Piano Lessons- Music Theory Lessons

This is a common question. Sometimes you will see pianos with more keys, (as in the Bosendorfer Imperial and Stuart & Sons concert grand pianos) but most of the time they have less. Is this something to be alarmed about? Let’s explore this subject.

The original design of the piano evolved from the Harpsichord which had about five octaves of keys. Throughout Beethoven’s life, the piano evolved in its robustness as well as the keyboard range. He demanded more out of the instrument in regards to dynamics utilizing techniques that simply outgrew what pianos of the time were capable of producing.

By the middle of the 19th century, pianos typically had 85 keys. By the end of the century, pianos began to emerge with the now standard 88 keys. It wasn’t really until the late 1880s when 88 keys became standard on pianos.

So if you have a piano or a keyboard with less than 88 keys is it something to worry about? It really depends upon the music you are playing. If you’re playing very old music – that was originally written for the harpsichord or early piano – it won’t be an issue at all. However, if you play a great deal of 20th century music, then you might want the full 88 keys but it really isn’t a deal breaker since these keys are used sparingly.

Much like the sostenuto or middle pedal, 88 keys are a late development in the the evolution of the piano and not necessarily something you absolutely need unless you’re playing a great deal of relatively modern music.

This is an interesting question because we typically don’t have the opportunity to get in the mind of the composer as they prepare to write a piece. You might wonder if there is something to their method and what is involved in the process.

If you go back in time, tuning was not standardized. Even in Bach’s time, although he wrote pieces in all major and minor keys, they didn’t all sound the same! On keyboard instruments at the time there was no tuning technology invented yet which established a true equal temperament (which is standard today) where all intervals sound the same in all keys.

So, with equal temperament tuning in which all intervals are equal, how do composers pick which keys to write in? Is it something as simple as flipping a coin?

A key that a piece is played in has to fit in the right register. For example, if you were writing a piece for a soprano singer, you wouldn’t want to write too high or too low – you would need it to be in their range so it is comfortable for them. The same thing is true if you are writing for any instrument. For example, the tone of a flute is dramatically different in the low register from the high register.

Going beyond the key of the piece, the octave in which you write in is very important for the sound and mood you are trying to create. There will be times where you are writing something in a particular key and you might find that either octave is not right. You may discover that it needs to fall somewhere between. Therefore, the piece must be written in a different key. These are the things a composer will take into account when writing music.

You may or may not have heard this term before. In studying with my father, Morton Estrin, he stressed the concept of playing with a quiet hand years before I left for conservatory and it’s something I’ve incorporated into my playing ever since. This is a great technique for creating expressive playing on the piano and today we are going to learn about what it is and how you can incorporate it into your playing.

Welcome to the first in a three part series on learning Clementi’s Sonatinas Op. 36 in C major. If any of you out there are piano teachers or intermediate level piano students, you are probably familiar with this piece. This is a great piece for students. I have personally taught it hundreds of times, and I have encouraged all intermediate level students to learn it. Today we are going to discuss some tips for the first movement.

Picking the right music school is a very crucial decision in many musician’s life. There are thousands of music schools around the world and narrowing down your choices can be a very daunting task. This article will provide some tips to help in your selection.

If you are an instrumentalist or singer, one of the most important things is making sure the school you are looking at has good orchestras and other ensembles to perform in. Having the opportunity to play with other musicians is a very important aspect in your musical development. So, making sure you have the opportunity to play with other musicians is a central element in your education.

The reputation of the institution you’re looking at is also an important factor. The prestige of a degree from a respected school may help to enhance your career opportunities later on. The location of the school is also an important consideration since there could possibly be more opportunities for work in a more urban environment. However, a more rural setting may be the right fit for some people since it offers a potentially less distracting learning environment. You should look at schools that fit your personality and aspirations.

When I was selecting schools there was one aspect that mattered more than any of the things listed above: my private teacher.

The private teacher who will be mentoring you can be the most important decision in selecting a school.

But how do you go about finding the right teacher for you? As I researched schools, I referenced recordings of teachers I would potentially be studying with and looked for ones I had great respect and admiration for. There are so many more resources today to research your teachers and universities with the internet. But making sure you select a great teacher is incredibly important to your success in school. You could attend one of the best institutions in the world, but if you are not getting what you need to develop your craft from your private teacher, your experience could be disappointing.

Selecting a teacher is complicated. You may hear someone’s recordings and be thrilled with the playing. Yet, that’s not everything that comes into account when selecting a teacher. Just because someone plays their instrument well doesn’t mean they can teach well. On the other hand, just because someone teaches well doesn’t mean their playing is top notch. Sometimes people are past their prime or were never great performers, yet could convey musical knowledge exceedingly well. So, how do you find the right teacher for yourself?

One indication is referencing a teacher’s past students and seeing their success. Yet there are circumstances where an institution will have prestigious teachers on staff who draw the best students from around the world. In some cases these students are on such a high level when they arrive at the school that all they need is advanced coaching rather than fundamental teaching. By putting the final touches on the student’s progress, the teachers may get credit for work that may have been the result of former training.

So how do you find a good teacher?

There is absolutely no substitute for personal communication. The best solution is to visit schools you have narrowed down on your list of choices and talk to the teachers personally. Better yet, if you can take a lesson or two from teachers you are interested in studying with, that would be ideal. Influential names and prestige are important factors in selecting a teacher, but they may not be as crucial as the personal connection you have with your private music teacher.

You probably know that pianos generally have 3 pedals. You may have seen pianos with only 2 pedals (mostly older European and Asian pianos). But have you seen any pianos with 4 pedals? Believe it or not, there are pianos with 4 pedals and it’s very interesting how this works.

