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How to Tell if a Piece is in a Major or Minor Key

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. The subject today is about how to know when a piece is in a major key or a minor key. There are certain sonic signatures you may already be aware of. Something in the minor key has more of a sad or dark quality than a major key. Just establishing a major key compared to the same exact chord progression in the minor key sounds drastically different. So you might be able to figure out that a piece is in a minor key because of the sadder quality that minor harmonies naturally tend to have. But is there a technical way to differentiate?

The key signature provides you with essential information.

If you know your key signatures, you know that if you have no sharps or flats that you’re probably in C major, if you’re in a major key. Because no sharps or flats form the C major scale. So what if that was in a minor key? What would that mean? Well, here’s the interesting thing about key signatures. All key signatures share both major and minor key possibilities. So if you have no sharps or flats, it could be in C major, but it might be in the relative minor of C major. What do I mean by the relative minor? It has to do with starting on a different note of the scale. The sixth note of the major scale is where the relative minor is found. So if you have no sharps or flats, instead of being centered on C, being centered on A, the sixth note of the C major scale, you are in A minor. Another way you can find the relative minor is to simply go down three half-steps from the major key. So once again, no sharps or flats could be C major, or it could potentially be three half-steps lower than C, which again brings you to A.

So what is the A minor scale?

The pure form of the A minor scale is simply the same exact notes of a C major scale, except starting on A. To discover whether a piece is in a major or minor key, you might think all you need to do is figure out where the notes are centered. There is actually a much easier way! Generally speaking, the minor is not found in its pure or natural form. Instead, it’s found in the harmonic or melodic forms, which have altered tones. That is to say that in a harmonic minor scale, the seventh note is raised a half-step. Interestingly, having a raised seventh makes an augmented second between the sixth and seventh notes. All the other notes of the scale are either half-steps or whole steps, but here you have a step and a half between the sixth and seventh notes.

Majors and Minors Sheet music

Why is this so significant? Because if you see a piece with no sharps or flats, and all over the place you have G sharps, then you can pretty well assume that you’re in A minor. I mentioned that there’s a harmonic and a melodic form. The melodic form has two altered tones. Both the sixth and seventh notes are raised by a half-step. But the melodic minor scale descends in the natural form with no altered tones. There’s something really interesting about the melodic minor in that it has all the exact same notes of the major scale with the exception of the third. If you just change the third note from C to C sharp, now you have an A major scale. That’s an interesting side note, not to confuse the issue, because the A major scale has almost nothing to do with the A minor scale, except they are parallel major and minor.

Today the thing to think about is the relative minor.

Once again, the relative minor is found starting on the sixth note of the major scale. In C major the relative minor is A minor, which can be found in either the harmonic form with the raised seventh or the melodic form with the raised sixth and seventh, which only is ascending. Descending, it reverts back to the natural minor. So if you have a piece with no sharps or flats and you see a lot of F sharps and G sharps, you can be pretty well assured it’s not in C major, but it’s in A minor.

With other keys, as long as you know key signatures, you know which specific notes to look for. For example, if you have one sharp in the key signature, which would be an F sharp, this is the key of G major. To find the relative minor of G major, it’s exactly the same thing. It starts on the sixth note of the G major scale. Or you could go down three half steps from G. Either way, E minor is the relative minor of G major. So if you played all the notes of the G major scale, except starting on E, you would have the natural or pure E minor scale, the relative minor of G major. But that’s not the way minor scales generally occur. Usually, minor keys are found in the harmonic or melodic forms with altered tones. Both the harmonic and melodic minor have raised sevenths. The melodic also has a raised sixth. But the raised seventh is the keynote, because either of those altered forms will have a raised seventh. So the seventh note of the E minor scale gets raised by a half-step, which means the D goes up to D sharp. So if you have a piece with one sharp you might assume it could be in G major, which it very well might be. But you also want to investigate the possibility that it’s in the relative minor. Just count up to the sixth note of that scale to E, go to the seventh note of the E minor scale, which is D, and if you see a bunch of D sharps in your score, even though you’re in one sharp and you think you should be in G major, it could very well be in E minor. This is the way to really assess whether a piece is indeed in a minor key or a major key. Every single key signature has its associated relative minor starting on the sixth note of that major key, or going down three half-steps from the tonic note.

I hope this is helpful for you!

Study the scores of pieces you’ve played for years or pieces you’re working on. Check to see those keynotes. If you have a raised seventh in the relative minor, you’re probably in the minor key, not the major key. I hope this has taken a rather complex subject and broken it down for you so that you can investigate for yourself. It is extremely important to have the whole understanding of the score, the harmonies, and the structure. It can help with memory. It can help with sight reading. It’s not just an arbitrary exercise in theory. It has practical elements for you! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

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Does Music Need to be Loud to be Good?

