17 July 2021 Want To Extend The Life Of Your Piano? Do These 3 Things

Want To Extend The Life Of Your Piano? Do These 3 Things

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If you’re a piano player, your piano is more than an instrument. It’s more than a piece of furniture sitting in your home. It’s a friend – one you take care of so it plays well every time you sit down at it. 

Have you ever walked into a home where the homeowners didn’t have the same belief? There are piles of paper on the edge. There are watermarks from drinks and glasses. You could draw a picture in the amount of dust accumulating. 

A piano requires regular maintenance to keep it in good working condition. While a technician can handle tuning, voicing, and other repair work, there are a few things you can do to keep your piano playable. 

No drinks … Ever

Let’s get the most obvious out of the way. If you’re going to practice for any length of time, having water nearby might be beneficial. Place a table nearby. Use a water bottle and set it on the floor. But never place a glass anywhere on the finish of your piano, especially near the keys. 

If liquid seeps in between the keys, it can quickly settle into the internal workings of the piano, and it may cause extensive damage. This can be a costly mistake. It can cause wood to warp. It can even allow mold or mildew to grow, depending on the amount of liquid spilled. Your best bet is to schedule an appointment with a technician as soon as possible and let them handle clean up. 

Pay attention to placement 

Wouldn’t your piano look perfect by the big plate glass windows, with a view that goes on forever just outside? 

While it sounds beautiful. It might not be the best choice for placement. It depends on the environment. Pianos don’t do well in a climate that changes regularly. Will it experience direct sunlight? Is it near drafts or breezes that could change the temperature quickly? 

Pianos enjoy a place inside your home with constant temperatures, and regulated humidity levels. Forty percent humidity is an ideal indoor climate. And be sure to place your piano away from vents and registers where it can receive a blast of conditioned air. Calm is better. 

What the keylid is for

If you’re not playing, keep the keylid shut. It makes sense and can be good advice … sometimes. 

In most cases, the keylid can protect dust and other particles from settling between the keys. It can prevent action issues and keep your piano playable for many years. 

However, it’s never a good idea to keep the keylid closed indefinitely. Keys need proper light and air circulation to stay in good working condition. If you leave the keylid closed for an extended period of time, it can encourage mold growth inside the piano, especially if it’s in a dark or humid room. 

Keep your piano healthy

The more you play your piano, the easier it will be to recognize potential problems. 

If you have any questions about its playability, give us a call. From a simple tuning to an extensive renovation, we have experience with all levels of piano care, and can help you make the right choice to suit your needs. 

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14 July 2021 Before You Buy – The Real Differences Between a Keyboard and a Piano

Before You Buy – The Real Differences Between a Keyboard and a Piano

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Thinking of buying a piano to learn to play? 

With just a few searches, you might already be stumped at what equipment to buy. Should you purchase an acoustic piano? What about a keyboard? Or a digital piano? What’s the difference? Where should you begin?

As a piano dealer, this is one of the most common questions we receive. 

It’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when you start looking at prices. You can easily find a keyboard at your local big box store for very little money. And acoustic pianos – they’re giving them away on Craigslist. 

What’s the difference? And what should you choose? 

One of the most obvious differences is size. Acoustic pianos take up space inside your home. Keyboards are small, portable, and can be tucked away when not in use. That can be a big bonus for a family without a lot of space. But that’s also where a lot of people go wrong. 

Keyboards aren’t necessarily equal to pianos. They can be smaller in size, which equates to fewer keys. A full size piano has 88 keys. A beginner might not use them all, but with practice and growth, you’ll quickly stretch and need a fuller range. Keyboards may typically be 61 to 76 keys, and often aren’t weighted like a piano’s keys. That means the skills aren’t transferable. When you learn on a keyboard, it’ll seem like a new instrument when you move to an acoustic piano. Your fingers simply won’t know what to do. 

Pianos also have more voice and depth in the way they play. Imagine wanting to play a familiar tune, yet it sounds tinny, off somehow. People rarely choose to play when they can’t get the sound they’re looking for. That comes from a high quality instrument. 

Keyboards also come with their own way of playing. They may teach you to play chords with the left hand, using the electronics to keep the beat, Use a button to change the tempo, create a beat, and have the keys do the work. 

