Benefits of Music and Movement Activities for Preschoolers & Toddlers | How You Can Implement Them at Home

As parents, we are constantly worrying about making the best decisions for our children. We want them to grow up to be healthy, happy, confident, kind… the list is endless.

Thinking of how to accomplish all this can be overwhelming, but I have good news!

As a music educator specializing in early childhood education, I know that there is one simple thing you can do to help your child grow in all areas of their development, and it’s actually fun!

Of course, it’s music.

Over my career, I’ve had the fortune of being able to lead music classes at Merriam School of Music for hundreds of young children, and I’m happy to share some of my favourite activities that are simple, fun, and have some amazing developmental benefits too.

I use all of these at home with my two young boys, so I know they work well both inside and outside the classroom.

Early Childhood Music Education

Music plays an important role in childhood. Can you remember a song from when you were young? Maybe it was a song you learned in school or a song a family member sang to you. Music has an incredible way of staying in our memories.

Combining music and movement does more than just create memories; it can be a tool for almost all aspects of child development. Social-emotional development, language development, fine and gross motor skill development, and cognitive development are all nurtured with music.

Benefits of Music and Movement Activities for Preschoolers

Here are some of the benefits of adding music and movement activities to your young child’s routine, and some ideas and resources to get you started.

Keep in mind that many of the links lead to Youtube, but I’m not recommending your child watch the videos. Instead, I suggest using them as a reference for yourself to learn the songs and actions, or you can turn the screen off and just listen to the music together.

Social-emotional development

Turn-taking

Songs that use call-and-response help develop social skills like waiting and turn-taking.  Use songs where one person sings one line and the other echoes it back.

Down By The Bay. This classic includes an echo on each line and the chance for your child to make up their own silly rhymes.
Going on a Picnic. This requires a slightly different response. Instead of a pure echo, the caller asks a question and the responder answers. “Did you bring the juice box?” “Yes, I brought the juice box!”
Self-Regulation

Music games that feature changes in tempo help young children practice emotional control and energy regulation, as they repeatedly need to bring their energy levels up then down, calming their bodies, voices and feelings.

You’ll be surprised how long their attention span lasts when they can use both their exuberant and calm energies.

Freeze Dance. Control the starting and stopping of the music yourself, or use a freeze dance song like Jack Hartmann’s Monster Freeze Dance
Sleeping Bunnies. This classic preschool game requires your child to alternate between laying down and sleeping and hopping around.
We Are the Dinosaurs by The Laurie Berkner Band. This fun song gets your child to alternate between stomping, eating, resting, and roaring!
Building empathy and recognizing emotions

Songs about emotions can help children identify their own feelings and the emotional cues of others. Songs with a narrative can help a child understand how someone else might feel in a situation, and in turn, help them recognize another’s point of view and build empathy.

If You’re Happy and You Know It. This is a standard song of circle time for good reason. It helps a child name their own emotions, and see what emotions can look like on the faces of others.
Puff the Magic Dragon. This beautiful song about growing up tells the story of a boy and his imaginary dragon friend. The boy soon grows up and stops visiting his dragon, who retreats back into his cave out of sadness. Listen to the song (or sing through the storybook) and talk about how the boy and Puff feel throughout the story.
Going a Bear Hunt. This is an exuberant adventure tale of a family who walks through forests, rivers, snowstorms and caves and boasts about how brave they are. When they finally come face to face with a bear, that all changes. As well as having a steady beat and fun sound effects, this action song allows a child to act out being brave, scared, and eventually relieved. Watch this video by the Wiggles to learn the song and actions.

Strengthening self-esteem

Music and movement activities are a wonderful way to build a child’s self-esteem. The opportunity to be creative and express their feelings, especially in a group, can strengthen their feelings of confidence and autonomy.

Give them opportunities to engage in free-play musical activities and comment and copy what they are doing.

Free Dance. While parents may be reluctant to let loose, preschool teachers know the magic of a dance party. Make a playlist of favourite songs and allow your child to move to the music however they feel. Commenting and copying “I see you’re twisting your hips – I want to try!” gives your child a sense of accomplishment and the confidence to try new things
Free musical instrument play. Again, let your child choose their favourite kids songs and bring out some real or homemade instruments. Play along however you like – fast, slow, loudly, quietly. This allows your child the freedom to try new ways of doing things.
Follow-the-leader games. Using movement or instrument play, put on a song and take turns being the leader or the follower. The leader chooses how to play or move and the follower must copy what they do.

Language Development

Vocabulary Building

Many songs use words we don’t use in everyday conversation. When combined with pictures or actions, children can build connections between the lyrics and everyday life. There are songs that teach names of animals, vehicles, foods, feelings and more.

When playing an instrument or moving to music, your child can practice positional words like over, under, around, and beside. “Shake above your head. Scratch in the middle of the drum.”

Tap Your Sticks by Hap Palmer. Grab some sticks and follow the positional directions like tapping in the air, on the floor, to the left and right, and behind you.
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. This classic nursery rhyme and action song is a wonderful way to teach young children the names of body parts. This version by Super Simple Songs also speeds up, adding a repetitive and fun component.
The Hokey Pokey. One of the most popular children’s songs, this circle dance helps children learn the parts of their body as well as positional words like right, left, in, out, and around. A warning if you are going to watch a video of this song (like the attached version from The Learning Station) – most children will mirror what they see, meaning they’ll be using their right hand instead of left hand.

Auditory Discrimination

Music and movement games often require attentive listening for sound cues. The ability to pick out distinct sounds is not just a musical skill – it is correlated to literacy skills and a child’s ability to isolate sounds in words.

To develop active listening skills, listen to music with sound cues or music with sounds that need identifying.

Jim Gill’s Hammer and Saw. In this fun song about tools, children learn the sounds of various tools and either do an action or play the corresponding musical instrument when they hear the sound cue. For example, when they hear the sound of sandpaper, they can either rub their hands together or play sandblocks. They need to focus and listen carefully to identify each sound being played.
What Do You Hear? The team at Super Simple Songs created this musical game that asks children to name the animal sounds they hear throughout the song. Pre-Ks who could use a more difficult challenge could be asked to name sound effects from common items, like clocks, firetrucks, or faucets.

Physical Development

Gross Motor Skills

Structured and free-movement activities help children with their budding strength, balance and muscle control. Preschoolers are still working on their ability to run, jump, stand on one foot, throw, and catch.

You can practice these skills by adding props like silk scarves, balloons, ribbons, or balls to your free dances.

For free movement activities, I prefer classical music so that children focus on the music as opposed to the words.

Use soft balls or scarves to have an indoor snowball fight along with Trepak from the Nutcracker. For an additional listening challenge, try to time your throws to the swells in the music.
Pretend to buzz around the house to The Flight of the Bumblebees. Cut out some flowers and hide them around the room, then see how fast you can fly around to each one, collecting nectar.

Fine Motor Skills

Young children are still developing their fine muscle control. Playing musical instruments like drumsticks, bells, and shakers can help a child with their grasping and controlled release of objects.

Fingerplay songs help preschoolers isolate their fingers muscles, an emerging skill that will eventually allow them to hold a pencil, tie their shoes and play the piano.

Finger-naming songs, such as Where is Thumbkin. Encourage your child to hold up each individual finger as they sing this classic 5-finger nursery rhyme. Be warned – the ring finger can be very hard for a young child to isolate so that one might be frustrating for 2 to 3-year-olds.
Countdown songs like 5 Little Ducks require children to bring individual fingers down instead of up. For an extra challenge, try bringing down the fingers in different orders to strengthen the weaker middle, ring and pinky fingers.

Cognitive Development

Representation

Pretend play allows a child to better understand the world around them. Storytelling through music can be a wonderful way for children to act out a scene, take on a character, and represent their feelings.

Many pieces of classical music were written to tell a story, which you can listen to and act out with your child. Using the changes in the music as cues for what is happening in each tale.

Vivaldi’s Spring was written to represent a story of birds. First, pretend to be birds flying around the sunny sky, then bathing in the stream. When the music changes, you must hide away from the thundering storm until it clears again.
Greig’s In the Hall of the Mountain King tells the tale of Peer Gynt, who sneaks into a hidden mountain lair, then must run away from the troll king and his henchman, slamming the doors behind him as he runs to safety. Keep in mind, this one can be too scary for some!

Classifying and Seriating

Listening to a variety of sounds and instruments can be a wonderful way to practice grouping and organizing, which are important early math skills.

