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Learning to Play the Piano or
Keyboard
Learning to play the piano
can be a fun and rewarding
experience. Many well-loved
pieces of music have been
written for the piano, and
pianos make an appearance in
a wide variety of musical
styles. From classical and
popular to jazz and folk,
the possibilities of
piano-playing offer
something for everyone.
The piano is a great
instrument to learn at any
age. Young children may
begin to learn to play as
soon as they possess the
necessary hand-eye
coordination. Even children
who are not yet ready to
read music can be taught
short songs through
repetition, though these
must be simple since little
fingers cannot yet reach
very far. Older children can
be introduced to the
positioning of notes on the
keyboard, and aspiring
pianists of any age can take
the opportunity to learn to
read music as well as
learning to play. Adults
looking to take up an
instrument later in life can
also try their hand at the
piano.
A standard piano has 88
keys. This may sound like a
lot to keep track of, but
most popular songs utilize
only a fraction of this
number. Those just staring
out may want to begin with
pieces that require a
narrower scope of
concentration until they
feel more comfortable with
the keyboard. Fortunately,
the position of notes on a
piano is not hard to learn.
The division of black keys
and white keys gives helpful
visual clues as to where
each note lies. Both
beginners and those wishing
to advance their
piano-playing skills can use
this layout as a foundation
for developing greater
control of the keyboard. A
few simple lessons in
playing scales can help
reinforce this control.
The piano is a little more
difficult to learn than
other instruments. Since it
often requires the use of
two hands doing different
things at the same time, a
certain amount of
coordination is necessary.
Those who are serious about
learning the piano must be
able to master the ability
to play separate parts of a
piece with the left hand and
right hand, as well as
playing these parts at
different volumes. On a
scale of 1 to 10 for
difficulty, learning the
basics of piano playing
ranks around a 3; while more
advanced techniques may rank
an 8.
Playing a keyboard requires
the same techniques as piano
playing, though keyboards
have fewer keys than a
standard piano. Keys may or
may not be weighted;
weighted keys offer a
playing experience that is
similar in feel to a piano.
In addition, electric
keyboards can have many
options that pianos do not,
including the ability to
sound like other
instruments, record and play
back short loops or songs,
and provide background music
to the player.
Learning to play the piano
or keyboard takes time and
dedication. With a little
effort, people of all ages
can become skilled at this
versatile instrument. Piano
players can entertain
themselves, family and
friends, or even join a
band. The ability to play
the piano or keyboard offers
years of enjoyment no matter
what the player’s musical
style.
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