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<title>Harmony and Melody Studio Inc: Blog Posts</title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com</link>
<pubDate>2012-05-17</pubDate>
<description>List of Latest Blog Posts at Harmony and Melody Studio Inc</description>
<language>en-us</language>
<isc:store_name><![CDATA[Harmony and Melody Studio Inc]]></isc:store_name>
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<title><![CDATA[Mother's Day Music]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/Mothers-Day-Music_b_42.html</link>
<pubDate>2012-05-10</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ What’s your favorite Mother’s Day classical music?When you think about music related to mothers, you might think of a lullaby, such as one by Brahms. Or, you might think of the Mother Goose Suite, piano music by Ravel. But many people, when asked about classical music for Mother’s Day, will pick Songs My Mother Taught Me—either the well-known selection by Czech Antonin Dvo&#345;ák or the more recent composition by American composer Charles Ives. Here is a mother's day music I composed:You can download and print out this mother's day sheet music.Happy Mother’s Day! ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[What’s your favorite Mother’s Day classical music?When you think about music related to mothers, you might think of a lullaby, such as one by Brahms. Or, you might think of the Mother Goose Suite, piano music by Ravel. But many people, when asked about classical music for Mother’s Day, will pick Songs My Mother Taught Me—either the well-known selection by Czech Antonin Dvo&#345;ák or the more recent composition by American composer Charles Ives. Here is a mother's day music I composed:You can download and print out this mother's day sheet music.Happy Mother’s Day!]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[What’s your favorite Mother’s Day classical music?When you think about music related to mothers, you might think of a lullaby, such as one by Brahms. Or, you might think of the Mother Goose Suite, piano music by Ravel. But many people, when asked about classical music for Mother’s Day, will pick Songs My Mother Taught Me—either the well-known selection by Czech Antonin Dvo&#345;ák or the more recent composition by American composer Charles Ives. Dvo&#345;ák’s piece is actually the fourth of seven songs in his Gypsy Songs collection, Opus 55. It dates from 1880, whereas Ives’ song is a stand-alone piece that came along 15 years later. Both pieces are set to a poem by the German Adolf Heyduk, translated as follows:Songs my mother taught me, in the days long vanished;Seldom from her eyelids were the teardrops banished.Now I teach my children, each melodious measure.Oft the tears are flowing, oft they flow from my memory’s treasure.If this sounds a little too sad or “blue” for your particular Mother’s Day celebration, don’t fret: many classical collections have been recorded over the years with more cheerful themes as “gifts for Mom.” Minnesota Public Radio, in one noted example, has a playlist they’re calling a Mother’s Day “bouquet”—including such pieces as the “Floral Duet” from Lakme. And, if you’re thinking “florally,” Waltz of the Flowers can round out the bouquet in grand style!Whatever your mood for Mother’s Day—whether it’s a poignant one on which you miss a mother who’s gone, or a happier one on which you get together with your mom or someone who’s been like a mom to you—there’s probably a piece of classical music to suit it. Search in your favorite “musical places” and you just might find a piece that becomes a new tradition for your mom’s special day.Here is a mother's day piano music I composed.You can print out this Mother's Day sheet music.Happy Mother’s Day!]]></isc:description>
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<isc:author><![CDATA[Administrator]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Home Sweet Home Piano Music]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/Home-Sweet-Home-Piano-Music_b_41.html</link>
<pubDate>2012-05-06</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Home! Sweet Home! (an alternate version of the title) is an old song with varying sets of lyrics, some of them religious in nature (indicating “home, sweet home” as being heaven, where the singer aspires to go). However, most of us are familiar with the beginning lines that are as follows:Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Home! Sweet Home! (an alternate version of the title) is an old song with varying sets of lyrics, some of them religious in nature (indicating “home, sweet home” as being heaven, where the singer aspires to go). However, most of us are familiar with the beginning lines that are as follows:Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Play Home Sweet HomeHome! Sweet Home! (an alternate version of the title) is an old song with varying sets of lyrics, some of them religious in nature (indicating “home, sweet home” as being heaven, where the singer aspires to go). However, most of us are familiar with the beginning lines that are as follows:Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.Many of us might think of The Wizard of Oz when we hear those words! In fact, though, Home, Sweet Home is almost 200 years old; it’s an adaptation from an 1823 opera, Clari, Maid of Milan, by John Howard Payne. The soothing melody is credited to Sir Henry Bishop, while Payne penned the words. One of the more interesting stories about the tune is its pantomimed