All posts by Robert Estrin

What is a Relative Minor Scale? Music Theory Lessons

Welcome to my ongoing series on music theory. Last week we covered Major Scales and how they are simply a series of half-steps and whole-steps. This week I will explain Relative Minor Scales – which are a bit more complex than their major scale counterparts.

Minor scales share key signatures with major scales. If you’re not familiar with key signatures that’s ok – I will cover that in a future video. For this lesson, we will use the C major scale which has no sharps or flats and discuss the relative minor. Once you are familiar with major scales, finding the relative minor will be very simple.

So for the C major scale you have the following sequence of notes: C D E F G A B C. So this scale has no sharps or flats and the relative minor scale has no sharps or flats either. So what would be the difference between the two? Well the minor scale actually starts on the 6th note of the major scale (A). So an A natural minor scale has A B C D E F G A.

Now there are a couple of different minor scales. In the harmonic minor scale, the 7th note is raised by a half-step. So in the example of A minor scale, if you were playing an A harmonic minor scale, the seventh note would go from G to G#, or A B C D E F G# A.

Another form of the minor scale is the melodic, which has a raised 6th and 7th. Generally though, this scale only goes up and when it comes down it reverts to the natural minor scale with no altered tones. So for A minor it would be. A B C D E F# G# A And descending: A G F E D C B A.

Something you might notice is that if you take a melodic minor scale and raise the third note, it would actually become the a major scale! (This is the parallel minor since you are starting on the same note, not a 6th away as in the relative minor.)

This is pretty much everything you would need to know about minor scales. Please keep watching these videos as we will be covering other scales and modes used from music from antiquity through jazz. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me directly Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Learn to Play Piano – Chopin Prelude No. 6 (B minor)

Welcome to my second part in a series offering tips for the Chopin Preludes. Last time we covered Prelude No. 4 in E minor. This lesson I will be exploring the Prelude No. 6 in B minor.

In the last lesson we discussed how to bring out the melody in the right hand by achieving a true legato utilizing a constant weight of the arm. Today’s lesson is similar but reversed; in this prelude the melody is in the left hand!

This lesson will require you to incorporate the weight of the left arm primarily in order to create a lush and fluid sound while bringing out the melody. When it comes to playing a string or a wind instrument, there is a natural progression of ups and downs. Whether it’s the continuity of the breath or the draw of a bow, the music must always be going somewhere, either growing or dying away. This is possible to achieve on the piano by increasing and decreasing the weight of the arms.

Rather than relying on calculated movements to get louder and softer, use the weight of your arms to recreate the sensation of breathing or using a bow. When you play a note, press into the key and make yourself believe that it’s going to sustain the note like a wind or string player does. You might be surprised at the results you achieve. In the video accompanying this article I demonstrate this technique.

As with any music you are performing, using the pedal as a crutch to cover up sloppy playing should never be an option. If you intend to learn this piece correctly and make it sing, you will need to achieve a true legato in both hands without the use of the pedal. Because of this, you will want to practice, learn and memorize this piece without using the pedal at first. Later when you feel confident in the sound you produce, you can add the pedal to create an even richer sound.

Another practice method (that we also discussed last time) is holding out the chords wherever possible. Instead of playing all the chords as written, hold the repeated chords out instead of replaying them – so you can get a sense of the best fingering when switching between chords. You will find ways to maneuver your fingers and hands in ways that will connect the notes much better and create a seamless sound. It’s always a great idea to reduce your music to chords first – this way you can get a better idea of the fingering while gaining a better understanding of the harmonies.

Thanks again for joining me. If you would like more information about this piece or any others, we are currently in the midst of producing some thorough tutorials instead of just these helpful pointers. If you would like to be notified about these lessons please send me an email requesting more information at Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Piano Lessons: Chopin Prelude No 4 (E minor)

Welcome to my ongoing series dedicated to specific pieces of repertoire. Today we will be covering the Chopin Prelude No. 4 (E minor). This was actually the very first piece of Chopin I ever studied so it holds a particularly special interest for me. As a kid I remember thinking that this was the most beautiful piece I’d ever heard and I couldn’t imagine playing anything better. Of course as time went on my tastes expanded, yet this piece is still one of my all-time favorites.

This is actually a very odd piece of music. If you just play the melody without the chords you will notice that it’s surprisingly simple. The real genius of this piece lies in the harmonization; the left hand has some truly exquisite chords. While the chords are extremely important, you will still want the melody to sing above everything else.

