* Learn pattern recognition: Every song ever written follows a pattern, a structure of sections and chord progressions. You need only listen to a handful of songs by The Beatles to hear what we mean. To expand your repertoire and build versatility in your ability to pick up nearly any song you hear quickly and easily, learn the patterns with which all songs are composed.

* Play by the numbers: Every song is written in a particular key – one of but 12, to be precise – and every key has it’s scales, series’ of notes in specific intervals, any of which will sound natural and pleasing to the ear when played in it’s respective key. Every scale in every key has its 1-chord, its 2-chord, etc. Instead of straining yourself to memorize how to play various piano chords by rote, learn instead the keys that chords are played in and the scales they’re built upon. Then you can quickly and easily figure out how to play any chord in any key on the spot, whether you’ve memorized that specific chord or not.

* Listen: This tip is about learning to play by ear. The secret to learning to play by ear is simple – just learn the aforementioned 12 musical keys. By doing so, you can easily transpose any song you hear into any key you like. Learning to transpose, then, will take you to the next level of playing piano, which is knowing how to improvise. Many piano players can read and follow piano sheet music, but far fewer can sit down and start playing along spontaneously with any song they hear – and have it sound pleasing to the ear. Of course, if you don’t yet know how to read piano sheet music, then you may also want to begin studying that skill as well. But not at the expense of learning the fundamentals of music, which is not in writing but in listening. In musical terms, this is called “ear-training”. Learn to recognize the sounds of harmonic and melodic intervals and you’re more than halfway to playing them.

* Expose yourself: No, we’re not suggesting you run naked down the street. What we’re suggesting is that you spend time surrounded by musicians of exceptional quality, professionals and amateurs alike in whose presence you can hear what it sounds like to play how you want to play. The body’s muscles have memory far superior to than our brain’s conscious recall ability. By simply immersing yourself in an environment where your ear is exposed to the sort of piano playing you aspire to, your body has a far easier time reproducing those sounds on the piano yourself.

Most importantly in your piano playing adventure is to remember to give it a little attention every day. You don’t have to practice for hours and hours a day to get good at the piano. You need only devote a small amount of time daily to keep the skills you’re learning present in your mind and body. Even just 15 minutes a day keeps your piano playing ability in tune.

There are certain things you should be looking for before you sign up with any online company. One of the top things on your list of requirements should be that the site has received good reviews and been used by a large number of people to learn how to play the piano. Make sure to read testimonials and customer reviews. You want to be sure that real people have successfully used the program to learn how to play music.

Another thing to look for is the ability to learn at your own pace. You want to be sure you are able to complete each lesson plan within your own time frame before you move on to the next one. You also want to be sure each lesson is easy enough so you can grasp the lesson concept on your own. You don’t want to move forward without being 100% confident that you are ready to learn something new.

Learning online is good option for those people who are busy with other activities outside of the home and aren’t able to fit in another outside appointment. When you learn in your own home, on your own time, there is no pressure to be at your lessons at a scheduled time. This aspect alone can make online piano lessons very appealing.

When you learn online, you can also eliminate the need to find a qualified piano teacher in the area where you live. Testimonials from a number of other people should indicate satisfaction with the website you choose to sign up with. You want to be able to rely on lesson plans that are going to take you from an inexperienced piano player to one that is confident enough to play for friends and family when they come over.

You’ll be excited about the progress you make when you take online piano lessons. You will learn to listen to music and play songs back on your own piano. Friends will be surprised to learn that you take your lessons online. One introductory online piano lesson is all it takes to convince you that online learning is the only way to go.

Types of pianos
Before the ins and outs are gotten into consider the two types of pianos offered for sale. No electronic pianos here, just the real deal. There is the Grand piano and the up-right piano. Within each of these two types there are several sizes of piano. For the Grand piano type, the intermediary sizes include: parlor, baby, medium, semi-concert and concert. Each is generally distinguished by its length. Within the up-right piano category there are: spinet, consol, studio and professional.

