Okay, so this is basically a more elaborate version of the article I submitted to my Hubpage. It's got information for those of you who are totally new to pianos and have not got any idea what is what. Got to start somewhere! :)
Piano is one of the most popular instruments in the world, and there are already millions of pianists. Despite the popular belief that piano is the easiest instrument to learn, this is not entirely true. Depending on the individual, his/her commitment and efforts, combined with the motivation to learn, learning to play piano can take from a month to several years.
Basic Facts
Every piano has a number of black and white keys. This number may vary, depending on the make and model of the piano. There are 81-key versions as well as 61-key ones, but these smaller ones are usually musical keyboards, the tech-versions of the classic pianos. The standard piano has 88 keys, 52 naturals, and 36 accidentals.
- The black keys are called accidentals, or "sharps" (♯), and "flats" (♭).
- The white keys are called naturals, and they are all within the "key" of C.
Beginners, there are many keys and it may seem confusing, but check this out:
Octaves - Depending on the size of the piano, there is a given number of octaves. It means "8" or "8 notes". You have the same notes in every octave, but the difference is the pitch. there are 7 natural notes and 5 accidentals in one octave;
These are (C)C♯(D)D♯(E)(F)F♯(G)A♭*(A)B♭(B). Notes in parenthesis are naturals.
*the "A♭" is called "A flat". The (♯) symbol means sharp. e.g. D♯= D sharp.
However, there is one detail on that. As the accidentals either go up or down by a semitone, a note can be expressed in two ways, depending whether it has gone up or down.
Allow me to demonstrate!
c d e f g a b -
(D♯) can be expressed as (E♭).
(A♯) can be expressed as (B♭).
Basically, black key to the left of the white, it's a flat (♭). A black key to the right, it's a sharp (♯).
Makes sense? Great! Moving on...
The Pedals
The pedal on the right is the sustaining or the damper pedal. It sustains the notes which are played before it is pressed down, but doesn't sustain the notes which are played afterwards. Basically, it is as if you had a third hand holding the notes down, while you play with your other two hands.
The middle pedal is called the "sostenuto" pedal, also known as the muffler pedal. The sostenuto pedal allows certain notes to be sustained while other notes on the keyboard are unaffected. It is used by hitting the desired notes, then depressing the pedal. The selected notes will resonate until the pedal is released. This way, sustained notes can be heard alongside notes played with a staccato effect.
The left pedal is called "una corda", better known as soft pedal. In upright pianos, and some grand's, it moves the resting hammers closer to the strings, decreasing the distance they travel, and thus their striking force. In most grand's, the soft pedal shifts the entire action sideways, causing the treble hammers to hit only two of their three strings. The lower strings are shifted to another part of the hammer felt. The shifting type of soft pedal is called the una corda pedal.
Chords
Chords are basically sets of notes that are played together, and are heard as if sounding simultaneously. The most common chords are triads, or 3 notes played together. Also, the 2-note versions can be called chords.
Melody
The simple explanation of melody is what will normally be played by the right hand, simultaneously with the chords of the left hand. This is basically the simplest way to explain "playing piano".
- Left hand - Chords
- Right hand - Melody
Now, this part of melody can be a little tricky to do simultaneously with the chords of the left hand, but what you can do to start with is this:
Play the chord and depress the sustaining / damper pedal. Now while the chord is still sounding, play a melody. Then play another chord and a new melody. Gradually, you will learn how to play faster and without having to hold the sustaining pedal down every time you're going to play a melody.
Practice, Learn and Enjoy!
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