Piano Playing is Not Easy But You Can Learn

By Mary Halls

If you've ever thought about learning how to play the piano, I would suggest that you give it more time and more thought. My experience learning how to play the piano was that it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. There are many more things to consider, in order to play the piano, than most novices can understand or comprehend. It's not a matter of just learning the right keys is to play but you also have to learn to read music.

So if you think about learning how to play a piano, I have some recommendations that I think that would help. First go online and see what resources you have available on the Internet. Recently piano playing has become more convenient with the Roll Up Electric Piano keyboards. There are a lot of free information items that will help you both to read sheet music, and also learn what keys to be used when playing the piano. There is no end to the amount of information online that will help you to get started learning how to play.

If you are still interested in learning how to play piano, I recommend that you either buy a piano or rent one. I would recommend the latter choice. When you're just beginning to learn to play the piano, I think it's best to rent your equipment because you never know how long you will stick with it. If the piano rental becomes more costly than purchasing it, then go ahead and buy the piano that you want. It would also be a good idea to look into getting the more convenient version like buying or renting a electronic piano keyboards. They are simple to setup, move around and don't take up too much room.

Today, as I've said before, there is a ton of information available to you for no cost that will help you learn to play the piano. If you don't find good information online, then you can also go down to the library and find lots of information that will help you learn to play. Finding a good instructor is also very critical to your enjoyment of playing and to the speed at which you will learn. A good teacher would be someone who enjoys playing the piano themselves and has a long history of teaching other people to play. You can usually get recommendations from other people on who is the best teacher or teachers available in your area.

As you can see there are a lot of things to consider before you start your journey forward on learning how to play the piano. The best news is that there is a lot of free information online that can help you and there are some great instructors out there that love to play the piano and will show you how. Really consider getting a roll up piano first for the lower cost and convenience. I unfortunately didn't find it so easy I'm still struggling to learn to play to this day. So go find some good resources on learning to play the piano, rent an inexpensive piano, and find a good instructor. You'll be well on your way to mastering and learning this beautiful art. - 32526

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The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

By Michelle Edward

One of the most astonishing stories in pianist history came from World War I veteran Paul Wittgenstein. A man with utter determination to make his dreams come true was surfacing in the pianist world.

All you have to do is see the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, by French composer Maurice Ravel. It is a true testament to his brilliance, and will as man to do what he loves best.

Back before World War I, a concert pianist by the name of Paul Wittgenstein was trying to make his mark in the world. After being drafted, he sadly lost his right arm throughout the fighting. However, Wittgenstein didn't believe his concert piano career was over as a result.

Determined to succeed, he began practicing with his remaining hand to improve his left-handed technique. He tried to arrange two-handed works to accommodate his one-handed state. In the late'20's Wittgenstein decided to approach leading piano composers of his day and commission works written intentionally for the left hand alone.

Many felt this would not be feasible, but he eventually came across Sergei Prokofiev, Richard Wagner, Benjamin Britten, and Maurice Ravel who believed it was possible.

Ravel himself had never written a concerto before, but several piano solos. During this time he had been working on the Concerto in G, which of course was intended to be played with two-hands. After hitting a wall, he decided Wittgenstein's challenge may be what he needed to push forward. His research was uncanny, and as he studied the left-handed Etudes of Camille Saint-Saens, he believed his left-handed Concerto would be a noteworthy addition to piano repertoire.

Once complete, his masterpiece portrayed a dark piece of work about the struggles of a one-armed pianist. It was also about the long road to reinventing himself after a tragic injury. Turns out the craftsmanship was brilliant, and listeners couldn't even tell it was being played by someone with one hand.

The biggest factor that allowed this to work, was the break-up into 3 sections. Normally, other concerto would have a Fast-Slow-Fast movement, but the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand was set up as Slow-Fast-Slow.

