Last week, I talked about the fundamentals of piano playing, dedicated to beginners.. It will, of course, begin with the basics, such as selecting the best music teachers for your private music classes, which I believe is really important. So, this post continues our topic from last week, and I'll make sure it's incredibly simple to prepare - after all, this is for our beginners!
As I previously stated, studying music and this series of articles are both based on step-by-step progressions. So, let's get this party started!
Naming notes and trust me, they are not Bella, Alan, or Dean!
You've located the center C, but what about the other octave notes?
These notes have been allocated letters, so they are not called Bella, Alan, or Dean.
Because I understand that it can be confusing for beginners, so I recommend that you focus on the white keys for the time being.
Finger-counting, and make sure they are the perfect ten!
Having ten fingers is a luxury we all need to be grateful for when playing the piano. To play the piano to the best of our abilities, we must all ensure that we employ proper fingering techniques.
For beginners, I recommend numbering your fingers so you can find them with the correct notes. Starting with the thumbs, numbering your fingers can begin with #1.
Sit upright and proper
Mastering the piano is not only about learning the materials and being remarkable at it, but also every other factor that supports your piano-playing activities.
The sound of the piano is affected by everything from how you sit to how you place your fingers on the keyboard. When playing the piano, you are transferring energy from your complete body to your fingertips in an optimized manner, in other words, your sitting position and posture will definitely affect the said energy. Get it right, and you will be able to experiment with expression and a wide dynamic notation range.
You need to sit on the bench in a correct position, as incorrect technique complicates playing it, exhausting you easily, and perhaps, even harmful to your body. Shoulder, neck, and back pain can be caused by poor seat positioning or posture. Imagine sitting in front of the computer and typing all day, it can be super taxing, no?
Don’t ever do the left, okay?
Place your bench parallel to the center of your piano, adjusting the distance from the piano so that you can comfortably reach all of the keys. When using a grand piano bench, there is no need to take up the entire seat, instead, sit or perch on the front portion of the bench to give yourself more leverage when moving your feet up and down the pedals.
Your elbows have to be parallel to your keyboard, or slightly higher if you feel more comfortable that way. You need to adjust the height of your keyboard or bench, so you can get the comfortable height. On a keyboard and stand, you can change the keyboard’s height, but acoustic and electric pianos are immovable, therefore you probably need to modify your bench.
Do you know? That there was once a great pianist with horrible postures? Canadian classical pianist Glenn Gould. He sat so low during concerts and recordings that he had to bring a little chair with him. Keith Jarrett, an American jazz superstar, performed while standing up and twisting his entire body.
This did not, however, prevent them from becoming excellent artists, although rather are exceptional circumstances. Make it easier on yourself and your body by doing it right the first time, and you will definitely soar!
Next week, I'll continue this series of articles because I have a lot more information to share with you, my lovely readers. I still have the knowledge on how to place your hands correctly, as well as how to form your hands while playing, and how to read piano notes. Please wait for our articles next week!
Any questions, ask away! Any comments? Let us know below!