use in a silent film called The House of Cards. In this 1909 film, there’s a scene in which a fight breaks out in a frontier tavern, causing the owner to close the place down abruptly, and a card is displayed on screen that says, “Play Home Sweet Home.” At that point, a fiddle player does, indeed, “play” the tune on camera. So although the audience didn’t hear it at the time, it’s thought that this is the origin of an informal association of Home, Sweet Home with “closing time” at one’s local bar!Even before this “starring role” for Home, Sweet Home, its nostalgic value was so strong that Union Army camps banned its play during the Civil War. It was thought that the tune had such a strong connection with the comfort and safety of home and hearth that, hearing it, soldiers would be more prone to desertion!One thing is for sure: no matter what we associate it with, when we hear Home, Sweet Home, most of us find ourselves smiling. Play it with the warmth of your own home in mind, you’ll smile, too. ]]></isc:description>
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<title><![CDATA[Funeral March by Chopin]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/Funeral-March-by-Chopin_b_40.html</link>
<pubDate>2012-04-10</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ You might already know Frederic Chopin’s Funeral March before you learn this piece; it’s been used and/or parodied in everything from actual funerals (most notably Chopin’s own) to movies and cartoons. This Funeral March is actually the third movement of Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor. It’s modeled after the Rossini opera La Gazza Ladra, which itself has become the object of parodies.  ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[You might already know Frederic Chopin’s Funeral March before you learn this piece; it’s been used and/or parodied in everything from actual funerals (most notably Chopin’s own) to movies and cartoons. This Funeral March is actually the third movement of Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor. It’s modeled after the Rossini opera La Gazza Ladra, which itself has become the object of parodies. ]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[You might already know Frederic Chopin’s Funeral March before you learn this piece; it’s been used and/or parodied in everything from actual funerals (most notably Chopin’s own) to movies and cartoons. This Funeral March is actually the third movement of Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor. It’s modeled after the Rossini opera La Gazza Ladra, which itself has become the object of parodies. However, parodies and Monty Python usage aside, Chopin’s Funeral March is anything but lighthearted, trivial, or a “throwaway.” It, as part of the greater sonata work, has been called “haunting”—so much so that, in fact, it’s reputed that this piece of music was one sure way to get Chopin to end an evening of playing in the salon. All someone had to do was request the Funeral March, and Chopin would be so emotionally undone by its conclusion that all thoughts of further playing were forgotten. One biographer even claims to hear the “pain and grief of an entire nation” in the Funeral March. The nation in question would have been Chopin’s native Poland, under fire from Russia in the 1830s. As a Pole himself, living in exile away from his homeland, Chopin clearly both sympathized with and worried about the safety of relatives left behind at the mercy of their enemies. As with so many of his troubles, Chopin poured this, too, into his music.And again, despite comedic or light uses for the themes of this piece, it has been employed in its original intent as well: among those of prominence who have had Chopin’s Funeral March played at their funerals are John F. Kennedy and—in a touch of irony—Russians Stalin and Brezhnev. While you may not play this piece for an actual service, as you do play it, knowing a bit of its background will help you understand and appreciate some of the emotion the elegant Polish composer had in mind when he set this evocative music down for the ages.]]></isc:description>
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<isc:author><![CDATA[Administrator]]></isc:author>
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<title><![CDATA[Beginner Piano Lessons: 5 Important Things To Master]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/Beginner-Piano-Lessons-5-Important-Things-To-Master_b_39.html</link>
<pubDate>2012-01-06</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Beginner Piano Lessons: Five Important Things to MasterLearning to play the piano is a bit like learning to read. The beginner piano student must master several skills before moving on to more advanced techniques. These skills may not come intuitively at first, but require repetition and practice. Stick with it, though, and spend the time to develop a solid foundation. The time you take as a beginning student will pay off later in greater fluency. Here are the top five skills you need to master initially: ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Beginner Piano Lessons: Five Important Things to MasterLearning to play the piano is a bit like learning to read. The beginner piano student must master several skills before moving on to more advanced techniques. These skills may not come intuitively at first, but require repetition and practice. Stick with it, though, and spend the time to develop a solid foundation. The time you take as a beginning student will pay