Wittgenstein was a client who was famously difficult to please. He found something to complain about in almost every concerto offered to him by his all-star line-up of composers. With Wagner's work, Wittgenstein complained that the orchestration was too powerful to accompany a single-handed pianist, and would overpower the soloist. With Prokofiev's work, Wittgenstein declared that he simply would not play it.

Even with the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Wittgenstein complained about the long solo cadenza right after the opening. During one instance he even told Ravel; "If I had wanted a solo piece, I wouldn't have commissioned a concerto." However, Ravel stood his ground, and over time, Wittgenstein began to like it.

In the end, the Concerto for the Left Hand was a true testament to the indomitable human spirit. - 32526

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Piano Playing is Not Easy But You Can Learn

By Carla Jones

If you've ever thought about learning how to play the piano, I would suggest that you give it more time and more thought. My experience learning how to play the piano was that it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. There are many more things to consider, in order to play the piano, than most novices can understand or comprehend. It's not a matter of just learning the right keys is to play but you also have to learn to read music.

So if you think about learning how to play a piano, I have some recommendations that I think that would help. First go online and see what resources you have available on the Internet. Recently piano playing has become more convenient with the Roll Up Electric Piano keyboards. There are a lot of free information items that will help you both to read sheet music, and also learn what keys to be used when playing the piano. There is no end to the amount of information online that will help you to get started learning how to play.

If you are still interested in learning how to play piano, I recommend that you either buy a piano or rent one. I would recommend the latter choice. When you're just beginning to learn to play the piano, I think it's best to rent your equipment because you never know how long you will stick with it. If the piano rental becomes more costly than purchasing it, then go ahead and buy the piano that you want. It would also be a good idea to look into getting the more convenient version like buying or renting a electronic piano keyboards. They are simple to setup, move around and don't take up too much room.

These days, as I said above, there are a lot of resources available to you for free that will help you learn to play the piano. If you don't find good information online, then you can also go down to the library and find lots of information that will help you learn to play. Finding a good instructor is also very critical to your enjoyment of playing and to the speed at which you will learn. A good instructor would be someone who enjoys playing themselves and has a long history of instructing others to play. You can usually get recommendations from other people on who is the best teacher or teachers available in your area.

As you can see there are a lot of things to consider before you start your journey forward on learning how to play the piano. The good news is there is a lot of material online that can help you and there are some great teachers out there that love to play the piano and will show you how. Really consider getting a roll up piano first for the lower cost and convenience. I really didn't find it so simple and I'm still trying to learn to play to this day. So go out and find some good information on learning to play the piano, rent a piano, and find a good teacher. You will be well on your way to mastering this beautiful art. - 32526

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Playing The Piano Simple Tips

By Carla Jones

If you've ever thought about learning how to play the piano, I would suggest that you give it more time and more thought. My own experience, learning how to play, was that it was not as easy as I was thinking it would be. There are many more things that you need to learn in order to play the piano that most novices don't recognize. It's not a matter of just learning the right keys is to play but you also have to learn to read music.

So if you think about learning how to play a piano, I have some recommendations that I think that would help. First go online and see what resources you have available on the Internet. Recently piano playing has become more convenient with the Roll Up Electric Piano keyboards. There are a lot of free information items that will help you both to read sheet music, and also learn what keys to be used when playing the piano. There is no end to the amount of information online that will help you to get started learning how to play.

If you are still excited about learning how to play piano, I recommend that you either buy a piano keyboard or rent one. I would recommend the latter choice. When you're just beginning to learn to play the piano, I think it's best to rent your equipment because you never know how long you will stick with it. If the piano rental becomes more costly than purchasing it, then go ahead and buy the piano that you want. It would also be a good idea to look into getting the more convenient version like buying or renting a electronic piano keyboards. They are easy to move around and don't take up too much room.

