The whole tone scale is a surreal and enigmatic sound that often feels ambiguous and unanchored. The scale is perfect for creating dream-like passages and is commonly found in the work of Impressionistic composers like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. However, examples of the scale date back to the 17th century. The whole tone scale …
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The more you practice piano, the faster you will improve. That is a basic fact of piano playing that we all must deal with. However, we do not always have access to the piano, even when we want to practice. Fortunately, it is possible to practice music away from the piano! This week we will …
Strategies to practice music away from a piano Read More »
The diminished scale, or octatonic scale, is an enigmatic and distinct scale that offers a great deal of melodic and harmonic depth and possibility. There are examples of the diminished scale in European classical music dating back to the time of Bach and also in various folk music traditions from the Middle East. However, the …
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Jazz piano chords are some of the most complex sounds that a piano can make. Knowing some common jazz chord shapes, minor seventh chords and dominant chords can really add a lot of shape to your playing. Learning how to make jazz chords is not as difficult or complex as it might seem, and with …
A beginner’s guide to jazz chords for piano Read More »
Musicians are often practicing groups of notes played one at a time in order, on their instruments. This is a very common way to develop speed and skill, hand independence and practice playing at slow or fast tempos. These notes musicians are often practicing are called Scales, which are actually called diatonic and chromatic scales. …
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Reading two clefs simultaneously is one of the most unique musical challenges available and the piano is virtually the only instrument that requires us to do so. When you get in the zone of reading two clefs at the same time, you enter a true flow state. It is quite amazing and well worth pursuing. …
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Learning piano scales, and getting the most out of your practice, is all about your attitude. To the beginner, practicing scales might seem like a tedious and boring task. However, if you shift your perspective and view the practice of scales as an important tool in your repertoire of ways to become a better pianist, …
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Jazz is one of the most interesting, unique, and controversial musical inventions in recent memory. Much like rock and roll, funk, electronic, and hip-hop, jazz is part of the Black American music canon and is full of virtuoso musicians, iconoclastic characters, and a melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language and history all of its own. In …
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We all love the piano. After all, that is why we are here, right? The piano is one of the coolest instruments ever created. So what better way to celebrate this 88 key wonder of modern music than with a special day dedicated to it? World Piano Day, first declared in 2015 by the pianist …
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Timbre, texture, and tone are three interconnected ideas in music. To the beginning pianist, these ideas may seem nearly identical. It is true that even the most advanced professional musicians will occasionally use these three words interchangeably. However, that is not because they do not know the meaning of them. In this article, we will …
Timbre, texture, and tone: three concepts of sound Read More »
What is articulation in music? Piano articulation refers to the marks that change how we play and perform music. In a written score, articulation markings in music don’t change the pitches, frequency or rhythm of the notes that are played; they dictate how they are performed. Articulation can dictate the duration and attack of notes, …
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Chrome Music Lab is an exceptional project from Google that will get your creative juices flowing and your inner composer composing. It’s an ideal assistant for those who want to train their ear or who simply don’t have access to a standard physical keyboard. Play around for a few minutes a day, and you’ll be …
Chrome Music Lab: your tool for making music comfortably Read More »
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