Many, if not most of us who had been to school would have had music as a part of our curriculum. We have all studied do-re-mi and the different notes like the whole, note, half note etc. We have also been taught about the Treble Clef or the G-clef and the Bass or F-clef. If you had music as a subject, as a second grader you should been taught the basic theories of music and are most probably acquainted with FACE and the Every Good Boy Does Fine notes on the staff. If not, let me refresh your memory.

The black notes on the line or spaces of the grand staff (g-clef and F-clef) represent the tones on your piano. The letter F, A, C and E falls on the four spaces of the G clef of the grand staff (the upper 5 lines) and in that order. F occupies the first space at the bottom and E occupies the last space at the top. So we have F for the fa note, A for the La note, C for do and E for mi. Now the phrase “every good boy does fine” falls on the lines. The first line is E or as was said earlier the note mi, G is sol, B is ti; D is re and F is again fa. So your basic do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti notes are the tones C-D-E-F-G-A-B in order.

A piano keyboard has 88 notes or keys, with seven sets or octaves beginning with the A tone on the left or the lowest octave and a C tone at the right or the highest octave. The “middle C” as the name implies is at the very middle of the whole keyboard it is the 40th tone if you count all the keys on the piano both black and white beginning at the lowest end or at the left end of the keyboard. So all the notes on the G-clef or Treble clef of the music piece falls on the right side e of the middle C in your piano; while all the notes on the F-clef of the Bass-Clef falls on the left side of the middle C.

You should also remember that all the natural notes are played on the white keys of your piano while sharps (#) and flats (b) in your music piece are played on the black keys. If it’s a sharp you go the black key on the right. If it’s a flat you play the black key on the left. These are the basics you should know before even exercises on the piano itself.

Many parents like their child to learn an instrument; the piano is a popular choice. Children are easily inspired by the many artists that play the piano, so naturally it’s a good fit. So what are the benefits of playing the piano for children?

The main advantage of children learning the piano is undoubtedly coordination. The ability to play piano chords and certain notes together, and play music the way it’s meant to be is hugely beneficial for children. This is largely because hey have to use their fingers to put together different sequences, so that the music will flow.

Confidence. The ability to play an instrument that is as complex as the piano is a massive skill. It will most definitely give your child a sense of purpose and confidence, as they will feel good about themselves and will be used to performing in front of people.

Concentration is another huge asset that piano playing will give. Piano songs need to be played perfectly so there can’t be any mistakes, so your child will easily benefit from this.

Learning the piano from an early age is a skill for life. It could open up a wealth of opportunities for your child e.g. composing their own music and get into the music industry, some of the best musicians have progressed to a professional level and made it their profession.

On the other side there are also risks. If a child is not particularly enthusiastic after taking many lessons, then they will naturally want to stop learning. The cost of buying piano’s and taking lessons are not cheap, so a parent needs to monitor how the child feels when playing the piano.

Getting a good piano can become a little stressful if you don’t know what you should be looking for. For some people getting their first piano is an investment which is likely to last a long time. So making the right decision is essential. In this article I will highlight the main things you should look out for, so pay carefully read on and make that purchase.

Getting your budget right

Some people may get carried away when buying their first piano and may go for something which doesn’t really fit their needs. The general cost of a piano can be anywhere between $400- $12,000, so what will you be using the piano for?

If it’s for family occasions or just general use then you should certainly be looking at the lower spectrum. However if your looking to take your piano education serious, then you may have to fork out that extra bit of cash and get a good piano which will last a long time.

Piano Size

When evaluating what piano to get, you need to be thinking about space. So make sure that you have sufficient room space to fit a piano. Little things like these can be irksome, so research height and width of the piano beforehand.

Style

This is a nice dilemma to have as you should have the option of buying a new piano or an antique stlye piano. This type of decision depends purely upon what kind of taste you have, some piano players instantly fall in love with them olden style pianos. So have fun choosing which type, as these types of pianos are normally in great condition.

Bottom Line

Obviously the most important thing to get right is the size and budget. So make this decision wisely as you’ll have a piano which may last you a very long time!

Go to this post for having your first lesson on your new piano.  Have fun!

Here’s a nice in depth tutorial from Tom Willett on piano chords. He’s using a basic keyboard for his demonstration. So check it out!

Learning piano chords is not at all hard. When you grasp the fundamentals, you will realise how silly it was to believe that it’s a irksome thing to study. Chords are merely combinations of two or more notes from a given scale.

There’s actually a formula that is true for all the 12 major scales. You do not even have to consult a chord chart to recognise it, you simply apply the approach pattern. Do you remember the C major scale? Once again the approach pattern is in the sequence: whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half or if you feel its easier to count the keys (black and white included) 2-2-1-2-2-2-1. So for the C major scale, they are C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.

It is now time to apply this knowledge from the chord. We shall concentrate on the triad which is the easiest and most frequently used piano chord. The word triad just means three, therefore for this type of chord you will be only be using three notes from the major scale. The major triad uses the first, third and fifth note of the major scale. The first being the root, the major third and the perfect fifth. So for the C major chord the notes or tones are C, E, and G. The chord can be written as CM or simply C. For F with the scale: F-G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F the F chord the notes are F-A-C.

Use the thumb for the first note, the middle finger for the third and the pinky for the fifth. It is even easier to memorise piano chords for the minor triads. Are you prepared? Just bring down the third note one half step or just one key on the board and it becomes a minor triad. Mino triad chords are then 1st, b3rd, and 5th note or tones of the major scale. This means the Cm chord is composed of C-Eb-G and Fm is F-Ab or G#-A.