Today, as I've said before, there is a ton of information available to you for no cost that will help you learn to play the piano. If you don't find good information online, then you can also go down to the library and find lots of information that will help you learn to play. Finding a good instructor is also very critical to your enjoyment of playing and to the speed at which you will learn. A good teacher would be someone who enjoys playing the piano themselves and has a long history of teaching other people to play. You can usually get recommendations from other people on who is the best teacher or teachers available in your area.

As you can see there are a lot of things to consider before you start your journey forward on learning how to play the piano. The best news is that there is a lot of free information online that can help you and there are some great instructors out there that love to play the piano and will show you how. Really consider getting a roll up piano first for the lower cost and convenience. I unfortunately didn't find it so easy I'm still struggling to learn to play to this day. So go find some good resources on learning to play the piano, rent an inexpensive piano, and find a good instructor. You'll be well on your way to mastering and learning this beautiful art. - 32526

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The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

By Michelle Edward

Do you think a one-armed man could have a career as a piano soloist? For one determined young man, the answer was, "Yes."

The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, by French composer Maurice Ravel, is a testament not only to Ravel's brilliance, but also to the indomitable will of the man who commissioned it.

Back before World War I, a concert pianist by the name of Paul Wittgenstein was trying to make his mark in the world. After being drafted, he sadly lost his right arm throughout the fighting. However, Wittgenstein didn't believe his concert piano career was over as a result.

Due to his inabilities, he began practicing his left-handed technique. The goal was to arrange two-handed works in such a way, that they would accommodate his one-handed state. By the late'20s, Wittgenstein decided it was time to approach others about his innovation.

Sergei Prokofiev, Richard Wagner, and Benjamin Britten were among the illustrious composers who answered Wittgenstein's call. And so did Maurice Ravel.

One of the biggest issues Ravel had in the beginning was that he never wrote a concerto, even though he had written several piano solos. When Wittgenstein approached him, he had already started working on Concerto in G, but it was intended for a two-handed player. During this time he was at a stalemate, and so he decided to take Wittgenstein up on his challenge. During Ravel's research of left-handed Etudes of Camille Saint-Saens, he began to believe his left-handed Concerto would be a noteworthy addition to piano repertoire.

And so it proved to be. Such is Ravel's craftsmanship that it is not at all obvious to a listener, that the piano part is written for just one hand. It is a dense, emotionally deep work which portrays the struggle of the one-armed pianist to overcome his tragic injury, and reinvent himself.

Though the piece has sometime been described as being in two movements, most experts agree that it is a piece written in one movement, but with three sections. Unlike most concerti, The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand is structured as Slow-Fast-Slow, rather than Fast-Slow-Fast.

Truth be told, Wittgenstein was famously known for being hard to please. Richard Wagner offered work as well, but Wittgenstein complained about the orchestration being too powerful for a single-handed pianist. Then of course when Prokofiev offered his work, Wittgenstein wouldn't even play it.

For Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Wittgenstein's complaint had to do with the long solo cadenza just after the opening. "If I had wanted a solo piece," he is said to have declared, "I wouldn't have commissioned a concerto." However, as Ravel refused to change it, Wittgenstein performed the work as written, and later came to like it.

In the end, the Concerto for the Left Hand was a true testament to the indomitable human spirit. - 32526

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Maurice Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

By Michelle Edward

Have you ever thought that being a piano soloist with one arm was impossible? Well for one determined young man, it became a dream.

All you have to do is see the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, by French composer Maurice Ravel. It is a true testament to his brilliance, and will as man to do what he loves best.

Paul Wittgenstein was a concert pianist who had launched his career in the year before World War I broke out. Sadly, he lost his right arm during the fighting. After the war, Wittgenstein was not willing to admit that his dream of a concert piano career was over.

Determined to succeed, he began practicing with his remaining hand to improve his left-handed technique. He tried to arrange two-handed works to accommodate his one-handed state. In the late'20's Wittgenstein decided to approach leading piano composers of his day and commission works written intentionally for the left hand alone.

