used rhythm patterns that use dotted notes.
Category: Miscellaneous
photo credit: Denis Collette…!!!
If you have studied or listened to piano pieces, you have probably run into different types of words that are used to describe a piece of music. Preludes, Nocturnes, and Etudes are just a subset of the many different types of musical composition. In this post, I will discuss the differences between them. Next time you listen to a Prelude, Nocturne, or Etude, see if you can distinguish the elements that make it what it is.
Prelude:
Preludes are characterized by being short and sweet (relatively), with a melodic and/or rhythmic motif that is featured throughout the piece. This motif will recur throughout the piece, sometimes differing slightly as the music progresses. A prelude may be played on its own, or as a preface to another piece, usually more complex.
Nocturne:
Nocturnes are generally lyrical and tranquil pieces. The nocturne is known for being expressive above all else. It follows no specific form, but evolves as the music progresses.
Etude:
You can probably guess this one. Etude is the french word for study; so a musical etude is just that – a musical study used to perfect a particular technical skill. Generally etudes are quite difficult, featuring runs of quick notes, and arpeggios.
Those were just three terms that are commonly used to characterize a piece of music. For some examples of these styles take a look at the works of Chopin. He composed 24 Preludes: One in each key, major and minor, 27 Etudes, and 21 Nocturnes.
Category: Lessons
We have already been dealing with tones and semitones in previous posts without even realizing it. A SEMITONE is the smallest distance between any two sounds used in Western music. It is the smallest distance between any two adjacent keys on the piano, whether they be black and white, or white and white. We have already touched this concept when learning about sharps, flats, and accidentals.
A TONE (or WHOLE TONE) is equals to two semitones (in the same direction). Pick a note on the keyboard, now find the next semitone to right. Move right one more semitone, and you’ve got a WHOLE TONE. You can do the same thing in the opposite direction.
Now that we have fleshed out the intracacies of the Western concept of a semitone, we can delve a bit further. A semitone comes in two “flavours”: chromatic and diatonic. When a semitone contains two notes with the same letter name, it is called a CHROMATIC SEMITONE. See below for examples of chromatic semitones. As you can easily see, the notes of a chromatic semitone are the same, but one is altered with an accidental.
A diatonic semitone occurs when a semitone contains two notes with different letter names. See below for examples.
A chromatic semitone can be manipulated to be a diatonic semitone and vice versa. Remember, that most notes can be referred to by different note names. For example E# and F are the same note. Take a look at the two intervals below. They are equivalent, but one is a chromatic semitone, and the other is a diatonic semitone. Try to identify tones and semitones on the piano keyboard. The more you practice the easier it will become. It is very important to grasp this concept fully, as it will form the foundation of many future lessons in musical theory.
Category: Lessons, Music Theory
Now that you’ve learned all about sharps and flats, it is time to get the bigger picture. Although sharps and flats can exist in the same piece of music (and often they do), they are like … enemies that can’t live without each other. OK, bad analogy. But you will learn that sharps and flats are similar, but opposite… I’m still not making sense…Let me start over…
I think this picture will explain it best.
So, as you can see, there are keys on the piano that can be referenced by more than one name. The C sharp key is the same as a D flat. A D sharp is the same as an E flat, and so on… Even the white keys can be referenced by more than one name. C can also be called B sharp!
Now, you are probably asking, now why would someone want to use B sharp instead of C – well.. usually they wouldn’t. But there are some special cases where it would make sense to use a B sharp instead of a C. We will discuss those another day, as it is a more advanced topic.
Check out the worksheets section to get more practice with sharps and flats!
Category: Lessons
You already know all about sharps. They are those little signs you find in front of notes that tell 
you to play the key that is the next one to the right on the keyboard. Well, there is another little symbol we will learn about today that is similar to a sharp. This little symbol looks like the letter ‘b’ – sortof… ok – not really. A flat symbol tells the musician to play the note one semitone DOWN (or lower)
It doesn’t matter if the next key down is a black key or a white key – either can be flat.
Look in the worksheet section if you want to practice finding sharps and flats on the keyboard.
Category: Lessons, Music Theory
So far we have introduced the concept of note names and found out where they are located on the piano keyboard. Well, you may have noticed that we only covered the white keys! You might be happy to know that a whole other world of keys exists for you to discover. OK, you might not be so happy to know that. But the black keys on the piano also play an important function. In this lesson we will learn how to name the black keys.
So – remember our piano key names: A,B,C,D,E,F,G. There are a group of two black keys and a group of 3 black keys.
