Super Mario on Piano -– The Czerny Studies of Our Time?

Are there any pianists out there who have never played studies by Czerny as part of their training? Probably not many. But why not practice video game music in order to develop a more contemporary piano technique?

Read more and get hold of some piano sheet music for Super Mario!

Franz Liszt – 200th Anniversary

Today, October 22 2011, marks the 200th birthday of Franz Liszt, the greatest piano virtuoso of his time, inventor of the modern piano recital and one of the most influential composers of the 19th century.
Piano Street here presents a collection of material, piano sheet music and links to resources for you to enjoy in order to commemorate the great Franz Liszt.

Happy birthday, Franz!


Visit the Franz Liszt 200 years tribute at pianostreet.com

Can you do the Beethoven G Major concerto blind test?

The first movement of Beethoven’s 4th concerto opens with the solo piano, playing simple chords in the tonic key before coming to rest on a dominant chord. Can recognize who is who of the 10 famous pianists in this recording?

http://www.pianostreet.com/blog/video-picks/can-you-do-the-beethoven-g-major-concerto-blind-test-3587/

Using the Piano Pedals

Watching somebody play piano you don't wonder how the keys work - at most you may wonder how the pianist manages to hit them so fast! However when it comes to the pedals many people don't actually know what they do exactly. This is why for most beginners the pedals are quite intriguing.

You could literally watch hundreds of pianists and focus solely on their feet, yet still not truly know what the pedals are used for. The following is a simple article designed to show you what the pedals are and how they work, also some advice on how you should use them yourself when playing the piano.

Left and middle pedals

There are at most three pedals on a piano. The left pedal differs depending on which piano you use: on a grand piano it moves the hammers slightly over to the left, while on an upright piano it brings them closer. For upright pianos this means the note sounds softer, while on grand pianos it not only softens the note but because the hammer hits a different amount of strings for each note it creates a nice muted timbre.

For pianos that have a middle pedal the function can differ, it isn't really seen as an crucial aspect of the piano. However, on concert grand pianos the middle pedal will allow you to sustain certain notes for longer, that is the ones that are held when the pedal is pressed.

The left and right pedals are the most important, while out of these the left pedal is the easiest to use. If you are playing on a grand piano use it sparingly, because of the fact that it alters the sound somewhat and is best used as an effect, unlike on an upright piano where you use it simply when you want to play a softer sound.

The Right Pedal - the soul of the piano!

There is so much that the right pedal is used for that it really needs a book unto itself, however for the sake of keeping things short and informative I will just briefly look into the basic use of it.

The right pedal works by lifting all the dampers off each string. This accomplishes two things: when you push the pedal down you are able to sustain the note you hit for as long as the string vibrates or until you lift the pedal back up. The other strings that you haven't struck also vibrate in time with the original note, allowing for a nice rich sound.

There are some pieces in which the right pedal will be used almost unendingly, for example if you were to play a Chopin Nocturne. The main thing to know when playing such a piece is when to perform a pedal change - this is when you release the pedal momentarily in order to clear the sound.

The easiest way to learn how to properly use the right pedal is to find piano sheet music that comes with instructions on when to use the right pedal. However, start out learning the piece without actually using the pedal at all. Ask your piano teacher to help you as well. Eventually you will get to grips with the whys and hows of pedalling, then you can start incorporating it into your practice from the outset. Most new players try to do too much too soon and instead of making the music sound as it should they will instead blur the sound and use the right pedal in all the wrong places.

Just remember to practice without the pedal occasionally and focus completely on your fingers, this way you will get to grips with each piece nicely before you have to start thinking about what your feet are doing at the same time. Go through each piece slowly and carefully until you have it perfected.

Experiment And Listen

It is important to remember where you are playing; this is because the surroundings will affect the sound a piano makes. For example, in a smaller room with less acoustic you will need to use the pedals more often in order to make the sound resonate, while in a large hall you will not need to do this as much because the hall itself will help the sound to resonate.