Many felt this would not be feasible, but he eventually came across Sergei Prokofiev, Richard Wagner, Benjamin Britten, and Maurice Ravel who believed it was possible.

One of the biggest issues Ravel had in the beginning was that he never wrote a concerto, even though he had written several piano solos. When Wittgenstein approached him, he had already started working on Concerto in G, but it was intended for a two-handed player. During this time he was at a stalemate, and so he decided to take Wittgenstein up on his challenge. During Ravel's research of left-handed Etudes of Camille Saint-Saens, he began to believe his left-handed Concerto would be a noteworthy addition to piano repertoire.

The meaning behind his eventual completion was about the struggles of a one-armed pianist trying to overcome a tragic injury and reinvent himself. The craftsmanship was brilliant, and the construction left it impossible for listeners to realize it was only being played with one hand.

The biggest factor that allowed this to work, was the break-up into 3 sections. Normally, other concerto would have a Fast-Slow-Fast movement, but the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand was set up as Slow-Fast-Slow.

While these individuals did all they could to please Mr. Wittgenstein, it was extremely difficult. When Wagner brought forth work, the complaint revolved around the orchestration being too powerful for a single-handed pianist. When it came to Prokofiev's suggestions, Wittgenstein simply wouldn't play them.

For Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Wittgenstein's complaint had to do with the long solo cadenza just after the opening. "If I had wanted a solo piece," he is said to have declared, "I wouldn't have commissioned a concerto." However, as Ravel refused to change it, Wittgenstein performed the work as written, and later came to like it.

In the end, the Concerto for the Left Hand was a true testament to the human spirit of, and more than just the overcoming nature of one man. - 32526

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Maurice Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

By Michelle Edward

Have you ever thought that being a piano soloist with one arm was impossible? Well for one determined young man, it became a dream.

The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, by French composer Maurice Ravel, was simply a masterpiece. It's a true testament to his brilliance as a writer, and his ability to change a man's life.

Before the turn of World War I, a concert pianist named Paul Wittgenstein had showed promise. Unfortunately, by the time the war was over, he had lost his right arm during the fighting. While most people would give up their dreams, he still believed he could be an exceptional pianist.

Due to his inabilities, he began practicing his left-handed technique. The goal was to arrange two-handed works in such a way, that they would accommodate his one-handed state. By the late'20s, Wittgenstein decided it was time to approach others about his innovation.

Many felt this would not be feasible, but he eventually came across Sergei Prokofiev, Richard Wagner, Benjamin Britten, and Maurice Ravel who believed it was possible.

One of the biggest issues Ravel had in the beginning was that he never wrote a concerto, even though he had written several piano solos. When Wittgenstein approached him, he had already started working on Concerto in G, but it was intended for a two-handed player. During this time he was at a stalemate, and so he decided to take Wittgenstein up on his challenge. During Ravel's research of left-handed Etudes of Camille Saint-Saens, he began to believe his left-handed Concerto would be a noteworthy addition to piano repertoire.

The meaning behind his eventual completion was about the struggles of a one-armed pianist trying to overcome a tragic injury and reinvent himself. The craftsmanship was brilliant, and the construction left it impossible for listeners to realize it was only being played with one hand.

Many experts agree that this piece allowed for 3 sections that were unlike other concerti. The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand was set up with a Slow-Fast-Slow movement, as opposed to Fast-Slow-Fast.

Wittgenstein was a client who was famously difficult to please. He found something to complain about in almost every concerto offered to him by his all-star line-up of composers. With Wagner's work, Wittgenstein complained that the orchestration was too powerful to accompany a single-handed pianist, and would overpower the soloist. With Prokofiev's work, Wittgenstein declared that he simply would not play it.

For Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Wittgenstein's complaint had to do with the long solo cadenza just after the opening. "If I had wanted a solo piece," he is said to have declared, "I wouldn't have commissioned a concerto." However, as Ravel refused to change it, Wittgenstein performed the work as written, and later came to like it.

