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The term piano resources could be interpreted in many ways. In this article, the focus will be resources that enable you to better understand the history and different types of pianos available. The latter is useful information for anyone wanting to purchase a piano.

Some of the more common brands of pianos
include the American company
Steinway & Sons (http://www.steinway.com/),
Bösendorfer  (http://www.boesendorfer.com/),
Bechstein (http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://bechstein.com/&ei=1_wjTuK-KY-Utwf2z4CbAw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CGcQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbechstein%2Bpiano%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4TSCA_enCA396CA396%26prmd%3Divns)
and Yamaha (http://www.yamaha.com/).

Bösendorfer and Steinway & Sons are older pianos, having
been found in 1828 and 1853 respectively. Bechstein was founded closely after
in 1856. Other great manufacturers include Baldwin and Heintzman & Co.
Ltd., with founding dates of 1862 and 1866 respectively. As for Yamaha, its
first piano saw the light of day in 1900.

For a list of the many different sizes of pianos to choose
from, you should check out  http://www.pianolessons101.com/grandpianos.html
for a list of grand piano sizes, and http://www.pianolessons101.com/uprightpianos.html
for upright sizes.

Once you’ve picked a piano, start creating your own resource
and reference lists. For example, a piano tuner of quality is essential. Pianos
should really be tuned annually or even more frequently than that, depending on
how much they’re played and where they are located. Most of my colleagues pick
their tuners by word of mouth. In the final analysis, an effective tuner has a
comfortable blend of efficiency and affordability.

The same can be said for piano movers. These companies
usually specialize in moving pianos and are able to even disassemble and
reassemble pianos for a move to a tight fitting area (like a basement). Again,
asking around is essential, as a careless mover can cause damage to both your
piano and to your home. Usually, a retail dealer will offer shipping of a piano
in the price of the purchase. However, you have to do your own research when,
for example, moving to a new house or location.

There are websites that explore piano brands and their
merits, although picking a piano is a very personal choice. Your best bet is to
find a piano that you believe is beautiful, both in tone and appearance, and
then hire a trusted tuner or piano technician to come with you to determine if
your ‘dream’ piano is in good condition. By the way, if you’re interested in
some sites that discuss different brands, here are some links:

1. http://www.concertpitchpiano.com/BuyingaNewPiano.html
2. http://www.marthabeth.com/piano_brands.html
3. http://www.pianoworld.com/brand_opinion.htm

Finally, make sure that you have enough room in your home to
accommodate your new piano. It would not be a pleasant experience if you found
out that your newly purchased baby grand piano didn’t quite fit into the corner
of the living room like you thought it would! You really have to use a tape
measure and carefully calculate whether or not a particular size of piano will
fit within a certain area. Aesthetically, you also want to make sure that a
piano does not overpower a room, both look-wise and sound-wise.

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There are so many piano courses out there. This makes it awfully difficult to pick and choose, especially when it comes to beginner piano courses. One of the main things to consider is that any piano course can be greatly enhanced by a positive attitude and a willingness to learn, both from the students and the teachers.

Here are some of the more popular courses for beginners:

1. Leila Fletcher piano courses offer fun repertoire and are good at introducing different skills and knowledge over the course of the entire series. The books have been around for a while and are still quite popular with kids. Here’s a link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=leila+fletcher&x=22&y=22

2. John Thompson editions offer a wide range of books and courses for both kids and adults. The books often exhibit photos of where the hands play on the keyboard. The repertoire is diverse and my students seem to enjoy this series. Amazon has a large number of these books:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=piano+thompson#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=john+thompson&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Ajohn+thompson

3. Alfred offers a nice range of products for beginners, late beginners and adults. They also have books that cover theory, thus attempting to fill in any gaps and questions that may arise from a student attempting to learn piano completely on their own:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=alfred+beginner+piano&x=8&y=14

4. If you’re looking for a completely adult course to guide you through piano learning, here’s a link that gives you a wide range of publications, including Hal Leonard:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=alfred+beginner+piano&x=8&y=14#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=adult+piano+books&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Aadult+piano+books

Many online courses promote their products as complete courses that require no weekly lessons from teachers. As a creator of two piano learning e-books, I can tell you that although there may be some truth to this, e-courses tend to work much more effectively as a supplement to traditional piano lessons. Between the two, you have an extremely solid foundation and an abundance of knowledge and information to work with.