Each piano may sound slightly different and react to the pedals being pressed in various ways. For this reason you need to experiment with each piano and listen carefully as you push the right pedal down. Becoming skilled with the right pedal is actually one of the hardest things to do and some people can find it daunting. However, you mustn't give up because of this, simply look at it as something really worth while to practice and become great at.

Piano Street Mobile – Sheet Music on the Go for Mobile Devices

How about instant access on the go to 3000+ study scores from the standard classical piano repertoire?
On m.pianostreet.com, a mobile version of Piano Street’s sheet music library you can easily view all piano scores on your mobile device.
The mobile piano sheet music library gives convenient mobile access to all scores from www.pianostreet.com. It is a mobile application in the form of a website specifically adapted for mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, Android devices and other smartphones. It also works well in many less advanced mobile phones with Internet access.
1. Visit m.pianostreet.com with your mobile device’s Internet browser.
2. Login with your Piano Street membership details.
3. Browse the composer lists to view any of the 23,000+ pages of sheet music.
Read more on the info page for the Mobile Sheet Music Library.

Improving Your Piano Sight Reading Abilities

When you are ready to learn a new piece of music for the piano, do you find that you spend days or even weeks carefully reviewing each note? Does the frustration of this process make you long to simply give up on the piano completely and give up on your desires of creating lovely music? Do you watch other people play the piano and wish that you could read the music as quickly and easily as they do? With the tips offered here, you can enjoy those same skills. All you need is the desire to learn and implement these tips.

1. Practice sight reading! Just as with any other skill, the more you practice, the better you will get. Also, when you focus so much on memorizing the music that you will perform for other people, your skills at sight reading new tunes can fade. To keep your sight reading skills high, make it a point to also play new and fresh pieces. Taking the time to sight read new piano sheet music just for fun and for the sight reading practice will help your skills at sight reading to rapidly expand and grow.

2. It doesn't have to be perfect! When sight reading music, it's okay to cut yourself some slack. You will miss a few notes, or play a dynamic or tie slightly off. It's okay and natural for this to happen when sight reading. The main thing is to keep going. Don't stop to correct yourself. Corrections are for serious practice. The main idea is simply to keep going and get a good feel for that point.

3. Focus on rhythms! When you are able to see a rhythm and quickly understand that, your sight reading skills will greatly improve. In order to quickly understand what the rhythms should sound like, you may need to focus more on that particular element. If you are practicing and find that you are facing a section where you really don't know the rhythm, it's okay to take a moment to consider what it is about that section that is causing problems for you. Look at the core note values, see if you can identify common rhythmic figures. Another tip that can help you improve your sight reading is to focus on sight reading pieces that are within the same time signature. Once you are really comfortable with a basic 4/4-time, then you can move on to 3/4, 6/8 and other time signatures.

4. Work on the clefs individually! If notes rather than rhythm is presenting a challenge, it's important that you take the time to work on each clef by itself. Once you are comfortable with each clef, you can combine the two to enjoy the beautiful melody. If you are struggling more with the bass clef then give your right hand a break. Play on reading just the notes of the left hand, even ignoring the rhythm if you need to..

5. Work on one key signature at a time! Many less advanced piano players find it hard to determine which notes should be flat or sharp. When you focus on a single key signature for an extended period of time, it will be easier for you to identify which notes should be sharpened or flattened. You will find that your hands will begin to take on a life of their own as they fly across the black and white keys completely naturally. Combine this tip with scale exercises and you will find that your sight reading skills will improve even more quickly.

Smart Fingering Saves You Time!

Establishing a set progression of fingering as you learn a piece saves you time.

The composer or editor of a piece of piano music often includes suggested fingering as a part of the score. The student, or pianist, is expected to follow these guidelines as they play the music. Though this is meant to assist the pianist, it often annoys them instead. Beginning students especially, seem to see these fingering suggestions as just something more to get wrong as they are learning to play a complicated instrument.

