Saturday, January 7, 2012

Learn and Master Piano - Probably the Best Teach Yourself Piano DVD Course in the World

!9#: Learn and Master Piano - Probably the Best Teach Yourself Piano DVD Course in the World

When you want to learn to play the piano, you instinctively want to have the best you can afford and it should also fit within your living conditions so size will be a factor. Also, it needs to match your home furnishings so as not to stick out like a sore thumb and of course it must fit your budget. Fortunately there are many good electric piano models available that will suit all needs.

The next important decision is which piano course to buy. Now there are many people who will go to a teacher which is the traditional way of learning to play, but for many this is not a viable option so a dedicated course that can be used in your own home is the solution.

If you have bought a good quality 88 key piano then you need a course to match and in my opinion, speaking as a music teacher, you want the best course available and that is Learn And Master Piano.

This course comes with 14 DVDs that can be used with any home DVD player. Each DVD contains lessons and practice tips and tricks all presented by Grammy winning pianist Will Barrow. He will take you step by step through the whole process in an easy and friendly manner. The biggest advantage of this system is it's almost like having your very own piano teacher in your home 24 hours a day, always available when you have the time, not the other way round, such as when you go to a teacher normally at the same time every week. Not that there's anything wrong with going to a teacher, its just not going to suit everyone, that's life.

As you might expect with a course of this quality, it's not cheap, but then why would you buy an expensive piano and then buy a cheap course, it doesn't make any sense.

So if you are buying a piano or already have one and want the best course out there, I strongly recommend you take a look at Learn And Master Piano. I think you will be very impressed.


Learn and Master Piano - Probably the Best Teach Yourself Piano DVD Course in the World

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Ou - pt 1

Given the resounding 'success' of my Po, Li, & Ou texts, it was 'inevitable' that I make movie versions of them. & what better way to do so than by having them typed using Mark Dixon & Fred Snider's SELECTRIC PIANO? The Selectric typewriter was the creme de là creme of typewriters in the 1970s b/c it used interchangeable font balls instead of just having one fixed font. I even rented one in 1977 to type my 1st bk in preparation for its publishing. Of course, in this day & age of almost immediate pre-planned obsolescence, the Selectric is now 'out-moded' in contrast to computers & whatnot. However, many fogeys, young & old, find such obsolescence wasteful & continue to use such objects & devices. Enter Mark Dixon, repurposer extraordinaire. Mark had the brilliant idea of making each of the Selectric's 88 key positions correspond to & control each of the 88 keys on a piano - here, an electric piano - & Fred Snider added his technical expertise to make it possible. SO, typing the highly formally restrictive "Ou" text & some of its explanatory material produces a unique aural correlative. Such assignments of notes to letters has, of course, precedents - such as in Jackson MacLow's 1974 "A VOCABULARY FOR PETER INNISFREE MOORE". Remote-controlling of pianos (& other instruments) also has a long & interesting history - such as in the player piano work of Conlon Nancarrow, the work of Richard Tietelbaum, Alec Bernstein, Dan Carney, & many others. HOWEVER, I think that Mark's ...

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Finding Middle "C" And How to Play a C Chord When You Play the Guitar

!9#: Finding Middle "C" And How to Play a C Chord When You Play the Guitar

When you are learning to play the guitar, you will undoubtedly see a lot of references to something called "Middle C". This sounds very daunting to a fresh new musical mind, but it is really very simple. We will see how to find this on a piano or keyboard, where it is in musical notation, then how it is played on the guitar.

On a standard piano, there are 52 white keys punctuated by black keys that are grouped in two's (7 sets) and three's (7 sets) intermittently. At the end of the keyboard is one extra black key for a total of 36 black keys and a total of 88 keys overall.

Now find the name of the piano manufacturer. This is the exact center of the keyboard. Follow the center down and find the set of two black keys nearest this point. The white key to the left of the two black keys is middle C.

In musical notation, middle C is a little more of a challenge, but not much, really. Music is written normally on what is called a Grand Staff, which has the bass line under the treble line. Middle C is located in the precise center of the two lines. This is why it is called middle C. It is found in the "middle" of the keyboard and in the middle of the Grand Staff.

To play the guitar - a middle C would require that you place the ring finger of the left hand behind the 3rd fret of the 5th string. You will notice that this is not the center of the fret board. This is because the guitar is a treble instrument. Bass guitars are a separate instrument altogether and they only have 4 strings.

Because of this location of middle C on the guitar, you have a larger range of notes in the higher registers than a piano. You can also play any chord at any position on the guitar; the only thing that changes is the fingering. This will come easier later on. For now, let's just be happy we know where middle C is at.

To play a C Major chord, do the following:
1. Tune the guitar to standard tuning of E, A, D, G, B, E.
2. Sixth (thickest) string: not played at all.
3. Fifth string: Place ring finger behind the 3rd fret. This tone is a C
4. Fourth string: Place the middle finger behind the 2nd fret. This tone is an E.
5. Third string: Played open (no frets). This tone is a G.
6. Second string: Place the index finger behind the 1st fret. This tone is a C.
7. First string: Played open (no frets). This tone is an E.
8. Arch your hand a bit so all the strings can be heard at one time and drag the pick across the strings.

Are you ready to play the guitar? Do this right and you have made music! This is the easiest way there is to make a C Major chord, so practice it until you can do it every time without muting a string. When you have this down, you can start learning other chords. But take my advice and get this one down first.

To your success as you begin to play the guitar!