Also, keep in mind there is a difference between a keyboard and a digital piano. A digital piano offers you everything an acoustic piano does, while a keyboard focuses more on making music at the touch of a button.

To be an accomplished musician, and to truly understand the art of creating music with a piano, it’s important to start with the right tool. 

We can help educate you on understanding today’s pianos, and help you make the right choice for your needs. 

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10 July 2021 What’s That Smell? Can You Remove Odor From A Piano?

What’s That Smell? Can You Remove Odor From A Piano?

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You’ve just picked up a piano from a loved one. This piano has been in your family for generations. Now it’s your turn.

But when you bring it into your home, you instantly notice a smell. And all roads lead back to the piano. 

It’s musty. It smells bad. Is that even lingering cigarette odor? 

That’s the last thing you want inside your home. But what can you do? Can you remove odor from a piano? Will that damage the piano? 

Think of your piano as a cabinet housing the parts that create sound. It would be like closing the closet doors, hiding what’s inside. As you open it up, odor can be released. 

Is this a job you should tackle yourself?

The outside

Because the outside is similar to your furniture, there are ways you can clean it if the odor is coming from the wood. A white vinegar solution can effectively kill mildew and the odors that come from it. With a solution of one part vinegar and ten parts water, you can lightly wipe down every inch of the cabinet, being conscious not to get any part too wet. Lingering water and wood never mix. You can repeat if the odor is still noticeable. 

The inside

The inside of your piano is made up of over 12,000 individual parts. If any one of them is damaged, it can have a serious impact on the instrument’s functionality. This isn’t a job you should take on yourself. 

Still, you can look inside and see if there is a reason for the musty smell. You may find evidence of rodents or other small critters taking up residence inside. You may find old debris. If possible, you can remove it – just be aware that any disturbance of the mechanics of the piano are bound to have an impact. 

This can also be an indication that piano maintenance has been neglected. Without proper tuning regularly, the strings may not be in proper placement, may become rigid, and break. 

Renovation

This may be the time to consider renovating your piano. If it’s a family heirloom, your best course of action may be to meet with one of our professionals. We can evaluate the condition of your piano, and give you a better idea of the work involved to bring it back to playing condition. 

Have a problem with your piano? Give us a call today. 

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7 July 2021 The Most Important Things To Learn as a Beginning Piano Player

The Most Important Things To Learn as a Beginning Piano Player

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Whether you’re learning piano as an adult, or you’re helping your child become a better piano player, one of the first questions asked is: What are the most important things I can learn as a beginning to help me as I improve my talent?

Sitting down and touching the keys can produce sound. But to truly master the piano and be good at it, it takes practice and work. But even that should be a bit methodical. People have excelled before you; what are the best traits to have as you move forward? 

Many pianists agree, if you want to play the piano for a lifetime, there are a few things you should do from the beginning. 

Slow down

When you first start to play, it’s easy to rush through and have the desire to learn an entire song at the beginning. How else can you check off results if you don’t complete a task – and learning a song is certainly a good way to do just that. 

Yet speed can also be an enemy to learning more. If you pick up bad habits in the beginning, you’ll carry them through to all you do. Don’t expect to be “the best” right away. Slow down, take your time, and learn how to play. 

Count out loud

Rhythm is one of the most important things to learn as a beginner. Pay attention to the way music is written. Clap out the tempo. Count out the measures and use a metronome as necessary. This can allow you to really understand how a piece was written, and play it to hear more drama within the song. 

Hands separately

It takes a lot of coordination to get both hands working together, your eyes to read along and convert the notes into the way your fingers play. Don’t get frustrated if that doesn’t happen right away. 

Instead, learn both hands separately before you put them together. Practice to ensure you understand the rhythm and the way the composer puts the music together. Then slowly, build up to putting the two together. This will increase your ability to read music and understand the nuances of transferring that knowledge to your fingers. 

Find a teacher

The good news is there are many ways to learn the piano in today’s world. Try group classes online. Learn in person with a teacher in your local community. Use an app to find a teacher who meshes with your way of learning – they can be anywhere in the world. 

Don’t be afraid to use different teachers for different things. One teacher rarely will carry you through for years. Learn what you can, and take recommendations to move forward, gaining more talent from other teachers. 

What do you find to be the hardest thing about learning as a beginning piano player? 