It is often argued that online courses allow you the freedom to learn completely on your own without the pressure of weekly lessons. You can practice within your own schedule and save a ton of money by not having to dish out substantial fees four or five times a month. This may be true for some. However, in my decades of teaching experience, I have found that most students require a healthy amount of weekly pressure as an incentive to practice. I’m not talking about practicing in fear, but about inspired practice and wanting to impress a mentor. In the end, no matter which piano course you choose, your dedicated work ethic and the piano teacher that you choose are both of the utmost importance.

In conclusion, it is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Within this mindset, a demonstration from a live teacher is absolutely invaluable in understanding all of the online and hardcopy piano material that you accumulate. Have fun with whatever piano course you decide to take and remember that no matter what, you still have to practice effectively to get far.

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Piano equipment…? Who needs equipment when you have a piano? Isn’t a piano all of the equipment that you need? These are good questions that are easier to answer if the type of piano that you own is considered.

For an acoustic piano, the only supplement piece of equipment that you need is a bench to sit on. This usually comes with the piano purchase. As well, good lighting is always a must, so a supplemental lamp should be part of your piano ensemble. Apart from that, all is taken care of provided the humidity levels and natural lighting in your house or studio are adequate.

For a keyboard, you often have to buy supplemental equipment (including a bench). Many keyboards have a jack for a sustain pedal, with the actual pedal not being included in the kit. This extra purchase is important if you are using your keyboard for concert performances of complex jazz and classical works. Even complex solo pop repertoire often requires a pedal if you are planning on using your keyboard in a concert venue.

If, on the other hand, you are merely using your electric instrument as a supplement in an ensemble (like an electric bass sound substituting for a band’s tuba part), then you most certainly can get away without purchasing a sustain pedal.

Keep in mind that keyboards that substitute for absent orchestral instruments in school bands do not necessarily have to be fully weighted or full-sized. However, if used in a solo capacity, it is advantageous to have a more expensive weighted keyboard (keys that feel like the resistance found in an acoustic piano) for control purposes.

Keyboards often do not have enough volume to permeate a larger concert hall. In this scenario, a patch chord and amplifier (and possibly a microphone) would be needed in order for the synthesizer to be heard and/or balanced with the other instruments of a band or orchestra.

The stand that a keyboard is mounted on is another expense that you should be prepared for. However, this is not a large monetary purchase and is necessary, especially if you are taking your instrument on the road to perform at different venues. These stands generally can be adjusted to an optimum height, which comes in handy when deciding whether you will be standing or sitting when performing at a particular function.

Finally, most modern keyboards can be used as a midi device in a home studio. In other words, the output of your keyboard can be recorded into a computer program. As exciting as that sounds, it means that you now have to purchase a whole bunch of equipment in order to record your instrument. The same is true with an acoustic instrument. Condenser (or dynamic) microphones can record directly into a computer for quality sound tracks. Many find it advantageous to purchase a multitude of recording equipment for their piano or keyboard to offset the cost of a recording studio. If you record often, this is most certainly a viable purchase.

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Are you a fan of piano tabs? If you are, then you are probably not a big fan of reading music notes. The question is: which of the two options gives you more range and capacity as a pianist? The obvious answer: the ability to read music notes.

Piano tabs tell you which note to play by indicating the letter rather than the notated staff note. The octave in which the note is placed is also given, usually in a side column. For more details on how this is done, you can visit http://www.tabnabber.com for a full explanation.

The above type of tab has its limitations. Fingerings for complex passages, as well as rhythmic details, are not readily incorporated into these types of tabs. Not knowing which finger goes where is detrimental to memorizing a piece of music. Even if rhythm and fingerings were somehow placed in piano tabs, the result would probably look more complex then simply notating music on a traditional treble and bass clef staff.