off later in greater fluency. Here are the top five skills you need to master initially:]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Beginner Piano Lessons: Five Important Things to MasterLearning to play the piano is a bit like learning to read. The beginner piano student must master several skills before moving on to more advanced techniques. These skills may not come intuitively at first, but require repetition and practice. Stick with it, though, and spend the time to develop a solid foundation. The time you take as a beginning student will pay off later in greater fluency. Here are the top five skills you need to master initially:• Posture. When sitting at the piano, your arms should hang freely from your shoulders, with your forearms extended comfortably on the keys in a vertical position. If the bench is too high or too low, your arms and wrists will suffer strain. They should be positioned loosely and naturally on the keyboard. • Learn correct piano fingering. Place your hands on the piano so the wrist is vertical, neither arched or reclining. Bend your fingers gently. Learning to smoothly navigate the keyboard takes time and practice, but in general, don’t use the thumb to play black keys. Cross the second finger over the thumb to reach keys that are a few steps lower. Move the entire hand if a key is out of reach.• Basic notes of the scale. One of the first things your piano teacher will instruct you in is how to “read” the basic notes of the scale. Once you recognize the basic notes you can pick out simple songs.• Identify the keys of the piano. In addition to learning to recognize written notes, you must also know where those notes are on the piano. Additionally, being able to recognize a note when you hear it is a huge advantage. • Time. Before you can play a piece, you must understand the basics of time and rhythm. Recognizing a quarter note compared to a half note or an eighth note is critical to your success as a pianist. We highly recommend our Learn To Play Piano beginner course if you like to learn to play the different piano music. These beginner courses cover Beautiful Love Songs, Classical Music, and Favorite Hymns.]]></isc:description>
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<title><![CDATA[Christmas Piano Sheet Music ]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/Christmas-Piano-Sheet-Music-_b_38.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-12-07</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Christmas Sheet MusicWho doesn't love to play Christmas sheet music on the piano, organ, or other instrument? For many people, sitting down at the keyboard to play the first carols of the season—or other traditional Christmas music—really mean the holidays have begun. Fortunately, we have abundant sources of Christmas sheet music available, for all instruments and difficulty ranges; even the smallest of us can learn to play simple versions of Christmas songs and enjoy them. ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Christmas Sheet MusicWho doesn't love to play Christmas sheet music on the piano, organ, or other instrument? For many people, sitting down at the keyboard to play the first carols of the season—or other traditional Christmas music—really mean the holidays have begun. Fortunately, we have abundant sources of Christmas sheet music available, for all instruments and difficulty ranges; even the smallest of us can learn to play simple versions of Christmas songs and enjoy them.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Christmas Sheet MusicWho doesn't love to play Christmas sheet music on the piano, organ, or other instrument? For many people, sitting down at the keyboard to play the first carols of the season—or other traditional Christmas music—really mean the holidays have begun. Fortunately, we have abundant sources of Christmas sheet music available, for all instruments and difficulty ranges; even the smallest of us can learn to play simple versions of Christmas songs and enjoy them.But imagine what Christmas would be now without any of that Christmas sheet music—without carols such as Silent Night or fun songs like Frosty the Snowman. It could have happened, had the early settlers to America, the Puritans, persisted in a well-intentioned but mistaken effort to cleanse Christmas by banning celebrations of it completely. The Puritan effort to purify religious holidays was largely taken to this extreme by Oliver Cromwell in England, who in effect outlawed Christmas between roughly 1644 and 1660. (Not even Mass attendance was allowed!) Lawbreakers could be subject to punishment for things as simple as preparing special food intended for Christmas feasting. When Puritans immigrated to the New World, for a time, they brought this attitude with them and kept up the ban. As it was repealed in England, however, soon afterward the celebration of Christmas once again became legal in the American colonies…and so we proceed today.Now, Christmas sheet music of all kinds can be one helpful reminder to us of the real meaning of the season. When you sing Adeste Fideles, you can be reminded to come and adore Him, a welcome respite from the busy-ness of the season that can be overwhelming. And when you listen to others perform from Christmas sheet music, or perform some of that music yourself, it, too, can be almost therapeutic in its ability to help you refocus.From piano reductions of the Nutcracker Suite to four-part carol books that we use in church or take with us to sing to people in the neighborhood, there are plenty of sources of good music available for us to use to enrich our season. As you enjoy Christmas sheet music, think about this: out of all of our attempts to purify our simplify this season, something that was banned for a time—celebrating Christmas through music—has turned out to be one of the most effective of all. ]]></isc:description>