Cars and food shopping
This comparison, when translated too shopping for a piano, is not all that far off the mark. If you consider shopping for a car, certain companies make a generally superior car, but certain models just don’t make it or brake down quite a bit. In other instances, a food company may sell its premium products for more, but changes just the tiniest of things and sells it under a store brand name. Most people would indicate that the German automobile manufacturers make a superior car, but where do they get some of their less critical parts? In each of these examples the same comparison could be made to pianos. The company may be in America or Germany, but is the company German owned and are the insides of the piano made by that company? Perhaps they are using a cheaper parts manufacturer from someplace where piano manufacturing is thought of as a pipe dream? All valid issues when choosing a piano, and good reasons to have you Registered Piano Technician along for an inspection, just like your car mechanic.

Who’s good and who’s not
Following the car analogy, good piano makers come in and out of favor over time. Volkswagen was hot when it came out, went out of favor and is back again. Thinking about pianos, Germany is generally hot for pianos although you’ll need to make sure who owns the company at the moment. The United States is generally good but in some cases they have been influenced by Asian companies outsourcing to them for cheaper parts (yes, you read correctly.) Japan and Korea were on the outs but they have slowly improved their quality through buying other non-Asian piano companies. The real important country to stay away from, at the moment, is any piano made in China.

Who, what, where and when
Chinas’ poor reputation raises perhaps the most important aspect of this writing. There is a number on every piano. With this number your Registered Piano Technician can tell you everything you will need to know about that particular piano. Where it was made, who owns the company, when the company changed hands and where the actions were manufactured. The number is sort of like a VIN number for a car.

25,000 pianos and counting
Some have suggested that over the last two centuries there have been well over 25,000 brands of pianos. That is brands and not models, brands. With this in mind it is rather difficult to give a solid representation of what to look for when you are searching for that one piano based on brand. Not wanting to return to the car analogy, but, if you sit in the right car you just now that that car is the right one for you. A piano is pretty much the same idea. When you play it you just feel that the sound and action just works right for your fingers and ears. Remember that you are the one that will be hearing the piano the most. You are the one that needs to like its sounds.

A few word description on a few pianos
Baldwin-a good piano, Bechstien-high end, Boston –very good, Charles Walters –high quality, Knabe –medium quality, Kranich & Bach –current model not so good, Steinway – a good piano but sounds to taste, Yamaha – wonderful, Wurlitzer – not so ok. Thanks to marbeth.

Buying the piano
The real thing about buying a piano is to play it and enjoy the sound. Have it checked out buy somebody that really knows their stuff. You are buying the piano for yourself and not as an investment. Pianos hold little value except to the owner/player.

Once you know the basic piano chord chart, you will be ready to play all types of music by ear or by reading sheet music. No matter the style of music that appeals to you, playing piano can be a successful adventure when you know your chords. Start with something simple that catches your ear and learn how to play it confidently. Then work your way up to more complex pieces of music until you have a small selection of music to play for your family and friends.

If you are looking for piano sheet music to play at home, there are a variety of places you can find sheet music and many different styles of sheet music to play. If you are interested in playing rock music, you can even find piano music for this genre. Of course classical is the most common type of sheet music available, and you can find hundreds of options for the piano. Sheet music is available online and in music stores.

When you have mastered your piano chord chart, you can tackle any piece of music easily and confidently. Knowing how to play the most common chords from the chart will give you the right tools to be ready to attempt all levels of music.

The holidays are also a great time to play music, whether it be for family gatherings or parties. Knowing the right chords and mastering your piano chord chart means you will have the ability to play any traditional song, hymn, or tune upon request. Once you’ve polished up your knowledge of chords and scales, you can play anything by ear with just a little practice beforehand.

At Hear and Play, we offer a wide variety of piano tools including a piano chord chart that will help you master everything you need to know in order to become a successful pianist. Our programs focus on giving you the ability to play music by ear based on the chord charts and musical themes that are universal to all songs. Contact us today at http://www.hearandplay.com/ to learn more.

Why do I need to hire a professional piano mover?

