2 July 2015 Troubleshooting A Digital Piano

Troubleshooting A Digital Piano

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To keep an acoustic piano operational and producing optimal sound, maintenance and regular tunings are required. For digital pianos, the same level of maintenance is not required. Think of your digital piano in a similar manner to your computer; because its electronic, it doesn’t need a lot of basic care to run properly.Troubleshooting A Digital Piano

That said, a digital piano still has moving parts. And on occasion, troubleshooting may be needed to fix small problems that may arise through normal course of wear and tear. Here are a few tips to try when you run into issues while playing your digital piano.

Sticking, Jammed or Broken Keys

The biggest potential problem with a digital piano comes from its largest moving pieces: the keys. Sticky keys can be a problem for both digital and acoustic pianos because over time, dirt, dust, and other debris can get trapped between the gaps. Since a digital keyboard runs on circuitry, moisture can also be a problem. While humidity from the surrounding area can and will cause a key to jam, spilled liquids will present an even bigger problem. Which is why its important to keep all forms of liquid – drinks, plants, etc – away from the piano itself.

When keys become jammed or broken, they are fairly easy to replace. If you have jammed or unresponsive keys, notes that do not play, volume control issues, or other non-working parts, it is more than likely a circuit issue and a new contact board will be needed. If your piano is still under warranty, its best to let the manufacturer work with the piano as any tinkering can null and void the warranty.

Power Problems

Digital pianos run in one of two manners: batteries or an electrical source. If your digital piano runs on batteries, check your battery pack first. Battery packs should be fully charged regularly to keep the piano working throughout your playing session. If your digital piano runs on electricity, start by verifying the electrical cord is firmly in place. If power is generating through the circuit, a short circuit could have occurred to the power system, and the only way to have it fixed is to assess the damage through a reputable repair shop.

Software Issues

A digital piano runs in a similar manner to your computer. If you notice the system freezing, or the piano seems to lock up from time to time, it is likely that the software is to blame. Factory reset buttons on the piano will help restore a piano to working condition. Locate this feature by checking with the user manual. Please note that the reset button will bring your digital piano back to its original operating state. Any data you have stored within your piano has the potential of being lost, so regular backups should be made to decrease the likelihood of losing your work.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Playing, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
6 June 2015 3 Myths Holding You Back From Starting To Play The Piano

3 Myths Holding You Back From Starting To Play The Piano

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When people first have the desire for starting to play the piano, they have a lot of misconceptions and myths programmed into their minds. Yes, playing the piano can bring a lifetime of joy to your life. Yes, playing the piano can be an entertaining activity for young and old alike. But when it comes to the art of playing the piano, things get a little misconstrued.3 Myths Holding You Back From Starting To Play The Piano

Have you ever thought:

  • Playing the piano is all about the finger work.
  • Playing the piano means learning to read music.
  • Practicing the piano means playing a piece over and over again until I reach perfection.

Read on and find out why each of these aren’t true.

Playing the piano is all about the finger work.
Have you ever watched a talented piano player in action? Their fingers zip across the keyboard, interweaving from top to bottom to create a magical tune. When you witness how fast their fingers move, it’s a common misconception to think that piano playing is all in the fingerwork. Yet piano playing doesn’t start in your fingers, it actually comes from your arms. Piano playing is about swaying the upper body in dance-like format. Moving the upper arms in rhythm to the beat. Rotating the forearms to move the hands from point to point. Flicking the wrist up and down. Piano playing is a workout not just for the fingers, but for your entire body.

Playing the piano means learning to read music.
There is a difference between learning to play the piano, and mastering the piano. Have you ever heard a song several times, started to hum along, and eventually learned the words and the chorus enough to where you can sing it too? Of course you have; we all do it every day as we sing along to our favorite tunes on the radio. Even as a small child we learn to quickly pick up songs and rhythm from all around us. Think Happy Birthday, or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Those tunes instantly pop into your mind. And if you were to sit down at a piano, you could probably pluck out the tune just by playing with the notes. That’s playing by ear. And many of today’s top piano teaching methods begin with playing by ear, not by reading music. Reading music is an advanced form of playing. It involves the ability to look up at the sheet music and process the notes, while transforming that down into your hands so they can hit the correct keys. For many learners, that ability comes later in development. The most important part of playing the piano is enjoying it first.