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<title><![CDATA[Christmas Carols, Christmas Sheet Music]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/Christmas-Carols-Christmas-Sheet-Music_b_37.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-12-04</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Christmas Carol sheet music is so much a part of our holiday now that we may not think about where it came from or how it's been passed down to us today. The fact is the tradition of carol singing is very old—and not exclusive to Christmas.The word carol is medieval, with roots in both French and Anglo-Normal languages; its original meaning has more to do with dance than Christmas carol sheet music! Carols didn't necessarily pertain only to Christmas, or even religious holidays. Over the ages, many carol tunes have come down to us that tell other stories in the pattern of verse/refrain (also called burden). But while many of us may encounter this type of carol in our musical experience, the odds are we think more of religious expression when we sing carols, as so many of them directly relate the story of Christ's birth. ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Christmas Carol sheet music is so much a part of our holiday now that we may not think about where it came from or how it's been passed down to us today. The fact is the tradition of carol singing is very old—and not exclusive to Christmas.The word carol is medieval, with roots in both French and Anglo-Normal languages; its original meaning has more to do with dance than Christmas carol sheet music! Carols didn't necessarily pertain only to Christmas, or even religious holidays. Over the ages, many carol tunes have come down to us that tell other stories in the pattern of verse/refrain (also called burden). But while many of us may encounter this type of carol in our musical experience, the odds are we think more of religious expression when we sing carols, as so many of them directly relate the story of Christ's birth.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Christmas Carol Sheet MusicChristmas Carol sheet music is so much a part of our holiday now that we may not think about where it came from or how it's been passed down to us today. The fact is the tradition of carol singing is very old—and not exclusive to Christmas.The word carol is medieval, with roots in both French and Anglo-Normal languages; its original meaning has more to do with dance than Christmas carol sheet music! Carols didn't necessarily pertain only to Christmas, or even religious holidays. Over the ages, many carol tunes have come down to us that tell other stories in the pattern of verse/refrain (also called burden). But while many of us may encounter this type of carol in our musical experience, the odds are we think more of religious expression when we sing carols, as so many of them directly relate the story of Christ's birth. No one really knows when the first carol was composed, but many musicologists attribute the era of 1350 to 1550 to their initial appearance; religious songs in a verse/refrain format show up as early as the fourteenth century. Most of these carols concerned Christ, the Virgin Mary, or other saints. By the fifteenth century, carols gained status as songs in their own right, an important aspect of medieval music, in some cases with elaborate instrumental and vocal arrangements. These, of course, would have been hand-copied, as music printing was not available yet. One of these early collections is the Fayrfax Manuscript, a carol songbook specifically for court use that made its appearance toward the end of the 1400s. These carols weren't the earliest form of Christmas carol sheet music, in that their primary theme was the Passion. In fact, it's fortunate that carols survived at all; by the end of the sixteenth century, their popularity waned, no doubt due to the shifting religious sentiments of the era. Carols stayed somewhat dormant for two centuries until being revived in the eighteenth century, and this is the era during which many of the carols we know today were composed.We can thank Gutenberg for rendering us able to enjoy printed music of all kinds today, especially the Christmas carol sheet music we use so much during the holiday season. When you carol, or hear carolers, you're enjoying a Christmas gift that's absolutely free…and spiritually uplifting in the bargain. ]]></isc:description>
