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Brandy Kraemer

Piano

By , About.com Guide

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Everyday Piano Cleaning

Wednesday May 22, 2013

When it comes to pianos, cleaning and polishing are two different actions -- polishing should be kept to a bare minimum.

But, a regular cleaning is a good thing, and can help to prevent dust and oil (a dangerous combo for pianos) from building up in between keys or deeper inside the piano body. Learn good habits for cleaning your piano, and keep it looking its best:

 

How to Invert Chords & Identify Them

Wednesday May 22, 2013

Chord inversions and root notes.You won't always be able to identify a chord by looking at its lowest note. Take the C major chord: C - E - G. Suppose you change just one of those note-letters (for example, let's use the notes C - E - A) -- could this still be a C major chord? The answer is no.*

Or, let's jumble up the notes of the real C major chord. Do the notes G - C - E still make a C major chord? Yes!

A triad chord has three building blocks: a root, a third, and a fifth; and the name of the chord itself does not change if its notes are merely ordered differently (continue reading)


* (The notes C - E - A create the 1st inversion of the A minor chord).

Image © Brandy Kraemer

Avoid A Rip-Off on the Piano Sales Floor

Wednesday May 22, 2013

Sales tactics are used in every trade, but the piano's cost and complexity allows some people to take advantage of those not "in-the-know." Don't fall victim:

How to Sit at the Piano

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Piano postureIf you've been to live shows, you've probably noticed a few pianists taking their merry time adjusting their piano benches ...some quite meticulously. This is perfectly acceptable, so don't feel self-conscious if you find yourself having to do so at your piano recital -- you want to be comfortable, flexible, and stable:

Image: Getty Images/Thinkstock

Playing Chords & Scales With the Left Hand

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Bass piano fingering.The left hand often plays rhythm in piano music. But, you will find yourself playing many left-handed melodies and arpeggios, particularly if you're into classical piano. Practice the following finger techniques to target dexterity in the left hand:

Image © Brandy Kraemer

Now's the Perfect Time for a Tuning

Tuesday May 21, 2013

It's not always easy to tell when a tune-up is in order. Many piano owners delay costly tunings for as long as possible, so long as pitch doesn't stray too far from the norm.

But actually, piano tuning is about more than just pitch-adjustment, and an out-of-tune instrument can be the cause or a symptom of a larger problem -- learn more:

Sixth Chord Diagrams for Keyboard

Tuesday May 21, 2013

Minor 6th chords for treble keyboard.I've heard a lot of musicians agree with the idea that sixth chords are an acquired taste. What do you think? Test some out today and see if you can find a place for them in your playing:

Image © Brandy Kraemer

Dynamics & Volume Commands in Music

Monday May 20, 2013

Musical dynamics symbols.Musical dynamics control the volume of a song, and may be signified by words, symbols, or both. Dynamics mark the relative changes in intensity, and do not express precise decibel levels; a song in mezzo-piano played by two different pianists may sound slightly louder or softer depending on the instruments as well as the players' interpretations:

Image © Brandy Kraemer

Enharmonic Keys: Pointless or Practical?

Monday May 20, 2013

Try this quick exercise: play the first couple measures of the Gb major and F# major scales ...déjà vu?

Both scales are played with the same exact piano keys, so why are they written using different notes and accidentals? Actually, these are two of the six musical keys with alter-egos known as the "enharmonic keys":

Image © Brandy Kraemer

Rinforzando & Sforzando

Monday May 20, 2013

Rinforzando (rfz) musical command.The Italian musical commands rinforzando and sforzando affect articulation (and, in a way, volume). Learn their meanings and pronunciation:

Image © Brandy Kraemer

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