They forget that memorizing correct piano fingering and correct placement of the hands is an integral part of learning to play the instrument properly. The person who made the fingerings in the score has likely had many years of training and therefore understands this principle. He includes the fingering into the music in an effort to assist the pianist, providing the most efficient hand movements possible and taking the intended flow of the piece into consideration. But the beginning students still wonder if the music would not sound just as good if they used different fingers.

Ultimately, isn't it the sound of the music, and whether the performance is appreciated by your audience the most important part?

The answer is that, though fingering is important, it is the consistency of the fingering that matters the most. In other words, if a different progression of fingers works best for you then it is OK to change the fingering as long as you stick to it.

If you are a beginning student of piano, it is always best to double check with your teacher to be sure that there is not some technical reason for the particular fingering. You could be making the piece more difficult to learn in the long run by making changes.

To help a particular pianist to create the fingering pattern that works best for them, it is helpful to learn a few basics about the technique and to keep some tips in mind.

1. It goes without saying that your hand should always be positioned so that your fingers are within reach of the keys that you want to use. If you will be playing a string of notes, you should consider starting the progression with your thumb and moving across your hand with each finger playing a single note. More complex music involving strings of more than five notes may require you to shift your thumb underneath your other fingers to begin the line again. In this way, you can play melodies that incorporate strings of many notes while still keeping to the one key to one finger guideline.

2. The fingers are different lengths and this can be used to your advantage as a pianist. If your piece requires the use of both the black and the white keys, you can use your longer fingers to reach over the white keys to hit the black ones while keeping your thumb tucked underneath your palm to strike the white keys. Your thumb also provides an effective pivot point for times when you have to execute a long scale or chord.

3. Every finger can be used! Both students and professional pianists tend to forget to use the ring finger when learning to play the piano, but this is a mistake. The only way to strengthen this finger, which often seems stiff and uncoordinated to beginning piano students, is to use it. Continued incorporation of the ring finger of each hand will help you to become more confident and independent in your playing. Besides, limiting yourself to 4 fingers of each hand means that you are utilizing only 80% of your available resources!

When you return to your music, keep these tips in mind and you will have a new understanding of the importance of fingering! The printed fingerings are put in place to help you to play better but they cannot account for everything. If you understand why they are there, you can develop a plan that works for you!

Recommended Book: Piano Notes - The World of the Pianist

Charles Rosen is one of the world's most talented pianists — and one of music's most astute commentators. In Piano Notes, he writes for a broader audience about an old friend — the piano itself.
http://ping.fm/pZSwd

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Charles Rosen plays Mozart - Turkish March from Sonata K 331

Do I need a metronome to practice playing the piano?

If your teacher has suggested that you purchase a metronome, maybe you are wondering how having one will make you a better piano player.

A metronome is a device that counts time, in beats per minute, which is adjustable depending on the pace of the piece you are trying to play. Metronomes can be either mechanical, working with an adjustable weight, or digital which keeps time with a small battery. Your watch can give you a count of sixty beats per minute, but a metronome can give you virtually any count, fast or slow depending on the needs of the music.

Metronomes can help you to play a particular piece according to the wishes of the composer. Some composers will designate a particular time to a particular note. For example, a notation on the sheet music that says 'quarter note=72', means that the composer meant for you to set your metronome to 72 which will then give you the proper tempo for the music.

Disadvantages to using a metronome

Whether it is digital or mechanical, most metronomes function in the same way. And though a metronome keeps perfect time, there are times when this does not convey the emotion and desired theatricality that a particular piece of music demands. Using a metronome can impart a military-like precision to a piece, but this is hardly desirable in a more lyrical composition where the feel of an ebb and flow better illustrates the meaning behind the music. Understanding this limitation, some composers, Beethoven in particular, added metronome markings to some of his works, but intended the device to be used only through the first few measures.

The use of metronome marks has also been considered a controversial choice. Many times, the composer didn't not require it but the marks have been added to the sheet music by the editor or publisher instead. In their early days, metronomes often differed in their timing, so in the end it is sometimes better to forgo the use of the machine altogether and use one's own best judgement during the performance of the piece. This is why many metronome marks are not followed.

