All posts by Robert Estrin

What is the Right Piano for You? Finding the Best Piano

Many people – whether they are just starting to learn to play the piano or have been playing for some time wonder what piano will suit their skill level best. There are quite a few needs each person might have that will help them pick the right piano for their playing style or skill.

Many people assume that when they just start playing the piano, it’s O.K. to get a keyboard and get a piano later if they stay with it. If you are going to get a keyboard, be sure it has a weighted action. However, even high quality digital pianos with weighted actions present substantial compromises to your studies. It will never feel or play like a real piano – no matter what model or brand you get. Even a modest upright piano will offer a better playing experience than a keyboard and you are more likely to enjoy success with an traditional piano.

If you look inside a piano you will notice there about 100 parts associated with each key you press. Even if a keyboard has a good weighted action, it will never be able to produce the same expressiveness and feel as a real piano. While many keyboards respond to touch, they can’t replicate the wide range of expression and sounds created with a real piano with the hundreds of strings, soundboard and harmonic interaction of the tone.

Another thing to keep in mind is getting at least a console size piano to start with. For some people, spinet pianos are a great option because they have a lighter action and are easier to play. This may be appropriate for someone suffering from arthritis or other hand problems. If you are just learning and are young and healthy, you will develop a better technique on a console or larger piano because of the direct blow action which is lacking on spinets which have drop actions.

There is a point during your piano studies that you will outgrow even a fine upright piano. There are several reasons for this. Most importantly, in upright pianos the hammers travel sideways and don’t have the benefit of gravity as in grand pianos in which the hammers go up and down. This creates a slower and less responsive action. It’s very noticeable when trying to play trills or repeated notes because the hammers can’t repeat with the same energy.

When you start playing more advanced music you will realize this is a problem because it will affect the speed in which you can play. Once you progress beyond the Sonatina level, you will benefit greatly by having a grand or baby grand piano for practice. Studying music of Bach, Schummann, and Chopin on an upright piano presents many compromises. Students who practice on grand pianos and baby grand pianos progress better than students practicing on uprights.

Once your playing progresses to a very high level you will want to focus on playing and practicing with a larger grand piano. This is because the tone produced is much different – especially in the tenor and bass registers where the tone becomes expansive. The saying, “The bigger the better” really applies to pianos. It will always be better to learn and practice on a larger piano. For some, an upright or baby grand is a better option to start with – for either budget or space reasons – but eventually (if your playing progresses far enough) you will want to practice on a larger piano.

How to Move a Piano – Tips for Moving a Piano

When you see professionals moving a piano, it can almost look easy. However, it’s not a simple task. If you want to ensure that your piano leaves and arrives in great condition you should take extra special care when moving it. It will always be best to hire a professional for any piano move but if you are forced to do so yourself, here are some tips:

All parts of the piano should be padded. This is to ensure that there are no parts of the piano (wood or metal) that will be hitting in the truck in case of movement.

Wrap the piano in shrink wrap. This is not necessary but it can help to ensure that the finish will not be damaged in any way. This is important with satin finish pianos because the finish is porous – meaning sweat from hands can actually damage the finish.

Use Leverage to Your Advantage. By placing pads beneath certain parts of the piano you can avoid having to constantly lift parts of the piano in order to remove the legs. The video provides a great example of this.

Use a Dolly and a Grand Board. Using a four wheel flat dolly can ensure that you won’t have to do any unnecessary lifting. Using a grand board – shown in the video – will help to cover the entire side of the piano and make sure it is securely resting on the dolly.

Remove the Legs and All Loose Parts. This will ensure that no parts of the piano are damaged by movement or other objects being transported in the truck.

Wrap the Piano in Blankets. Make sure that every part of the piano is wrapped and there are no parts that are exposed.

Secure the Piano to the Side of the Truck. Don’t let the piano slide around the truck. Secure it to the side of the truck using straps or another method that will ensure it doesn’t move.