Classifying sounds: Find objects around the house and group them into items that make sounds and those that don’t. For an extra challenge, take the objects that make sound and together put them in order from loudest to quietest.
Learning instrument families: Learn about the instruments of the orchestra and how to classify them into families like woodwinds, percussion, and brass. John Lithgow’s storybook Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo is a wonderful introduction to the instruments of the orchestra
Identifying Patterns

Music often follows a pattern of verses and choruses, and structured dances often follow a pattern called a form. Children can learn to identify these patterns and predict what comes next.

Singing and dancing along to a repetitive movement song, like The Laurie Berkner Band’s The Goldfish, helps a child predict what words, actions, and music changes are coming up. Have fun predicting when it’s time to say “Wait a minute…we’re fish!”
Create your own structured partner dance at home. Use a song with a distinct pattern and come up with a movement to use every time. For example, if you use the song Happy by Pharrel Williams, on the verses you can hold hands and turn around in a circle, then on the verses (“Because I’m happy”) dance away from each other and clap, then return to holding hands on the next verse.

There are many benefits of music and movement activities for your child, including strengthening their social skills, self-esteem, and physical and cognitive development, but maybe the most important is the positive memories you’ll make together.

About the author: Christa Richards is a music education specialist, early childhood educator, and mom of two energetic (and musical!) boys. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Musical Theatre, has performed for young children across Canada, and has been leading the preschool music program at Merriam School of Music since 2010.

The post Benefits of Music and Movement Activities for Preschoolers & Toddlers | How You Can Implement Them at Home first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Music Activities For Toddlers & Preschoolers | 10 Fun & Easy Music Activities for Childhood Development

Music activities are a wonderful way to spend time with your child. On top of having fun expressing yourselves, there are so many benefits of music making.

Singing songs can help with a child’s language development, dance can help develop their gross motor skills, and playing musical instruments can help develop fine motor skills.

Here are just a few:

Music Can Change the Mood

Have you ever noticed that hearing your favourite song puts a smile on your face? Or a song makes you feel calmer, or helps you release some anger and frustration?

Kids feel the same way! You can use music as a tool to help regulate children’s big feelings or to burn off some energy when they’re bouncing off the walls.

Music is a Teacher

There are so many ways that the benefits of music can contribute to a child’s development!

Did you know having a good sense of beat makes you better at using scissors? That young children who can pick out sounds in music can also pick out sounds in words, making them better readers? Did you know that moving to music helps children learn to control their bodies, making them better at sports?

There are so many reasons why music is a great tool for learning!

Music is a Team Effort

Music activities can get families working together, not against each other. There is no winner or loser in music games and (in most cases) no fighting over who gets what!

Playing music together is a great way to create a sense of connection and belonging, practice social skills like turn-taking, and build your child’s self-esteem.

10 Fun and Easy Music Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

As a music educator and mom, here are my favourite music and movement activities that anyone can do:

Family Dance Party!

When you’re feeling cooped up, crank up the tunes and get moving!

You can choose music that kids love (Encanto soundtrack, anyone?), expose them to some of your favourite songs, or together create a playlist so everyone gets their pick. No need to stick with just preschool music – kids love all kinds of styles and often interpret songs differently than we do. Pop, rock, oldies, world, or classical music- as long as it has a great beat, it can be great for dancing.

You can also suggest ways to move, like moving like a specific animal, or dancing using a certain body part. Then add some silk scarves or shakers to really make this a party!

Freeze Dance

A classic kids game. Put on some favorite songs and dance around.

When the music stops, FREEZE! You can be in charge of starting and stopping the music, use one of the many pre-made freeze dance songs from the Kiboomers, or my personal favourite, play the Silly Dance Contest by Jim Gill.  

DIY Musical Instruments

You don’t need fancy equipment or expensive musical instruments; you can make homemade instruments using items around the house. Pots, pans, empty yogurt tubs, chopsticks, wooden spoons, and jingle bells are all fantastic music makers.

If you’re feeling crafty, you and your preschooler can make your own shakers or paper plate tambourines, or older children can try making a water xylophone.

Sing Some Action Songs

Preschoolers love action songs and they may already know the standard circle time songs like I’m a Little Teapot, If You’re Happy and You Know It, or the Wheels on the Bus.

Adding simple actions makes the music more engaging for children, and also helps them remember and understand the lyrics of the songs. For a newer classic, try The Wiggles’ Rock-A-Bye Your Bear or Going on a Bear Hunt.

Knee Bounces

You may think knee bounces are just for infants, but 2 to 4-year-olds love them too. If you can handle their weight, sit on the floor with your child in your lap.

Kids love getting bounced up and down to the Grand Ol Duke of York (just watch the face of the child in this video), or being bounced faster and faster in This is the Way the Ladies Ride.

Being bounced to a steady beat helps children feel and develop their sense of rhythm.

Fingerplays

Fingerplays are such valuable tools for preschoolers.

They focus energy, help with counting skills, and they also help strengthen those little finger muscles. I use finger songs when I need to bring energy levels down or to fight boredom when we’re stuck waiting somewhere like the doctor’s office.

5 Green and Speckled Frogs, The Finger Family Song, and 5 Little Ducks are all classic finger songs that preschoolers love.

Musical Storytime

Many storybooks are based on favourite songs, and most libraries (and Amazon!) are stocked with them.

You and your kids will love looking at the beautiful illustrations as you sing the words. Illustrated nursery rhymes like The Wheels on the Bus by Paul O. Zelinsky add visuals to classic songs, but there are plenty of books using more popular music.

Expose your child to a variety of musical styles with Louis Armstrong’s What A Wonderful World, Peter, Paul and Mary’s Puff the Magic Dragon, The Beatles’ The Octopus’s Garden and Bob Marley’s Every Little Thing.

Balloon Dancing

Kids. Love. Balloons.

And there’s a good reason for it! Balloons are fun, unpredictable, and make great dance partners.

Play a family game of Keep Up by tossing some balloons up in the air and working together to keep them off the ground. Add some magic to this game by playing a fun song at the same time.

Keepy Uppy from the Bluey soundtrack is my go-to.

Color What You Hear

This is one of the quieter music activities that will help your child develop their listening skills.

Choose some classical music that has a very clear story or theme, like In the Hall of the Mountain King, The Happy Farmer, or anything from Carnival of the Animals. Find a printable coloring sheet online that matches the theme and get out the crayons. Colour in your pictures as you listen to the music.

Not only does this help develop listening skills, it also helps your child understand how music can make us think of something else.

For a more advanced version, instead of a printable, give them some blank pieces of paper and ask them to draw what they hear in the music.

Hear A Real Musician

If you can, take your child to see a children’s concert, stroll around an outdoor jazz festival, or just stop and listen to a sidewalk busker.

Many orchestras also offer concerts designed to expose young children to the different sounds of the orchestra and to classical music, and they are typically during the day, under an hour, and allow kids to move around as they listen.

Sign Up For a Music Class!

Making music at home is wonderful, but making music in a group is a whole other experience.

Early childhood music lessons typically involve singing songs, dancing and moving to all types of music, playing rhythm instruments (like drums, sticks, bells) and creating positive musical experiences for children and their families.

Most of the activities can be done at home too, giving you plenty of musical ideas for the week!

Final Thoughts

Beyond creating a fun and engaging environment for young children, music activities can have a profound effect on early childhood development.

We hope that these suggestions provide you with an understanding of the benefits of music and lead to many years of music-making!

The post Music Activities For Toddlers & Preschoolers | 10 Fun & Easy Music Activities for Childhood Development first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

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(905) 829–2020

Piano Tuning – How and Why Does a Piano Go Out of Tune?

Introduction

Why does a piano go out of tune? Generally speaking, pianos are thought of as ‘out of tune’ when any one or several of the strings of the piano becomes de-tuned from the corresponding strings. For example, each key on the piano usually has three strings “assigned” to it. Those three strings must be perfectly matched so that instead of hearing three sounds, we only hear one when the key is played. When one or two of those strings start to lose tension and change pitch ever so slightly, we hear phasing between the strings, and it starts to sound like a honky-tonk piano. This is technically referred to as an out-of-tune unison, and pianos frequently need unisons fixed (i.e. tuned). In this article, we’re going to explain why that happens.

Piano Tuning – How and Why Does a Piano Go Out of Tune? Video Transcription

In our recording studio here at Merriam Music, we have a Shigeru Kawai SK-7 semi-concert grand piano. It has in fact recently gone out of tune, so it’s a perfect example to talk about the three primary reasons these instruments do go out of tune.