Many of you may be wondering why you would need to hire a professional piano moving company to move your piano, rather than using the household mover who is moving the rest of the contents of your house. The main reason for hiring a professional piano mover is that many household movers do not have adequate training or equipment to properly move a piano.

The average upright piano weighs between 400 and 900 pounds. Grand pianos can weigh between 650 and 1300 pounds. The value of a piano can vary from a few hundred dollars to 500,000 dollars depending on the make, model, age and condition of the piano. The majority of piano moves involve moving the instrument through a tight space such as a small door frame or staircase. In some cases, the piano may need to be dismantled in order to get it out of your house. Using and experienced professional piano mover will drastically minimize the risk of damage to the instrument and to your home.

As a piano mover, I have come across many cases where a customer has hired a household piano mover to move their piano and has had to make an emergency call to us because the household mover could not get the piano out of his or her house. In other cases, I have received calls from customers who had hired a non-reliable piano mover because their price was much lower, and had to book an emergency move with us, because that piano mover did not show up to move their piano or call to explain why they were not there.

How are pianos moved?

When you hire a professional piano mover, you can expect 2-3 people to come to your home equipped with piano skids, moving pads, ramps, slings, and the knowledge of how to move your piano safely. They will use special techniques to maneuver the piano out of your house. When the piano is put on the truck, it will be safely secured to the vehicle in order to avoid damage during transport. In the most difficult moves, 4-6 people may be used. Generally when a piano is moved by someone other than a professional piano mover, this equipment, knowledge and these safety precautions are not employed. While hiring a professional piano mover does not completely eliminate the risk of damage, it will drastically reduce this risk. Furthermore, a good piano mover will assess the situation and inform you if there is a chance of damage before he or she begins the move, and will give you the option of proceeding or not.

Are all professional piano movers equal?

Unfortunately, as in any trade, each piano moving company varies in their level of quality and experience. Some piano movers are better equipped and more prepared than others and act with more care and integrity than others. The best way to find a good piano mover is to call around to your local piano stores, piano technicians and piano teachers to find out which company they use. Piano stores in particular have a high stake in ensuring that they use reliable, high quality piano movers who have the least risk of damaging their instruments and are properly insured in the event that the unforeseen does happen.

Are all piano movers similarly insured?

Sadly, the answer to this question is no.
There are 3 types of insurance to consider when hiring a piano mover:
1. Commercial/automotive insurance: Is the company insured against damage to property and or vehicles?
2. Cartage/content insurance: Is the company insured against damage to the piano?
3. Workman’s Safety Insurance: Is the company insuring its workers against injury?
Some piano moving companies are insured for 1 or 2 of these types of insurance, but not all 3. It is the buyer’s responsibility to make sure that he/she is properly insured, not the moving company. It is a good idea to ask about these 3 types of insurance when you are phoning piano moving companies, and also to ask what amount of insurance your piano will be covered for. A properly insured moving company should provide you with a Bill of lading, which is a legal document stating what is being moved, the names of all parties involved in the move, where the piano is being moved from and to, and the full declared insured value of the instrument. The Bill of lading should also include the moving company’s terms of cartage. As a legal document, a proper bill of lading helps to ensure that the piano mover will repair any damages that were incurred during the move (unless a damage waiver was signed). It is also important to note that any damage caused to your piano or your property must be noted on the bill of lading to ensure that you have proper recourse if any action is needed.

Why is worker injury important to me?

You may be wondering why it is important that you ensure that the piano mover you hire has Workman’s Safety Insurance. When you contract a moving company, they are considered your employee for the time that they are working for you. If you hire a moving company that is not covered for Workman’s Safety Insurance, you are accepting full liability for any employees who are injured while working for you. Your liability will extend to medical bills, lost wages and possibly civil law suits. A company who is covered for Workman’s Safety Insurance will take care of most of these problems for you. Some companies do not pay their required insurance premiums and are therefore not covered for all injury insurance claims. You may ask the company that you are hiring to provide you with an up-to-date workman’s safety insurance clearance certificate, in order to ensure that you are properly covered. To be absolutely sure that the moving company’s coverage is up to date, you can contact your local Workman’s Compensation or Workman’s Safety Insurance board to check on the company’s status.