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. The subject today is about the importance of volume in music. It’s interesting, as technology has grown, the use of volume to reach larger and larger audiences has ensued over hundreds of years. Originally, music was just singing, because the human voice is the first musical instrument. Then percussion instruments came along with people banging on things to make even more sound. With the invention of modern instruments like the saxophone, volume again increased. Then electronics took us to another level with how much volume is possible. But today, we’re talking about something a little bit different. The subject today isn’t about how the volume of musical instruments and musical expression has grown over generations and beyond, but how volume in your own music has a profound effect upon the listener and the emotions that are conveyed. The actual amount of amplitude, the energy of sound levels, has a profound effect upon how you feel when you’re listening to music. I’m going to demonstrate this for you with some original music to celebrate the new year. I hope you enjoy this!

See the accompanying video to hear the performance

Sometimes you can actually make a far louder message by holding back and playing delicately. The same thing is true with technology on a grander scale. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone into venues where the music has been so loud that you can’t really appreciate it because it’s beyond the threshold of pain! Any sound over 100 decibels is considered to be above the threshold of pain. If you go into a club, often the music is far above that level. But lower volume music actually draws listeners in! That’s the lesson for today on a personal level, as well as a global level.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this! Here at Living Pianos we wish you a great new year of music! We have plenty of great subjects for new videos in 2021, so stay tuned!
I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

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How to Achieve Speed & Lightness in Your Piano Playing

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today we’re going to discuss how to achieve speed and lightness in your piano playing. These two things are related. It’s simple physics really. Moving a great deal of mass takes more work than moving a smaller amount of mass. So minimizing motion in your fast playing is really the secret. I’ve talked about this with finger work, so today the focus is going to be on the wrists. The wrists are incredibly important on the piano for so many things that the fingers just can’t do because they don’t have enough power. First I’m going to give a little refresher on how this applies to finger work. Then I’m going to show you wrist technique and how minimizing motion gives you more speed and lightness with the wrists as well.

Minimize motion of the fingers when playing fast.

A piano melody, even one that is quiet, still has to project. It takes a certain amount of arm weight supported by the fingers to achieve this. This is analogous to the breath of a wind instrument or the bow of a violin. You can get a nice warm melody that projects and creates a fluid line by utilizing the fingers and the arm weight. But you can’t use that much finger motion when you want to play at a much faster tempo. You have to stay closer to the keys. Your fingers need to be close to the keys and rounded, so there’s a minimum amount of motion necessary. It makes it much easier to play fast and light.

The wrists are necessary for articulating staccatos, phrasing, accents, and chord technique.

 

For an example, I’m choosing a piece that I’ve taught countless times, the Ballade by Burgmuller. Students often play the staccatos with their arms, which creates a ponderous sound because the arms are so big and heavy. It’s better to utilize the wrists instead of the arms. However, trying to get the speed faster with that much motion can be incredibly difficult. But by staying closer to the keys you can play faster and lighter. When you want speed, stay closer to the keys in your finger work and use less wrist motion. Certainly don’t use the arms! The arms have a real limit of speed. Playing fast staccatos with the arms is all but impossible. But the wrists can go very fast. The wrists have much less mass to move compared with the arms, so already that helps. To get even more speed, agility and lightness in quick playing that is not just finger work, stay closer to the keys and have a minimal amount of motion. Then you’ll be able to go much faster!

Try this technique on whatever music you’re playing!

 

If you’re playing rapid finger work and you find that you’ve hit a brick wall, try lightening up and staying closer to the keys. In chord technique and staccatos, use the wrists, not the arms because they are much faster and more agile. And as you get quicker, stay closer to the keys and use less motion. That’s the tip for today! I hope this is helpful for you! Thanks again for joining me! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

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The Truth About Piano Competitions

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. A viewer asked me, “How are piano competitions judged?” And it got me thinking. It’s such a subjective thing, isn’t it? Who’s better Who plays the piano better? Obviously it’s more art than science. So there’s a lot to this question. I’m going to dive right in for you! There are more fine concert pianists in the world today than ever before in history. Consider this:

In China alone there are over 40 million piano students!

Many of them are extraordinarily accomplished. And of course there are pianists all around the world. But there are a limited number of competitions. The international competitions, like the Cliburn, the Chopin, and the Tchaikovsky attract the greatest talent from the entire world.

What does it take to enter these competitions?

You have to play at such a high level to even approach these competitions because the repertoire requirements are tremendous. These top tier competitions require several complete programs, concertos, chamber music, all from memory, and sometimes there will be a piece written just for the competition that nobody’s ever seen or heard before! Instead of being able to refresh all the music that’s percolating in their heads, competitors have to immerse themselves in a brand-new piece to learn on the spot! How’s that for a challenge? Yet, there are still so many people vying for these piano competitions. The truth is, just being able to get into the semi-finals in one of these competitions is a milestone.