Reason #1:

Why does it happen in the first place? The piano has been around for hundreds of years, haven’t piano technicians and manufacturer’s figured out a way around this problem? Well, one thing to keep in mind is that an acoustic piano is made out of thousands of parts, all interacting under thousands of pounds of tension. A piano string for example at full tension is incredibly tight. There’s a huge amount of string tension required for a piano string to do it’s job and anything wound that tight around a tuning pin that is fastened into a wooden pinblock is going to pull that pin slightly looser, very slowly over time.

The other thing that happens even slower than that is that the steel wire itself tends to stretch out and become softer and more pliable as it ages. So, you have the string very slowly stretching out over time, and a pin that because of the tension, actually starts to untwist itself slowly and not always evenly.

Reason #2:

The second thing that causes pianos to go out of tune can happen quite quickly relates to the soundboard. When we’re talking about a piano’s soundboard, we’re talking about the flat piece of wood that you can see underneath the strings and the bridge that’s glued to it. Piano tuners use beats of overtones to calibrate the slight flatting of 5ths that is needed to achieve equal temperament with an in tune piano. As the moisture level in the soundboard increases during periods of high relative humidity changes, the crown expands and pushes the bridge harder against the strings. The strings are stretched tighter and the piano’s pitch rises. Because this increase in crown is greater in the center of the soundboard than at the edges, the pitch rises more in the middle octaves than in the bass or treble registers.

So even though a soundboard looks flat, it’s actually slightly bent which is what we call the crown of the soundboard, and soundboards are arched like this to provide the necessary resistance against the strings. Since soundboards are made of wood, and wood, of course, reacts to both temperature and humidity, the soundboard is subject to both shrinking and swelling. When the humidity goes down, that wood shrinks, which means it’s actually going to pull itself flatter. The bridge that the strings are pulled over is going to move down as well and that will lower the tension of the strings.

Every time the humidity drops on a piano you will usually have a shift in the pitch of the piano because of this. Likewise, if the humidity level skyrockets and the wood is now absorbing moisture, the wood tends to expand. The curve then pushes up like on the bridge, causing the strings to become much tighter, in turn making the pitch go up.

Normally when humidity shits up, the pitch will go sharp, and a shift of humidity downward causes the pitch to go flat. New pianos especially can be quite uncooperative, and require some time to settle in, which is why sometimes a new piano needs an extra tuning in the first year of ownership.

Reason #3:

The last reason why a piano might go out of tune is of course due to use. If a piano’s being played frequently and receiving maximum force when hitting the hammer up against the strings, the strings vibrate, injecting a lot of energy into the string.

The more the string is vibrating and getting stretched out by all of the mechanical energy being injected into it with the hammer, the more the string actually loosens up bit by bit over time. If you’re playing the instrument a lot versus not, a piano that gets played more is going go out of tune faster than a piano that’s not.

Conclusion:

Thanks for reading, we hope this article has been helpful. Now you know exactly what it is for a piano to be out of tune, and what causes it to go out of tune.

The post Piano Tuning – How and Why Does a Piano Go Out of Tune? first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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How to Read and Play Ukulele Chords: Soprano, Concert, and Tenor

If the ukulele is your first instrument, learning it can be overwhelming at the start. Ease into it with this guide on how to read and play ukulele chords.

There are literally hundreds of basic ukulele chords to choose from. If you’re a newbie, that probably sounds overwhelming. Learning an instrument is rewarding but also comes with a fair share of frustrations. Sometimes it may even feel like you’ll never get better.

Did you know it only takes 20 hours to learn anything? This won’t make you a uke virtuoso but you will be able to have fun and play your favorite songs. The key is to break the complexities down into bite-sized pieces.

Keep reading to discover some pretty cool ukulele chords and how to harness their island magic. (That means “play them,” for all you serious types!)

Ukulele Chord Basics

First things first.

If you’re going to play the ukulele, you need to know the basics. Most information you see online will be for the soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles. This is because they all use the same traditional tuning.

The strings are illustrated as vertical lines (from left to right standard G C E A string) and the frets are the horizontal lines.

String notes from ceiling to floor:

• G string – 4th string (top string)
• C string – 3rd string
• E string – 2nd string
• A string – 1st string (bottom string)

Notice the little “g” for the first string. Many ukuleles are in tune with what’s called “re-entrant tuning.” This means the fourth string isn’t the lowest note. This high “g” lies between the E and A on the scale.

Some people prefer a linear tuning method. Linear tuning uses the “G” tuned an octave down. This makes it the lowest note on the uke and fills out the bass sound.

You will need special strings to tune your ukulele in this way. If you want to learn some sweet ukulele songs, proper tuning is a must.

Example songs that would be best for Ukulele are:

• Adele – Someone Like You
• Train – Hey, Soul Sister
• Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
• Vance Joy – Riptide

Frets

Frets are the spaces between the vertical lines along the neck of your ukulele. By holding down the strings near the fret bars and some strumming patterns, you produce a tone. This is called “fretting.”

The number of frets your ukulele has depends on what size instrument you have.

Bad pun time: Don’t you fret, learning an instrument makes you smarter!

Reading Chord Diagrams

Reading chord diagrams can be confusing for beginners.

Most chord diagrams you come across will be a display of the uke upright and held out in front of you. The “g” will be to the left and the “A” to the right.

A chord diagram displays the four strings and the first four frets of the ukulele. The fretted notes are displayed as black dots on the diagram. At the top of the diagram, you will see the chord spelling and small circles or “X’s.” A dot on the string means this should be fretted, or pressed down to the fretboard using a finger.

The small circles look like the letter “o.” They indicate strings that aren’t fretted and played “open.”

Occasionally you will see little “Xs.” These mean don’t play (mute) that string.

Ukulele Chords

Chords are three or more notes played at the same time. They turn simple melodies into memorable songs.  Some of the most common chords in popular music are C Major, A Minor, F Major, G Major, D Major, and E Minor.

“Major” and “minor” refer to the quality of sound.

A common cliche is that major chords sound happy and minor chords sound sad. This is not always true.

Major and minor chords are simply different colors for your paintbrush. What matters is how they’re used.

When playing chords, a good rule of thumb is one finger per fret. For example, use your second finger (the middle finger) on the second fret.

C Major (C or CMaj)

The C chord is probably the easiest chord to play on the ukulele.

To play the C chord, place your third/ring finger on the third fret of the first string. Play the other three strings open. Rest your finger right in front of the fret bar without touching it.

You should get a clear tone as you strum straight down.

A Minor (Am or A-)

To play the Am chord, place your second/middle finger on the second fret of the fourth string. Play the rest of the strings as open.

F Major (F or Fmaj)

To play this resonant chord, place your second finger on the second fret of the fourth string. Your first/index finger goes on the first fret of the second string.

Gmajor (G or Gmaj)

To play this chord, place your first finger on the second fret of the third string. Your second finger goes on the second fret of the first string. Your third finger goes on the third fret of the second string.

The G chord can make your fingers feel a bit squished. Roll your fingers around until all notes sound clear. Make sure you aren’t accidentally muting any strings with a fretting finger.

D Major (D or Dmaj)

You can play the D chord with two methods. First, you can barre your first or second finger on the second fret of the fourth, third, and second strings.

A barre is using one finger to fret multiple strings at a time. It can be a bit challenging for complete beginners. If this is the case, stack your first, second, and third fingers on the second fret of the fourth, third, and second strings, respectively. As your fingers build strength, you’ll be able to use either method effortlessly.

E Minor (Em or E-)

To play Em, start by placing your first finger on the second fret of the first string. Place your second finger on the third fret of the second string. Finally, place your third finger on the fourth fret of the third string.

Play all four strings for this haunting tone.

Strumming

Now it’s time to add some rhythm.

A song is a combination of tones and rhythms. When you play your uke, the tone should be strong and resonant.

With your thumb, strum down from the fourth to the first string. Apply enough force to produce a loud tone. This is the force you should use while strumming.

Hold your fingers as if you are pinching pennies to buy your very first ukulele. With the fleshy parts touching, your thumb should be perpendicular to your index. You will strum primarily with your index finger. The thumb is for support.

Island stum:

Down-Down-Up-UpDownUp-Down-Down-Up-UpDownUp

Use the fleshy pad of your index to strum the up-strokes. They should be just as resonant as your down-strokes.

Practicing and Getting Good

Practice switching between the ukulele chords. This will build muscle memory which will make your playing easier and faster.

Pick two new chords and set a timer for one minute. Write down how many times you were able to switch between the chords in a minute. This is a fun way to get better at chord changes.

UkuTabs is part of the UkuWorld network which also offers ukulele tips & guides, ukulele scales, chord charts, a ukulele tuner, and much more! It plays along with ukulele music, discovers alternate fingerings – all of these contribute to you becoming a better ukulele player.