Does moving the piano affect the sound of my piano?

The actual move of the piano does not affect the sound or tuning of a piano. Generally piano tuning is affected by changes in temperature and humidity which cause the wooden and steel parts of your piano to expand and contract. You will probably need to tune your piano a few weeks after moving it, after it acclimatizes to its new location. Other factors that may affect the sound of your piano are the size and acoustics of the room in which the piano is located. Carpet absorbs sound, while hardwood reflects it. Sound reinforces in small spaces, seeming louder, while in large spaces the sound gets lost, seeming quieter.

How much does it cost to move a piano?

Piano moving is generally billed in one of two ways:
1. The household mover way – hourly rate, with a minimum number of hours (usually min. = 3 hours)
2. The professional piano mover way – flat rate based on the following factors:
a. Type (upright, grand) and size of piano
b. Distance being moved
c. Difficulty level due to stairs, grass pulls, tight turns etc.
d. Time restraints place on the move
e. Waiting time that might be incurred.
The advantage of a flat rate system is that, barring any unforeseen events, you be able to get an accurate idea of what the move will cost you before the movers arrive at your house and it is often less expensive than the hourly rate.

How much notice do I need to give the Piano Mover?

The amount of notice needed will depend on when and where you need the piano to be moved. Most piano movers book their deliveries on a first come, first served basis. If it is a high traffic time of year, you may need up to one month’s notice. In a lower traffic time of year, you may only need one or two day’ notice. Generally, if you need your piano moved on a specific day, you should book the delivery well in advance to make sure it’s available to you.

Below are listed some recommended questions to ask when you are looking to hire a piano mover:

1. How long have you been moving pianos?
2. Do you have any references?
3. Do you have full-time, trained staff moving pianos for you?
4. How do you charge for moving, and what are your rates?
5. What days of the week do you move pianos, and what is your availability?
6. Are you covered for Commercial/automotive insurance, Cartage/content insurance, and workman’s safety insurance?
7. Will you provide me with a copy of your workman’s safety insurance clearance certificate?
8. What amount will my piano be insured for during the move? What does this insurance cover?
9. What are your terms of cartage? Will you provide me with a copy?
10. Will I be provided will a bill of lading when my piano is moved?

Listed below is the information that you should have prepared when you book your piano move:

1. What type of piano is it that you require to be moved? (Upright or Grand Piano)
2. What size of piano is it? (upright pianos are measured by height [floor to lid] and grand pianos are measured by longest length [keyboard to curve in bow end])
3. Where is it being picked up from? (Have full address including postal or zip code)
4. Where is it being delivered to? (Have full address including postal or zip code)
5. Are there any stairs that the piano needs to go up or down (inside and outside)? If so, how many? Are they straight, spiraled or curved? Based on what you tell the piano mover, he/she will tell you how many people they believe it will accomplish your move. Missing important details or difficulties, or miss-estimating your move based on the information you have provided could mean that your piano move might not happen that day, and could incur you more charges.
6. When are you looking to have the piano moved?
7. Are there any time restraints involved? (As time-restraints tend to hamper the efficiency of the mover’s day, placing a time-restraint on the mover could more than double your cost.)
8. Inform the piano mover of any problems that you can foresee ahead of time.

The more information you can provide the piano mover, the more accurate your quote will be. If you are vague and provide few details, do not be surprised if you incur extra charges for your move. A good, reputable piano mover will make the process as painless as possible for you and usually be the highlight and most stress-free part of your whole moving process. They key is ensuring that the mover meets all of your requirements and providing them with the information they need to help you properly.

Two of the most remarkable pianos ever built are the nine foot Steinway and the nine-and-a-half foot Bosendorfer. The Bosendorfer is more of a conversation piece because of its additional low notes, used for extra resonance when playing the sustain pedal. Both brands are of the highest quality, and produce a sound and key action second to none.