If you want to undertake moving a piano it will definitely be a challenge. I would recommend having a good back, the proper equipment, a couple friends, and probably some pizza and beer. Better yet, hire professionals if you possibly can!

Can You Learn a Piece of Music You Won’t Forget?

Today’s question is an interesting one: is it possible to learn a piece of music so well that you will never forget it?

I’ve been playing piano for many decades and have learned and played hundreds of pieces throughout my career. Sometimes when I sit down at the piano and start playing people wonder how I can retain all that information and if I have some kind of super memory. Not at all. I have my father to thank for showing me how to memorize at my first piano lesson.

There are a few pieces that I have played for so long that I can play them at any time and in any state of mind without issue; it’s almost as if these pieces are burned into my permanent memory. On the other hand, I can learn a piece very well, perform it, and then if I don’t play it again for a few months or years I probably would not be able to get through it from memory. If I were to restudy it one day it would definitely be much quicker and easier to get it securely memorized again than it was the first time around.

So how do you learn a piece you simply can’t forget?

I find that the pieces that stick with you are the ones that you have performed on many different occasions over a long period of time. When you have to learn and then relearn pieces a number of times they eventually get burned into your permanent memory. The music simply becomes a part of you.

Imagine forgetting the song “Happy Birthday”. If you’ve sung this song many times over the years, forgetting the melody is inconceivable. As a child you hear this song over and over again to the point where eventually you can’t possibly forget it; it becomes part of your permanent memory. This is true for any piece on any instrument. If you keep playing the same piece and have to relearn it again and again, eventually you will never forget it.

Even though you might remember a piece very well you must go back and check the score periodically. No matter how many times you play a piece or relearn it you should always go back and confirm that what you’re playing is correct. Your memory can trick you sometimes and bad habits can develop in your recollection of the music; always double check your score and make sure you perform the piece as written; not just from your memory.

A great method for learning and retaining your music is to perform it for family and friends whenever you get the opportunity. When you perform you put yourself in a heightened state of awareness that is far above what you can achieve in a practice setting. Your concentration will be much higher and playing your music in this state of mind will help you retain it.

Thanks again for joining us and if you have any questions about this topic or any topic at all please contact us directly: Info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729.

Three Things Every Musician Should Know

I know this sounds like a very basic topic (and it is) but there are some things that every musician should remind themselves of every now and then. In the hectic pace of many of our lives we tend to lose track of the things that are important to us. This article features some things all musicians should remind themselves throughout their lives.

Be True to Yourself

This is a very important topic no matter what field you’re in but especially when it comes to music. Many times you will be tempted to play a certain way that you think people might like. As a composer you might be tempted to write music that may be popular with a large audience. The truth is, no artist can really be creating anything of value if they are just imitating instead of creating.

It’s important to be honest in your expression and show people what you have burning inside you. Anything that’s less than sincere is very noticeable to an audience – even if they don’t know you. As tempting as it might be to impress people it’s not the sign of a true artist if you are compromising who you are and what you believe in.

Versatility

When it comes to being a musician there is nothing more marketable than having a wide range of capabilities and specialties. In school it’s incredibly difficult to double major in instruments and study two different styles of music – for example, studying both classical and jazz. While you shouldn’t stretch yourself too thin, it’s not a bad thing to experiment and play in different styles and periods of music that are outside your field of study. You might be a classical violinist but you might be able to find some work playing bluegrass! It’s OK to try something new and out of your comfort zone – you might be surprised.

This skill can extend far beyond actually performing music. For example, maybe you are talented and knowledgeable about recording technology and mixing. When it comes to this world, the more things you can do, the more opportunities there are. Having extra skillsets can really help foster a career and help you achieve your goals.

It’s Just Music… Nobody Gets Hurt

This is something that all performers have to deal with. While getting up in front of an audience – no matter what size – can feel scary and intimidating; nobody is going to die! You are not a brain surgeon or a pilot, you are there to bring enjoyment to people; it’s a harmless endeavor.

