Tag Archives: Piano

How To Read Piano Music And Play A Musical Composition

For anyone who intends to learn how to play the piano, the first step towards achieving this is to know very well how to read piano music. If you have already seen a musical piece or composition, you at least have an idea of what a piano piece looks like. This is what you have to learn to read in order to play the music right on the piano.

Learning how to read piano music takes a lot of practice and familiarization. Once you are familiar with the notes and their positions, you will be able to play music. The very first step is to learn the different notes. As long as you know the English alphabet, you will find this part of the lesson very easy because the musical notes only go from A to G. So that is A, B, C, D, E, F and G.

These are referred to as the natural notes and they correspond to the white keys of the piano. The black keys of the piano are referred to as the sharps and flats. There are only a total of 12 notes if you combine the natural notes and the sharps and flats. These actually repeat over and over on the piano which is referred to as octaves.

In a musical composition, you will see the treble staff and the bass staff. Most piano compositions are written on the staffs which consist of five lines and four spaces. The treble staff is being played by the right hand and the bass staff, by the left hand. In the piano, the treble staff and the bass staff are joined together. You will find the notes that you have to play on the piano along the lines and spaces of each staff.

Each line and space actually corresponds to a piano key. In the treble staff, the lines corresponds these notes E, G, B, D and E; the spaces correspond to the following notes F, A, C and E. In the bass staff, the lines corresponds to these notes G, B, D, F and A; while the spaces corresponds to A, C, E and G. In order to learn how to read piano music, you must familiarize yourself with these notes and their respective positions on the treble staff and bass staff.

Learning the basics is the start of the entire learning process. It takes a lot of practice and some personal technique. As long as you know the notes and how to read piano music, you can position your hands on the piano keyboard and start playing a simple tune. Do not overwhelm yourself with the technicalities; you will discover these as you go along and as you become more and more comfortable with playing the piano.

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Piano Compositions

Piano Compositions

If you are a pianist, then you already know that there is a vast array of literature at your disposal, from Baroque keyboard music originally composed for harpsichord to modern compositions. Most people have their favorite genres or style periods, however it can be very rewarding to expand into other areas and learn new styles. This versatility is necessary in many competitions and auditions. Even if you are just playing piano for fun, not to compete, expanding into new areas will allow you do discover new areas of interest you may not have considered before.

Baroque music is actually the closest analog from the past we have of modern jazz. Soloists were expected to improvise their own ornamentation during the performance and audiences would be displeased if the ornamentation was the same from performance to performance. Music from this period lends the pianist a great amount of artistic freedom within a set framework. Some great composers from this period included Scarlatti, Telemann, Platti, Giustini, Vivaldi, and of course, Bach.

Classical piano music is more formally stable than Baroque music. The general framework for sonata and concerto forms are solidified, though composers still worked outside of them to a degree. The music is less about the virtuosity and ability for the soloist to improvise and more about playing with tonal and formal expectations. Classical music is very plentiful. Some composers include Clementi, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, though in many ways he also fits into the Romantic period.

The Romantic era brought about a focus on sweeping melodies with colorful harmonies to support them. Classical form expanded hugely to the point that it was often unrecognizable. Traditional tonality was challenged by chromatic voice leading, modulations to unexpected keys and melodies informing harmonies instead of the other way around. Composers of the romantic era include Brahms, Chopin, Grieg, Kuhlau, Mendelssohn, Mussorgsky, Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky and many others.

Occupying the same time period as many 20th century composers are the impressionists. These composers used compositional techniques derived from exposure to Jazz and other music in order to create an image in music. The music is characterized with syncopation and parallel chords. Debussy and Ravel were the main composers of impressionist music.

The 20th Century brought about much compositional change. Some composers removed themselves completely from tonality while others kept tonal ideas but also incorporated contemporary musical ideas. The range in style between Schoenberg’s atonal music and Prokofiev’s Neo-Classical compositions is huge and much can be gained from studying all segments of this time period. Some notable composers are Bartok, Gershwin, Khachaturian, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky.

Jazz and ragtime music can be extremely fun to play. If you are interested in this, explore the compositions of Scott Joplin, Joseph Lamb, James Scott, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk. This music is stylized in ways completely different than the above composers. Syncopation is used heavily and, in jazz, notes are often swung. Improvisation is highly valued in jazz idioms.

If your piano literature is limited to only a few genres, consider trying some music from one of these areas which you usually don’t choose or haven’t tried before. You may find that it’s not for you, however you may also find a new genre that you love. Expand your repertoire and challenge yourself by learning and mastering music which is new to you. You will be glad you did.

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www.zylascope.com | Electronic Music