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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Do you want to learn how to read music, but just can’t? Are you a teacher that has students with good ears who struggle with reading? Having a good ear can be a two-edged sword. The student can pick up music quickly by ear. However, the same strength can create challenges for score reading. Read more to learn why it’s so hard for someone with a good ear to learn to read sheet music. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you feel terrified about playing for people? Do you want to know how to overcome the fear of performing in front of an audience? We know from psychology that our fears can be blown out of proportion through self-talk. However, a simple mental exercise can short circuit self-talk. Read more to find out how to defeat self-defeatism. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
So, are there really ways around the difficulty of playing the piano due to short fingers and small hands? Yes, it can be done. This post will help musicians, music students, and music teachers alike. Read more to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
How does your brain learn to play the piano with two hands? Daniel Coyle, in “The Talent Code,” tells us generally how the brain acquires skill, and I’ll give you specific tips for two-handed playing. Read more to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes
Are you thinking about composing in just intonation? Do you worry that just intonation is impractical? As with any tuning system, just intonation has its strengths and weaknesses. We’ll look at the pros and cons, and when you’ve gone through the post, you can make up your own mind. Read more to help you answer the question, “Is just intonation impractical?” Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Have you ever tuned your synth to just intonation (JI), then selected a piano sound, and thought it sounded odd as you played scales? The reason many people think JI sounds strange with a piano patch is tied to how people hear melody. Read more to learn about choosing the right sound to play with just intonation. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Has your child or student shown readiness to move on from color coded music notes? The “How to Graduate from Color Coded Music Notes” series will explain how it works. Read more to learn how to transition from the color coding to the clef mnemonics, empowering students to graduate from the color coded sheet music. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Ever wonder if writing a hit song means you’re selling out? When pitching songs, do you worry about losing creative control? The question of art vs commerce has only been with us a relatively short amount of time. Read more to find out what changed.
Estimated reading time 6 minutes.
Tired of using the same old chords in your songs all the time? Want to create excitement in your songwriting? Adding a key change to your song can make your listeners sit up and take notice. Read more to learn about changing keys in your songwriting.
Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Are you having a tough time reading piano notes for the left hand? (Or are you a piano teacher who has students that can’t read the left hand notes?) Many piano students quit piano because of the hurdle of reading two different clefs. Color coding can bridge the gap and help piano students master the instrument. Read more to learn about playing piano with color coded left hand notes.
Estimated reading time 3 minutes.