Learning an instrument is stress-relieving and makes you just a little cooler. The abundance of knowledge online can be overwhelming. It can also slow your progress.

If you find you’ve hit a wall in your playing, there are plenty of ukulele tabs for these and other songs online and an instructor can guide you down a path to success with its ukulele lessons.

Contact us today for a personalized plan for learning your instrument.

 

The post How to Read and Play Ukulele Chords: Soprano, Concert, and Tenor first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

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(905) 829-2020

15 Best Piano Apps You Need to Download Right Now in 2020 (Android & iOS)

Want to learn the piano? Well, there’s an app for that. While they don’t replace playing an actual piano, these are the best piano apps from Android smartphones or IOS such as Ipad and Iphones that will help you practice when you’re on the go.

If you’ve ever dreamt of learning to play the piano, there are about a hundred reasons why you should start.

Studies have found that playing the piano reduces stress and anxiety, improves hand-eye coordination, helps kids do better in school, and even boosts self-esteem.

Not to mention that playing the piano is just plain fun.

But learning to play can be challenging, and it’s easy to get frustrated when the skills don’t come as naturally as you’d like.

Luckily, in this digital age, there are a huge number of resources to draw from to help you on your journey. One useful tool is piano apps that you can download on your phone or tablet.

Search for the word “piano” in your app store or google play store and you’ll be shocked at how many different options there are.

We’re here to help you sift through them by giving you our recommendation for the 15 best piano apps out there.

1. Perfect Piano

Perfect Piano is the highest rated piano simulator app available today.

Designed for Android systems, this 88-key intelligent piano simulator not only serves as a teaching tool by guiding you through thousands of pieces of sheet music but it also lets you connect with other fledgling pianists around the world.

There are weekly challenges that let you compete against other users or if you are the less competitive type, you can create a guild with your friends to provide support for one another and share songs you’ve been working on.

The app supports a USB MIDI keyboard, so once you’re ready to graduate to a real live instrument, Perfect Piano can provide a smooth transition.

The app even comes with a widget you can keep on your home screen, which lets you play around on the keys without even opening the app itself.

Download:

2. Simply Piano by JoyTunes

Simply Piano was rated as one of the best iPhone apps of 2016, and the developers are continually upgrading and reworking it. The app also works for Android users, and it’s an excellent tool for piano players of any level.

Simply Piano works in tandem with your real-life piano or keyboard and has the ability to register what you are playing and give you real-time feedback. All you do is place your device on your piano and start playing. It’s that simple.

In addition to the library of your favorite songs to choose from, there are also courses that you can take depending on your skill level. You can take two courses for free and then upgrade to a subscription for access to unlimited courses.

This app can truly make a difference in your piano playing abilities, and it even won a World Summit Award from the United Nations.

Download:

3. Piano Free–Keyboard with Magic Tiles Music Games

The title is a little wordy but this app offers some really cool features that will hone your piano playing skills in no time, and it’s available for both Android and Apple devices.

This app offers similar features to other piano simulator teaching best apps, where you can practice reading sheet music and chords, but it also lets you record what you play.

What’s really awesome about the recording feature is that the app allows you to choose from a number of different instruments for playback. So you can hear how your piece sounds on the accordion, the harp, the cello, or several other instruments.

Recording yourself is a surefire way to improve your skills, and this app lets you do that in a really fun and creative way.

Download:

4. Yousician

Yousician is designed to help you learn the piano, guitar, bass or ukulele by guiding you through the process in the way that a live music teacher would.

Isn’t technology amazing?

You play your real instrument while following along with different piano lessons provided by the app, and receive feedback on how well you’re doing.

There are a wide array of features to get you hooked, like weekly challenges and training in music theory.

Yousician was designed by music teachers, and you can be confident in its teaching abilities because it is actually used by music teachers all over the world as a complement to their in-person lessons.

Download:

5. Real Piano Teacher 2

Real Piano Teacher was rated as one of the best Android piano apps, and their second version has an even wider range of features, like addictive games, additional instruments, and hundreds of great lessons.

You can choose between a number of different playing modes, depending on how much help you want, or if you want to just freestyle your own music.

In-game mode, you can compete against family and friends to see who can play songs the best. And there are a ton of fun songs in a variety of genres to choose from.

If you’re someone who really enjoys playing pop music, this has some great app options for you.

Download:

6. Vivace: Learn to Read Music

To truly excel at playing the piano, being able to read music is essential.

Vivace offers engaging tutorials that help you understand music theory so that you’ll have a baseline for being able to read music.

The app is very customizable, so it can meet you at whatever skill level you’re at. The illustrated lessons guide you through each step of the learning process, covering all 15 key signatures.

Vivace is only available for Android users, so if you have an Apple device, check out the app “Notes–Sight Reader Trainer” for a comparable teaching tool.

Download:

7. Perfect Ear–Ear Trainer

As a musician, training your ear is just as important as training your fingers.

This highly rated Android app takes a different approach to learning to play the piano, with tutorials that teach you how to recognize different chords and rhythms, allowing you to hear music in a new way.

Perfect Ear incorporates the solfege method, which is one of the most popular ways of teaching music theory, by training the ear to distinguish different notes and truly understand how they work together.

This app might be a little more serious than some of the others we discussed but if you want to establish a solid foundation for your playing, training your ear is key.

Download:

8. Flowkey

With this app, you will learn to play beautiful piano music from the very beginning.

It could learn more music depending on your playing level such as Beginner, intermediate and advance. It also receives instant feedback on your playing that it uses a microphone or MIDI connection.

This app also allows you to check your achievements in the learning progress indicator every time you complete any courses on it.

Download:

9. Real Piano Teacher

This app is a fun and interactive tutor that teaches you with audio and offline speech. You can also share the recording with friends & family.

Real Piano Teacher supports USB Midi Keyboard and standard general Midi protocol that allows the connection of real physical piano or Midi keyboards such as Yamaha, Casio or any real keyboard.

This app is perfect for you to play and create your desired freestyle music, you can also add beats to any song that you would like to compose and sync it to a cloud with this best piano app.

Download:

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10. Best Piano Lessons

The Best Piano Lessons app can be also used as a piano without learning mode. There is also an option of your own recording which will allow you to save your musical compositions and play them later.

This magic keyboard allows you to set the amount from 10 to 24 for the visibility of the piano keys, you may also move the keyboard with one key or one octave to the right or to the left.

Download:

11. Piano Academy – Learn Piano

Piano Academy supports video tutorials from your personal instructor which includes topics like notes, the staff, chords and much more. It helps you too to train your musical hearing, hard-coordination, and sense of rhythm.

This is also suitable for all ages, from kids to adults to help transform even the complete beginners into actual pianists.

Download:

12. Piano – Play & Learn Free songs.

It’s a real piano sound with rich content wherein new hit songs area added daily with an adjustable difficulty level.

If you play this music game every day, you will be able to improve your piano skills. You may then share and invite your friends for a challenge to compete for the best score.

The most popular songs for this are A Little Night Music by W.A. Mozart, Fur Elise by L.V. Beethoven, Hello by Adele and many others.

Download:

13. Piano Scales & Chords Free

This app can improvise to backing tracks or metronome, record and save. These can be viewed as a reference or played along to or repeated and scales can be played ascending or descending or both with slow down/speed up the scale.

It has a Scales and Chords Games to test your knowledge and advance through levels and an area to check to progress.

Download:

14. Piano – music games to play & learn songs for free

With this app, it features an ultra-realistic piano keyboard with 7 Different piano keyboards and musical instruments such as Grand Piano, Vintage Piano, Harp, Electric Piano, Xylophone, Church Organ, Harpsichord.

The app also offers a Metronome, pedal, dual scrollable keyboard that could help you learn thousands of classic piano songs and become a music maestro. Learning a new song has never been that simple! New songs are added on the playbook every week for you to keep practicing.

Download:

15. Note Trainer Lite Learn Piano

Note Trainer app has a practice mode, an option to turn on or off-note labels and labels on the piano as you learn to read notes which is also great for those just learning to read music as well as those challenging themselves to increase the speed at which they can read music notes.

This can track your scores and see when you’ve exceeded your personal best and achievements with badges to measure progress. It also shows your full statistics where you are making mistakes and note reading accuracy.

Note trainer lite is a fun sight-reading game that teaches you to recognize music notes. The game increases in speed and difficulty over time so that you can truly learn to sight-read music notes effortlessly.

Download:

Piano Apps Are a Great First Step

If learning to play the piano is a goal you’ve set for yourself, then trying out some of these piano apps is a good place to start.

You can see how it feels, and start learning some of the basics.