A very big mistake when it comes to playing the piano is continually using the pedal as a crutch to cover up sloppy playing. If you intend to learn this piece correctly and make it sing, you will need to achieve a true legato in both hands without the use of the pedal. Because of this, you will want to practice, learn and memorize this piece without using the pedal at first. Later when you feel confident in the sound you produce, you can add the pedal to create an even richer sound.

Another practice method is holding out the chords with the left-hand. Instead of playing all the chords as written, hold the repeated chords out instead of replaying them – so you can get a sense of the best fingering when switching between chords. You will find ways to maneuver your fingers and hands in ways that will connect the notes much better and create a seamless sound.

When combining the hands, you will want to make sure you get an extreme legato. I can’t tell you how many times I hear people playing this piece by simply using the pedal and playing short chords. While it might sound OK, it’s really not the best sound. You will create a much better sound if you use an extreme legato in both hands to allow the melody to sing above the thick chords. Use a constant arm weight supported by your fingers to bring out the melody in the right hand.

There really are dozens of different ways to perform this piece. If you search on YouTube you can find a number of different interpretations from incredible pianists. While the phrasing can change, you will always want to be rising or falling; the music must always be going somewhere.

Thanks again for joining me. If you would like more information about this piece or any others, we are currently in the midst of producing some thorough tutorials instead of just these helpful pointers. If you would like to be notified about these lessons please send me an email requesting more information at Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

How to Add Harmonic Spice to Your Music – Advanced Piano Lessons

This topic comes from a viewer question. Connie asks, “How do I get beyond the I, IV, and V chords when improvising Christmas music.” I thought this would make a great topic to cover all sorts of music and improvisation.

Before we begin, you might be wondering what the I, IV, and V chords are. Well if you are in C major, an I chord is built on C (C -E -G). The fourth note in the C major scale is F, so the IV chord is built on F (F – A – C.) And the V chord is built on G (G – B – D). These are referred to as primary chords, they are major triads and you can harmonize almost anything with the I, IV, and V chords!

In the video accompanying this article, I show an example of harmonizing using this technique with the song “On Top of Old Smokey” in A major. I use the I, IV, and V chords to create a simple harmony to accompany the melody. In A major that is the A major chord (A – C-sharp – E) the D major chord (D – F-sharp – A) and the E major chord (E – G-sharp – B). But what other chords could you add beyond the I, IV, and V?

You can start by using the secondary chords. Secondary chords are pretty much the rest of the chords beyond I, IV, and V. So they would be II, III, and VI-VII not so much because it’s diminished. The II, III and VI are minor chords. So in A major, the II chord is B minor (B – D – F-sharp), the III chord is C# minor (C-sharp – E – G-sharp), and the VI chord will be an F# minor (F-sharp – A – C-sharp). But where can you use these in the harmony?

The best thing to do is experiment. Try different combinations and see what sounds good. You can try substituting an II chord for the IV chord; you could even keep the same D in the bass inverting the chord. This creates a seamless change in harmony with a new flavor!

The beauty of improvisation is that there are no absolutes of right and wrong. While some combinations won’t sound as good as others, you can experiment and find out what sounds good to you. Keep working at it and eventually creating new and interesting sounds will become second nature.

Thanks again for joining me, Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Email Question: When pianos are moved do you remove the lid?

 

QUESTION:

I recently watched a video of yours on the LivingPianosVideos YouTube Chanel about moving a piano. In the video, precautions are taken as wrapping the piano with shrink wrap, could you tell me if that method is enough to substitute the procedure of removing the lid in a move? Because it was stated to me before that one of the first procedures in moving a piano would be removing the lid to prevent damages.

I thank you in advance for a response and thank you again for making those videos, which are so informative!

ANSWER:

When grand pianos and baby grand pianos are moved, the lids are usually kept on. The exception is when moving pianos up or down flights of stairs. The lids are removed to make the piano lighter in this case.

So, you should be in good shape!

For more information about piano moves check out our blog post on How to Move a Piano

Email Question: What’s the best piano for me if price is not an issue?

QUESTION:

I really want to get a piano, but of course their expensive, take up space, and are loud. The expense is not what I’m worried about. What kind of piano should look for?

ANSWER:

You should try to get the best piano you can afford. All students eventually outgrow even the finest upright pianos. Here is a video on the subject:

The minimum instrument you can utilize to learn the piano would be an 88 key weighted action digital. An upright would be a step up from that. A baby grand is better yet. And large grand pianos in excellent condition would be the ideal instrument for you.