There are so many quality brands these days that deserve honorable mention. Heintzman pianos are generally gems and Yamaha are producing wonderful instruments. I could go on, but I’d rather talk about lousy pianos. It’s more fun.

Terrifying pianos are just another name for poorly maintained pianos. Although these types of pianos can be found virtually anywhere, occasionally they are found in schools and in retirement homes. What a shame!

A bad piano in a school supplies students with a lesser music education. Musical demonstrations by an instructor are out of tune and private piano tutoring is a disastrous effort on such instruments.

Retirement homes with bad pianos are truly a tragic circumstance. Just because residents in a home are retired, doesn’t mean that the poor piano has to retire from a life of tuning and maintenance. Yours truly encountered one such piano in a retirement home in Baltimore, Maryland. The year was 1988, and it was the year that I came closest to breaking a finger. While playing a Chopin study (opus. 10 no. 8), my right hand third finger actually got stuck in between two black notes!

Ouch! One of the black keys was too close to the adjacent black key, either through poor construction or through some sort or warping process over time (probably the latter). The otherwise happy Chopin Etude must have had a painful emotional feel to it from about the midway point of the composition until its conclusion. Thankfully, this was the last piece on the program. Suffice to say, there were no encores.

Here’s another gem of a piano. When first arriving at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, I was invited to a house of a friend. After dinner, I was asked by our charming host to perform on their piano for the three couples that were also invited to dinner. On this occasion, I decided to play the Chopin Barcarolle. To my great surprise, the piano was out of tune by more than a semitone. To a composer with perfect pitch, this is a death sentence.

Before going on, no implication was intended in labeling Baltimore and the surrounding areas with an infestation of bad pianos. Two bad pianos in one state is nothing more than an unfortunate coincidence.

From the above past experiences, it can be concluded that badly maintained pianos can most definitely have a negative impact on performers. However, can the quality of a piano actually improve ones output? After all, it can be argued that music comes from within and that true emotion will not be subdued, regardless of the instrument that one is composing or performing on.

In the practical world, good equipment is always an asset. If a piano delivers a quality, singing tone, it becomes addictive to play. That, alone, is an extremely positive consideration. Any composer or performer that has incentive to remain at their instrument for greater lengths of time is bound to produce positive results.

Another point to consider is that a singing tone makes ones soul sing. Any performer or composer that is brought to a state of singing is in a very positive creative place.

As a final thought, a well maintained piano makes for a happy performer, composer and piano. The better the instrument is, the better the chance of a successful emergence of profoundly moving performances and compositions from performers and composers respectively.

However, about a third of parents do too much and try to take over responsibility for their child’s progress, which hinders their child’s ability to develop positive learning skills on their own. To help their children learn and accomplish their goals, parents need to focus on the process and content of the learning rather than the final product.What the young student doesn’t understand is the piano learning process.

Private lessons have good and bad connotation associated with them, sometimes children create a dependence on the teacher and it is hard for children to overcome this and children are not encouraged to develop their own independence when it comes to learning the necessary skills, on the other hand having the one on one teaching is very beneficial to the child because more can get accomplished in a shorter period of time. Plus, there is no point in having your child spend 30 minutes practicing incorrectly without learning their pieces when the material can be mastered in 10 minutes with good practice habits.

Because parents are in charge of their children’s schedule and curriculum, home school students can set their own pace and spend more time on music than in the public or private schools. Music is even more fun when you can share it with others. Young children have the ability to learn music theory and are able to learn concepts on the keyboard as the children grow and develop their musical ear.

If your children know their alphabet and how to identify numbers and count, they’re old enough to start learning music theory. With the rise of the internet more adults have learned that taking piano lesson does not have be taught in classrooms or studios it can be taught over the internet, this helps with today’s busy schedules and adults do not have to be locked into a schedule.

Well, you might find this hard to believe, but encouraging your child taking piano lessons to practice doesn’t have to be a struggle. They do want to be sure, however, that their young child is old enough to benefit from formal musical training.

One of the choices that parents have when their child is beginning piano lessons is whether to enroll their son or daughter in a private or group lesson.