From there, you can decide whether taking lessons in person is a sensible next step for you. As great as technology can be, nothing beats the one-on-one teaching abilities of a real live human.

Contact us when you’re ready to start taking lessons, or for any questions, you might have about your piano playing journey.

The post 15 Best Piano Apps You Need to Download Right Now in 2020 (Android & iOS) first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

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(905) 829-2020

How to Play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on Piano

Learning to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is the rite of passage for all new pianists it is also a popular English nursery rhyme by 19th-century English poet Jane Taylor and was published in 1806 as “The Star.” but sometime later the poem was set to the melody of “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman.”  Here’s how to teach yourself to play it right now.

There are 52 white keys on a modern piano– 6 of those keys will produce the melody for Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

6 keys doesn’t sound too difficult, right? It’s not!

We get it. You are learning how to play a beginner piano. You’re staring at 88 keys wondering how to make sense of what notes come from which keys and how to properly move your fingers from key to key.

Learning how to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the piano is a good place to start. It’s a melody you already know by heart. You can even tell your friends you’ve learned a variation of Mozart.

This particular piece of music also uses 6 of the 7 keys used to create a scale, making it a great first introduction to piano.

Some related nursery rhyme/children’s songs are baa baa black sheep, happy birthday, and London bridge which are great for young beginners and have free piano sheet music.

What is a Tab?

A tab on the piano lays out the groundwork for which white keys correlate with which note they play. For this piano lesson, we will only be discussing the C Major Scale.

Once you become more advanced you will learn more about the difference between major and minor scales.

While learning how to play Twinkle, Twinkle you will need to know this basic scale on your piano: C, D, E, F, G, A, B.

Looking down at your piano you will notice the black keys change from sets of 2 to sets of 3. The C key is the white key located directly to the left hand of the set of 2 black keys. From there it follows the scale above and repeats.

Twinkle, Twinkle uses Middle C. This is the C key located nearest to the center of your piano keyboard.

(A helpful tip for beginners is to label each key with a sticker to its corresponding note!)

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on Piano

Now that you know where your keys are– it’s time to learn how to turn those notes into a melody!

For the tune of this easy piano music, you will use keys C, D, E, F, G, and A.

For the very first verse of the song, we will be using Middle C, G, and A.

Remember, C is located to the left hand of the 2 black keys, G is located 4 keys to the right of C and A is the key directly to the right of G.

Using your right hand, place your fingers over these keys:

• C: Thumb
• G: Ring Finger
• A: Pinkie Finger

Perfect! You’re ready to start playing!

For the first line, you will play CC, GG, AA, G. Start slow and don’t be afraid to sing along if it helps you remember the melody!

How I Wonder What You Are

You’re doing great! Once you’re comfortable with the first line, let’s move on to the second.

For the second line, we will be using keys C, D, E, and F. Just like it looks, D, E, and F are the first, second and third keys to the right of the C key.

Using your right hand again, move your fingers over these keys:

• F: Ring Finger
• E: Middle Finger
• D: Index Finger
• C: Thumb

Our second line goes like this: FF, EE, DD, C.

Can you hear that? Now you’re playing!

Practice this line a few times before moving onto the next, if you’re comfortable try to play the first and second line together!

Up Above The World So High

You’ve already played 2 of 6 lines! Didn’t we tell you this was going to be a piece of cake?

The next two lines each use the same key progression.

For the third and fourth lines of the song, we use the D, E, F, and G keys.

Still using your right hand, place your fingers over:

• G: Pinkie Finger
• F: Ring Finger
• E: Middle Finger
• D: Index Finger

Playing two times in a row, the third and fourth line goes like this: GG, FF, EE, D.

Getting the hang of it? Try starting from the top and slowly play the first 4 lines of the song together.

Now Repeat

Got those lines down? Now we repeat! The fifth line of the song is identical to the first.

• C: Thumb
• G: Ring finger
• A: Pinkie finger

Follow the same pattern as the first line: CC, GG, AA, G.

For the last line you repeat the second line:

• F: Ring finger
• E: Middle finger
• D: Index finger
• C: Thumb

End the song with FF, EE, DD, C.

All Together Now

Can you believe how easy piano music that was? Let’s break it down into one fluid song.

Using your right hand and left hand with the same finger technique:

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

CC GG AA G

How I Wonder What You Are

FF EE DD C

Up Above The World So High

GG FF EE D

Like A Diamond In The Sky

GG FF EE D

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

CC GG AA G

How I Wonder What You Are

FF EE DD C

Try starting slow and work towards a faster pace.

Where Do I Go From Here?

You did it! You’re playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the piano! Not as difficult as you expected, was it?

But where do you go from here?

We know it takes a lot of work to go from little tykes piano songs to playing in a symphony. Work that has been shown to have more benefits than impressing your family at holiday dinners. Some of these benefits are hand-eye coordination, advanced language skills, and stress relief.

Once you’ve made the decision to start playing or have a child who is eager to learn, it all begins with the right instrument. A piano book that fits your style and needs.

If you want to learn more about choosing the right piano, the difference between a Grand and a Digital, or simply want to fine-tune your skills contact us here at Merriam Pianos.

The post How to Play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on Piano first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

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(905) 829-2020

Types of Saxophones: What One is Right for You?

The saxophone is one of the world’s most popular instruments and is technically in the woodwind family/woodwind instruments although they are usually made of brass. It was first conceived around 1840 and developed in 1846 by a Belgian born instrument maker/inventor by the name of Adolphe Sax. Find out more about the different types of saxophones here and which one is right for you.

The saxophone is a fun-to-play instrument that is commonly used in a variety of musical genres, including classical, rock, blues, and reggae and they are used in chamber music, such as saxophone quartets and other chamber combinations of instruments. A brass instrument dates back to the mid 19th century but they are mostly used as an ensemble instrument in concert bands, symphonic bands, marching bands, and occasionally orchestras.  They were the E flat sopranino, F sopranino, B flat soprano, C soprano, E flat alto, F alto, B flat tenor, C tenor, E flat baritone, B flat bass, C bass, E flat contrabass, F contrabass, and subcontrabass.

Other types were created since then including the C-melody saxophone, Conn-O-Sax, F Mezzo-Soprano, F baritone, and the sopranissimo (nick-named the world’s smallest saxophone or soprillo).

If you’ve never played the instrument before, you might be under the impression that there’s only one type available. However, the truth of the matter is that there are several.

Curious as to the different types of saxophones this world has to offer? Read on! These are the various types of saxophones.

Types of Saxophones

Saxophones come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and produce a wide variety of sounds. Here are the different types of saxophones in the saxophone family. Highest Pitch (also marked “H” or “HP”) saxophones tuned sharper than the (concert) A = 440 Hz standard was produced into the early twentieth century for sonic qualities suited for outdoor uses, but are not playable to modern tuning and are considered obsolete. Lowest Pitch (also marked “L” or “LP”) saxophones are equivalent in tuning to modern instruments. C soprano and C melody saxophones were produced for the casual market as parlor instruments during the early twentieth century and it was marketed in the mid-1910s to 1920s as a non-transposing instrument.

1. Subcontrabass

The biggest saxophone in the world, the subcontrabass saxophone possesses nearly comical size. It stands in at around 10 feet tall, making it taller than just about any human who has ever walked the earth.

This saxophone creates absurdly low notes, some of which are so low that they can barely be heard by human ears. Loud and powerful, the subcontrabass saxophone is about as booming a brass instrument as you’re ever going to find.

There are very few subcontrabass saxophones existing in the world today. This is because they’re almost impossible for most individuals to play. As a beginner, you won’t get anywhere near one of these instruments.

2. Contrabass

The next biggest saxophone is the contrabass saxophone. This instrument stands in at around 6 feet tall and typically has to be held horizontally in order to be played. However, if you’re sitting down, it can be played upright.

While it doesn’t get an extraordinary amount of play overall, the contrabass saxophone is used much more frequently than the rarely seen subcontrabass saxophone. In most cases, you’ll see it used by virtuoso jazz players. It has a bit of a novelty quality.

Creating a big, resonating sound, this saxophone is not designed for beginner players. It requires far too much lung capacity in order to be played correctly.

3. Bass

Next up is the bass saxophone. While not as large as the subcontrabass or contrabass saxophones, this saxophone is still rather large, measuring in at around 4 feet in height.

These days, this type of saxophone is not used often. However, you might still see some jazz players playing it on occasion. It was fairly popular in the early 20th century, providing good low end for jazz big bands.

As a beginner, there’s essentially no chance of you learning the bass saxophone. Its necessity for a large lung capacity makes it more conducive to the talents of seasoned musicians.