Things that might seem important to you might not even be noticed by the audience. In fact, most of the time your audience wouldn’t know the difference between a good performance and a bad one; they are there with the expectation of being entertained. If you ruin the entertainment factor by visibly displaying your displeasure, you are ruining the performance for everyone watching and listening. There is nothing worse than acting disappointed after a performance when you are greeted by someone from the audience. If they enjoyed it, let them!

It’s OK to give yourself a break. Not every performance will be perfect – we are only human. Sometimes a mistake can lead you into unchartered territory and you might learn something new.

Thanks again for joining me, Robert Estrin: Robert@LivingPianos.com

Selecting a Meaningful Music Repertoire

This is a very important subject and it applies to all instruments and musicians. Creating and maintaining a meaningful and interesting body of work as a musician is something we all aspire to. This article will provide some tips so that you can build a repertoire that is both unique and personally fulfilling.

When students begin studying music and get a new book they are so excited. As time goes on and you present more books to them they are surprised when you begin to skip over pieces in the book. Students would often ask me why they simply wouldn’t learn all the lessons or pieces in order.

The truth is, once you progress to a certain level you need to be concerned with adding variety to your music; helping you showcase your skills better and develop a diverse set up musical skills. Covering a wide range of styles – even at earlier stages in your musical development will help you become a better and more well-rounded musician.

Once you get to a certain level in your development you must begin to focus on different styles of music or else you won’t advance as a well rounded musician. That’s why selecting pieces from the Baroque, Romantic, Classical and other musical eras will allow you to learn different techniques as well as diversify your music. Each one of these eras is distinguished by unique styles and sounds and learning the differences will help you progress further as a musician while making your studies more enjoyable.

It’s also important to build your repertoire based on the time it’s going to take you to learn different works. For example, you might be able to learn a Chopin Nocturne in just a week or two. But it could take you months to learn and master a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody or other extended work. Each one of these will not only expand your repertoire, but they will challenge you in unique ways. If you only focus on pieces that will take you a short amount of time to learn, you may not progress as quickly. By challenging yourself with harder pieces that may take months to learn, you can gain valuable skills and techniques which will raise the overall level of your playing even if these pieces don’t become a part of your active repertoire immediately. So, if you were learning a Bach fugue, this can be extremely difficult to memorize. A piece like this could exhaust you mentally if you only focused on this and nothing else for your practice time. Instead, you could be learning a Mozart Sonata or a Chopin Mazurka concurrently and you could expand your repertoire and work more effectively by giving yourself a mental break.

Over time you will begin to learn where your strengths and weaknesses are. You will discover where you need to focus your attention developing your strengths and mitigating your weaknesses.

So here are key points to remember in developing your repertoire:

– Choose pieces that offer a variety of stylistic periods.
– Study pieces with a variety of length.
– Study pieces with different levels of difficulty.

Thanks so much for joining us here at Living Pianos. If you have any questions or comments about this video or any other please contact us directly: Info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

What is an Upright Grand Piano?

You may have heard this term before and might be familiar with the concept of an upright grand. At first it might sound like an oxymoron, but the term actually makes a lot of sense once you learn exactly what it means.

So what is an upright grand? Is it an upright piano or a grand piano?

The short answer is that it’s an upright piano. However, it’s not just any upright piano. At the turn of the 20th century, countless American piano companies manufactured very tall upright pianos. These instruments offered the sound of a grand piano because of the long strings and large soundboard area. They coined the term upright grand to describe these type of instruments.

There was a time when these full size upright pianos were extremely popular. They could fit into the smaller homes of that time without compromising sound. Many of them had ornate wood with intricate carvings like this Schubert Upright Grand we currently have. It was common for these instruments to have player systems as well – the original home entertainment center!

Are these pianos as good as grand pianos? I suggest watching another video Uprights Vs. Grand Pianos to get a better idea of the differences between the two styles of pianos.

Thanks again for watching and feel free to send all your comments and suggestions to us directly: Info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729