Piano Lessons- Music Theory Lessons

Perhaps you have heard of a picardy third, and possibly not. It can possibly provide a compelling element to your music. The picardy third is a single note that can dramatically change the nature of the end of a composition and be a welcomed addition when placed in the right context.

So you’re probably wondering, how do you produce a picardy third and what does it sound like? When a piece is in the minor key, a picardy third is created by raising the third of the last chord of the piece so it ends in the major. You and your audience would expect the piece to end on a minor chord, but the picardy takes an interesting turn and ends it in the major!

When used effectively this can add spice to your music. In a long and dark piece it can add a “ray of sunshine” to an otherwise dark piece of music.

It’s always a challenge for someone when they first start looking for a piano. Maybe you want one for yourself, maybe you are thinking about getting your child piano lessons – whatever the reasons might be, getting into the piano market is a challenge for anyone.

The first thing you will notice is a huge range of prices. There are pianos that cost tens of thousands of dollars and there are pianos that cost hundreds of dollars. Sometimes the pianos are the same models yet there is a huge difference in price. So where do you begin?

Buying a used piano is a lot like buying a used car. If you go online you can see cars for under $3,000 but the reality is you will probably need to put some additional work for them to run efficiently. The same is true for pianos – you can buy something very cheap, or even find a free piano, but the amount of work you might have to put into them can vary greatly. Sometimes you can get lucky and find something that after a few hundred dollars of work can be a serviceable instrument. Other times it can cost you more than the piano is worth – sometimes a lot more.

If price is the ultimate premium for you, it might be better to get a good digital piano or keyboard. Decent ones can start at about $800 and could be more reliable than a used upright you might find on Craigslist at that price point. Keep in mind that a piano requires constant work and that it will have to be tuned and require more maintenance later on so that $1,000 can really be just a starting point when it comes to investing into a piano.

The thing you can’t find for under $1,000 is a high quality instrument. Many people believe if they keep looking they will find that diamond in the rough where someone is listing a high-quality grand for way below what it is worth. It simply does not happen (or rarely happens like winning the lottery). Any of the pianos you find online for $1,000 or below will not be up to the standards necessary for an advanced player.

It is possible that you might find a high-quality grand for only a few thousand dollars but you should be very suspicious of any of these instruments. If you are looking for a higher quality piano you should almost always have a technician check out the instrument for you. Much like buying a car, you can get stuck with a lemon and simply will have wasted your money on something that will never work as intended.

Buying a piano on your own from private sellers is something that takes time and effort. If you go to a reliable source you will find something that is ready to play as soon as you buy it, if you buy from an individual you might be stuck with a large amount of additional work.

Parallel intervals have been around for centuries. They have a rich and detailed history. But what exactly are parallel intervals? Parallel intervals are any intervals (2 notes played together) that go consecutively in the same direction. For example, if you have the interval of a 5th – such as C to G; if you go to D and A that would be parallel intervals – in this case, parallel 5ths.

If you go back to the first written music (plainsong, also known as Gregorian chant) you simply had the singing of liturgical text – just one note at a time. When music eventually evolved to add a second note with the birth of organum there were many parallel intervals (specifically parallel 4ths).

As music developed polyphonically and counterpoint emerged (often with many simultaneous musical lines) the writings of Bach chorales and the basic rules of four part harmony actually forbade the use of parallel fifths and parallel octaves. But why?

The very first writing in music was vocal writing. Typically in four part chorale writing you have a soprano, alto, tenor, and bass and the idea was to have distinct separate vocal lines you could hear. As these lines intersected, harmonies were created. The reason that parallel octaves were avoided in this type of music is because if you have two different voices singing the same notes an octave apart it sounds like the same line.

This same principle applies to parallel fifths since they are sonically related. The same is not true for parallel thirds and other intervals. If you listen to parallel thirds and fourths you can still hear each individual part even though they blend well together.

As performers we all have a certain amount of ego – if we go out and perform something and people aren’t paying attention it’s pretty insulting. It would be great if every time you performed people would simply stop what they are doing and give you their full attention but, you have to be realistic; this isn’t going to happen all the time.