Over time this will make sitting down at the piano to practice feel more natural to your young child or your older beginner and make learning easier. Establish a routine practice time.

Set meaningful goals that will last, focus on the “What” and the “Why. Writing down the goals and dreams that first motivated you to give your child the gift of piano lessons provides a reminder that will keep your energy focused over the long term.

The first thing to think about is the size of the piano. For example, think about whether you have space to fit in a sprawling grand, or whether you should be looking at upright models. Obviously there are expensive and less expensive in both categories, but it is crucial firstly to understand your requirements to refine your search.

After you’ve decided between upright and grand classifications according to your space, you should begin to look at the models themselves. You should ideally opt for a piano with a full sized keyboard, so disregard anything of a small size unless this seems more appropriate for some other reason. Next, look for a piano that is towards the top end of your budget. This will give you some assurances as to the expected quality of the piano, and should allow you to gauge which seem more reliable models.

Next, you should pull up a chair and have a play. Ask the music dealer if he’d allow you to play. This should let you get a feel for the way the piano sits, and to see how it feels in comparison to your playing style. There is no more important feature to consider when buying a piano than how it feels for you. After all, you’re the one going to be playing it at the end of the day.

If you are at all in doubt about exactly what you’re looking for, you should consider asking advice from the assistant. Usually, their advice will be sufficient to point you in the right direction and lead you to a quality model. Obviously, don’t feel pressured into buying, but take on board anything the assistant says. Shop around, and ask at various places about what kind of piano you should be looking for in your price range and specification, and you’ll eventually establish a common denominator. Do your homework before you buy, to make sure you find the best value for your money.

Another experiment was done later on by researchers at Appalachian State University and the researchers were successful as well in connecting music to boosting “brain power”.
They gave preschool children (ages 3-4 yrs. old) training for 8 months. Children were divided into 4 groups: Keyboard lessons, Singing lessons, Computer lessons and No lessons. After 8 months of this treatment, the children were tested on their ability to put together puzzles (spatial-temporal reasoning) and to recognize shapes (spatial-recognition reasoning) and the results were astounding! They found that only those children who had taken the keyboard lessons had improvement in the spatial-temporal test. (The children did not, however show any change with the spatial-recognition.)

Another interesting observation I’ve made is the connection between the Medical profession and the Music profession – a large majority of M.D.’s are Classically trained musicians! I’ve encountered many and have asked them all the same question – how do you make the connection between the medical and the musical – and the response I’ve had is that they are both very intricate and require a rare focus and mathematical mindset in many different directions at once. It’s achieved by many years of training in either and/or both fields, which by the same token – enhance each other. So to them – the similarity in brain function and focus is evident and invaluable to both the medical and the musical. It will be interesting to see the results of further study in that matter. Currently, there is no conclusive proof scientifically of the connection between Medical and Musical.

Now – for the 5 Tips for Piano Lessons!