Tabs are fun if you are just beginning to learn a keyboard instrument. However, I encourage my students to learn traditional notation as quickly as possible. Charts and computer generated keyboards that show notes of a scale and/or chord have their place as a supplement to notation. There are many programs that allow you to select a particular scale or chord. Once selected, a graphic keyboard displays the notes that will give you the chord or scale that you have picked to add to your repertoire. Here’s a link to one such program:

http://www.pianoworld.com/fun/vpc/piano_chords.htm

Even with cool screen options like the one just mentioned, fingering is omitted. If you want detail in terms of fingerings and chord voicing, notation is still your best option. No doubt, you could make the argument that you are a visual person and you need charts to effectively learn. I have had many students that flourish with chart use, but ultimately they learn notation as well. It may take these types of students a bit longer to grasp note naming and timing, but they eventually come around.

At this point you may be asking why it is so important to focus on fingering. Notation gives you the option of drawing numbers over notes that you are playing in order to display which finger plays which note. This type of meticulous detail allows both professional and amateur pianists to learn pieces consistently. Touch and muscle memory are the most effective ways in which pianists and other instrumentalists memorize.

On a final note, skilled note readers should be fluent in reading and identifying chords. Anyone who has aspirations of playing jazz or improvising effectively should become accustomed to both classical and popular chord symbols. Popular chord symbols are a staple in hit tunes. Knowing chord symbols is one way of breaking away from the written score and creating your own improvised version of a song. Let the fun times begin!  

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If you’re a serious pianist, you need some good sheet music. Come to think of it, you need sheet music regardless of what type of pianist you are. These days, you have many options for obtaining this valuable commodity.

Most all music stores have a sheet music department with a variety of styles of music. Classical, jazz, rock, pop and educational materials can usually be found and categorized in hardcopy form. Typically single compositions, especially in pop music, tend to be displayed near the front of the store. These latest hits are hot selling items but rather pricey. Buying one piece of music is certainly not as price-friendly as purchasing an entire book of latest hits. Even if you only like four or five in the book, the price most certainly comes out less expensive on a per song basis.

Online sheet music is a nice option to have, either through websites that mail you sheet music or websites that offer downloads. An example of a fairly large organization that offers and mails hardcopy music is: 

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/

Here’s one that sells downloads:

http://www.musicnotes.com/

The obvious advantage of downloading music is that you immediately have access to the music that you have just purchased. In seconds, you can view and begin learning your favorite piano works. Of course, having a bound copy means printing out the score (provided it is allowed by the seller) and binding it at a photocopy shop. This often still comes out less expensive then purchasing a prepared copy from a traditional music store, although you should carefully do the math before committing to a download.

As for purchasing from a website that delivers a hardcopy to you via mail, this is very convenient provided you have the patience to wait for the parcel to arrive. Often times, a seller will give a discount on your purchase, both for the shipping and the music when buying more than one item. Keeping this in mind, it is usually quite worthwhile selecting more than one desirable item as repertoire from this type of retailer.

There’s a lot of free music available on the internet. Sometimes it’s decent and often times it is not. Usually you get what you pay (or don’t pay) for. Music that has an unedited look to it is probably just that; unedited. If you are buying free music that is a recent pop hit, the music most likely has not been cleared for sale by its rightful copyright owner and is probably a second rate transcript.

When adding to your repertoire, you really should be seeking out quality publishers, either by doing some research, or by speaking to colleagues and receiving recommendations from them.

On a final note, if you are a fan of pop and rock music, determine if you are a pianist or a pianist/singer. If you are the latter, then the right (and occasionally left) hand of your purchased music does not have to contain the melody line. However, if you have little intention of singing your newly acquired popular piece, you should have a transcript that includes the melody in the piano arrangement.

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A piano book can consist of many things including piano music and literature about the piano. In this article, we’ll concentrate on reliable piano music in book form.

Almost all publishers now offer book purchases online, as mailed hardcopies and occasionally as downloads. It is always helpful to buy music from a reliable, well established publisher as the notes, dynamics and phrasing are more likely to be authentic to the composer’s intent. In these types of premiere editions, publisher’s edits are usually clearly marked, leaving the performer well informed.