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<title><![CDATA[How To Play Piano By Ear In 6 Steps]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/How-To-Play-Piano-By-Ear-In-6-Steps_b_36.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-11-23</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Playing piano by ear can be a source of enjoyment, both for you and for those you accompany. Imagine being able to sit at the piano and play any popular tune. Learning to play by ear doesn’t replace the ability to read music, but the two skills complement each other. Playing by ear requires an intuitive knowledge of notes, chords, scales and rhythm. Mastering these piano basics will improve other aspects of your piano playing, as well. Learn to play by ear with these 6 steps: ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Playing piano by ear can be a source of enjoyment, both for you and for those you accompany. Imagine being able to sit at the piano and play any popular tune. Learning to play by ear doesn’t replace the ability to read music, but the two skills complement each other. Playing by ear requires an intuitive knowledge of notes, chords, scales and rhythm. Mastering these piano basics will improve other aspects of your piano playing, as well. Learn to play by ear with these 6 steps:]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Playing piano by ear can be a source of enjoyment, both for you and for those you accompany. Imagine being able to sit at the piano and play any popular tune. Learning to play by ear doesn’t replace the ability to read music, but the two skills complement each other. Playing by ear requires an intuitive knowledge of notes, chords, scales and rhythm. Mastering these piano basics will improve other aspects of your piano playing, as well. Learn to play by ear with these 6 steps:• Practice playing the scales on the piano until you are very familiar with each note, where it is on the keyboard and the sound that it makes. Pay attention to the steps between one note, say a C, and a higher note like a G. Think of the sounds of two notes. Now, try to find those notes on the keyboard without stumbling around. • Think of a simple song, such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” As you review the melody in your mind, pay attention to the notes. Do they go up or down on the scale? Sit down and play the melody. This exercise will train your mind to hear the intervals between the individual notes. Continue this exercise with other simple songs until this practice becomes second nature. • Find the harmonizing chords that go with the melody. For example, the primary chords for the C scale are the C chord (CEG), the F chord (FAC) and the G chord (GBD). • Notice the rhythmic patterns in a song. For example, in “Mary had a Little Lamb,” the first measures have a rhythm of slow-fast, slow-fast, fast-fast-fast. Before you attempt to play a piece by ear, review it in your mind, paying attention to the patterns of the song.• Put it all together. Once you’ve mastered the harmony, melody and rhythm of a song, play the entire piece through. Make a list of songs you’d like to learn to play by ear and practice each one.• The final step in learning to play by ear is mastering the ability to improvise. Once you have a solid knowledge of chords and intervals, you can change a piece by changing the rhythm or the chord sequence. ]]></isc:description>
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<title><![CDATA[12 Piano Theory Tips]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/12-Piano-Theory-Tips_b_35.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-11-09</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ 12 Important Piano Theory TipsLearning to play the piano is a bit like learning a new language. Music is governed by rules and patterns, just as language is. Memorize and master the basic rules and you’ll find your playing improves more quickly. A scale is a progression of notes that may be ascending or descending. Key is the diatonic scale most obvious in a piece of music. For example, music written in the key of C Major uses notes close to that scale. The key signature is indicated by the sharps or flats placed after the clef at the beginning of a stave.Dynamics are the seasonings of a musical composition. Dynamic markings give direction as to how loud or soft to play a passage. Chords are simply the simultaneous playing of notes of different pitch.The formula for Major chords goes like this: start with the root note, go up four half-steps for the mid-note, go up three more half-notes for the top note. Major key has a happy, upbeat sound. ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[12 Important Piano Theory TipsLearning to play the piano is a bit like learning a new language. Music is governed by rules and patterns, just as language is. Memorize and master the basic rules and you’ll find your playing improves more quickly. A scale is a progression of notes that may be ascending or descending. Key is the diatonic scale most obvious in a piece of music. For example, music written in the key of C Major uses notes close to that scale. The key signature is indicated by the sharps or flats placed after the clef at the beginning of a stave.Dynamics are the seasonings of a musical composition. Dynamic markings give direction as to how loud or soft to play a passage. Chords are simply the simultaneous playing of notes of different pitch.The formula for Major chords goes like this: start with the root note, go up four half-steps for the mid-note, go up three more half-notes for the top note. Major key has a happy, upbeat sound.