The first thing to remember is that there are many different types of performances. There are formal occasions such as recitals or symphony concerts as well as more informal locations such as parties, restaurants or even malls. While the performances might be similar, the audience and setting is extremely different.

If people are loud and obnoxious at a formal event – which does happen – this is something that is completely antithetical to the setting of the performance; if they act that way in a public setting it’s something to be expected and planned for. You can’t expect everyone at a party to stop what they are doing to listen to your performance – they are probably there to eat, drink and socialize with their friends.

It’s very important as a musician to understand your audience and the context of the performance. In many cases when you are playing in an informal setting you have to put your ego aside and realize that what you are doing is more of a job than a pure musical expression.

But how do you deal with an audience member in a formal setting who is being loud? There are a number of ways to react and deal with a situation like this.

One method is to be confrontational. You could try looking towards the source of the noise and possibly intimidate the audience members to quiet down so everyone can enjoy the music. This can work but it can also backfire. Really the last thing you want to do is create a distraction by developing a dynamic between you and an audience member – you want to minimize the distraction to your audience. It’s probably best to avoid confrontation whenever possible.

I personally use a much different method. If I find someone is being disruptive during a performance, I do my best to draw them out to the audience and make them aware of the distraction. For example, when I come to a quiet part of a piece I may play even quieter then I normally would. This might seem counter intuitive, but if you captivate your audience and have them follow you into a quiet section they will be incensed at the idea of someone disrupting it for them. In situations like this the audience will take care of your problem for you.

The best thing you can do is keep your composure. You don’t want your audience seeing you affected in a negative way and you don’t want them seeing you upset. You will have to deal with this problem as a performer and it’s always important to remember the context in which you are performing.

Improvisation is something that seems almost impossible when it’s done effectively. If you’ve ever seen a comedy act in which they improvise using different objects or ideas it can be incredibly entertaining and it’s amazing to watch people come up with such great ideas out of thin air.

In a lot of ways it’s how we used to think as a children; coming up with elaborate stories and creative games is something that comes naturally. Over the course of our development in society we are taught to temper these creative aspects of our personality in order to conform to a more strict set of rules. However, inside all of us lies the ability to be creative and let ourselves go – it’s just really a matter of re-discovering those aspects of ourselves!

When it comes to music, there are many different types of improvisation. Many genres of music have structure in which improvisation is built on. For example, when it comes to great jazz artists (like Chick Corea or Miles Davis) they will perform improvisations on a song that is somewhat pre-determined. There is a melody and theme to the music that stands as a foundation and throughout the course of the song they improvise and embellish it by using improvisation to change the melody, harmony and the overall arrangement. One of Miles Davis’ albums, “Bitches Brew” had over 20 musicians – including multiple percussionists – in the same room playing at the same time. Without some sort of foundation to the music it would sound like chaos. While there might not have been a pre-determined course for the music, a consistent rhythm section is able to keep the piece intact while other instruments improvise different melodies and solos. However, this is by no means the only type of improvisation when it comes to music.

Keith Jarrett is an artist who would go out on stage and play an entire concert that is totally improvised and not based on any previous material. Sure, there might be some riffs and chord changes he’s played a number of times before but the actual structure of the music is purely improvised with new melodies and structure every time.

There are dozens of different types of improvisation when it comes to music. Indian Ragas are another example of improvisation where a number of musicians will get together and play a piece that could sometimes last 90 minutes and is improvised above a consistent drone.

When it comes down to it, there are really two main types of improvisation. One that is built upon a foundation and one that is purely made up. A lot of improvisation will blur the lines between the two and form their own unique styles. For example, I like to improvise classical pieces. I have grown up with music and have a strong understanding of this musical language so I find enjoyment in making up pieces or taking existing pieces and improvising with them.

There are countless different ways in which you can improvise with music and all of them can be both rewarding and beneficial to your musical development.

This is a very common and important question and I’m going to answer it as honestly as I can. Surprisingly, this doesn’t have to be as controversial a topic as it sounds. In some occasions there is a point at which some students can simply outgrow a teacher.