Piano students benefit greatly from graded pieces. Two of the big exam boards are the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM):

1. Amazon sells RCM exam books (Canada):

http://www.amazon.ca/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=rcm+piano+books&tag=googcana-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=6090043377&ref=pd_sl_15z5azf42j_e

Alternatively, you can get them straight from the publisher:

http://www.frederickharrismusic.com/FHMCsite/capricorn?para=showPage&docId=catListProd&section=CARESOURCES

2. Here’s a link for the catalogue of books of the ABRSM:

http://www.abrsm.org/exams/gradedMusicExams/latestSyllabuses.html

If you are just starting out on the piano, there are an enormous amount of quality books to choose from. Here are just a few of the ones that have been around for quite some time:

1. Leila Fletcher has some beginner books that are effective and entertaining:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=leila+fletcher

2. Thompson editions are also effective:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=leila+fletcher#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=thompson+amazon&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Athompson+amazon

Piano Lessons 101 has an impressive download available on this blog to help beginners get started in a fun way. We also endorse Jermaine Griggs’ book, also included on this blog. Our book teaches you how to read notes and learn simple arrangements of classical works, while the latter book teaches you some fundamentals of playing by ear and improvising; two different approaches, but both will help make you a well rounded musician.

Piano editions are sometimes referred to as urtext editions. These types of publications are the earliest and/or the most authentic version of the music that you are searching for. Here’s an example of one such publication:

http://www.henle.de/

If you’re looking for a comprehensive list of publishers of music, here’s a good one:

http://library.music.indiana.edu/music_resources/publ.html

You can’t talk about big publishers in popular music without including Hal Leonard. Here’s the link:

http://www.halleonard.com/

Some piano books are attractively presented. For example, Dover Publications provide nicely put together piano music that is quite durable. My editions of Brahms’ music from this company have been in my library for years and have withstood countless page turns and still looks relatively new. I highly recommend them:

http://store.doverpublications.com/

These days, downloading is one of the most attractive features online. You can create your own books by downloading and printing, depending on the restrictions of the publisher that you are downloading from. If you have permission to bind your downloaded music, keep in mind that your initial purchase should be reasonably priced, as copying and binding will be an additional cost. Unless the original purchase price is reasonably priced, you may be better off purchasing from a store. Usually, publishers take this expense into account and price downloads accordingly.

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Wouldn’t it be nice to have a few tricks under your belt that would speed up learning how to play the piano? Imagine saving countless hours of practice by knowing some piano tips that would help you stay well ahead of the game and ahead of other pianists at your level.

Truth be told, there are some hints that can help. But there is absolutely no substitute for the hours of practice and hard work that lay ahead for beginner and intermediate pianists. Even advanced and professional pianists who are serious about their craft work hard, constantly building their technique and refining their art.

Here are some suggestions that will be of great help in the future. Keep in mind that tips on playing the piano can amount to an exhausting list of advice. I’ve chosen a few hints that will definitely help you to optimize your practice and give you a health attitude when pursuing piano playing challenges:
1. Try to avoid making errors when practicing. In the process of learning notes, your memory work consists mainly of touch and muscle memory. Every time you play a wrong note, your brain is making a mental note of the finger position of that wrong note. The more correct you are about your finger placement (fingering), the more your brain and hands register correct memory patterns.

2. Don’t practice for too long a period of time. For advanced pianists, forty-five minutes seems like a good chunk of time before taking a brief walk around the room. The time away from the keyboard helps you to refocus. Upon returning, perhaps for another forty-five minute session, your mind is refreshed and ready to go again. Of course, some people can practice for hours on end and not get tired. This, however, is most likely the exception to the rule.

3. Practice rhythms both at the piano and away from the piano. This is easier and more useful than you might think. Clapping the rhythm of a complex right or left hand passage can give you an aural representation of the correct rhythmic pattern. It’s easier to clap rather than play a complex pattern, as playing involves note reading, hand position, phrasing and dynamic aspects that are not a concern with clapping. Basically, when you clap, you get the correct rhythm faster because you have less to concentrate on.

4. Finally, enjoy the journey of piano practice. Believe it or not, the journey can be fun. There’s a wonderful thrill in actually being able to detect improvement from week to week in your playing. Often, this improvement is very subtle and difficult to detect. However, finding it and cheering yourself on is not only good for piano playing moral, but a wonderful life lesson. Optimism is priceless, especially in learning an instrument.