Finding Middle "C" And How to Play a C Chord When You Play the Guitar

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Monday, November 28, 2011

Four of the Greatest Modern Classical Pianists of All Times

!9# Four of the Greatest Modern Classical Pianists of All Times

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Every serious piano student eventually learns to play some of the most well-known classical pieces during his or her studies. Nary a pianist didn't learn Palchabel's Canon in D or Beethoven's Fur Elise. Even non-musicians recognize names like Bach and Mozart.

But what about modern classical pianists who have also made notable contributions to cultural history? Here are four the most well-known modern classical pianists and their contributions:

* Glen Gould: The eccentric Canadian-born classical pianist spent more of his prolific career in the recording studio than on stage. Gould covered many of the original classical greats, such as Bach and Beethoven. Gould may be best remembered though for his recordings of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Gould was widely acclaimed for his unusual technique and eclectic renditions of famous classical works. Though he spent many years on the road, touring several countries, he gave up concert performances in 1964 at the age of 32. Though he could have spent decades longer on the road, he preferred to live out the remainder of his career in the studio.

Gould's career was cut short by an untimely stroke at the age of 50, which ultimately took his life. Still, his recordings live on today and have been released and re-released numerous times.

* Arthur Rubinstein: He has been referred to as one of the greatest piano virtuosi of the 20th century. Born in Poland in 1887, Rubinstein's family recognized a depth of unique talent in him, despite the fact he didn't speak until age three. A childhood filled with unusual behavior and outbursts fuel speculation that Rubinstein may have suffered from a learning disorder or autism.

Eventually, Rubinstein's temperament gave way to the talent for playing the piano that he eventually became known for. Rubinstein made his concert debut in New York in 1906 and toured until 1976. He reluctantly retired from public performance at the age of 89 when his hearing and eyesight began to fail. Though he passed away in 1982, Rubinstein is still highly acclaimed among modern musicians.

* Sergei Rachmaninoff: This Russian classical pianist was also a composer and conductor. Perhaps it was his unusual 12-inch hand span that helped him become a legend for his technical proficiency. Rachmaninoff not only commanded the stage, but at a height of 6 feet, 6 inches, commanded a room as well. Though he began piano study casually under the tutelage of his own mother, his extraordinary talent quickly emerged.

Rachmaninoff was mediocre in academics, even failing many of his subjects for lack of motivation. However, his piano instructor, who recognized his potential, insisted on a strict and disciplined practice regimen. If not for him, Rachmaninoff may have given up on his musical studies as well. A later meeting with Peter Tchaikovsky also served as inspiration for him to continue his musical career.

He managed to overcome several setbacks in his career, including scathing public reviews and a long period of writer's block. After several years of performance and changes in location, Rachmaninoff moved to the United States in 1918. He continued performing until February of 1943, just a month before his death from cancer.

* Myra Hess: This British pianist stands out in a genre typically dominated by men, especially during her years of public performance. Even as a young child Hess exhibited extraordinary talent. She was admitted to the Guildhall School of Music just two years after beginning lessons at age five. She gave her first public performance at the tender age of 17 in 1907, when she toured throughout Europe for several years. Eventually Hess debuted in the United States, where she realized almost instant acclaim. In an effort to boost morale during World War II, Hess organized a series of free public concerts in London. Her efforts during a time that saw the closure of concert halls and art galleries due to the war was deeply appreciated and received by the public. Hess herself performed at many of these lunch hour concerts. It may have been these efforts that endeared her to the public and stirred lasting interest in her music and career.


Four of the Greatest Modern Classical Pianists of All Times

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Friday, October 14, 2011

Guitar Tab - Jingle Bells

!9# Guitar Tab - Jingle Bells

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Today you will learn a very popular Christmas song. You will learn to use easy guitar tablature notation so you do not need to know sheet music. Time for Jingle Bells!

First, take a look at this guitar tablature staff:

1. ----------------

2. ----------------

3. ----------------

The three lines you see in this tab staff represent the three first strings on your guitar. Of course a normal guitar has six strings to play but today we will only need the first strings.

The first string with the number one is the string with the highest pitch. It is also called E.

When you read a guitar staff you will also find numbers on the line indicating which frets to press down with your left hand.

Here you have an example:

1. -------0---

2. ---1-------

3. -----------

The number one on the second line tells you to press down the first fret on the second string. The next number zero tells you to play the first string without any fret pressed down. This is called to play on an open string.

Let's start with our Christmas song. Here are the first line of lyrics and the corresponding guitar tab notation:

Jingle bells, jingle bells

1. ---0---0---0---0---0---0---

2. ---------------------------

3. ---------------------------

As a suggestion you can play the strings with your right hand thumb.

Time for the next guitar tablature staff:

Jingle all the way

1. ---0---3-----------0---

2. -----------1---3-------

3. -----------------------

I suggest that you give your left hand fingers the assignment to play one fret each as shown here:

Index: first fret

Middle finger: second fret

Ring finger: third fret

Next guitar tab:

Oh! what fun it is to ride

1. ---1---1---1---1---1---0---0---

2. -------------------------------

3. -------------------------------

When you press down the frets with your left hand finger you should place your left hand thumb on the back of the guitar neck for support.

In a one-horse open sleigh

1. ---0---0---0-----------0-------3---

2. ---------------3---3-------3-------

3. -----------------------------------

At first you might find it a little bit difficult to use your left hand fingers the way I described but when you get used to play this way it will really help you play better.

Now you only have to repeat the lyrics and the previous guitar tabs except the last line of the lyrics which will have a slightly different melody the last time:

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh! what fun it is to ride

and here is the guitar tablature melody for the last line the second time:

In a one-horse open sleigh

1. ---0---0---3---3---1-----------

2. -----------------------3---1---

3. -------------------------------

Now you have completed the song and the only remaining task is to learn it by heart and you are prepared for Christmas!


Guitar Tab - Jingle Bells

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