http://piano.about.com/ Get the latest headlines from the About.com http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hh http://www.about.com/ 118 20 en-us 2012-02-22T06:02:28Z Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:02:28 +0000 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/memorizing-the-pattern-of-accidentals.htm <p><img style="float: right; border: 3px solid white;" src="http://0.tqn.com/d/piano/1/G/y/J/-/-/GL_key-signatures.png" alt="Key signatures order of accidentals." width="160" height="105" />The pattern of accidentals is something you'll encounter often in music ... everywhere from the circle of fifths to the strings of a guitar!</p> <p>Perhaps the most helpful reason for memorizing the order of accidentals is to make your knowledge of the key signatures more instinctual; for example, the key of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/od/chordskeys/ss/KeySig_sharps_7.htm">F-sharp major</a> contains six sharps -- could you correctly write its key signature on the staff? If you hesitated, continue reading:</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/memorizing-the-pattern-of-accidentals.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/memorizing-the-pattern-of-accidentals.htm Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:23:27 +0000 2012-02-22T06:23:27Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/free-printable-blank-sheet-music.htm <p>I can never have too much blank sheet music. Whether I need to make a quick memo of a tune in my head or jot down a few practice scales, having some empty staves available always beats having to sit there fumbling with a ruler and a sheet of loose leaf. Here are some great online resources for blank piano music:</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/free-printable-blank-sheet-music.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/free-printable-blank-sheet-music.htm Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:02:28 +0000 2012-02-22T06:02:28Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/new-quiz-note-lengths.htm <p>How many hemidemisemiquavers are in a minim? If you live in North America, you're probably still counting the letters in that first word.</p> <p>Music notes have different names depending on which variation of English you speak; and as you can see, British people want to make everything as complicated as possible.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/new-quiz-note-lengths.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/22/new-quiz-note-lengths.htm Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:00:08 +0000 2012-02-22T06:00:08Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/what-to-do-about-stage-fright.htm <p><img style="float: right; border: 3px solid white;" src="http://0.tqn.com/d/piano/1/0/C/T/-/-/Stage-Fright-Recitals.png" alt="Deal with stage fright." width="84" height="84" />For most musicians, performance anxiety never actually goes away, it's dealt with. The more you understand the thought patterns that accompany performance anxiety, the more measures you can take to control them:</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/what-to-do-about-stage-fright.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/what-to-do-about-stage-fright.htm Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:10:48 +0000 2012-02-21T08:10:48Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/history-of-the-harpsichord.htm <p><img style="float: right; border: 3px solid white;" src="http://0.tqn.com/d/piano/1/0/9/T/-/-/Spinet-Keyboard-Instrument.png" alt="An early spinet, keyboard instrument." width="200" height="140" />It's been said casually that the harpsichord was the first piano, but this isn't exactly the case -- it's really more of an early ancestor:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/od/Piano-History/a/History-Of-The-Harpsichord.htm">Learn More About the Harpsichord's Evolution</a></li> <br /> </ul> <p><span style="color: #333333;">_{<em>(Pictured: A relative of the harpsichord, the spinet.)</em>}</span></p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/history-of-the-harpsichord.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/history-of-the-harpsichord.htm Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:20:04 +0000 2012-02-21T07:20:04Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/avoid-a-rip-off-on-the-piano-sales-floor.htm <p>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:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/od/buyinganinstrument/a/PianoSalesTactics.htm">Watch Out For These Sneaky Sales Tactics</a></li> </ul>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/avoid-a-rip-off-on-the-piano-sales-floor.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/21/avoid-a-rip-off-on-the-piano-sales-floor.htm Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:46:14 +0000 2012-02-21T06:46:14Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/piano-term-of-the-week-concert-pitch.htm <p><img style="float: right; border: 3px solid white;" src="http://0.tqn.com/d/piano/1/G/7/T/-/-/GL_concert-pitch-A440.png" alt="A=440 Hz" width="135" height="100" />Concert pitch is not something many musicians could imagine going without nowadays (and something you benefit from even if you don't know you're using it!) Learn how our musical ancestors worked without it:</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/piano-term-of-the-week-concert-pitch.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/piano-term-of-the-week-concert-pitch.htm Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:18:10 +0000 2012-02-20T09:18:10Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/choosing-a-piano-recital-song.htm <p><img style="float: right; border: 3px solid white;" src="http://0.tqn.com/d/piano/1/0/B/T/-/-/Piano-Recital-Song.png" alt="Piano recital songs." width="84" height="84" />Your recital song will be a reflection of who you are as a musician, as well as a showcase of your technical abilities. Learn which qualities to embrace in a recital song; which to avoid, and how to make the most of your practice sessions:</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/choosing-a-piano-recital-song.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/choosing-a-piano-recital-song.htm Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:55:18 +0000 2012-02-20T08:55:18Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/tips-for-buying-a-piano-used.htm <p>Before you visit a used piano, you can learn about its background. Ask the seller about the brand, model, year of manufacture, and if possible, the piano's serial number. You can use the information to find the piano's value before you even leave your house.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/tips-for-buying-a-piano-used.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/20/tips-for-buying-a-piano-used.htm Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:12:26 +0000 2012-02-20T08:12:26Z http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/15/making-room-acoustics-match-your-pianos-voice.htm <p>The piano is built to last, and chances are it will (for at least a few decades). But whether it will be worth having by that point depends a great deal on where it's kept today.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/15/making-room-acoustics-match-your-pianos-voice.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://piano.about.com/b/2012/02/15/making-room-acoustics-match-your-pianos-voice.htm Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:38:57 +0000 2012-02-15T06:38:57Z