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3 July 2021 You Don’t Have To Read Music To Play The Piano

You Don’t Have To Read Music To Play The Piano

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I remember as a young child, watching my grandmother sit down at the piano and playing beautiful music. She carefully tapped out a few notes, found the right placement for her fingers, and played away. She never took lessons, never learned to read music, but she could play!

It wasn’t magic. It wasn’t a trick. She wasn’t a musical prodigy. In fact, most of us have the ability, it’s just left untapped. 

Why? 

Because we have an innate ability to understand music. It’s a part of us, and we don’t need to take years of lessons to play the piano for fun. 

Reading sheet music can help you become better at the craft of playing the piano. But to play your favorite songs? It requires listening and finding the right notes. 

It starts with paying attention to music. Make sure you use a high quality recording of whatever song you wish to play. Play it through a high quality system, great speakers, or headphones. Make sure you can hear all of the notes clearly, and can differentiate between the different tones. High quality recordings allow you to pick up on all the crucial notest that can make the difference in the way you play the song. 

The biggest part of being able to play by ear is not to rush the process. You can’t hum a new song and expect to play it perfectly the first time you sit down at the piano. 

Start by learning the music in small segments. Pick out five to ten seconds of a song, and convert that over to piano playing. Learn one part first, play it with one hand, and then try and pick up the other. You can do this over and over again as you make the sound more complex. 

If you master thirty seconds or so at a time, take a break. Come back another day and internalize what you’ve just learned. This helps you fully recognize the ability to play, and creates the pathways necessary to keep playing at this level. 

Then repeat. You can do this until you have your favorite song mastered, and can play it anytime you sit down at the piano. 

Of course, you can continue to do this with your favorite music. But if you prefer to take your piano playing to the next level, learning to read music will only improve what you know. 

But for now, it’s a great way to learn your favorite songs, and be able to play them whenever you desire. 

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28 June 2021 When Your Left Hand Doesn’t Keep Up With The Right While Playing the Piano

When Your Left Hand Doesn’t Keep Up With The Right While Playing the Piano

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It’s been close to two centuries that scientists have studied “handedness.” Yet even with all of these studies, they still aren’t quite sure why people give preferential treatment to one hand over the other. Anywhere from 70 to 95 percent of humans are right hand dominant. That leaves the vast majority of left hand dominance or ambidextrous to live in a predominantly right handed world. 

When your right hand is the leader, you automatically do things by reaching out and taking action with your right hand. If you’ve sat down at a piano and put both hands on the keyboard, it can feel like a foreign act. How do you make both hands work together, yet separately? 

It’s not your fingers or hands you have to retrain. It starts in your brain. 

When composers write music, by default, they are right handed too. They realize people can get more detailed with their right hand, so they put more of the intricate details into the right handed positions. You’ll find the right hand may play elaborate passages, while the left hand is more responsible for the harmonic undertones. 

That’s also why you’ll find higher pitches a part of more melodies and songs. Because compositions can be created and reached easier with the right, you’ll have accompaniments being written and played in higher ranges. 

When you first pick up a piece of music, you might find it easier to play the parts separately. Practice the left hand first. Learn the chord progressions. Figure out the structure. Put the notes into play, letting your fingers find the way.

Then practice your right hand. Find the way the notes move together. Pick up the rhythm and find your natural progressions. Hear the melody in action. 

Only when you’re comfortable with both can you put the two together. 

Eventually, this will become easier. You’ll be able to put the two together from the beginning, and hear the way the two play together to create beautiful music together. 

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24 June 2021 Easy Tips For Teaching Piano From Your Home

Easy Tips For Teaching Piano From Your Home

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Many of the top businesses in the world started from a kitchen table at home. 

If you’ve been dreaming of teaching piano, why not make your dream come true, right from the privacy of your own home? Whether you wish to grow it into one of the top notch music studios in your community, or want to keep it small and make a part time living with your instruction, anything is possible if you put your mind to it. 

Start with the dream. Write it down on paper. Think big … or keep it small. Project out a year, two years, even five years down the road. Where do you see yourself? Because part of success starts with knowing where your ending point is, and backing up to put the pieces together to make your dreams come true. 

Then get started by teaching piano from your home. Discover what you enjoy, what clients you’re good with, and what works for you. Use this to grow as you move forward. 

And use these tips to make the process a little easier. 