First I’ll introduce the concept of a SHARP. Have you ever heard someone comment on a piece of music, saying it was a little sharp? This means that it was played at a HIGHER PITCH. In musical notation, a sharp symbol is placed in front of a note to tell the musician to play on the key located UP one SEMITONE. In Western music, a SEMITONE is the smallest step located on the keyboard – either between a black key and a white key, or between two different white keys. On the keyboard located in this post, can you find a semitone located between two white keys?
OK, so when you see the SHARP symbol in front of a note, instead of playing the note – play the NEXT NOTE TO THE RIGHT. That is, play the key that is ONE SEMITONE HIGHER. This could be a black key, or it could be a white key. If you want some practice naming sharps you can download the worksheet from this section from the worksheets section.
Try to find F#, C#, G#, D#, and A#. And when you have mastered that – find E# and B#. The frequency with which these sharps are used in a piece of music depends on the KEY of the music. We will cover this concept in a future lesson. Please mosey on over to the download section when you have a chance and practice a bit!
Category: Lessons, Music Theory
Well, it has been a while… but so far we’ve talked about the duration of notes (quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, etc) and the value of notes (A,B,C,D…). Well now – you must be itching to learn something new. So here it is – drumroll please….. Introducing staccato notes!
Staccato notes
The staccato note is indicated by a dot above or below the note as seen in the picture to the left. Staccato can mean “abrupt” or “disconnected”. So how do you play a note in a disconnected manner? To play a staccato note, the finger basically hits the key and lifts up again so that the note sounds short. The DURATION of the note will remain the same. (That is, a quarter note will still be one count, a half note will still be two counts, etc). However, after the finger lifts off the key, there will be silence for the rest of the duration of the note.
Legato
Legato is the opposite of staccato. When a piece of music indicates that is should be played legato, it must 
be played as smoothly as possible. In musical notation, legato is indicated by a SLUR, or a curved line above or below a group of notes. These notes should be played without a break between the notes, as smoothly connected as possible.
Now you know the two most common ways of playing notes: staccato and legato. Now there is also a SHORTER version of the staccato note. It is called STACCATISSIMO, and is indicated with little triangular spikes above or below the note. But we’ll talk about that some other time.
Category: Lessons, Music Theory
Piano music is divided by bar lines into small sections called measures. These concepts are demonstrated in the image above.
Piano music also has numbers near the beginning of the music. These numbers are is called the time signature. The time signature is related to the rhythm of the music. Each time signature contains 2 numbers: the top number tells you the number of beats or counts in each measure. The number at the bottom tells you which type of note gets the beat. A 4 at the bottom means that the QUARTER NOTE gets one beat. The 4/4 time signature is a very common time signature.
The QUARTER NOTE is a black note with a stem. It receives one count, or one beat. The HALF NOTE is a white note with a stem. It receives 2 counts (1-2). The WHOLE NOTE is a white note with no stem. It receives 4 counts, or 4 beats (1-2-3-4). In the image above, there are 4 counts in each measure.
This lesson introduces you to the basic rhythmic components of music. Look in the worksheet section for downloadable practice worksheets.
Category: Lessons
The two clefs that are used when playing the piano are the treble clef and the bass clef. In music, a clef is used to define the location of notes on the staff. These symbols form the basic infrastructure of piano sheet music.
Staff
The staff is the most basic element of Western music notation. It consists of 5 horizontal lines with 4 spaces between them. These are the lines (and spaces) upon which notes are written to indicate their pitch.
The Treble Clef
The treble clef, also called the G clef, is the clef commonly used for the right-hand in piano sheet music. The word ‘treble’ means soprano, or having a high range or tone. Therefore the treble clef is usually used to express the notes about or above middle C.
When the treble clef is used, the G above middle C is located on the second line of the staff. An easy way to remember this is to notice that the treble clef symbol encircles the second line, indicating it is the G line. Any note that falls on that line will be a G.
The Bass Clef
The bass clef can be used to express notes about or below middle C. It is used for instruments that have a lower pitch, such as trombone, tuba, and bass guitar. In piano sheet music, it is used for the left hand. The bass clef is also called the F-clef. Can you guess where the F note would fall on the staff? If you guessed that the F falls on the 4th line, you would be right.
The Grand Staff
Finally, we will discuss the grand staff. When you put the two clefs and two staffs together, you have what is called the grand staff. Most piano music will use the grand staff. Notice in the illustration below that middle C is located between the two staves. On your keyboard, middle C is the C that is closest to the middle of the keyboard.
Exercise
1. Find middle C on your keyboard
2. Find the G above middle C on your keyboard
3. Find the F below middle C on your keyboard
4. Locate G on the treble clef on the illustration above
5. Locate F on the bass clef on the illustration above
Category: Music Theory
Pitch
The pitch of a sound refers to its “high” or “low” quality (or frequency). In written piano music, the pitch of a note is expressed by the position of the note on the staff, and the clef that is used.