What is it like to compete in a piano competition?

Just like the Olympics, people prepare for months or years in anticipation of this one day. These competitions only come around periodically. Competitors might have a good day, they might have a bad day. Maybe they got a cold just the night before. The piano used in the competition might have an action similar to what they are used to and they’re right at home. Conversely, somebody else might feel off-put by the piano if it doesn’t feel anything like what they’re used to. Many of these top tier competitions, like the Tchaikovsky, offer a choice of pianos. Making that choice can be a very tough decision as well.

What are some of the things that enter into how judges evaluate one pianist to the next?

There are many things involved, but I’ve got an interesting story for you. Years ago, the wonderful concert pianist, Ivo Pogorelich, entered the Chopin competition. At a certain point, he was eliminated. But one of the judges of that competition was the great pianist, Martha Argerich who was so incensed by this, that she walked out of the competition! This made news and actually propelled Pogorelich into a career from the sheer spectacle of it all! But why do you suppose that Ivo Pogorelich was the favorite of Martha Argerich, and yet the other judges dismissed him? Well, one of the factors of competitions is that a pianist who really makes a statement and has a personality that is different from anything people have heard before will be loved by some and detested by others. In competitions, there can be a race to the center. It may be beneficial to not be extreme in one direction or another. And that’s kind of sad really. But how else do you quantify?

Tempo can play a role in how a judge may perceive a performance.

Judges are sitting there hour after hour, listening to pianist after pianist. If somebody comes in there and gives a very energetic uptempo performance, it can be invigorating! Then if somebody comes and plays a very beautiful, elegant performance, it may not have the same energy. After you hear a piece at a faster tempo, going to a slower tempo can be a let down. It sounds a little bit lifeless by comparison. This makes it very difficult to appreciate the slower performance. Though if you didn’t hear them next to each other, you might actually prefer the elegance of the slower performance! This is why many times the faster, louder player wins competitions.

But how else can you quantify who’s better? Let’s say somebody comes in and plays a Mephisto Waltz of Liszt. They play it faster than anybody else. It’s clean and it’s convincing. It’s very difficult to fault that, isn’t it? Of course, that player could play it slower if they chose to. But could the other players play it as fast? That’s an unknown. So there’s a lot to the idea of playing faster, playing louder, and playing very straightforward the way everybody expects the music to sound. I hate to think that that’s the way competitions are run, and truly they aren’t always run that way. But there is the risk of them turning out that way because of human nature.

As a performer, should you toe the line, or play to your own convictions?

You wonder how performers entering these competitions think about this. Are they going to take a chance and play the way they want to, even if they know it’s radically different from anything anyone else has done? Or are they going to play it safe and try to play for the judges? In my opinion, you really have to go for it and play to your own convictions. And that really is the lesson for today. Sometimes the winner is the person who plays to their convictions, and they play in such a way that it makes it seem as if it’s the only way the music should be played! This is not an exact science. This is art. It’s so subjective. That’s why this is an excellent question!

Keep the questions coming in! I pay particular attention to my Patreon subscribers. Those of you who want to have more input on these videos, I suggest you join my Patreon channel. www.Patreon.com/RobertEstrin

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The Requirements for Teaching Piano

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today’s subject is about what it takes to become a piano teacher. I received this question from a viewer. This is a really pertinent question because a lot of people who watch Living Pianos videos are teachers, or are thinking about teaching.

Because the internet is global, I talk to people all over the world. In fact, I have students in Australia, Pakistan, The United Kingdom, as well as all over The United States. Interestingly, in other countries the requirements for teaching piano are quite different from what they are here in The United States. Here in The U.S., there are 3 different types of music teachers. There are people who teach in the public schools, there are university and college teachers, and there are private teachers. Each of these have different requirements.

What are the requirements for teaching music in schools?

Piano isn’t typically taught in public schools, but to be a music teacher of any kind in public schools, whether it’s K-through-6, middle school or high school, takes certification, a degree or two including an education degree. And that’s really all that’s required. At the university and college level, all too often, they are looking for people with at least Master’s degrees. But it’s so competitive that having a Doctorate puts you in an advantageous position. Because unless you have something to set yourself apart in your resume, it’s very difficult to get any attention. There are very few teaching positions relative to the number of qualified applicants coming out of music conservatories and universities.

What does it take to be a successful private teacher?