1) Interest:
Assess the interest of your child. Is this something they really like – or is it your dream? The child should show genuine interest in music and a keyboard in order for their learning experience to be a pleasant and successful one. If they are not interested – ask yourself why you even pursued it? Is it because you have an inner desire for it? It’s NEVER too late to begin! Sign yourself up for Piano lessons if that’s the case. I’ve have students of every age – some played when they were kids then quit. As they got older, regretted quitting and vowed to one day pick it up again. Then there are others who always had the desire but not the opportunity and now find themselves retired with plenty of time on their hands. They’ve actually become Piano virtuosos! I give you these lovely examples to give you hope and a nudge – psssst! It’s never too late! The student must be genuinely interested.
2) Instrument:
It’s fine to begin Piano lessons on an electronic keyboard. As time goes on, the student will know in which direction they’d like to take the Piano lessons. If it’s just for personal enjoyment, it’s fine to stay with a keyboard.
If it’s for classical Piano training – then the student should be switched over to an acoustic Piano. In my experience as a Piano teacher, I’ve realized that a Spinet Piano (the ones that have a low back) unless it is given as a gift, should not be purchased. It would be preferable to purchase an “Upright” which is a Baby Grand Piano, but instead of the strings being vertical they’re horizontal. The reason being, that the action on the keys is much better technically for the student’s hand, and it sound substantially better to the ear.
3) Teacher:
Ask around and get feedback from others about their teachers. Find out the teacher’s background. Where did they get the education from, how long have they been teaching, where do they teach from, what are the surroundings like? Ask current students how patient the teacher is and how do they feel during the lesson. You should get a pretty good idea about the teacher by how current students are progressing. Does the teacher’s personality blend with your child’s. Remember, this is a choice! In school the children have to adapt to the teacher that has been assigned to them, and that’s a good thing. They learn to get along with different types of personalities, but Piano is an extra-curricular activity and should be a pleasant one that they look forward to.
4) Schedule:
Children can be easily overwhelmed by too much in their schedule. As adults – we’ve experienced overload for ourselves and it’s SO counterproductive! It’s highly advisable to limit activities in order for the kids not to be pulled in too many directions.
Once activities have been chosen, I’ve found with my own kids and students that by writing down a daily schedule, everything gets done and there are no excuses for forgetting to practice.
5) Dedication:
Once a schedule is in place, practicing piano will become part of daily routine. After a while, the student won’t be so “worried” about time, but will want to achieve goals set by the teacher. The student will need dedication in order for the craft to go from mechanical to musical. Encourage them to listen to a wide range of styles and genre’s in order for them to develop their own taste for music. At an early stage, dedication can be ingrained in a student by participating in Recitals, Talent Shows and Worship Services. It takes diligence and dedication – also sacrifices to make piano a beautiful craft.

“Who can play at this time of day?”

“Of course that wasn’t good. You try playing when someone in your audience has a whistling nose.”

“I just started his piece last week. What do you expect, Liberachi?”

“Okay, so you try playing it. It’s difficult, man!”

Although there may be truth peppered in these thoughts, the last thing that a pianist wants to do is to get into the habit of jumping into an excuse. It is unprofessional and, although beginners are by no means professionals, they must aspire towards the habit of behaving professionally for a smoother road in the future.

Almost worse than the ‘excuse for poor playing’ statements, are excuses given when a performance is actually good. Not being able to take a compliment is one of the worst habits that you can acquire. Here’s why.

If an audience member throws a compliment your way, they may actually be sincere, rather than just attempting to be nice. If you deny them their opinion, then you lesson yourself and them. Here’s an example.

Audience member: “That was so great. I loved your playing.”

Here are three atrocious responses:

“Oh, come on. I stunk! I can’t believe anyone really liked that garbage performance.”

“Ya, but did you hear all of those mistakes that I made? I’m so embarrassed.”

“You’re just saying that to be nice. You don’t have to be nice, you know. Just tell me the truth for a change. My playing was terrible.”

In the first response, you’ve destroyed your audience member’s credibility. If they really liked your performance, then they’ve just told that person that their opinion is uninformed and blatantly incorrect.

In the second response, you’ve just told an unsuspecting admirer that you made a lot of mistakes. Perhaps they really didn’t hear or focus on that aspect of your playing. You’ve now downgraded your performance. Your admirer may possibly be convinced that you did not play that well, after all.

The third response is downright offensive. Just because you’ve hit rock bottom in an emotional roller-coaster ride, doesn’t mean that you have to take a passenger along with you on that ride.

So how can you rid yourself of excuses, and ineffective and unprofessional responses? That’s easy. Practice stating the correct responses. For example, if someone asks you to play the piano and you don’t play well, then try:

1. smiling at the end of the performance,

2. taking a bow even if you don’t feel like it,

3. saying “there you go” or “thanks for letting me play for you”.

Of course, if you played poorly to the point that you couldn’t even get through the intended piece, then you can most certainly have a sense of humor about the situation without putting yourself down excessively. “Oops” or “Okay, I guess I need a bit more practice” are acceptable. However, the better solution would have been not to have played in the first place. Play only if you are very prepared mentally, physically and emotionally.