Do you want to know how to play or teach piano better? The archive contains posts about teaching the piano. In addition, it contains posts with tips for playing and notating piano music. Plus, there are posts that deal with traditional music theory and also the theory of micro tuning keyboards.
The funny thing about keyboard instruments, such as the piano and organ, they did not originally have keys. The father of all keyboard instruments is a water organ called the hydraulis.
When the Greeks developed the hydraulis, it had slat-like sliders instead of keys. Water moving from a higher chamber to a lower chamber created suction, which moved air through the pipes. The sliders controlled how air passed through the set of ranked pipes.
By the mediaeval period, the organ began to look more like the modern keyboard. However, it did not have black keys yet. Also, the “keys” actually looked more like fist sized levers, because form followed function. It took around a century and a half for the keys to shrink down to finger size.
As the theory of scales developed into the mediaeval gamut, theorists added the black keys. Bb came first. The Bb sign looks a lot like a lowercase B, because the first ever accidental started as a B. At first, the theorists thought the other black keys were accidents. Even today we call the black keys accidentals and the white keys naturals.
However, the keyboard did not always come with white naturals and black accidentals. In the 1700s, keyboards commonly switched the color of the accidentals and naturals.
The harpsichord proceeded the piano. The name “harpsichord” makes it sound like it was a harp that played chords.
However, an instrument with strings passing over a resonating body technically should be called a zither, not a harp. Of course, the name zithachord would just have sounded silly.
By the early 1700s, Bartolomeo Cristofori had perfected the hammer action of the piano. The organ and harpsichord couldn’t play dynamics through the keys, which frustrated composers.
Therefore, the piano was designed as a keyboard that could play both soft and loud. Thus, Cristofori called it the arpicembelo che fa il piano e il forte. This roughly translates into “a harpsichord that makes soft and loud.”
Historical pianos are called pianofortes or fortepianos. Eventually, people shortened the name to piano. So, when you play the piano, you are technically playing the soft.
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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On the electric keyboard can you play dynamics? Well, that depends on the type of keyboard that you buy. In music, dynamics refers to the volume and intensity of sound, ranging from very soft (pp = pianissimo) to very loud (ff = fortissimo). Not all keyboards can play loud and soft through the keys though. Click to learn what you need to think about when buying an electronic keyboard. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Do you struggle with reading music notes? Have you always wanted to learn to read music, but found it too hard? Try rainbow colored music notes. This post has stories about musicians who’ve achieved music literacy through color coded music notation. Click to learn about accurately reading musical notes and the colors of a rainbow. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
How can you make a note be long and short simultaneously? How can legato notes be played staccato? Mozart created a mixed staccato/legato notation to use in his piano pieces, and it still confuses musicians to this day. Click to answer the question, “How can legato notes be played staccato?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Do you want tips for how to stay calm and cool before a concert? Today’s post contains two tips to help keep your nerves at bay. Click to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Have you ever asked yourself, “Should I learn to play the piano one hand at a time or simultaneously?” The answer might surprise you. Click to find out the practice strategies used by the most effective practicers. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
After they can sight-read what’s left for musicians to learn? Lots of thing spring to mind, such as: repertoire, memorized repertoire, interpretation, performance practice, improvisation, composition, music theory, and music history. Click to find out about what’s left for musicians to learn after they can sight-read. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Have you ever asked, “What are the small “>” signs above or below the notes?” We call them and other signs like them articulations of force. Read on to learn what they tell us to do when we see them in sheet music. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Are you confused by the squiggly lines in the score? Have you ever wondered, “Why do pianists occasionally play their hands at different times as they perform?” Answer: because it makes the music sound sophisticated and plays an important stylistic role in piano music. Click if you’d like to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Do you want to give up on learning music theory? Does it seem pointless to you? Music theory can help with sight reading skills on the piano. It’ll be useful for improvisation and composition. It even helps with performance practice. If you still have an open mind, read “Do I Really Have to Learn Music Theory to Learn How to Play Piano?” to understand the ways it can help you to better play the instrument. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Have you ever wondered, “Why do minor keys sound sad and major keys sound happy?” Has this phenomenon been hardwired into us, or does culture impact how we perceive scales? In fact, it’s a little bit of both. Read more to learn how this works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.