Practicing the piano means playing a piece over and over again until I reach perfection.
Playing the same piece over and over again would become monotonous at best. Especially if you don’t enjoy the piece, or continue to perform the same parts incorrectly. Instead, practice means pulling out sections of a song to add more to them. If you have trouble with a particular section, work on those few lines until you have it the way you like. Then incorporate it back into the entire piece. By practicing sections at a time, you can hone in on where your difficulty lies, and fix the problem quickly. You’ll perfect the piece quicker, and enjoy your music playing abilities on a whole new level.

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30 May 2015 Easy Ways To Change Your Piano’s Tone

Easy Ways To Change Your Piano’s Tone

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Have you ever listened to a piano in a grand concert hall, impressed with its overall sound? Then you return to your home, play the same song, and wonder what happened to the quality of the music?

Your piano’s tone depends on a variety of things. A piano will have a bright tone if it has many upper partials; a subdued tone if it lacks. If it is placed on a hard surface, it will reflect the sound; a soft surface will absorb it.Easy Ways To Change Your Piano’s Tone

Just by changing the position and location of your piano, you can adjust the sound your piano produces. Hardwood floors, tile floors, carpeting, high ceilings, hard walls, glass windows, upholstered furniture, drapery, even people will all change the acoustical conditions of the room, and thus impact the sound being produced.

If you prefer a bright sound, a room with hard surfaces will help you create an incisive sound. If you prefer a more subdued tone, add softer elements to help absorb the sound.

For a bright tone:

  • Open the lid of your grand piano. The strings will reflect the sound outward, and amplify it into the room. The lid should open into the room, not into a wall.
  • Draperies should be kept at a minimum. If you choose to cover your windows, choose freeflowing, unlined drapery that will help produce a richer sound. One caveat: if your room has lots of windows, make sure sunlight doesn’t stream onto the piano, which can cause it to go out of tune in a much faster timeframe.
  • Use light fabrics for your decorating. Avoid velvets and brocades and choose cottons and satins instead.
  • Replace carpeting with wood or tile.
  • Remove acoustical or textured ceilings.

For a subdued tone:

  • Close the lid on the grand piano, or use the half stick.
  • Use acrylic caster cups on the piano legs to isolate the piano from the flooring, to prevent the floor from acting as a soundboard.
  • Use soft wall treatments, such as cork, and make sure all doors and windows are properly sealed.
  • Use heavier drapery.
  • Select heavier upholstered furniture.
  • Install wall to wall carpeting.

When you work to change the tone being produced by your piano, don’t forget to have a technician voice your piano when your redesign is completed. A revoicing will help further create the tone you are looking for.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Playing, Piano Renovation Tagged With: ,
27 May 2015 My Piano’s Soundboard Is Cracked … Now What?

My Piano’s Soundboard Is Cracked … Now What?

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A piano’s soundboard is one of the most important pieces on a piano.

If you open up the lid of either your upright or grand piano and look down, you will see a shiny piece of wood that runs the down the back or the bottom of the instrument. This is the soundboard.My Piano’s Soundboard Is Cracked … Now What?

The soundboard is what allows the piano to project its sound. It’s the part of the piano that turns the vibration of the strings into sound. When the strings are struck by the hammers, the soundboard takes the vibrations from the strings and amplifies them in order to project the sound outward.

Soundboards are constructed with four or five pieces of thick wood glued together and attached to the back or bottom of the piano. The pin block and iron plate are then mounted on top of the soundboard, and the piano is strung. In order to achieve perfect balance, and thus perfect sound, is to ensure the quality of the soundboard  is void of any imperfections that may have a negative effect on the quality of the sound.

So what happens when the soundboard cracks?

Nearly all soundboards will crack at some point over the life of the piano. Small cracks, especially cracks that form along the seams where the wood pieces are joined together, occur in most cases due to age. A piano will go through many changes as weather and seasonal changes bring in cold and warmth, dryness and humidity. It will be impacted by consistent playing, and the vibration that occurs from creating music.

However, a crack becomes a problem when the crack deepens, and you begin to notice a rattle or buzz whenever the piano is played. If caught early, it can sometimes be repaired using wood wedges and screws to prevent the extraneous noise. A piano restoration expert can usually make the repair quickly with effective results.

Yet when the crack deepens and the soundboard has more extensive damage, the only way the sound can be preserved is to remove the soundboard from the piano and replace it with one that closely mimics the original construction.

