About.com Piano

New Quiz! Test Yourself With the Rhythm & Tempo Quiz

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:21:56 +0000

It happens to the best of us: You're gliding through your sheet music when a string of cryptic notes sends you fast-forwarding through the song, desperate to make some sense of what's on the page.

It's easy to ignore rhythmic notation, because many pianists get into the habit of mimicking rhythm by ear; and while this is an excellent musical talent to possess, it can create a gap between your pitch-reading and rhythm-reading abilities. You should make it a goal to keep your reading balanced, and prevent this gap from widening.

See how well you're doing with rhythmic notation, time signatures, and tempo commands: Take the Rhythm & Tempo Quiz.

New Quiz! Test Yourself With the Rhythm & Tempo Quiz originally appeared on About.com Piano on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 00:21:56.

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Piano Term of the Week: Generalpause

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:03:37 +0000

The musical term "Generalpause" almost looks English, but it's the German synonym of the musical command G.P.

Learn the meaning and pronunciation of Generalpause

Piano Term of the Week: Generalpause originally appeared on About.com Piano on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 00:03:37.

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Piano Term of the Week: 8va

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:32:43 +0000

What does the musical symbol 8va mean? It's actually quite common in piano music - even in some beginner pieces. Learn more:

Learn the meaning of 8va

Piano Term of the Week: 8va originally appeared on About.com Piano on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 09:32:43.

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Honens Competition Finals in Calgary Nov. 5-6

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:04:37 +0000

The finalists of the Honens International Piano Competition have been named, and will be competing at the ever-uppercase EPCOR CENTER's Jack Singer Concert Hall on November 5 & 6th at 7.30 PM. Tickets are available through the Honens website or ticketmaster.ca, and cost from 40-85$.

Get to Know the top 5 finalists

UPDATE: Check out the 2009 Honens Winners at CBC News!

Honens Competition Finals in Calgary Nov. 5-6 originally appeared on About.com Piano on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 15:04:37.

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Piano Term of the Week: Attacca

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:53:06 +0000

The Italian musical term "attacca" can be seen in piano music having more than one movement:

Learn the meaning of attacca

Piano Term of the Week: Attacca originally appeared on About.com Piano on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 13:53:06.

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Piano Cat Named ASPCA Cat of the Year

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:44:04 +0000

Nora the Piano Cat� - the rescued feline whose piano-playing skills drew over 15 million YouTube views; inspired Lithuanian composer Mindaugas Piečaitis to write orchestral accompaniment to her famous piano bit, and earned her the noble trademark symbol at the end of her name - can now add "Cat of the Year" to her list of achievements.

The ASPCA gave Nora her Cat of the Year award yesterday in Manhattan, stating on their website:

"Though her talents are unrivaled, Nora has been named the ASPCA Cat of the Year as much for her musical abilities as for her pluck and drive to prove that shelter pets--far from being castoffs--often make the best animal companions."

Nora was rescued from an animal shelter in South Jersey by Betsy Alexander and Burnell Yow, and was brought to their Philadelphia home where she became enamored with the ivories. The Philadelphia Daily News writes:

"Nora learned to play the piano by observing [Betsy] and by watching her give lessons. An animal behaviorist posited that Nora wanted the attention Alexander was giving to her students."

Image � Burnell Yow

Piano Cat Named ASPCA Cat of the Year originally appeared on About.com Piano on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 17:44:04.

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How to Enhance the Sound of Your Piano Room

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:46:02 +0000

A room either works with or against a piano's timbre. Your piano room might need some tweaking in order to complement the voice of your piano. Learn some easy ways to control the acoustics of your piano room, and help your piano's best qualities stand out.

How to Enhance the Sound of Your Piano Room originally appeared on About.com Piano on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 01:46:02.

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Piano Term of the Week: Rinforzando

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:53:07 +0000

The Italian musical term "rinforzando" (or rfz) might remind you of another common musical command:

Learn the meaning and pronunciation of rinforzando

Piano Term of the Week: Rinforzando originally appeared on About.com Piano on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 04:53:07.

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Piano Terms of the Week: All of Them!

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:01:38 +0000

I invite you to check out the freshly organized piano glossaries, which now have over 200 musical terms and phrases! Browse alphabetically, by language, or search categories such as volume & dynamics and tempo terms. New terms and helpful illustrations are constantly being added, so be sure to bookmark:

View All Musical Terms A-Z

Piano Terms of the Week: All of Them! originally appeared on About.com Piano on Saturday, October 10th, 2009 at 06:01:38.

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Is Your Piano Tuner Worth Your Money?

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:05:56 +0000

If tuning a piano were easy, we'd all save hundreds of dollars a year -- but it's not. It takes years to develop the skills necessary to become a successful piano tuner; and those who seek professional certification must be tested on a few key abilities to ensure competence and efficiency.

But what if your tuner isn't certified? A lack of certification doesn't always mean a lack of professionalism (or a cheaper bill), so you should weigh the pros and cons of hiring an uncertified piano tuner before inviting a new tuner into your home, instrument, and wallet!

Is Your Piano Tuner Worth Your Money? originally appeared on About.com Piano on Sunday, October 4th, 2009 at 09:05:56.

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