Tone (or timbre)
In music, the word tone has several different meanings. The tone of a sound refers to its quality. Think of the expression “tone of voice”. The same concept applies to this musical term. The tone of an instrument can be full and rich, or thin and whiny. Each different instrument has an inherent tone or quality that is defined by its architecture. Using different building material, material quality, and design will result in different tones.
The word ‘tone’ can also refer to a musical interval or step. This is beyond the scope of this article, and will be discussed further in a future post.
Melody
The melody of a piece of music can also be called the tune. It is a linear succession of notes that form the distinctive part of the piece of music. It has also been described as the main sound movement in a piece of music.
Harmony
In music, the term harmony refers to the use of different pitches simultaneously. It is the supporting infrastructure for the melody, often chordal – the vertical structure of a piece of music.
Tempo
Tempo refers to how fast or how slow a piece of music should be played. You may know some Italian terms such as largo, adagio, andante, or presto. These tempo markings define whether the music is to be played fast (presto) or slow (largo). There are also terms to define gradual changes in tempo. For example, the word rallentando means “gradually getting slower”.
Dynamics
The dynamics in a piece of music define how loud or how soft the notes should be played. Some example dynamics are: pianissimo (pp), piano(p), mezzo forte(mf), forte(f) and fortissimo(ff). To indicate gradual changes in volume a crescendo or decrescendo symbol is used.
This gives you a basic understanding of common musical terms. In future lessons, we will follow up on many of these terms in order to expand your understanding of them.
Category: Lessons, Music Theory, Practice and Performance
The first thing you will need to know when learning the piano is what the keys on the keyboard are called and how to find them.
Each white key on the keyboard is named after a letter of the alphabet. The notes A, B, C, D, E, F and G repeat up and down the keyboard. Easy, right? The only thing left to know is which key is which!
Take a close look at your keyboard and try to notice the pattern that the black keys form. It is easy to see that the black keys on the keyboard are clustered into groups of two and three. Find a group of two black keys on the keyboard – the white note directly to the left of that group is C. Now find a group of three black keys on the keyboard – the white note directly to the left of the three black keys is F. Now fill in the blanks! It’s that easy. The key to the right of G is A. Practice finding and naming the notes on the keyboard – become comfortable with the piano keyboard.
Feel free to comment if you have questions!
Category: Practice and Performance
Learning the piano is a journey that takes dedication and motivation. It pays to be prepared. Taking a little bit of time to prepare before you jump in will pay off in the long run. Take a few minutes and make sure you have everything you need before you start.
1. A Goal
The first step of any journey should involve defining a destination. What do you want from this experience? Some example goals might be: I will play the piano in church this Christmas season. I will finish the first level of the Alfred’s piano method in 6 months. Set one or more goals that you would like to achieve in the next 6 months to a year.
2. A Plan
Devising a plan is a step that is often overlooked. This step is especially important for busy adults who don’t have a lot of time to spare. Take a look at how serious you are about learning the piano. What steps will you take in order to achieve your goal? How much time and money do you want to invest? What time of day will you practice? How long will you practice? What kind of resources are available for you to use?
All of these things are important to think about. Write your plan down. Promise yourself that you will stick to the plan. Tell other people about it. Set yourself up for success! Periodically review and revise your plan to keep yourself motivated.
3. The Right Instrument
You will need to have a piano or keyboard available to you. You don’t need anything fancy, you just need something that works! Things to consider when purchasing an instrument is functionality, price, space requirements, and maintenance requirements.
Your cheapest option is to go with a digital keyboard. You will want a keyboard with at least 5 octaves (about 66 keys). A full-sized keyboard will have 88 keys. Eventually you may also want a sustain pedal. Well-established brands include Yamaha and Casio. Buy one new, buy one used, or borrow one from a friend…just get one!
Only you know what is right for you. In most cases a keyboard in the price range of $100-200 will fit the job requirements perfectly.
4. Resources
Whether you are taking formal lessons or teaching yourself, you will need information. Luckily we live in the information age. Virtually everything you will need is available on the internet including sheet music, lessons, and software.
Other types of resources include forums, books, CDs, and friends… the possibilities are endless!
5. Commitment
It’s easy to start something – finishing is what makes the effort worthwhile. Make a commitment to yourself that you will achieve your goal – put it in writing, tell your friends, tell your family, tell your coworkers. Commit to it 100%. Motivation will fade, commitment is the only thing that will keep you going.
Well, thats it, you are ready to go! Good luck and happy playing!
Posted on August 25th, 2009 by sharlene
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