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[12 Important Piano Theory TipsLearning to play the piano is a bit like learning a new language. Music is governed by rules and patterns, just as language is. Memorize and master the basic rules and you’ll find your playing improves more quickly. A scale is a progression of notes that may be ascending or descending. Key is the diatonic scale most obvious in a piece of music. For example, music written in the key of C Major uses notes close to that scale. The key signature is indicated by the sharps or flats placed after the clef at the beginning of a stave.Dynamics are the seasonings of a musical composition. Dynamic markings give direction as to how loud or soft to play a passage. Chords are simply the simultaneous playing of notes of different pitch.The formula for Major chords goes like this: start with the root note, go up four half-steps for the mid-note, go up three more half-notes for the top note. Major key has a happy, upbeat sound.The formula for Minor chords is as follows: start with the root note, go up three half-steps for the mid-note, go up four half-notes for the top note. Minor key has a nostalgic, somewhat melancholy sound. Melody is the part typically played by the right hand. It provides the dominant impression of a piece. Harmony is the part typically played by the left hand. The purpose of harmony is to provide a pleasing accompaniment that reinforces the melody. Interval is the difference of pitch between two notes. It is counted by how many steps on the scale you take to reach the second note. Beat refers to the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music. The beat may be grouped in twos, threes or fours. Treble clef is the top stave and indicates the notes to be played by the right hand. The bass clef is the bottom stave and indicates the notes to be played by the left hand. Triad is a chord of three different notes, usually thirds apart. Inversion is when the notes of a triad are rearranged so a tone other than the root note is at the bottom of the chord to make a slightly different sound. ]]></isc:description>
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<title><![CDATA[Piano Duet, Four-Hands Piano Playing]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/Piano-Duet-Four-Hands-Piano-Playing_b_34.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-11-05</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Music For Piano Four-Hands: Sharing a KeyboardFour-hand piano music has been around for a long time: Mozart and Beethoven, Ravel and Stravinsky — among many — wrote music for piano duo performance. The lasting popularity of four-hand piano music more than likely stems from the desire of music lovers to hear symphony or opera, even when they lived prohibitively far from any concert hall. Four-hand piano reductions of symphonic and opera scores were the way they could bring the magic of the concert hall to the parlor of a private residence, via a couple of talented players.Even today, however, when most of us have opportunities to hear orchestras and opera companies a lot more easily, piano four-hand music is still popular. Many of us love the full exploiting of the piano's richness that four hands can bring out: two hands playing the foundational bass, two hands giving us melodic and harmonic embellishments above. ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Music For Piano Four-Hands: Sharing a KeyboardFour-hand piano music has been around for a long time: Mozart and Beethoven, Ravel and Stravinsky — among many — wrote music for piano duo performance. The lasting popularity of four-hand piano music more than likely stems from the desire of music lovers to hear symphony or opera, even when they lived prohibitively far from any concert hall. Four-hand piano reductions of symphonic and opera scores were the way they could bring the magic of the concert hall to the parlor of a private residence, via a couple of talented players.Even today, however, when most of us have opportunities to hear orchestras and opera companies a lot more easily, piano four-hand music is still popular. Many of us love the full exploiting of the piano's richness that four hands can bring out: two hands playing the foundational bass, two hands giving us melodic and harmonic embellishments above.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[Music for Piano Four-Hands: Sharing a KeyboardFour-hand piano music has been around for a long time: Mozart and Beethoven, Ravel and Stravinsky — among many — wrote music for piano duo performance. The lasting popularity of four-hand piano music more than likely stems from the desire of music lovers to hear symphony or opera, even when they lived prohibitively far from any concert hall. Four-hand piano reductions of symphonic and opera scores were the way they could bring the magic of the concert hall to the parlor of a private residence, via a couple of talented players.Even today, however, when most of us have opportunities to hear orchestras and opera companies a lot more easily, piano four-hand music is still popular. Many of us love the full exploiting of the piano's richness that four hands can bring out: two hands playing the foundational bass, two hands giving us melodic and harmonic embellishments above.The earliest piano four-hand music that we know of comes from the seventeenth century: one titled A Verse for Two to Play by Nicholas Carlton, and another by Thomas Tomkins called A Fancy for Two to Play. The tone of these titles suggests what, indeed, did eventually happen: piano four-hand music became thought of, for a time, as simple entertainment. The Style Galant school of music, emerging in the aftermath of the music of J.S. Bach, brought a simpler style of piano duet to the masses. People didn't have to be instrumental masters to play it; in fact, the Style Galant became so accessible that it turned into background music for parties—the earliest known Muzak!This changed with compositions from Haydn, who wrote a series of duets largely to keep his hand in (no pun intended) while teaching piano students at