A common example of this is a student progressing past a teacher and needing someone with a larger range of experience and repertoire to continue to grow as a musician. This is something that teachers should be aware of and understand as a possibility. While it might be tough to see them go, letting a student progress to a higher level is something we should all strive for as teachers and sometimes it’s just best to let go. Keeping a student past the point of diminishing returns will only stunt their development and it could end up creating resentment. Many musicians will have a number of teachers over the course of their lives; it’s not something to be afraid of or avoid, it’s a part of musical development.

Another example is if a student wants to branch off into another genre of music that their teacher isn’t familiar or experienced with. Maybe you have a student trained in classical violin who decides they want to explore bluegrass and fiddling. Some teachers might turn up their noses at the idea of a different genre but it’s not something we can and should control. If a student wants to explore other genres of music with their instrument you should encourage them and help them however you can. If it’s beyond your abilities it might be best if you help them find another teacher that specializes in their desired genre possibly even an adjunct course at a local college in addition to lessons.

This can be a real touchy subject for many teachers and students but it’s not something that should get in the way of learning. If you are learning well and getting along with your teacher then you should continue to do so. If it’s time to move on, it’s time to move on. The best thing we can do as teachers is continue to help our students become the best musicians they can be. If they outgrow us it should only be taken as a compliment – after all, you laid the foundation for their progress and you’re part of the reason they have progressed so far!

Many people wonder if there is a difference between a piano tuner and a piano technician. There is certainly a difference between the two but there is a surprising amount of overlap of these terms as well.

Nearly all piano technicians are tuners, but not all piano tuners are technicians. There are certainly exceptions, but this is a pretty accurate statement when it comes to these two different job titles.

Piano Tuners specialize in tuning pianos. However, if there is a sticking key, a squeaky pedal or a broken string, they may not deal with these issues?

Piano Technicians should be able to deal with a wide range of issues with your piano. Registered Piano Technicians (RPT) – are members of the Piano Technicians’ Guild – and have to go through a course to earn the RPT designation. This ensures that they will be able to cover a wide range of issues out in the field and have the right to call themselves piano technicians. However, there are also many fine piano technicians who choose not to become members of the guild.

The complex nature of the piano assures that no one piano tuner/technician knows how to deal with all piano issues. Occasionally we have had piano problems that required us to consult a number of technicians to solve. With over 12,000 parts, finding a technician who has seen every conceivable problem on different pianos is impossible.

Finding a piano technician who is a fine tuner can be a real benefit to you and your piano. Being able to have someone come over and not only tune your piano but take care of small issues and keep the action working optimally can be invaluable in extending the life of your piano while enjoying a high level playing experience.

Everyone practices a great deal to avoid mistakes but we are all human and sometimes mistakes just happen. I don’t care who you are or how accomplished a musician you are, there are a myriad of reasons that could create a mistake. There could be a problem with the instrument, there could be a distraction in the audience, a finger could slip, your memory could fail for a moment; the list goes on and on of potential problems that could lead to a mistake.

The best thing you can do as a musician is to play with continuity. Let’s just say there is a really big train with a lot of cars. If the train derails, there would be utter chaos – the cars would go everywhere and you would have a huge mess. But if instead of the train derailing, it simply slipped back onto the track and kept its course, while the event might be scary, it would not lead to disaster; instead the train would simply chug along almost as if nothing ever happened. This is how you need to think about a musical performance. It must keep moving along!

The worst thing you can do as a performer is to stop and dwell on a mistake. It’s absolutely crucial that in the event of a mistake you continue to maintain the proper time of the piece and make sure that you don’t stop playing. If you make a mistake that is jarring for the audience, everyone will notice no matter what level of musical sophistication they have. Just like if you are watching a movie and the frame skips even a few seconds forward or back, it is much more jarring than if there is a moment of blurriness or garbled audio.

The most important thing is to keep the music moving. This is essential when you are playing with other musicians because you will not be playing together if you lose or gain time! Even if you miss a note or crack a note you must keep moving; don’t let a mistake slow you down or stop you mentally. If you pull this off correctly nobody in the audience will be offended by the mistake. You just have to keep the flow and the time of the music intact and everyone will enjoy the performance even if it’s not perfect.