4. Baritone

The baritone saxophone is the largest of the commonly used saxophones, standing it at around 3 feet in height. Weighing in at between 12 and 35 pounds, this saxophone is bulky but manageable.

You’ll see the baritone saxophone being used in a number of different musical genres. Not only is it used by jazz musicians and classical musicians, but by rock musicians as well.

While this musical instrument produces fairly low notes, its notes are easily distinguishable, allowing them to be heard with great precision and clarity. Nonetheless, it’s generally used to provide songs with low end.

Though beginner players don’t typically jump straight to the baritone saxophone, they’re usually able to pick it up within a few years of beginning lessons. The reason that it’s not typically picked up immediately is that it requires a great deal of lung strength.

5. Tenor

The tenor saxophone is one of the most widely used saxophones in the world. This saxophone is used extensively in a number of genres, from jazz to classical, to rock music, and much, much more. Some of the more prominent players of the tenor saxophone include John Coltrane, Clarence Clemons, and Coleman Hawkins.

This is a mid-sized saxophone, capable of being handled by players of all sizes. Often used in marching bands or military bands, it produces a full, but crisp sound that’s great for rhythm work and harmony alike.

Many beginner saxophone players start off by learning the tenor saxophone. It’s a great bridge to all other types of saxophones.

6. Alto

Like the tenor saxophone, the alto saxophone is one of the most commonly played saxophones in existence. This type of saxophone is used heavily in all types of music, including classical, jazz, and rock. Some famous musicians who played the alto saxophone include Charlie Parker and Jimmy Dorsey.

Designed to play melodies, the alto sax produces a clear, mid-level sound that cuts through the mixture of other instruments. Often used by soloists, it’s one of the premier lead instruments in brass bands.

Alto saxophones are fairly small in stature, making them not only easy to hold but easy to play as well. Because of this, they’re great for beginners.

7. Soprano

While soprano saxophones make similar sounds to all other types of saxophones, they are shaped far differently. Whereas other saxophones have a curved shape, soprano saxophones have a straight shape. In fact, they look similar to recorders and clarinets.

This type of saxophone is more difficult to learn and not recommended for beginning players. Correct embouchure or mouth position is critical to play this type of saxophone successfully.

Soprano saxophones are generally used by soloists in jazz music and classical music. Instrumentalist Kenny G can often be seen playing a soprano saxophone.

In general, beginner players should avoid soprano saxophones. These saxophones necessitate a very precise technique in order to be played appropriately. Most beginners will not possess this technique.

8. Sopranino

Visually, sopranino saxophones are like soprano saxophones, but smaller. Sound-wise, they produce slightly higher notes.

Sopranino saxophones are specialty saxophones that are generally only brought out to provide unique coloring to specific songs. Most often used by jazz musicians, they excel in improvisation.

Like soprano saxophones, sopranino saxophones are difficult for beginner players to learn. Those who are just starting out should generally not opt for sopranino saxophones.

Interested in Taking Saxophone Lessons?

Looking to learn more about the various types of saxophones? Interested in taking saxophone lessons in Toronto? Merriam Music is the school you seek.

We offer top-notch music lessons for all types of saxophones. Our experienced teachers will not only give you valuable lessons on technique and music theory, but they will also help you to choose the type of saxophone which best suits your playing style and capabilities.

Contact us today to sign up at one of our various locations!

 

The post Types of Saxophones: What One is Right for You? first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

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21 Classic Piano Quotes That Will Inspire You to Play

The piano is a classic instrument that has been idolized for centuries. Check out these piano quotes that will inspire you to sit down and play a melody.

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been dreaming about learning how to play the piano or have been playing for decades. Sometimes, you just need a little push to get your fingers in gear.

Playing the piano can be a relaxing and rejuvenating artform that benefits not only the audience but the performer as well. But, as fun as playing a well-known piece can be, practicing is another matter entirely.

While no one ever really wants to sit down and practice — it’s the only way to improve and maintain your musical abilities. So, when it comes time to hit the bench and get to work, you may find yourself looking for a little bit of inspiration.

The famous old saying, “the pen is mightier than the sword,” couldn’t be truer. Words are powerful tools that, in times of strife, can provide the inspiration we need to pick ourselves up and get back to work.

Finding strength in words can also help you when you’re trying to get yourself in the right headspace to practice.

Fortunately, there have been plenty of piano loving composers, musicians, and other artists who came before us.

These pianists imparted words of wisdom that can help any student find the inspiration you need to get playing.

Are you looking for a little musical guidance?

Here are 21 of the greatest quotes about the piano ever imparted, that are sure to make you want to get to tickling those ivory keys in no time.

Quotes About the Piano

1. “The piano ain’t got no wrong notes.”

— Thelonious Monk, American Jazz Pianist, and Composer

2. “The important thing is to feel your music, really feel it and believe it.”

— Ray Charles

3. “There’s nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.”

– Johann Sebastian Bach

4. “The piano is able to communicate the subtlest universal truths by means of wood, metal and vibrating air.”

— Kenneth Miller, American Biologist

5. “Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.”

–Tom Lehrer

6. “The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind.”

— Maria Cristina Mena, Author

7. “Life is like a piano; the white keys represent happiness and the black show sadness. But as you go through life’s journey, remember that the black keys also create music”

— Ehssan

8. “What has keys but can’t listen to the beauty it unlocks? A piano.”

— Jarod Kintz

9. “Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.”

— Wassily Kandinsky, Russian Painter

10. “The piano as a medium for expression is a whole world by itself. No other instrument can fill or replace its own say in the world of emotion, sentiment, poetry, imagery, and fancy.”

— Leopold Godowsky, Polish-American Pianist

11. “Prayer is when you talk to God. Meditation is when you’re listening. Playing the piano allows you to do both at the same time.”

— Kelsey Grammer, American Actor

12. “When you play, never mind who listens to you.”

— Robert Schumann, German Composer

13. “I believe in using the entire piano as a single instrument capable of expressing every possible musical idea.”

— Oscar Peterson, Canadian Jazz Pianist

14. “I had never before thought of how awful the relationship must be between the musician and his instrument. He has to fill it, this instrument, with the breath of life, his own. He has to make it do what he wants it to do.

And a piano is just a piano. It’s made out of so much wood and wires and little hammers and big ones, and ivory. While there’s only so much you can do with it, the only way to find this out is to try; to try and make it do everything.”

— James Baldwin, American Author

15. “I tell my piano the things I used to tell you.”

— Frederic Chopin, Polish Composer, and Pianist

16. “To me, the piano in itself is an orchestra.”

— Cecil Taylor, American Pianist, and Poe

17. “Pianos, unlike people, sing when you give them your every growl. They know how to dive into the pit of your stomach and harmonize with your roars when you’ve split yourself open. And when they see you, guts shining, brain pulsing, heart right there exposed in a rhythm that beats need-need, need-need, need-need, pianos do not run. And so she plays.”

— Francesca Lia Block, American Author

18. “I’m an interpreter of stories. When I perform it’s like sitting down at my piano and telling fairy tales.”

— Nat King Cole, American Jazz Musician

19. “One of my biggest thrills for me still is sitting down with a guitar or a piano and just out of nowhere trying to make a song happen.”

— Sir Paul McCartney, English Singer-Songwriter

20. “I’m able to sometimes express things even more articulately on the piano than I am with singing.”

— Harry Connick Jr., American Musician

21. “Sometimes I feel like a melody doesn’t have anything to do with me, but it’s just something that comes, is accumulated from me playing on the piano, and then this little creature just appears.”

— Agnes Obel, Danish Singer-Songwriter

Despite what some non-piano-playing-musicians might try to tell you — the piano is one of the most difficult musical instruments to master.

No other instrument has 88 different buttons. So, as a pianist, budding or otherwise, you should take pride in your instrument and play it as often as you possibly can.

It can be difficult, at times, to find the inspiration you need to practice every day. Running through those tedious finger exercises and boring practice pieces can be the bane of any pianist’s existence.

But, these powerful quotes about the piano from your fellow pianists and music lovers will help you find the inner strength you need to succeed.

And who knows? Given enough practice and time, one-day future budding pianists could be turning to inspirational quotes and motivational quotes from you for you to sit down and play.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned pro or just learning how to plunk out “Chopsticks” for the very first time. If you’re trying to master the piano, we have everything you need.

We offer instruments and sheet music, tuning and care, and even lessons with passionate and talented piano instructors. You won’t need to look anywhere else for the tools you may need to further your musical career and music life.

Visit us or contact us today for more information or to get started on your path to musical success.