Set up a professional studio inside your home

Even if you’re teaching from home, you still are a business. People come expecting a high quality service. Make sure you have a neat and tidy workstation for every student who comes into your home. The right first impression sets the stage for expectations from every student you have. It should be a quiet place where you both can concentrate without interruption. 

Ensure you have the right equipment

If you’re teaching piano, it goes without saying that you’ll need a high quality piano that sounds great to the ear. Besides that, you’ll need a good computer or tablet, a fast internet connection that can stream videos and other teaching tools. You’ll need music stands, music, and other specific instruments depending on how you’ll teach. You’ll also need the appropriate system to invoice your clients, and produce content you’ll be sharing with your customers.

Create realistic payment terms

The reason most home businesses stay at home is they never think like a business. Creating a healthy business means getting paid for the work you do. You can start by looking at how other instructional studios make money, then use that as your guide. Asking students to pay in blocks of five, ten, or even twenty lessons at a time is an easy way to get your students to commit to longer terms, You can also offer different options and plans – how about both individual and group lessons? Be sure to review these and make changes as necessary at least once per year. 

Create a cancellation policy

If a student has already purchased a plan, and started working their way through the classes, expecting a full refund shouldn’t be a part of the procedure. You’ll have an easier time enforcing the rules if you create a cancellation policy first, and hand it out in your original member’s terms welcome packet. This way you both understand how the process works in every situation. 

Promotion

If you want to grow your business, you’ll have to market it to bring in new customers. That means you’ll need a solid marketing plan in place. Marketing is something every business works at for the life of the business – it’s always necessary to be bringing in new customers to replace the ones that move away. Create time in your calendar each week to perform the necessary steps to keep a steady flow of customers coming through your door. 

What other tips have you learned as you’re creating your own piano teaching business at home? 

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21 June 2021 What Not To Do When Practicing The Piano

What Not To Do When Practicing The Piano

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Have you decided to give your child the gift of music? Are you looking for a piano to bring into your home for your child to learn on? 

Congratulations! Playing the piano is a rewarding hobby that can enrich your life from 1 to 101. 

Yet playing the piano isn’t something that happens overnight. It requires a lot of practice to develop the skills necessary to play the songs you love. Yet that’s the fun of it all. 

Practicing the piano can be a rewarding experience every time you sit down at the piano … if you plan correctly. 

Have the right tools for the job

You wouldn’t practice tennis with a fly swatter. You wouldn’t practice your soccer skills barefoot. Yet what a lot of parents don’t consider when selecting their child’s first piano is that a poor quality piano or keyboard has the same effect. 

To create a pleasing sound, you need a piano that is regularly maintained, has a rich, vibrant sound, and plays like a piano should play. Try your skills on a tinny toy piano, and your child will lose interest almost immediately. 

Sit correctly

When it comes to playing the piano, one seat can’t cover everything. You can’t pull up the dining room chair and expect it to provide a proper seat. 

It also depends on the age and height of your child. Someone who is four feet tall will sit differently at the table than one who is six feet tall. If you get a suitable piano bench, it can adjust to provide proper sitting no matter what size. 

Stop labeling the keys

If you look around online, you’ll find sites that allow you to print off labels for the keys. You can place it just above the keyboard, or attach the letters to the keys themselves. 

This may seem like a good idea at first, but it can actually weaken practice skills by looking at the letters rather than learning the actual placement of the notes. It’s common to get mixed up in the beginning. That’s what practice is all about. 

Reaching for music skills that are too hard

Maybe you have a dream song you’ve wanted to play. You have the music and look at it every day. 

But if you attempt to play it before your skills allow you to, you’ll be left with frustration. 

Practice improves your technical skills. You’ll get comfortable with playing the more that you play. 

If you genuinely have the desire to play a particular piece, let your music teacher know. They might be able to find sheet music to match your ability. At the very least, they can keep it in mind as a goal, and give it to you as a reward when they feel you’re ready. 

What tips help you when practicing the piano?

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18 June 2021 How Much Should You Practice The Piano Each Day?

How Much Should You Practice The Piano Each Day?

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If you’ve never had experience playing the piano before, one of your first questions might revolve around practice. How much practice do you need to actually make music? Is it necessary to practice the piano each day to be good at what you do? How much time each day? What does daily practice really mean? 

