It’s sad to think that a piano can simply age to the point where it needs to be thrown away. Sadly, this is sometimes the case. But is it really the age that is the determining factor in getting rid of a piano or is it something else? Today we are
Is it okay to fake at the piano? Many teachers would say that you must not fake on the piano. I would tend to agree with them. But is this all-encompassing? Let me give you some examples where faking or not playing totally accurately might actually b
Tuning a piano cost different amounts in various regions. Some remote places have no piano technicians! So, when tuners come through, they are in incredible demand and command high rates for tuning. In metropolitan areas with lots of tuners, the goin
When I was a child growing up, my father Morton Estrin would always leave his fallboards open on his pianos and I once asked him about this. He explained to me that the ivory keys on pianos will yellow if not exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. So, closing the fallboard will turn ivory keys yellow over time. In this case, you are better off leaving your fallboard open.
When it comes to plastic keys there are no other benefits to keeping fallboards open unless there is direct sunlight on the keys. Plastic can sometimes react to sunlight and degrade over time. If you want to prevent people from playing your piano or prevent dust from getting on the keys, than closing the fallboard is a good choice. However, it doesn’t prolonging the life of your piano or aid its stability.
Thanks again for joining us here at Living Pianos. If you have any questions about this topic or any others, please contact us at: Info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
Nearly every piano has a fallboard and you might assume that if it’s there it should be used. Should you close the fallboard on your piano when you’re not playing it? There are certain instances when the fallboard can be useful to keep people fro
How you sit at the piano is extremely important for several reasons. It offers you the most ergonomic position for tone production and technical fluency. It also assures that you can practice for long periods without causing injury. Wind players are
This is a question I received the other day and I was surprised about how in-depth the answer became. All musicians are familiar with time signatures at the beginning of pieces – whether it’s 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, or even something like 12/8 –
But this isn’t just a case of men and women. You really should watch some great pianists perform on youtube and watch the different techniques they employ. Each pianist will face his or her own challenges when it comes to their physical makeup and it’s very interesting to explore different approaches to the keyboard.
What’s most important is that you must learn what works for you. Don’t be afraid to employ different techniques when it comes to playing the piano and developing as a musician. We are all built differently and there are techniques for every hand and arm type imaginable.
This question comes from a viewer named Diane. This is a very interesting question and yes, there is an answer to it; although it’s not quite what you might expect. Throughout my development on the piano, I had the opportunity to study with some ph
Today I am going to talk about something a little different; something I learned as a conservatory student.
When I would listen to performances of concert pianists, I would notice that the melody was delineated much more in their playing than in most student performances. The difference in volume between the melody and the harmony was much greater in the performances of the great pianists.
In the example provided with the video in this article, I play the slow movement of the Beethoven Pathetique Sonata and show you how playing the melody much bigger and playing everything else very delicately will give the piece a much more intimate feel.
The thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t a right or wrong approach to your music, it’s simply one technique you can bring that will create a unique presence for your performances. In very dense music, delineating your melody from the rest of the music is essential; otherwise, it can get lost very easily.
While it doesn’t work on all occasions, in some instances you must create extreme separation between your melody and harmony by accentuating the melody above all else. Practicing Without the Pedal and Practicing While Playing Slowly are two great techniques in learning how to bring out the melody in your music.
Thanks again for joining us here at Living Pianos. If you have any questions about this topic or any others, please contact us at: Info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
I’ve different aspects of voicing on the piano: How to Play Softly, How to Play Loud, How to go from Loud to Soft, How to Play One Hand Louder Than the Other on the Piano, and How to Bring Out Lines in Your Music. Today I am going to talk about som
This is a very interesting question. We know as people get older their mobility may suffer and their minds can potentially slow down. But how does this affect their ability to perform music? Today we are going to discuss this and the answer might sur