Consumer's Guide for Buying a Piano
Published by National Piano Foundation, Dallas Texas
You can’t take a piano on a picnic, but that’s almost a complete list of what you can’t do with this most versatile of musical instruments.
The piano traces its ancestors back to the earliest stringed instruments; the keyboard was added in the 12th century. Since the development of the true “pianoforte” in Italy in the 18th century, the piano has made itself right at home anywhere music is played. It blends well with other instruments, and it is the ideal solo instrument. Learning to play the piano puts you in touch with melody, harmony and rhythm – and with the whole range of human emotions, from Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata to rollicking ragtime and jazz.
Maybe you know all this. Maybe you’re ready to buy a piano. How do you go about deciding which is best for you?
First, keep in mind that you will be listening to, and looking at, your piano for a long time. The average lifetime of a piano is about 40 years, and you will probably have it long after you have sold your present furniture, house and car. Pianos depreciate very little. In fact, they can appreciate. I bought my Steinway second hand in 1984 for $11,000.00 and today, I’m told by the Steinway dealer here in Florida, that it is worth around $30,000.00! Pianos are a true investment. A used piano built 10 years ago and maintained well will cost almost as much as a comparable new piano.
So buy the best piano you can afford. Especially, don’t try to economize on a piano for a child who’s starting lessons. Making good music on a quality instrument is the best way to keep a young pianist interested.
Read the complete article.
You can’t take a piano on a picnic, but that’s almost a complete list of what you can’t do with this most versatile of musical instruments.
The piano traces its ancestors back to the earliest stringed instruments; the keyboard was added in the 12th century. Since the development of the true “pianoforte” in Italy in the 18th century, the piano has made itself right at home anywhere music is played. It blends well with other instruments, and it is the ideal solo instrument. Learning to play the piano puts you in touch with melody, harmony and rhythm – and with the whole range of human emotions, from Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata to rollicking ragtime and jazz.
Maybe you know all this. Maybe you’re ready to buy a piano. How do you go about deciding which is best for you?
First, keep in mind that you will be listening to, and looking at, your piano for a long time. The average lifetime of a piano is about 40 years, and you will probably have it long after you have sold your present furniture, house and car. Pianos depreciate very little. In fact, they can appreciate. I bought my Steinway second hand in 1984 for $11,000.00 and today, I’m told by the Steinway dealer here in Florida, that it is worth around $30,000.00! Pianos are a true investment. A used piano built 10 years ago and maintained well will cost almost as much as a comparable new piano.
So buy the best piano you can afford. Especially, don’t try to economize on a piano for a child who’s starting lessons. Making good music on a quality instrument is the best way to keep a young pianist interested.
Read the complete article.
Wired for Sound
Written by Oliver Sacks, MD; Printed in O, the Oprah Magazine on November 8, 2008
Oliver Sacks, MD, the noted neurologist and author, describes the profound bond between music and our brains and how the simple act of singing can be good medicine—especially as we age.
It is not surprising that nearly every culture has evolved its own musical traditions to celebrate the holidays, from Hanukkah songs and Christmas carols to the African rhythms and gospel of Kwanzaa. Music brings us together in song and dance, in ritual and play. It inspires and consoles us. It is a way to pass down traditions from generation to generation. And holiday music is especially powerful because we hear it from earliest childhood and associate it with family, warm gatherings, special foods, smells, and sights.
Humans are uniquely able to produce and enjoy music—very few other animals can do so. But not only is music one of the fundamental ways we bond with each other, it literally shapes our brains. Perhaps this is so because musical activity involves many parts of the brain (emotional, motor, and cognitive areas), even more than we use for our other great human achievement, language. This is why it can be such an effective way to remember or to learn. It is no accident that we teach our youngest children with rhymes and songs. As anyone who can’t get an advertising jingle or a popular song out of their head knows, music burrows its way deep into the nervous system, so deep, in fact, that even when people suffer devastating neurological disease or injury, music is usually the last thing they lose.
Read the complete article.
Oliver Sacks, MD, the noted neurologist and author, describes the profound bond between music and our brains and how the simple act of singing can be good medicine—especially as we age.
It is not surprising that nearly every culture has evolved its own musical traditions to celebrate the holidays, from Hanukkah songs and Christmas carols to the African rhythms and gospel of Kwanzaa. Music brings us together in song and dance, in ritual and play. It inspires and consoles us. It is a way to pass down traditions from generation to generation. And holiday music is especially powerful because we hear it from earliest childhood and associate it with family, warm gatherings, special foods, smells, and sights.
