INTRODUCTION

When somebody in your office or class mentions”piano’ you would think of a person sitting on a chair banging piano keys.But there is more to a piano than that!Theory, performing, recitals, you name it!Do not think the piano is easy because it takes a lot of feeling, confidence, and a lot more! So let’s discover the world of piano!

THE BASICSYou always hear crescendo, decrescendo, is: accents, slurs, and everything else.But the big question:’What does it all mean?’Now let’s start with crescendo and decrescendo.Lets think of it as an alligator mouth.Or a greater than and less than signs.The crescendo means getting louder, like an alligator opening its mouth wider. Decrescendo is the opposite. It means getting softer. Slurs are either look like a frown or a smile.The slurs don’t all look the same, but they all mean one thing; legato.Now you’re probably like:”what in the world is legato?’ It means playing smoothly.Staccato, on the other hand, is the total opposite, it means: playing the piano like it’s on fire; otherwise said as like jumping.

Now moving on to Time signatures! This is a diagram of a time signature.

So now I hope you get it! Now accents, you might think of the accent as in how you say something; but it is not that type of accent! So now let’s learn about it! Accents look like greater than or less than signs: (> or <) Accent marks indicate the note above or under the accent sign is to be played strong; Otherwise said as playing deep.

LOUD & SOFT

So you hear Mezzo piano and you go like: ” Messy piano ?! What?” It actually means to play medium soft. Here is a chart:

pp : ( pianissimo) extra soft    mp: (mezzo piano) medium soft    p 😦 piano) soft

ff:(fortissimo) extra loud    mf : (mezzo forte) medium loud    f. (forte) loud

So I hope you get it now!

POSTURE

Making sure your posture is good is important too. This is how to improve your hand posture: Get a tennis or baseball(or a ball that size) and hold it with your right hand. Then use your left hand to take the ball out of your right hand’s grip; (Do not move right hand ) do that to both hands, then put both hands onto your piano/keyboard relax your shoulders, now you have a good posture!

 

Having piano posture matters, if you aren’t comfortable, you won’t play as well as if you were comfortable! Now you know why it matters!

3 Steps to become like Beethoven, Mozart, etc.  (kind of)

It’s as simple as 1,2 and 3! So let’s get started! 1. Confidence, for this, will be needed at competitions, recitals, everyday practice and more! It’s as simple as 1,2 and 3! So let’s get started! 1. Confidence, for this, will be needed at competitions, recitals, everyday practice and more! Without this, you wouldn’t belive in yourself and if you don’t belive in yourself, then you wouldn’ t even try something that you could’ve succeeded.

2. Is concentration without this, you might as well go play! the piano is serious, but it can still be fun. When your practicing, at a recital, concentration plays a big role! If you weren’t concentrating, you could easily make mistakes! And I’m pretty sure judges or piano teachers don’t like mistakes so a few mistakes can get you from:

 and

 to :

and: NOTHING!

So that’s why concentration is important. But number 3 is most important of all! You hear it at your office, not!School and more! It’s also a word you Use, it’s: PRACTICE ! this sounds easy enough, but it really isn’t! It doesn’t mean to practice 5 hours each day! It means to make something out of your practice; put confidence and concentration into that time. Use that time wisely and not just fun. tip: Play about an hour a day.

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

Start from easy and progress up. I also Suggest warming your hands Up before you play the piano. Good luck!