In conclusion:

Though following the markings and indications of metronome notation in music can provide useful guidelines, they should be used with discretion and not as having absolute authority. If you are a beginner, and have difficulty in keeping a steady pace to your music, then at first following the metronome may be helpful. But keep in mind that slavishly following the timing of a metronome can detract from the emotional expression and musicality that music can require.

As a musician, you can try to find an acceptable beat and pace that takes both the wishes of the composer and the needs of your audience into account. Settle on a general range and speed, and take appropriate liberties when you feel the music needs to provide more expression.

Pianist Ingolf Wunder signs with DG

"We are happy to announce that Ingolf has just signed with the prestigious record label Deutsche Grammophon. It's a real pleasure for him to join the circle of all-time greats like Vladimir Horowitz, Krystian Zimerman, Maurizio Pollini, Friedrich Gulda, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Martha Argerich and many other wonderful pianists. The first CD with Chopin's music is planned for release this spring."

- IW Management

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Does it help to practice scales?

If you want to train yourself adequately to be a classical pianist, then you do have to go through these motions. However, there are quite a few people who look down on learning piano this way, as they will be seen as boring and tedious activities, especially if your teacher appears old fashioned and stuffy, as well as slaved to tradition.

What's more, you might even decide to stop playing piano completely due to all the boring exercises you have to go through. There aren't a whole lot of people who get into piano for the scales and arpeggios - they want to make and play music that people can enjoy, and listen to.

Therefore, do you actually need them? Might you learn how to play piano songs without needing to exercise and train yourself all the time, thus killing our enthusiasm and subsequently boring us?

In my estimation, you should be able to do this without the seemingly pointless scale practicing, which is often just done because it is thought to be 'the right thing to do'. For one thing, you might not need to know every flat or sharp key in the book, especially if you do not plan on playing them that often.

Essentially, you want to train yourself to the types of music you will eventually play and make. Scales and chords are what comprise music; therefore, as long as you put forth your best effort and are disciplined about it, you can actually save time with those broken chords and scale exercises, so keep that in mind as you further your piano education.

If you teach piano, the difficulty lies in making sure your students understand that these exercises have a point and purpose, and to know what that point is; otherwise, their hearts won't be in it as much, and it will not work for them.

Try this to start connecting your scale work to the music that you like to play: Investigate a song that you really like, and want to learn how to play. You can pick anything as easy or difficult as you like, but the bigger the challenge is, the more effective this strategy will be. Check for the presence of broken chords or scales in the song, and be sure to keep them straight. After that, practice those scales and broken chords until you become extremely familiar with them. You can do this in both the form in which they appear in the song, or the regular method of going up and down the scale repeatedly throughout a few octaves. In this way, you can prepare yourself for the musical vocabulary the song requires.

Make sure you put your heart into the broken chords and scales that you play, so you are focusing on the musical feeling behind it instead of the mechanics. They will be less boring if you do them this way.

Sandbar became World Renowned Piano Bar http://ping.fm/BxO3Z

Listen to Y220 Aspen and Steven Osborne

- in Mozart Piano Concerto no 19

Y220 Aspen Chamber Symphony, Caballé-Domenech / Osborne, Jackson / Mozart, Kevin Puts, Brahms
http://instantencore.com/music/details.aspx?PId=5072137

Happy Birthday, Mozart!

We celebrate your birthday, Mozart, with a little gift to all your fans, a facsimile of one of your first pieces, Minuet in G, K 1.
Print out and play!!

Download free PDF of Mozart’s Minuet in G, K. 1 (autograph facsimile)
http://ping.fm/OnMbN

Mozart's Time and Life

BBC takes an inspirational look into Mozart's times and life:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/mozart

András Schiff Teaches Bach

András Schiff is one of the great interpreters of Bach and a firm advocate of playing Bach’s keyboard works on the piano. As soloist he has performed and recorded many of Bach’s major keyboard works, and his recitals fill concert halls throughout the world.
See him teach Bach's Partita in c minor: András Schiff Teaches Bach