Humans are uniquely able to produce and enjoy music—very few other animals can do so. But not only is music one of the fundamental ways we bond with each other, it literally shapes our brains. Perhaps this is so because musical activity involves many parts of the brain (emotional, motor, and cognitive areas), even more than we use for our other great human achievement, language. This is why it can be such an effective way to remember or to learn. It is no accident that we teach our youngest children with rhymes and songs. As anyone who can’t get an advertising jingle or a popular song out of their head knows, music burrows its way deep into the nervous system, so deep, in fact, that even when people suffer devastating neurological disease or injury, music is usually the last thing they lose.
Read the complete article.
Preparation of Students for Evaluation
Written on November 12, 2010
The teacher has the responsibility of preparing students to perform their best under pressure. Some teachers give students ample time to learn a piece adequately, while others try to accomplish the impossible at the last moment. Generally, several months are required to give students sufficient time to learn a work thoroughly.
A superior performance depends on sound teaching techniques. Judges look for good posture at the keyboard, correct hand position, good wrist flexibility (down-up motion used in phrasing), evenness of touch, correct pedal usage, and good facility. These factors cannot be “crammed” at the last moment.
The procedure for a successful performance is to follow the composer’s directions explicitly. A steady tempo is desirable; however, for those students unable to meet the requirements of a fast tempo, it is advisable to slightly reduce the tempo so the piece can be played accurately. Also, strict attention to legato-staccato, rests, phrasing, and pedal should be correctly executed. The integration of style, technique, and musicianship should communicate to the listener that this performance is as well-prepared as possible.
One of the principal goals of teaching is to encourage students to listen, not only to themselves, but to others. Recordings and tapes of concert artists help in this regard, and students can gain insights from listening to famous pianists perform the work they are studying.
In addition to hearing their pieces performed by others, students should be encouraged to hear their own performances via a recorder or video tape. Continuity, rhythm, accuracy, etc. is readily apparent. Students often do not realize what is being done incorrectly while they are playing, and hearing the performance will highlight places where improvement is necessary.
After the music is learned, it is helpful to have all the students involved in the evaluation play their pieces in a recital approximately two weeks before the date of the evaluation. Even better is to have more than one recital before an evaluation so that students who are of an Intermediate level or higher can focus on difficult pieces without the stress of having to perform multiple pieces that are difficult all at once. This performance provides the needed practice of playing under pressure; if mistakes and memory slips occur, these places can be corrected by students before the evaluation.
The teacher has the responsibility of preparing students to perform their best under pressure. Some teachers give students ample time to learn a piece adequately, while others try to accomplish the impossible at the last moment. Generally, several months are required to give students sufficient time to learn a work thoroughly.
A superior performance depends on sound teaching techniques. Judges look for good posture at the keyboard, correct hand position, good wrist flexibility (down-up motion used in phrasing), evenness of touch, correct pedal usage, and good facility. These factors cannot be “crammed” at the last moment.
The procedure for a successful performance is to follow the composer’s directions explicitly. A steady tempo is desirable; however, for those students unable to meet the requirements of a fast tempo, it is advisable to slightly reduce the tempo so the piece can be played accurately. Also, strict attention to legato-staccato, rests, phrasing, and pedal should be correctly executed. The integration of style, technique, and musicianship should communicate to the listener that this performance is as well-prepared as possible.
One of the principal goals of teaching is to encourage students to listen, not only to themselves, but to others. Recordings and tapes of concert artists help in this regard, and students can gain insights from listening to famous pianists perform the work they are studying.
In addition to hearing their pieces performed by others, students should be encouraged to hear their own performances via a recorder or video tape. Continuity, rhythm, accuracy, etc. is readily apparent. Students often do not realize what is being done incorrectly while they are playing, and hearing the performance will highlight places where improvement is necessary.
After the music is learned, it is helpful to have all the students involved in the evaluation play their pieces in a recital approximately two weeks before the date of the evaluation. Even better is to have more than one recital before an evaluation so that students who are of an Intermediate level or higher can focus on difficult pieces without the stress of having to perform multiple pieces that are difficult all at once. This performance provides the needed practice of playing under pressure; if mistakes and memory slips occur, these places can be corrected by students before the evaluation.