Have additional questions about the quality of your piano? Ready to have it restored to improve the quality of the music it creates? One of our professional restoration experts can help you choose the right path for you.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Playing, Piano Renovation
13 May 2015 Why Are There Black and White Keys On A Piano?

Why Are There Black and White Keys On A Piano?

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Some of the questions we receive about pianos surprise us. Yes, we expect the questions about choosing between a new and a used piano. Or how often a piano really needs to be tuned. Yet it’s certain questions that are unexpected, and the more we think about them, the more we realize how complex they really are. Take this one for instance.

Why are there black and white keys on a piano?Why Are There Black and White Keys On A Piano?

At first glance, one of the easiest answers would be that by combining the two keys, it makes the keyboard more functional. If there were only white keys, you would have to start at the bottom and count up to find the keys needed to begin and play a song. By adding the black keys, it gives you a visual cue or repeating patterns to help you stay on track as you play.

But that’s a simple answer. And as it turns out, there is a more complex, historic answer as well.

When you look at the keyboard, by combining the black and white keys, they are laid out in a repeating pattern of groups of two black keys and groups of three black keys. When played, the white keys form a C major scale in a series of half steps – two keys together, one key between. When you play the scale from C to C, you’ll have a perfect set of twelve pitches – all half steps – that create the perfect pattern for most of the music we listen to today.

If you use only the white keys, it gives you all of the notes of the diatonic scale, which means that by transposing to C major, you can play any major key melody using only the white keys. And in fact, if you head back to the 13th century, you will find that most keyboards were white key only, with no “black keys” at all. Most religious music of the time only used C major scale pitches, so it was easy to compose on these keyboards.

Music changed when it began separating from the church, and music became more improvisational in the process. Different scales were run, and experimentation begun, which started creating faster pieces of music that became impossible to ignore the key signature sharps or flats. When people began valuing having a perfectly tuned chromatic notes that could easily be played at higher speeds, the keyboard changed in order to keep up with the demands of the music being created. While experimentation has continued throughout the centuries, this became the perfect – or the standard – in all keyboards, and it’s what we still use today.

Have any other questions about how the piano works? We’d love to hear from you.

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6 May 2015 Best Apps To Use As A Piano Teacher

Best Apps To Use As A Piano Teacher

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In today’s world, very few of us can live without our electronic gadgets. iPads, iPhones – it’s revolutionized the way we do pretty much everything. We store files, read newspapers and magazines, watch our favorite shows, even play games all from the touch of a button. But how much are you relying on your technology to help you become a better piano teacher?Best Apps To Use As A Piano Teacher

forScore

When was the last time you wanted a piece of music, known you had the sheet music for it around somewhere, only to spend hours looking for it? Problem solved with forScore. forScore allows you to organize and download a new piece of music in seconds. You can annotate and save changes and notes, re-order pages, even print sheet music when you desire. It even allows you to perform half page turns, so you can transition easily from the bottom half of one page to the top half of another. You can draw or edit the pages with adjustable formatting, and send your files to friends via email, Bluetooth, AirDrop, or simply print them out.

 

Tempo

Tempo is an accurate metronome that will help you and your students keep the beat. Although you can find a variety of other apps that will do the same, this one has always ranked well in the iTunes store and continues to be a teaching favorite. It plays every conceivable irregular meter, and can save personal patterns for quick access.

 

Rhythm Lab

With Rhythm Lab, you can copy, save and share any rhythm pattern as an image. No more drawing it out on paper or on a whiteboard, which makes it easier to pull up detailed drawings for all of your students. It also allows a student to tap on the screen and get instant feedback.

 

Flashnote Derby

Who says kids can’t learn things while playing games? This is one homework assignment kids can really get into. Flashnote Derby allows kids to learn and practice identifying music notes by name as they run each timed race. The faster they get with recognition, the faster their horse will travel. This game is fully customizable for and desired notes or ranges, meaning it gives a young musician a reason to move forward and learn even more.

 

Piano Notes Pro

For a more sophisticated note learning tool, choose Piano Notes pro. It has a wide range of level control, and provides an interesting game that will keep beginners as well as advanced piano players wanting to strive for more. It’s highly customizable and easy to use, which means it’s perfect for all ages of piano players.

