How to Read Piano Notes
By: Duane Shinn

Reading piano notes may seem daunting at first, but it really isn't if you ground yourself in the basics. The first step is learning the names of the notes. The great thing is that you only have seven to memorize. All music is the result of combinations of these seven. These notes, named after letters in the alphabet, are A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Specific keys on the piano, associated with these notes, comprise your piano playing toolkit. These seven notes sit on lines and spaces, called a music staff. Piano music consists of two staffs or staves: the Treble Clef and the Bass Clef. The notes from the upper portion of the piano keyboard sit on the Treble Clef. The notes from the lower portion of the keyboard sit on the Bass Clef. Usually, the right hand plays the notes in the Treble Clef, while the left hand plays notes in the Bass Clef. The key to reading piano notes is in knowing what key relates to what note on the sheet music. The note A on a piano is a white key. The A on the music staff corresponds to where the A note is on the keyboard. The notes on a keyboard repeat themselves: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A Each of these notes is a key on the piano. It's that simple, all along the keyboard. The first A sits on one point of the music staff. As you play along the keyboard, the second A you play sits further up the music staff. As your fingers run up to the upper portions of the keyboard, the higher the notes sit on the Treble Clef. The further down you play on the piano keyboard, the further down the notes sit on the music staff, running into the Bass Clef. You can group notes together on a music staff vertically. These vertical grouping are chords. A chord is a group of three or more notes played simultaneously. If you play the C, E and G keys at the same time on the keyboard, you play a chord known as a triad. On a piece of sheet music, you will see these three notes as such: G E C ...piled on top of one another so-to-speak. If the composer wants these notes played separately, he would write them out horizontally on the music staff as such: C E G ...moves along the music staff. Of course, these letters do not appear on the music staff; instead oval notes replace the letters. When you first begin to read piano sheet music, locate the reference point note of each staff. This allows you to determine the rest of the notes on the staff. The Treble Clef has the G note as its reference point. This note is on the second line from the bottom of the five line Treble Clef staff. The Bass Clef has the F notes as its reference point. This note is on the second line from the top of the five line Bass Clef staff. Every other note on either staff is easily located from these points. Reading piano notes will be easier when you study the fundamentals. Learn the Treble and Bass Clefs and where the seven notes sit on them, and your reading skills will improve.

How Can I Learn To Understand Music & Piano Playing?
By: Duane Shinn

The graceful flourishes of a well-played piano masterpiece are sounds that many people would love to create. From trained professionals to child prodigies, a brilliantly played piano can steal the show. But great lessons are costly and involve scheduling time away from your busy life. So how do you learn how to play the piano or deepen your knowledge of the instrument? Piano workbooks can provide a solid foundation in theory, an effective practice routine, and piano classics in one package. If you don't have the time or money for lessons, consider buying a few piano workbooks. The obvious advantages of piano workbooks are the ability to set your own pace and practice at your convenience. Just sit down at the bench after dinner, crack open the book, and hear your playing improve. The only downside is that you must develop self-motivation to flourish when studying from piano workbooks. Like any great discipline, you must develop some kind of regimen to progress. With a teacher, you'll always have someone keeping track of how well you're doing. By studying from a workbook, you'll have to keep an eye on your own progress. Piano workbooks range from those that focus on the basics to those that provide a comprehensive explanation of musical theory. The best offer a good amount of theory, exercise and musical notation. Whatever type of study you are seeking, there are certainly several piano workbooks available that suit your needs. Some piano workbooks may be a look and listen experience. They may come with CDs that let you hear the examples listed in the book. This is great for the unsure learner who may need more than just text to explain a concept. It's also wonderful for hearing how an exercise is supposed to be played or how a particular piece is intended to sound. Many books give examples of practice methods. Be sure to follow their instructions so that you don't overexert your hand muscles, especially if you are a beginner or trying advanced techniques. Warm-up your hands with simple and light playing for a little while before going into an extended run across the keyboard. Workbooks also contain essential piano pieces that combine theory and technique into music. The pieces provided range from simple pop songs to classical standards that will put your skills to the test. Piano workbooks often include biographical information on the composers of each piece so that you can learn the history of the instrument. Besides simply playing, a deep understanding of the piano and pieces composed for it provides an appreciation for musical history. Piano workbooks can offer an extensive training course to anyone willing to invest the time. Since they're often compiled by a company, they contain more information than any one person can offer. Though a book can't make you practice, they can be a benefit to dedicated students. So when you decide to fancy yourself a pianist and set out to master the works of Franz Liszt, consider the tutelage that piano workbooks can offer.