For private piano teachers, and private music teachers of all ilks, there are absolutely no formal requirements. Anybody can put up their proverbial virtual shingle and say, “I’m a piano teacher.” And all too often people do just that. The flip side of this is some of the most accomplished pianists who have multiple degrees are not necessarily good teachers! As a private teacher, you need to be able to play the piano, or at least have been able to play the piano on a high level at some point. It’s really not necessary to be a concert pianist to be a great teacher. While some concert pianists are great teachers, there are concert pianists who are not good teachers at all. Many of them started very young, and were prodigies. They could play well due to natural ability. They can’t even remember having learned the fundamentals on the instrument. They were already advanced players at a young age. To relate to somebody starting out can be extremely difficult. Now, this isn’t to say that there are not people who were child prodigies who grew into great pianists and great teachers. I studied with Ruth Slenczynska, who was one of the great child prodigies of the 20th century. She was an absolutely wonderful pianist and teacher. So it does happen.

You have to have been a formidable pianist at one point in your life in order to understand enough to be able to teach.

Of course, if you’re teaching very young children, only going up to an intermediate level, you don’t necessarily have to be a very accomplished pianist. You just have to be a competent pianist who knows how to read music well and how to figure out and teach rhythms as well as hand positions and other aspects of piano technique. So how do you learn how to do all of that? The best case scenario is to have great training. If you’ve had great training, you might remember your early lessons. You might even have old books. I have the original manuscript book that my father worked through with me when I started lessons as a very young child. I still rely upon the things I learned from him in my own studies. I’ve taught them countless times over the years, because I also had the benefit of having assisted my father with his teaching. So he trained me in teaching as well.

Having a great teacher guide you in your piano pedagogy is invaluable.

I’ve worked with many teachers helping them to hone in their teaching skills, to know how to deal with students, and to take their teaching to another level. Maybe they want to teach and they find a lot of students, but they don’t feel comfortable teaching because of the repertoire or the style. Or they have students who want to study with them, but the students want to learn more theory than they’re comfortable with. I’m happy to teach people how to teach, and finding a mentor can be invaluable. So read up on various techniques, go to conventions. There are many ways of immersing yourself in teaching the piano. It is particularly important to spend time reflecting upon how you practice and be able to break it down into individual steps. That is the most important aspect of teaching. That’s something I learned from my father, not just with playing and practicing the piano, but music theory, sight-singing, all the disciplines. Breaking disciplines down methodically and explaining all the steps involved is invaluable for students. And if you can do that for people, it will be extremely productive for them.

I hope this is helpful for you! Any of you who have more questions, I offer counseling for my Patreon members. So if you’re thinking you want to teach and you want more advice, join my Patreon and I’ll be there for you! www.Patreon.com/RobertEstrin

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Does Music Need to Have Melody?

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. The subject today is about the necessity of melody in music. Does music need to have melody? When you think of almost any music, the first thing you think about is the melody. What is melody? Melody consists of two elements: pitch and rhythm. Some of the most beautiful music that we know and love is based upon melodies. For example, Chopin’s famous Nocturne in E flat. Listen to the beginning of this piece to understand the beauty of melody, and how we think of melody and music as synonymous. Another example of melody that everyone is familiar with is the gorgeous second movement of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata.

Not all music is based upon melody.

Does music need to have melody? The answer is no! There are whole genres of music that don’t utilize melody. But the vast majority of the music that we all know and love is based upon melody. Why is this? Most music throughout the millennia was never written down or recorded and was not played on any particular musical instrument. It was the human voice! The human voice has been with us as long as we have roamed this planet. The imitation of the human voice in wind instruments and bowed instruments is pretty obvious. Yet, we can also evoke that same quality of a singing line on a keyboard instrument. It’s in our biology. It’s in our DNA.

Some music is based solely on rhythm.

There are other types of music that could have been around in primitive times, rhythmically-based music that utilizes percussion instruments and is devoid of melody. In fact, African rhythms have permeated Western music since the introduction of jazz. This is the combination of Western harmonies along with African rhythms, which is very compelling. But does it have to have melody? Not necessarily. Many offshoots of jazz, particularly hip hop, can be devoid of melody to some extent or entirely and still it has musical context.

Another example in the classical world is minimalism.

 

Listen to Steve Reich, John Adams and Philip Glass, and you’ll hear music that has textures. It has pitch, but not necessarily melody. When you think of a melody, you think of a line. You think of a rise and a fall, just like the human breath. Yet, there is some great music that does not utilize this aspect.

While the vast majority of music is based upon melody, some music can just be rhythmically-based and still offer rich possibilities. Melody is vitally important in the vast majority of music. We all love the melodies that are dear to our heart. They speak to us in a visceral way because it’s part of our DNA. Throughout history and prehistory, melody has been with us and I hope it stays with us for a long time!

Thanks again for joining me! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource

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