In the end, the Concerto for the Left Hand was a true testament to the indomitable human spirit. - 32526

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Musical Instruments - A Brief Crossing Through Age

By Carl Keller

Musical instruments are maybe as older as the history of human civilization itself. Historians agree that no one has ever come up with an totally consistent procedure for deducing the exact chronology of several musical instruments within various cultures.

And most experts propose that you do not compare and classify musical instruments on the base of their complexity. As for an instance, creation of the very initial slit drums featured felling or hollowing out of large trees. But following that, people learned to create slit drums by prying open bamboo stalks. This was a method simpler task.

Another erroneous idea, according to historians, would be to classify musical instruments on the foundation of workmanship. This is because all cultures go forwards at special pace and levels. And they have admittance to different supplies.

As for an example, anthropologists trying to compare among musical instruments of 2 diverse yet contemporary cultures (differing in union, traditions, and handicraft) unsuccessful to presume which instruments were more "ancient".

Categorizing instruments in deference of geography is as sound partially inaccurate, since you cannot decide closely when or how cultures interacted with each other to share expertise.

The science that lets you mark the chronology of melodious instruments and their development depends entirely on archaeological works of art, or creative depictions, beside with literary references. As facts in a research path might be inconclusive, there might be several paths providing a much better chronological image.

Till the 19th century, music histories found in Europe began with legendary descriptions of the technique musical instruments had been made-up.

A few of these descriptions comprised of Jubal, Pan, and Mercury. The last one is believed to get successfully made a lyre (for the first time ever) out of a simple dried out tortoise case. But, modern historians diverge with such mythology and offer consistent anthropological speculations. - 32526

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The Ideal Age for Taking Piano Lessons

By Adriana Noton

Because of the many benefits of learning the piano, most parents want their children to take piano lessons. The question many parents have is: At what age should I enroll my child in a piano class?

Because children's brains are developing at a young age, learning while young helps a child retain knowledge throughout their adult life. Most experts agree that a child should begin piano lessons when they are quite young. Some children have taken lessons as young as four years of age. Whether your child is ready for piano lessons all depends on if they have the ability to participate.

The following are a few factors that a parent should consider when planning to enroll their child in a piano class:

1. You have to make sure your child can meet the mental requirements to sit through a piano lesson. Piano lessons can be 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or one hour, depending on the teacher's instructional methods. Can your child sit through a piano lesson or will he or she fidget and get up and walk away from the piano? Your child must be able to sit quietly. As well, can your child focus on one task for a specified length of time? That is, can he or she sit, listen, and follow directions? Or, does your child get frustrated quickly and have temper tantrums?

2. Piano lessons involve a minimal level of reading skills. A pre reading level such as the ability to distinguish between shapes is necessary. As well, your child should know the basics of the alphabet and know numbers. A child in pre-school/kindergarten should have these basic reading skills.

3. When learning to play the piano, one must be able to understand and follow directions given by the teacher. Does your child have good listening skills and follow directions when given a set of instructions?

4. Does your child show any interest in learning the piano? A child that is resistant may not be ready. Don't force your child as it will only cause him or her to resent the lessons. Help your child understand the benefits of taking lessons and that it is fun.

Enrolling your child in a piano class will involve practice at home. Most experts feel that a child will not successfully practice by themselves at home until they are the age of 8 or 9. This means that a parent will have to site with them during their practice with their child. It is important to use positive reinforcement techniques, such as praising the child when he or she does well. If they make a mistake, be positive about the importance of practice. Never harshly criticize a child for making a mistake. The child will just start to resent playing the piano and will eventually want to quit. As well, make music a part of home life so that your child will gain appreciation for music.

Providing your child with piano lessons is an exciting moment in a parent's life. It signifies your child is growing and learning new things. In order to ensure your child continues with piano lessons, be patient, supportive, and research a piano teacher to make sure your child is getting the best instruction. - 32526

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