The post 21 Classic Piano Quotes That Will Inspire You to Play first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

merriammusic.com

(905) 829-2020

12 Great Jazz Piano Songs That Are Easy to Learn

Jazz piano songs are smooth and soulful pieces of music. But that’s no reason to be intimidated by the genre. Here are some easy and beautiful jazz songs you can learn on the piano.

Are you new to piano but are beyond the beginner stages?

You’re probably interested in learning advanced songs. If you’re a fan of jazz sheet music, you may think learning jazz piano songs is difficult. But there are great jazz piano songs for all piano players to learn.

There are certain jazz songs that are easy piano play and are remembered by everyone. You can easily jam them yourself and team up with other musicians to play them. And of course, these songs are extremely fun to play.

Whether you’re taking jazz piano lessons or are self-taught, here are the 12 jazz piano songs you should learn now. These songs will improve your piano playing skills while you learn your favorite jazz songs, watch a few of the piano tutorial videos to help you out a bit.

1. Snow White – “Someday My Prince Will Come”

You probably know this song from the Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. But this song was reinvented in jazz form by many jazz musicians.

You can easily take the vocal leads and convert them to the piano, such as what Chick Corea did.

The striking feature of this song is the melody. But hearing the Disney version, you can tell the varying notes isn’t an easy song to sing. Therefore, it’s quite difficult to play on the piano.

The lead melodies captivate anyone who hears this song. But unlike the Disney song, the jazz piano version gives this song more complexity. This makes this song fun but challenging.

2. Ella Fitzgerald – “All the Things You Are”

If you’re unsure where to start with jazz piano, always start with the classics. “All the Things You Are” is a perfect starting piece. Dating back to 1939, this song was played by Jerome Kern.

This song is the epitome of classic jazz composition. Chord progressions and other dynamic changes make this song challenging. But everything flows so naturally, so it’s complex yet beautiful.

Most beginners find the intro difficult. But once you get past the challenging beginning, you get a better feel for the song. After you practice this song, the chord changes and other dynamics make more sense.

3. Herbie Hancock – “Dolphin Dance”

You can’t say “jazz piano legends” without mentioning Herbie Hancock. This is why his tune “Dolphin Dance” is on this list. Hancock is an influential pianist for his complex but individualistic writing style.

This song goes through a variety of chord changes but always manages to keep its melody. You’re completely hooked throughout the song because it’s unpredictable. There are also many intricate parts and parts that slow down.

Practicing this song not only enhances your piano playing skills but also improves your songwriting.

4. Bill Evans – “Waltz for Debbie”

“Waltz for Debbie” is one of the most beautiful jazz piano pieces in history.

Performed by Bill Evans, this song is a classic. This song is perfect for a beginner and is constantly revisited by expert pianists.

This song doesn’t do anything too complex but the song is enjoyable enough to play. The secret is the tune. The tune is so strong that it sticks with you. This makes this song easy to get stuck in your head so you’ll recognize each note.

Last but not least, this song is still fresh today. This is why Evans was such a notable pianist for his time. This song is an example of modern jazz.

5. Thelonious Monk – “Round Midnight”

Thelonious Monk is one of the most influential jazz pianists and composers.

“Round Midnight” is one of his most well-known songs. This song has been covered by just about every great jazz pianist. And it’s a perfect song to learn on piano.

“Round Midnight” isn’t as complex as other jazz piano songs. It has a strong melody that you can easily follow. This song is very calm but has enough complexities to challenge a beginner piano player.

From the beginning to the end of the song, “Round Midnight” follows a distinctive but infectious tune. After playing this song, you can understand how Monk has influenced many pianists.

6. Red Garland – “On a Clear Day”

This song is recommended for beginner jazz pianists because it isn’t your traditional jazz song. There’s a lot of swing influence that makes this song a lot of fun to play. The swing influence gives this classic tune a fun and upbeat vibe.

Legendary jazz pianist Red Garland performs this song and is a timeless tune.

The groove of the rhythm section and the fun piano melodies makes this song intoxicating.

This song is relatively simple to play but is fun enough for advanced jazz pianists.

This song is easy to learn for beginners but is challenging enough to improve their skill.

7. Ray Brown Trio – “Sweet Georgia Brown”

Back in 1925, Ray Brown Trio performed “Sweet Georgia Brown” with Gene Harris on piano. This song gives jazz its classic sound but makes the genre more fun.

Even with a dominating rhythm section, Harris’ piano melodies stand out. This song is completely upbeat but still relaxing. It’s an easy song to play but it’s easy to get sucked into the song as you play.

The piano parts are polished and you’ll feel great as you learn to play this song.

In this song, Harris uses piano styles from swing, gospel and blues to create a unique feeling. This makes “Sweet Georgia Brown” one of the most unique songs in jazz. If you want to excel as a jazz pianist, this song is a must.

8. Duke Ellington – “Take the “A” Train”

The famous jazz standard “Take the “A” Train” was written by Billy Strayhorn, and was performed by Duke Ellington, who regularly performed it with his orchestra.

This song was also recorded by countless other artists, including Ella Fitzgerald. The song is about the new subway in New York in the 1930s!

9. Dave Brubeck – “Take Five”

This song was composed by Paul Desmond for the Dave Brubeck Quartet during 1959, in which he uses saxophone. Two years later it became a surprise hit and the biggest-selling jazz single ever.

The quartet recorded the tune in two takes, and when it was done, Paul Desmond thought the song was a throwaway — so much so that he once joked about using his entire share of royalties from the song to buy a new electric shaver. The title “Take Five” was Brubeck’s idea which became the A side of a 45 record.

10. Erroll Garner – “Misty”

The pianist and composer who came to fame during what is often called the swing era of Jazz in the 1940s was Erroll Garner with his style of piano playing encapsulated the stride technique of earlier pianists but it was Garner’s abundant virtuosity and lyrical fluency that characterized his performances.

Misty is a jazz standard written in 1954 by pianist Erroll Garner. He composed it as an instrumental on the traditional 32-bar format and recorded it for the album Contrasts (1955).

11. Duke Ellington – “Satin Doll”

This song was also written by  Duke Ellington last 1953.  Its chord progression is well known for its unusual use of chords and opening with a ii-V-I turnaround.

Duke Ellington used “Satin Doll” as the closing number in most of his concerts. Wherein it makes as a modest hit, entering the pop charts in June and rising to number twenty-seven.

12. Joseph Kosma – “Autumn Leaves”

This is a 1945 popular song and jazz standard composed by Joseph Kosma with original lyrics by Jacques Prévert in French, and later by Johnny Mercer in English.

This song was listed as a number 1 best-seller in the US Billboard charts of 1955 by an instrumental version of the pianist Roger Williams.

Time to Learn These Jazz Piano Songs

If you want a unique challenge to your piano playing abilities, learning jazz piano is an enjoyable way to improve your piano skills. If you’re unsure which songs you should learn, these jazz songs are perfect for any piano player to learn. Jazz piano makes ample use of improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and swung note, as well as aspects of European harmony, American popular music, the brass band tradition, and African musical elements such as blue notes and ragtime.

These songs are all fun to play but offer unique challenges. They’re well-rounded and can help you improve on many areas of piano playing. From complex chord progressions to simple melodies, all of these songs are different but amazing.

Do you need piano lessons? Take a look at our piano lessons.

More Jazz Piano Songs

The post 12 Great Jazz Piano Songs That Are Easy to Learn first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Learn How to Teach Yourself Piano at Home | Easy Guide for Beginners

When you’re ready to start learning piano, you may not be ready to start taking lessons right away. Here’s how you can start to teach yourself the basics at home. Eager to start learning piano? Start right at home! Learn how to teach yourself piano with these proven tips and tricks.

With 88 keys to memorize and about 45,000 pounds of tension to deal with, playing the piano is no doubt both physical and mental work. All that hard work is worth it though, once the pianist hits those notes and produces beautiful sounds.

That’s not all that makes piano amazing though. According to a study, learning piano can help boost children’s language skills. There’s also the fact that pianists’ brains have a different (and impressive) brain capacity.

So you want to learn how to teach yourself piano, but don’t know where to start.

Fortunately, you only really need 2 things: a piano, and a willingness to learn. You can worry about things like sheet music later.

The following guide will walk you through the learning process of acquiring, familiarizing, and practicing your piano.

How To Teach Yourself Piano in 10 Steps:

Remember that learning any instrument takes a commitment to practicing regularly. So if you’re ready to learn, and committed to practicing a lot, let’s get started!

1. Get A Piano/Find Yourself a Keyboard

The obvious first step is to acquire a piano for yourself. Set a budget, do your research on different types of pianos, and look online and in your community for deals.