Music Teachers Helper

Want an easy way to manage your studio? This tool can help you with all aspects of running a piano teaching business. From scheduling and billing, to helping you calendar out your lesson plans, this can quickly become one of the best tools you’ve ever used to grow your business.

Have any favorites yourself? We’d love to hear what apps you are using on a regular basis.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
26 April 2015 How To Find More Piano Students

How To Find More Piano Students

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In today’s world, getting kids to have an interest in playing the piano is a difficult road to take. There are many things vying for a child’s time. And as a good parent, adults spend their time pouring over the latest reports and articles that help them decide the best direction to go. Two things now dominate our youth:

  • Science, technology and math – STEM subjects
  • Sports

How To Find More Piano StudentsSTEM schools are in such demand, many schools are converting programs to appease the desire. And when it comes to sports, a parent won’t think twice about spending thousands of dollars on the right equipment, camps and training packages to help their child become a star.

With that much attention on those core subjects and activities, the arts are being lost in the process. While this isn’t news to anyone, it is something to consider if you are in the music business, and looking for ways to find more piano students.

There are plenty of kids to go around, and many parents are trying to help their kids find the best path they can. Music and the arts have unbounded benefits, yet in many cases these benefits are getting lost in the messaging that currently is being spread into these other core areas.

Music can improve grades, improve cognitive reasoning, help with memory, even improve SAT scores. When today’s tiger moms and helicopter parents hear the benefits, many of them give music a second look. The key is to market with the positives, and teach parents the benefits their children will learn if they focus on a few minutes of music each week.

When building a piano lesson business, planning for the long term is the best place to start, and referrals will keep your business going month after month, year after year. The starting point is to begin educating the population around you about the benefits of playing the piano. Private teachers should be willing to work with public school systems to provide quality music programs to the masses. When parents begin to see the benefits, they will demand more programs, including private lessons.

When kids learn music at an earlier age, they become more proficient with music theory earlier in life. Music is a skill that can continue for a lifetime. An 80 or 90 something can appreciate music while attending a concert (or even playing in one) in a way they never could with a sport.

While connecting with places in your community where parents and kids regularly attend is a starting point, you also have to continue the marketing process online. Its an online world, with parents doing a lot of research at their favorite online sites before they make any decisions. Do you have a blog? Are you listing your services on places like Craigslist? People can’t learn more about you and your benefits unless you are there to tell them about it. Do a little research and find instructors already doing these things. Use them as a guide.

The more active you become, the more your services will be in the public eye. The key is in the education. Talk about what you do, and the piano lesson business will grow.

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23 April 2015 Quick Tips For Learning The Piano Keys

Quick Tips For Learning The Piano Keys

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The very first time you sit down in front of a piano, it can be a little intimidating. With that many keys, how will you ever learn them all?

Chances are you’ve heard of middle C. Middle C is the C closest to the center of the piano. This is the key that keeps you anchored when you play. It’s usually about where you sit, and it will be an active part of the majority of your songs.Quick Tips For Learning The Piano Keys

Middle C is usually found under the brand of the piano located above the keys.

  • On a 61 key piano, it’s the 3rd C.
  • On a 76 key piano, it’s the 3rd C.
  • On a 88 key piano, it’s the 4th C.

The music alphabet runs from the letters A through G. A always comes after G, and begins the alphabet over again. And every letter to letter of the alphabet is an octave – A through G is one octave.

When you sit down and play an octave – A through G – the tone will never change. The range will sound different, and be lower or higher depending on the range of notes you play. But overall, you will hear the same tonal quality from octave to octave.

A piano’s black keys always form the pattern of a set of 2 followed by a set of 3. Find any set of 2 black keys; the white key in the middle will always be a D. From the D, you can move up and down the alphabet, filling in the letters.

The black keys from the sharps and the flats. They are a half way point between the tonal quality of a note. If you move to the black key to the right of the G, for instance, you will press the G sharp key. The black key to the left will give you a G flat.

Now that you understand what each piano key represents, learn to recognize them quickly by reviewing often, and applying it to the way you play every day.

Filed Under: Piano Music, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
18 April 2015 Is Piano Easier To Learn Than Other Instruments?

Is Piano Easier To Learn Than Other Instruments?