The first step is to understand that your daily practice isn’t a chore. Instead, it’s a way to do what you love, and improve a little bit each day. You can do this over and over again, reaching new goals, and improving your ability. To enjoy what you do along the way. 

What’s your goal?

If we ask a hundred beginning piano players what their goals are, we’d likely hear a hundred different answers. Playing recreationally is different than wanting to make piano playing a career. And while you might see your desires change the more you play, knowing early on will help you establish a better practice routine. 

A recreational goal might mean you wish to play a specific song, or recreate music from your favorite band. You might use it as a stress reliever, playing in the evenings as a way to calm down after work. 

Higher achieving goals might include pursuing music when you go off to college. You have dreams of playing in a band someday. Or you might want to enter piano contests to continually test your skills. 

The more you play, the more you might find these goals change. But starting out understanding your wishes and desires can give you something to reach for. And that can keep you playing each day. 

What can you do with consistency?

Someone who’s recently retired can easily make more time for their big dreams than someone with a family and a full time job. Be realistic. Can you commit to practicing three nights a week for thirty minutes? 

The key to better playing is to create consistency. If you tell yourself you’ll do it when you have time, you’ll likely push off playing indefinitely. 

It’s also better to establish practice goals for each session rather than assigning time limits. Choose to play a song you love each night. Give yourself a goal of practicing new music a few times each week. You don’t have to learn the entire song in one sitting. Section it off, learn it piece by piece, and put it together when you feel confident about your ability. This can also drive you to reach for bigger goals, so it’s a win/win. 

Practicing the piano isn’t something you should ever dread. Instead, it’s something you should do for you. To make you happy. To relieve stress. To enjoy. 

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14 June 2021 How To Create a Successful Piano Teaching Business

How To Create a Successful Piano Teaching Business

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If you’ve loved playing the piano, you might be thinking of sharing that love with people around you. Opening up a piano teaching business may seem like a lot of fun. You’ll get to be around music all day, and you’ll share your love of the piano with everyone who walks in. 

But creating a successful piano teaching business isn’t just about playing the piano. It will also allow you to grow entrepreneurial skills, and become better at operating a business. 

If that seems scary, take a deep breath and read on. Entrepreneurship has a learning curve just like everything else. It’ll give you a chance to learn something new while being able to do what you love. That’s a win/win. 

Before you begin, you can do a few things that will give you an edge over the competition. It’ll also provide you with strength as a new entrepreneur. 

Start by writing out a plan

If you jump into the business world, you’ll quickly learn that successful piano studios create a business plan to help lead the way. Don’t be intimidated by it. It’s easier than you think, and it doesn’t have to over complicated. Write out why you’re in the business, what you hope to accomplish, and your value is to the community. Start small, and grow your plan as you learn. 

Create a teaching space

In order to create a piano studio, you’ll need space. The more official you make the space, the more likely you’ll believe it’s an actual business, not just a hobby. If your home is set up to give you that space, it may be the right choice initially. You can also look to community music schools, local schools, colleges, rec centers, and churches that are willing to rent out space. Will you need to invest in a new piano? Be sure to get one that works well for the level of instruction you’ll be offering. 

Marketing, marketing, marketing

This will be one of the biggest hurdles you’ll face, especially in the beginning. It’s important to get the word out about your new business, and connect with potential clients as well as people willing to refer you. Consider making a website no matter how simple you begin. You can place calendars, schedules, tips and more on your site to connect on a deeper level with your students. 

Set rates

Sales are one of the most important parts of operating a successful piano teaching business. Without a profit, you won’t stay in business. Pay attention to how much you’ll charge for lessons, and base your fee on what you’ll need to grow. Will you offer private lessons? Group lessons? Will students come to you, or will you travel to them? Will you sell supplies, like workbooks and music? Be sure you’re able to cover monthly expenses, including paying yourself at the end of the month. 

Create a student success goal

What do you hope to provide to each student who comes through your door? If you plan for it, you can share it with prospects before they sign up with you. This also helps keep you positive about what you’re doing when you hit snags in the road. If you keep your goal in mind, you’ll make it through no matter what happens each day. This also gives you a chance to create lesson plans to help your students succeed, and gives you goals and trackers to ensure you become good at helping your students. 

If you’ve started a piano teaching business, what advice would you give others just starting? 

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