Some things to consider:

Many music stores rent keyboards. If you want to rent before you’re sure the piano/keyboard is right for you, this might be a good place to start.

If any of your friends or family are involved in the music world, reach out. They may know someone dying to sell an old instrument that isn’t getting used for half what it would cost coming out of a box.

If you’re unable to find a piano, a keyboard is a great alternative. They’re affordable, never go out of tune and have lots of sounds and features that can enhance your music. Not to mention, they’re a lot easier to move around and don’t take up much space. A learning keyboard is a great tool for a beginner. These specialty instruments light up in a specific order to help you learn songs more quickly. Typically, they come with books and videos that will help you learn musical notation. You can always start out on a keyboard and then upgrade to a piano.

Keyboards generally cost less than pianos do. On the plus side, keyboards never go out of tune and take up much less space than a piano will. Wherein, acoustic pianos typically range in price from $2,000 to $10,000 or more for some high-quality concert grand pianos.

2. Get Familiar with Your Instrument

Now that you have your piano or keyboard, spend some time getting familiar with it.

To accomplish this task:

Listen to your new piano. Is it in tune? You might consider having someone tune it for you for the first time. If you went with a keyboard, you can skip this step.

Learn about the keys and their names. If your piano came with a book or you chose to buy one, the keys should be in the piano book. If not, this 5-minute tutorial will walk you through an easy way to learn the keys.

Make sure you understand what proper hand posture looks like. Really listen to each of them, and note how they are different from the others. Keep practicing until you can tell the difference between them. You want to form good habits from the beginning!

3. Train Your Arms and Hands with Proper Positioning

The first step on how to teach yourself to play the piano is to ensure your arms and hands maintain the right-hand position. That’s the “C Position,” which is the natural cupped-shape they form when left hanging to your side. You will also be able to read a selection of notes from both the bass and treble clefs, and you will be able to play some simple piano chords in the left hand.

It’s the same position you need to keep when you put your arms and hands on top of the keys. While doing this, ensure your wrist and forearms remain straight.

Play five-finger patterns all over the keyboard, and in many different keys. Use a lot of black keys! First without notes to learn the geography of the keyboard, and then with notes using “landmark notes” to find your way.

It’s crucial to follow the proper hand and finger positioning since it helps prevent repetitive stress injury. Also, we understand that you’d like to learn how to learn piano fast, but know your limits and don’t over-practice.

4. Know Your Notes

Learning piano means learning a new type of language – that of music. It’s much like how you first learned the alphabet, but in this case, it’s noted that you’ll memorize. With constant practice, you’ll have these committed to memory soon enough.

A good way to start is with the Do-Re-Mi tune (yes, the one from The Sound of Music). Each of these represents a note on the piano, starting with note C. It’ll help you get the notes’ pitch while also learning which keys to press on the piano.

• Do – Note C
• Re – Note D
• Mi – Note E
• Fa – Note F
• So – Note G
• La – Note A
• Ti – Note B

To locate C, look for a pair of black keys (accidentals). Right to their left is C. There are several Cs on the piano, and they’re always eight notes (octave) apart.

F is another keynote to know the placement of by heart at the beginning. It’s the key to the left of a trio of black keys.

Memorizing your Cs and Fs right away makes it easier to memorize the location of the rest of the notes.

5. Familiarize Yourself with Sharps and Flats

The black keys play either sharps (#) or flats (b). They come in either pairs or trios.

When you see a # on a piece, that means you have to play the next higher key. A b, on the other hand, means you need to play the next lower key.

To start, look at the center of the piano. Do you see that group of one pair of blacks and a group of three? That’s where you’ll find the middle C note.

As mentioned above, all Cs appear to the left of two blacks. F to the left of three blacks. So, these ones you find in the middle of your piano are the Middle C and Middle F.

When you press the black key right above and beside the Middle C note, it produces either a C sharp (C#) or a D flat (Db). The black key beside it plays the D# or Eb. As for the black key beside Middle F, it plays F# or Gb.

Do you see the pattern now? Always remember that black keys are always either sharps or flats, but white keys can also play sharps or flats.

6. Set A Practice Goal

Begin with your end goal in mind. You want to learn the piano, but what do you want to play? How long do you want it to take?

What material will you be focusing on? Is that material online or from a book you bought?

What keys or scales do you want to be able to play? What’s your favorite song that did you picture yourself playing when you first started thinking about learning how to teach yourself piano?

What will you be able to play on the piano in seven days? What about 14 or 30? You are just starting to learn how to teach yourself piano, so you probably don’t need goals beyond a month just yet. Focus on the first 30 days!

How long will you practice each day?

7. Start Practicing

The first three parts were leading to the most important step, which is this: Do you really want to learn how to teach yourself piano? Then practice, every day!

Some tips for your practice sessions:

Stick to your goal. If you need a break from the same few scales or chords, try some finger speed exercises.

Practice chords and scales. These will form the foundation of your piano playing, so be sure to do these each day. Start with the major and minor chords!

Learn the major keys. If you want to eventually play by ear and identify the sounds you make, this is important. Easy songs like “Mary Had A Little Lamb” are perfect for this!

As you start playing by ear, also begin noticing patterns. All songs are composed of musical patterns. You’ll want to start identifying and learning these patterns as you work towards your eventual goal of playing songs on the piano.

The internet can be your friend when you’re ready to learn songs. Many sites will allow you to download some of their sheet music for free!

8. Practice Your Fingers

Now that you’ve got your basics down, next is to apply them with your fingers. This way, you can train your fingers to know right away without fumbling. When you are first learning to play the piano, fingering is key. You must know where your fingers are supposed to go when you are starting to play the piano.

A good place to start is the pentascale approach. Pentascales are any scale that has five (Penta) notes. Since you already know by now where the Middle C is, you can begin your finger practice with the C Major pentascale.

To begin, put your thumb on the Middle C note, index on D, middle on E, ring on F, and a pinky on G. Those five notes make up this pentascale.

This is one of the easiest finger practicing techniques since it trains up all your fingers. Now, you want to start slowly, so apply the whole note approach (count four beats before pressing the next key). From here, you can move on to half notes and then quarter notes.

Once you feel more comfortable, you can move up the practice ladder to taking it two notes at a time. That means using two fingers since you’ll press two keys simultaneously. It’s a bit more complex, but it’ll help you prepare for more advanced pieces.

9. Get Your Timing Right

Every note has a count – the length of time you should keep it pressed. In music sheets, you’ll find three most often used, which include the following:

• Whole notes (with four beats)
• Half notes (with two beats)
• Quarter notes (with one beat)

The white circles you see on a music sheet are whole notes. When you see these, it means you have to keep the note for four full beats (as in one-and-two-and-three).

Half notes are also white circles, with a stem attached to them. You hold these notes for two beats (one-and-two).

Quarter notes look much like half notes, except they have shaded circles. They represent one beat.

10. Play With Other People

After some time, it’s a good idea to find other people to practice around or with.

Ask a more experienced piano player if they want to get together and practice, or if they have any resources that helped them learn.

Once you start making progress, do mini “performances” for people, even if it’s your family. They will be able to tell you what sounds great and what could use a little tweaking.

Last, consider taking piano lessons with a piano instructor. An instructor will give you hands-on coaching, accountability for learning the instrument, and teach you how to correct pacing. Plus, if you teach yourself the basics, a piano teacher will help expedite the process to you playing some simple songs you really want to learn!

One good set that many adult beginners have used is the Alfred Self-Teaching Adult Piano Beginner’s Kit.  While you might only want to learn how to play current popular music, a piano teacher might introduce you to other genres such as classical music or jazz music.

Wrap Up

In truth, playing the piano requires only two things: having the instrument readily available to you, and dedication to the practice.

How to teach yourself piano can be summed up like this:

Begin by setting a budget and find the instrument that is right for you. Then, get familiar with your new instrument.

After you read through and watch tutorials on things scales and chords and finger posture, decide what you’d like to learn, and how quickly. Set a goal for your piano playing!

Last, start practicing — every day if you can swing it. To accelerate your learning, set a goal of playing around people after a couple of weeks. Even if it’s family, it will give you feedback on what you’ve learned and motivate you to keep working.

There are also piano courses and google resources through youtube videos and online courses that can help you to learn how to play the piano.

Want more tips for learning how to play the piano? Whether they’re for adult beginner piano learning or for your little ones, you’ll find more useful posts in our blog!

If we can help you on your journey to learning the piano, from buying a new one to working with a piano teacher, don’t hesitate to contact us. Now, start practicing!

 

The post Learn How to Teach Yourself Piano at Home | Easy Guide for Beginners first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

merriammusic.com

(905) 829-2020