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As a parent, it’s important to expose your child to many different things. And for many reasons, introducing them to the art of creating music should be at the top of the list. But what instrument is best for a young learner? Is piano easier to learn than other instruments? Or should you introduce guitar or violin early on, and wait for more complexity later?Is Piano Easier To Learn Than Other Instruments?

There are many thoughts and rules on when to introduce an instrument. And in a lot of cases it does come down to personal choice. If a child has her heart on being a great piano player, that alone can give her the motivation to become one. It works the same with any instrument out there.

But if you had to pick one instrument to begin with, one to learn on, is piano the “easiest” choice?

In general, the piano makes a great starter instrument for a number of reasons.

Overall, a piano is an easier instrument to play for young children when compared to its string counterparts. To make a sound on a piano, you simply have to press a key. On a guitar, you have to strum at a string (often holding a pick) and simultaneously press down on a string with your other hand. Similar functionality occurs with other string instruments, such as a violin. This two handed coordination can be difficult for some children, and can allow them to become frustrated early on. Which means in many cases they quit long before they realize the fun in producing music.

When kids start playing, they imagine themselves on stage like their favorite pop star, or strumming out a tune in a similar manner to the gaming world. When it doesn’t happen as quickly as they anticipate, they can lose interest. To make those sounds on a guitar, a person has to learn chords and lead techniques that won’t come in the first little bit of practice. And in fact, it can be very difficult for little hands to master these techniques early on. With a piano, even complex songs can be simplified so a beginner can play tunes they recognize, which can provide them more motivation to carry forward.

The piano is more comprehensive for learning music. Piano music involves both treble and bass clefs, and allows you to play both melody and accompaniment. Instruments like guitar only use the treble clef, and trumpets or flutes will only express melodies. If a child decides to take their music skills to the next level, and pursues music in college, most will have to take some piano because of the complexity involved. The piano provides for a more comprehensive view of how music works. And many students express that they wish they had pursued piano from an earlier age, to help them with a more thorough understanding as they grew.

So is piano easier to learn on then other instruments? While it could be debated, it is true that piano overall will give them a more comprehensive appreciation for the music they make. And isn’t that the goal anyway?

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
15 April 2015 Why Piano Is The Best First Instrument To Play

Why Piano Is The Best First Instrument To Play

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Why is the piano often thought of as the best first instrument to play?

Pianos make playing easy
To play a piano, you simply have to press a piano key. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. And because even small children can learn how to pick through notes and create songs they are familiar with, piano allows them to feel like they are creating music much earlier than other instruments.

Pianos sound good from the startWhy Piano Is The Best First Instrument To Play
Chances are you’ve heard the sounds a brand new trumpet, flute or violin player make. Not very pleasing. In fact, it takes practice to make musical sounds at all, and may take very long periods of time for a student to learn the skills needed to have great tonal quality and produce a good, pleasing sound. With a piano, when you press a key a note comes out, and its always on key (providing the piano is properly tuned). You can’t miss creating the right sound when playing the piano; practice simply perfects the way the notes come together.

Pianos offer a great sense of pitch
The piano has the most complex pitch of any instrument, from the lowest to the highest of notes. Because of this, music is written in both treble and bass clef, which allows a person to learn to read both clefs with ease. If and when they choose, they can move to another instrument and learn to play it faster. A well tuned piano will always create the perfect sound when a note is played, which helps a player develop a keen sense of pitch from the beginning.

Pianos play both melody and accompaniment
The piano is one of few instruments that allow you to play both the melody and accompaniment. As an early beginner, a piano player can play simple melodies they can hear and recognize. As they advance, they can begin to add chords to change the tunes and make them more complex. This helps develop a high sense of music theory, teaching how music comes together in complex ways.

Pianos develop a stronger sense of music theory
The piano provides a straightforward approach to music. The low notes are on the left, the high notes on the right. The white keys are interlaced with the black keys making sharps and flats easy to learn. And when translating music to the keyboard, lines and spacing are easy to translate from music to instrument.

Piano makes a great foundation
Because the piano is such a versatile instrument, it can provide enjoyment throughout a person’s lifetime. If they choose to continue music into college, it’s a great foundation for providing skills that will transfer easily to other instruments, or even allow a student to do better in math or sciences. Some of the most successful medical school candidates are music majors; music theory has its benefits. For whatever reason a person chooses to move forward with music, if you are looking for the perfect instrument to begin with, look no further than a piano.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
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