Part 2: How to the Value of your Notes

Welcome back to our lessons. Yes, it’s been a while but we can assure you that your wait is worth it. Your online piano lessons have never been this easy. The first part is just the beginning. Get your fingers flexed and ready your mind and body for you piano lessons. Did you miss it then just click HERE.

Part 2

Piano Notes Values.

In this part of our online piano lessons, you’ll learn how to read and understand the piano note values. They are very important to learn for easier piano sight-reading and piano playing.

Every piano note you see in a piano sheet music has its own value or count. This count defines the beat and the music rhythm of the song. A piano sheet music can be either a fast song or a low song depending on the piano note values and the time signatures, which will tackle in our next lessons.

It also defines how long you should play a certain piano note : if it should be in four (4) beast or just one beat.

Here they are:

A semibreve, popularly known as a whole not has 4 counts or beats. Meaning you have to lay the note for 4 counts.

Then there is the dotted minim or the dotted half note, which counts for 2 beats.

A crochet on the other hand or the quarter note only have one beat. It looks like a dotted minim without the dot.

Another piano note is the quaver or known as the eight notes. It says that a certain piano note should only last for a half beat.

And the last piano note you should remember is the sixteenth note or the semiquaver note. This note counts for a quarter a beat only and usually seen in fast songs.

These piano note values are important and must always be in your mind for easier piano sight-reading. There are many more parts of the piano sheet music so stay tuned for your next free piano lessons.

The Online Piano Lessons Part 1

It’s been a while, dear pianists. But rest assured we will never abandon you.

We’ve been posting blog entries about piano playing tips, piano techniques and piano advices to help you succeed and make piano playing easier and more enjoyable.

But this time, let’s take it to the next level.

I will be teaching you piano lessons for free. It will be easy and fast to understand. Enjoy these online piano lessons. Share, love and subscribe.

Part 1

In your first online piano lessons let’s teach you the basic, introducing the piano notes and piano keys.

What are piano keys? The piano keys are what you play in a piano whether it’s called a grand or upright piano or keyboard, it’s all piano keys. Piano keys consists of black and white keys, some calls it ebony and ivory (just like the song).  Once you stroke, press or hammer the keys down, you create definite sounds.  These sounds are all the same. It only varies when the pitch is higher or lower.

Most piano/keyboards have 88 keys which is the standard count. You can play all types of music in 88 keys such as classical piano music, jazz music and even pop music.  You can also have piano that have lesser keys, like 76 keys and 69 keys.  Less piano keys limits you from playing all kinds of piano music genre.

In the piano keyboard picture you will see a certain pattern being followed. There are sets of piano keys called octaves. It consists of 5 black keys and 7 white keys repeated until the end of the piano.

Every of the piano keys have easy piano notes designated. What are piano notes?

Piano notes are piano symbols or letters that help you play music. Every piano key has a piano note. You can see it in this picture.

As you can see it uses the alphabet A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.  It stops at G and goes back to A. This is repeated on all piano keys and octaves. Those are for the white keys. For the black keys it will still be the same concept and letter but let’s tackle that some other time.

This makes piano learning much easier.

Watch this video for an actual and easier way of understanding how to piano keys and piano notes work together.

See you next lesson.

Piano Playing Barriers

Ever wonder why no matter how much you practice piano playing, you always seem beating a wall. And even when you’re practicing piano for hours, you never seem to remember it after taking a break. Are you wondering what you’re doing wrong?

This article will tell you things you never expected you’re doing. Piano playing barriers that have always been there but you never notice or you ignore.

One of the first barriers in piano playing is lack of piano practice time. No matter how musically inclined you are or great in piano playing. Having no time to practice piano can hinder any progress on your piano playing skills. Some think that by practicing 2-3 hours once or twice a week is the solution. That is where they’re basically wrong. Practice should be every day. You can practice at least one hour or less a day instead of no practice at all. This at least exercises your muscles and brain o piano playing unlike the long occasional piano practice.

Another one is difficulty in reading piano music. We all know that it is essential to all pianists to learn how to read music.  But this is where many pianists make mistake. Piano sight reading music is one skill all pianists must learn how to do or else might not go anywhere in their piano playing skills. Learn to piano sight read well.

There are many other barriers you should be aware of. All f these can hinder your piano playing. Knowing these can improve your skills significantly.

Watch this piano video for other piano playing barriers that you may and will encounter.

Tips for Easy Sight Reading Music

This may be one of the most challenging piano techniques to master, sight read music. Sight reading music is a basic skill all pianists should have although some pianists are gifted with the ability to play the piano by ear.

In trying out your beginner piano lessons it is important to learn and understand how to read music. This enables you to play piano sheet music by just reading it. Learning to sight read piano is just like learning a new language. It takes times and practice.

Follow these simple tips on how to sight read music and start piano playing.

1. Relax and take a deep breath. This allows your mind and body to focus on the piano sheet music  without any pressure.
2. Read the music sheet well. By reading and understanding it will help you sight read music smoothly. Be aware of the key signature and time signature and tempo. Most mistakes come from not understating it fully.
3. Tempo is important. Most musicians are lost at this position. Do some music rhythm exercises such as clapping the rhythm to know the tempo.
4. Play the first 2-4 measures. Never play the whole in one sitting. It will only make your music sight reading confusing. Get a solid understanding of the first 2-4 measures before adding more measures.
5.  Practice one at a time. Practice your hands separately before playing them both together. This allows better retention and faster sight reading skill.
6. And lastly, your music theory. The better you understand it the faster you can sight read piano.

It’s fun to learn how to read music. You can play almost anything. Last advice, start with some easy piano sheet music before you jump on difficult ones.