One example is the piano company Stuart & Sons from Australia which builds pianos with 4 pedals. Before we get into what the fourth pedal does, let’s do a quick review of the functions of the standard 3 pedals.

The right pedal (the sustain or damper pedal) enables all the notes to carry their sound even after you lift your hands off the keys. Virtually all modern pianos (even digital pianos) have this pedal and your piano almost certainly has one.

The left pedal (the soft pedal or una corda pedal) shifts the action to the side slightly – which you can actually see on grand pianos when you depress the pedal. The hammers strike only two of the three strings directly producing a more mellow tone.

The middle pedal is a selective hold (sostenuto) pedal in that it only holds the dampers up for the keys you press and hold down just before pressing down the middle pedal. Yet, any additional notes you play after, will not sustain without holding the keys down. If this sounds confusing you can watch my video on What Does the Middle Pedal on a Piano Do?

The above descriptions of all these pedals pertain to the actions on grand pianos. Upright pianos have pedals that typically don’t have the same functions as pedals on grand pianos with the exception of the damper or sustain pedal on the right.

On upright pianos, the right (damper) pedal still functions the same as they do on grand pianos in that it holds up the dampers on all notes allowing all notes to sustain without holding down the keys. The middle pedal on a upright pianos is typically a practice pedal which places felt over the strings for quiet playing. Some middle pedals on upright pianos sustain only low notes which mimics the use of sostenuto pedals (middle pedals) on grand pianos. The left pedal though is where things get really interesting.

The left pedal on upright pianos sets the hammers closer to the strings instead of shifting the action to only strike two of the three strings as in grand pianos. This doesn’t change tone, but it does change the touch of the piano making it harder to play loud because it lessens the momentum of the strike of the hammers. This is what the fourth pedal does on Stuart & Sons pianos.

This may be useful because you still have the availability of the una corda pedal for tonal change, but you also can change the response of the action making it easier to play softly with the fourth pedal. While not a requirement for your music, but it’s a nice option to have.

This might sound like a funny topic but I’ve gotten this question quite a few times over the years.

In the past, I’ve had students who would let their fingernails grow to ridiculous lengths and they caused clicking whenever they played! This can be distracting!

Why are long fingernails a problem? Good hand position is extremely important when it comes to playing the piano. You want to be in a position that takes no effort to maintain. Naturally, your fingers curve into a comfortable position.

In this position, your fingernails would be the first things to strike the keys. Playing the piano with your fingers and hand in this position is much more natural than trying to play with them outstretched like this:

While this hand position might make it easier on long fingernails, playing the piano like this would cause a lot of unnecessary strain and make playing rapid passagework cumbersome.

So can you play the piano with long fingernails? Sure, but if you’re serious about playing, you need to trim them to a length that allows you to play the piano without creating extraneous noises with your nails and maintaining an ideal hand position.

I know this is a topic that might have some piano teachers in a panic at the suggestion of having students play their music too fast. Generally in performance and even in practice, playing your music too fast can be destructive. What I’m suggesting in this video is just one method of practicing your music – and something you would never use in a performance setting. It is a technique which used sparingly may provide insights into approaching your music.

You may have a piece you’ve learned and can’t get beyond a fundamental level of performance. I’ve found that sometimes playing a piece faster than written can open up new approaches and even new techniques you never thought to try. For example, if you’re playing a fast piece, playing it even faster will force you to lighten up your technique in order to accommodate the speed. Then when you come back to the normal tempo, you will find that you have more facility and comfort than before.

Even in slow movements this can be a beneficial technique. For example, in the Mozart K332 Sonata, the second movement is gorgeous and lyrical. Playing faster can provide insights into the direction of the musical line which you may not realize playing at the appropriate tempo. Sometimes you might find yourself getting bogged down and the music sounds choppy and lacking a fluid line. By practicing this movement faster than written, you’re almost guaranteed to approach it with a more fluid line. Try this and then go back to the written tempo and incorporate what you experienced playing at the faster tempo. You can sense the larger note values instead of each sixteenth note. You may be pleased with the results!

When it comes to making money as a musician there is no one-size-fits-all solution but there are some general tips that can help you find work actually playing music.

It’s always important to remember that the music business is a business. A lot of times people will feel complacent towards the business end of it and that can be a recipe for disaster. Many times students will practice in conservatories for hours every single day hoping that if they are good enough someone might “discover” them. Sadly, this is not the case.

There are always more musicians available then job positions out there. Without proper networking nobody will ever know you even exist. You have to get yourself out there, you should find other musicians to play with and talk with. This is not just a suggestion; it is really something that all musicians should do.

When you are around other musicians you will quickly realize that most of them are looking for that person who has the jobs. Don’t be afraid to be that person. It’s actually easier to start your own musical group then to go find others to hire you. Jobs are scarce in this world and many people who are becoming successful are the entrepreneurial types who create opportunities and unique business models on their own.

If you’re starting out on your own with a group of musicians you have to make sure you do your part in advertising yourselves. Definitely utilize social media but beyond that you need to network within the field you are interested in. For example, if you want to have a group of musicians who plays weddings you should not only have your social media presence but you should network with fellow professionals. Go to wedding planners, floral shops, dress shops, photographers, videographers, caterers and any other businesses you can think of that are involved with weddings. Make a point to meet with them and ask if they have anyone they recommend for music. Maybe they do but maybe they don’t. Give them your business card and tell them you would be happy to recommend them to any potential clients you come across. You will find that many people are very receptive to this idea and if you actually get them any referrals they may very well try to return the favor.

You have to remember that separating yourself from the crowd is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to business and networking. People love working with or recommending someone who can benefit them as well. If you are offering someone the opportunity for more business, you will most likely have their attention right away.