the same time. In 1777, historian Dr. Charles Burney—who dabbled in music composition as well—published a series of pieces entitled, Four Sonatas or Duets for Two performers on One Piano Forte or Harpsichord. This collection was so popular it went to multiple editions. Then, a young composer named Mozart came along with his piano duets…and the rest (once again, no pun intended) was history.But today, when we have unlimited access to music of all sorts, it might be puzzling why piano duet (four-hands) music is still so popular. One reason is obvious: it's fun to play. If you've ever sat on the bench making music of this kind with a friend, you know this; if you haven't, once you try it, you might just want to do more of it. Another reason is that, due to composers' attention to this medium, there is high-quality—and in some cases highly demanding—four-hand music out there that will be a nice challenge and change from solo playing. Adjusting to playing in close quarters (piano benches and keyboards are not spacious!), learning to interact with another player to bring out themes, melodic lines, and appropriate phrasing as if one person is playing them, and the sheer beauty of using the entire keyboard and rich harmonies that are possible only with multiple hands on the keys…all of this, and more, is valuable learning for any musician. Piano four-hands can be the closest thing that many pianists come to playing ensemble music. That experience alone may sell you on this addition to your repertoire—not to mention that the live music experience is always better than any Muzak you can name!You can check our a list of our free piano sheet music for four hands (piano duet).]]></isc:description>
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<title><![CDATA[10 Tips To Improve Your Left Hand Piano Playing]]></title>
<link>http://www.pianomother.com/10-Tips-To-Improve-Your-Left-Hand-Piano-Playing_b_33.html</link>
<pubDate>2011-11-02</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ 10 Piano Tips to Improve Your Left Hand PlayingIf you find a new piece challenging, try playing each hand separately first. Play the right hand part until you have mastered the melody, followed by the left hand part for the harmony. This practice allows your brain and your fingers to focus just on the left hand piece.Try a few exercises to strengthen the muscles in your left hand. For example, play two notes repeatedly, playing the notes fast and slow, loud and quiet. With time and practice, you’ll have better muscle control.Watch the fingering marks written on the composition. These marks may not be the only possible fingerings for the music, but they usually offer logical suggestions. ]]></description>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[10 Piano Tips to Improve Your Left Hand PlayingIf you find a new piece challenging, try playing each hand separately first. Play the right hand part until you have mastered the melody, followed by the left hand part for the harmony. This practice allows your brain and your fingers to focus just on the left hand piece.Try a few exercises to strengthen the muscles in your left hand. For example, play two notes repeatedly, playing the notes fast and slow, loud and quiet. With time and practice, you’ll have better muscle control.Watch the fingering marks written on the composition. These marks may not be the only possible fingerings for the music, but they usually offer logical suggestions.]]></content:encoded>
<isc:description><![CDATA[10 Piano Tips to Improve Your Left Hand PlayingIf you find a new piece challenging, try playing each hand separately first. Play the right hand part until you have mastered the melody, followed by the left hand part for the harmony. This practice allows your brain and your fingers to focus just on the left hand piece.Try a few exercises to strengthen the muscles in your left hand. For example, play two notes repeatedly, playing the notes fast and slow, loud and quiet. With time and practice, you’ll have better muscle control.Watch the fingering marks written on the composition. These marks may not be the only possible fingerings for the music, but they usually offer logical suggestions.When playing a piece, find a fingering pattern that works and don’t change it.Play scales and other exercises to become accustomed to left hand fingering. In ascending scales, the third or fourth finger typically crosses over the thumb. When playing descending scales, the thumb crosses under the third or fourth finger. Play the melody of a piece with your left hand. This practice strengthens the muscles in the left hand and also encourages the brain to process notes in a new way.Try this exercise to increase fluidity and eye-hand coordination. Place your right pinkie on the upper C and your left pinkie on the lower C. Carry both hands to the middle C at the same time. Once you can do this smoothly, try changing the speed, tempo or dynamics. Contracy motion.Read through a piece of sheet music before you sit down to play it. Notice any patterns in the piece or changes in the tempo. Play a variety of music types. Popular music is fun, but the harmony is often very simple. Classical music, on the other hand, provides intensive practice for the left hand. Practice, practice, practice. Improving your left hand playing requires developing the muscles in the hand, as well as developing the brain’s ability to process the information. Both benefit from repetition. ]]></isc:description>
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