As a final note when learning how to play the piano, stay within yourself and try not to compare yourself to others in a destructive way. You may aspire to have more fluency in your playing when hearing someone else, but see the task of improving as a fun mission, rather than a torturous journey that you may never finish.

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“I can do it all on my own. I don’t need a piano teacher. I don’t need nobody, man”. Apart from needing a grammar teacher, a person who talks like that sounds like a perfect candidate for online piano lessons. Sure! Why not? There’s so much information out there, much of it free. That person can practice at their own leisure without the pressure of weekly lessons, not to mention the cost. In the end, they will learn the select material that they want, based on the various websites that they choose to extract information from.

If only life were that simple. Here’s the flip side of the coin. Weekly traditional piano lessons do work well with the right teacher and at the right price. Live lessons are a tried and true way of learning. In fact, many would argue that weekly lessons are a sure way of avoiding laziness and apathy. There’s actually pressure to practice.

Another advantage from traditional piano lessons is that you are buying experience and expertise from a good teacher. This is certainly not always the case with website materials. Free online lessons often provide low quality material as a tease for a product that the website is trying to sell. Also, the material that you may eventually purchase may leave you with unanswered questions that a live teacher can usually answer on the spot.

So which route do you take? My feeling is that traditional lessons work well when supplemented with website material and online lessons. This way, you get expert advice hands on from an experienced teacher and you have additional material to explore online. An open minded teacher will definitely assist you in filtering worthy and non-worthy information that you may obtain from websites. In fact, many of my colleagues will actually recommend e-book supplements as references.

When searching for online piano lessons, make sure that you like the personality and feel of the website’s writer(s). The process of choosing a traditional teacher and an online teacher are very similar, in that you must have a nice chemistry with whom you are learning with in order to maximize your learning experience.

Here are some things that you should avoid when searching for a reliable online website to study piano. A site that gives minimal information before providing you with a sales pitch is probably not interested in what’s best for you. The best piano sites out there give you a lot of free and useful information. It may not be the most detailed information possible, but you should be able to learn quite a bit from the various articles and music examples that they provide. You should actually want to buy whatever products they are offering, based on the expectation that you will be receiving more of what you are already getting for free in addition to even more detailed lessons and quality information.

As a last piece of advice, piano lessons, whether traditional or online should have a fun aspect to them. My students accelerate at learning when they are having a blast playing music. Good teachers, like good piano websites, manage to inspire and should draw you into the wonderful world of piano technique and piano repertoire. No matter how advanced you are at your instrument, the task of playing for yourself and/or an audience, and the process of learning must always be something you look forward to. A sense of humour (both from the student and the teacher) doesn’t hurt either!

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I remember that when I was in high school, my teacher used to have me sight sing my music. I would sit on the bus and literally say every note that was written on the page. You can do this for both treble and bass clef. You can also practice your rhythms by simply clapping them out. If you can have a metronome when you do this, it would make it even better. Just don’t annoy your friends, family and neighbors too much.

Listen to your favorite radio station and try to identify different interval distances. The more that you do this, and relate it to the notes written on a page of your music, the better your ear will develop.

Why not try and learn some history by reading about famous composers and pianists. As long as you are studying the instrument, you might as well learn every aspect of it.

One of the final things you can do is to read some theory books that explore scale writing and harmony.

I could go on and on. Musicians have to develop a curious mind with respect to their profession. Provided you have reliable sources and resources, you can find out so much useful information on your own.

Point number one and two are especially crucial in a pianist’s development. The faster you can identify notes and rhythms, the better you will read music.

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http://www.hearandplay.com/main/the-polychord-game-how-many-chords-can-you-spot

For pianists that enjoy experimenting and improvising at the keyboard, the above link explores harmonies in a fun and intersting way.

With polychords, changing one note within often creates a harmony with an entirely different flavor. Through experimentation, you can soon develop a powerful repertoire of unique chords that you can have at your disposal for your own compositions. Your style of improvising is completely tied in with your chord selection. Have fun exploring.

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