The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Piano
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From reading music and learning chords, to understanding music notation or buying an instrument, an expert author tells aspiring pianists how to get started. Learn posture, positioning, fingering, notations, and drills, with advice from a master. And this new edition features an introduction to music notation, explains how to use the pedals, and offers strategies for mastering major and minor scales.
Part 1Meeting Your Instrument11Why Play the Piano?3Soothing the Soul3Creativity and Other Mysteries5The Uniqueness of All Keyboard Instruments6The Great Teacher7Following the Footsteps of Immortality72Hammers and Strings9Like a Harp, But Different10Parts of the Piano12Keys to the Piano12Hammering Home the Sound13V-V-Vibrating Strings14The All-Important Soundboard14The Solution to Bored Feet14Grand and Less Than Grand15Whopping Big (and Heavy) Keyboard163The Keyboard in Black and White17Key to the Keys17Higher and Lower18Stretching Across the Octaves20Black and White Keys204Sitting on the Bench23A Hundred Ways to Make a Piano Stool23Posture Has a Bearing24Where to Sit24Playing Footsie with the Pedals25Placing a Home Keyboard26Part 2Give Yourself Another Hand295Learning the Right-Hand Notes31Knowing the Letters31Finding C on the Keyboard32Lines and Spaces33The Staff33Clefs34The Notes34Expression Marks36Finding Middle C When Reading Music36Finding Other Notes37Making Music406Sharps, Flats, and Fingerings43Accidentals Are No Accident43Whole and Half Steps Revisited44Pinching 'em Upward44Pushing 'em Downward45Sharps and Flats in Written Music47The Black Sheep of Accidentals48Using the Right Fingers49Making Music507Whole Notes and Their Offspring53Counting in Music53Note Values54Wholes, Halves, and Quarters55Making Music60Dividing the Quarter61Dotted Notes63Making Music648Bars, Time Signatures, and Rests67Organizing the Music Staff67Where's the Bar?68Sign of the Times69Taking a Rest71Making Music729Unlocking Keys and Scales75What Keys Do75Climbing a Hill of Scales77Major and Minor Scales78Scales and Key Signatures80Key Signatures in Written Music81A Natural Thing82A Little Less Major84Close Relations85Scales a la Mode86Part 3Give Yourself Another Hand8910Learning the Left-Hand Notes91Middle C for the Left Hand91Left-Hand Notes on the Staff94Time and Key Signatures in the Bass Clef98Making Music9911Putting One and One Together101Starting Simple101Practice Tips for Two-Handed Playing104Making Music10512Basics of Accompaniment109What Is Accompaniment?109Left-Hand Playing Styles110The Simplest Accompaniment111Chords112Striding Along114Using Keyboard Auto-Accompaniments114Making Music11713Striking a Familiar Chord123A Basic Chord Explanation123Triads and Intervals126Learning the Basic Triad126Intervals of the C-Major Scale127Intervals in Other Keys127Different Types of Intervals128Finding Intervals by Using Half Steps130Major and Minor Triads131The Common Chords133Part 4Master Class13714Details of Music Notation139Note Groupings and Ties139Roadrunner Notes140Tying Notes Together143Triplets144Play It Again146Expression Markings148Dynamic Markings148Pass the Dictionary150Miscellaneous Expression Markings150Slurs (But Not Insults)150Legato and Staccato151Making Music15215Pedals: Where's the Clutch?157Plugging in the Pedal158Trying Out the Pedal158Pedal Technique159Using the Piano's Other Pedals164Making Music16416Faking It167How Music Charts Work167Fakery Tips to Remember170Making Music17117The Rigors and Joys of the Classics175How Classical Music Works175Adhering to the Letter and Spirit175Even the Masters Wrote Easy Music177Begin With the Baroque177Classic Classics182Virtuosity Emerges184The Impressionists187Jazz-America's Music18918Power Practicing191The Goal of Practicing191Knowing How Much to Practice193Take Apart the Parts193Slow, Slower, Slowest194Making Things Harder195No Strain, Big Gain196Facing the Music19919Technical Tips201Getting Relaxed201Mastering Octaves202Speed and Power203Repeating Notes and Chords204Out of Thin Air205Sight-Reading Tips206Committing It to Memory207Ornaments and Flourishes208Trills208Glissandos208Arpeggios20920Next Steps211Keeping It Interesting211Finding a Teacher212MIDI and Home Music Studios214The Many Types of MIDI Keyboards215MIDI Recorders216Tone Modules217Drum Machines218Hooking It All Up219Listen to the Music219Jazz Pianists219Classical Pianists220Part 5Bringing It Home: Buying an Instrument22321Buying a Piano225Why Buy a Piano?225The Real Piano Sound226The Mechanical Piano Action226Appearance227Educational Value227The Big Questions228Upright or Grand?228New or Used?231The Asian Connection23322Piano Maintenance and Repair235Why Upkeep Is Important236Where Should We Put This Thing?236Pampering Your Piano237The All-Important Tuner237Regulating, Adjusting, and Tinkering238Understanding New and Used Warranties23923Buying a Digital Keyboard241A Trio of Keyboards242Basic Keyboard Features243What Does This Button Do?--Oops!243A Sound Is a Sound by Any Other Name244Tiny People Inside the Keyboard244Immortal Music Deserves to Be Recorded245Oh Joy! A Stick!246Where to Shop247New or Used?248Portable or Not-So-Portable249Shopping for a Digital Piano249Shopping for a Home Keyboard252Making Sense of the Bells and Whistles252Taking It Home and Turning It On254AppendixesAGlossary257BResources for the Beginning Pianist263Index263
