The Chromatic Scale

This scale divides the octave into twelve semi tones.Therefore the distance between each note of the scale and its neighbor would be half a step. Usually each scale could be transposed to all different keys, but since the scale contains only half steps it doesn't really matter where you start playing the scale. It all sounds the same. In other words there's only one chromatic scale.

The scale is often used in music to express drama. Moving from one semitone to other creates a dramatic effect. The leading tone is just a half tone under the tonic. It is named so since the semitone movement is very dominant. Now imagine a whole scale moving only in half steps.

The "flight of the Bumblebee", a famous orchestral interlude written by Nikoli Rimski-Korsakov is a wonderful piece which demonstrated the power of the chromatic movement.

The Next Mozart ~ Emily Bear

Emily Bear is 9 years old and began piano studies at the age of five with Emilio del Rosario at The Music Institute of Chicago. She currently studies classical piano with Mary Sauer, Principal Keyboardist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and jazz improvisation with Alan Swain. Additional mentors include Yoheved Kaplinsky, head of the Juilliard Piano Department. Emily is equally comfortable playing jazz, classical, or her own compositions.

Emily made her professional debut performing a solo concert at the Ravinia Music Festival in July of 2007, when she was five years old. She played a solo 40 minute program mixing classical, jazz, and her own pieces. She is the youngest performer in Ravinia’s more than 100 year history. She was asked back to perform solo concerts in 2008 and 2009 as well.

She most recently made her Carnegie Hall, debut, performing original music solo, and with orchestra, including the world premiere of her composition, "Peace - we are the future" with 100 piece orchestra,

Richard Clayderman ~ Mariage De Amour MV

Maksim Mrvica ~ Exodus MV



Biography of Bach

Born into a musical family, Bach received his earliest instruction from his father. After his father's death in 1695, Bach moved to Ohrdruf, where he lived and studied organ with his older brother Johann Christoph. He also received an education at schools in Eisenach, Ohrdruf, and Lüneburg. Bach's first permanent positions were as organist in Arnstadt (1703-1707) and Mühlhausen (1707-1708). During these years, he performed, composed taught, and developed an interest in organ building. From 1708-1717 he was employed by Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar, first as court organist, and after 1714, as concertmaster. During this period, he composed many of his best organ compositions; in his capacity as concertmaster, he was also expected to produce a cantata each month. In Weimar, Bach's style was influenced by his study of numerous Italian compositions (especially Vivaldi concertos).

Ten Ways to Improvise The Piano

1.      Use fake books. Fake books, as one of the top 10 ways to improvise on the piano, are gentle introductions to what could be interpreted as the Wild West of improvisation. Improvisation is largely based on freedom of expression. Without having a good foundation of the basics, beginners may feel intimidated by the possibilities. Fake books however contain music that provides opportunities of expression. Since it’s music lacks full notation, fake books allow the musician to fill in the missing parts with what *could* be there or what *should* be there without leaving *everything* up to the pianist.

2.      Make up your own songs. Making up your own songs really isn’t as easy as you might think. If you’ve been trained in the classics for example, you might find it difficult to break from instilled patterns.

Practice with Metronome

A metronome is a highly useful device that helps people to practice and play music. A metronome provides a strict pulsing beat that can help you control your music tempo (timing) and improve your musical rhythm. When you practice the piano, using a metronome can help you to learn your piece faster. It also provides a basic rhythmic guideline so that you can quickly learn to play your music smoothly and correctly.

Chopin Biography

Frédéric Chopin, a Polish composer (a writer of music) and pianist, was one of the creators of the typically romantic character piece. All of his works include the piano.

Frédéric François Chopin was born on February 22, 1810, near Warsaw, Poland. He was the second of four children of Nicholas Chopin, a Frenchman, and his Polish wife, Justina, who had been a well-educated but poor relative in the Skarbek household, where Nicholas had been a tutor. At an early age, Chopin displayed artistic talents—he was an artist, wrote poetry, and played piano without any formal instruction. The gifted child also began composing his own music and had his first piece of music published when he was just seven years old.

Young Chopin had a good education and later studied music privately with Joseph Elsner, founder and director of the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1817 Chopin's first composition was performed publicly. A year later he himself performed in public, playing a concerto (music written for one or more instruments) by Adalbert Gyrowetz. By this time the young Chopin began drawing comparisons to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), another composer who had demonstrated spectacular talent at a young age.

In 1826 Chopin became a full-time student at Elsner's conservatory, where he received an excellent foundation in theory, harmony, and melody. Elsner, after recognizing that Chopin's style was too original to force into traditional patterns, granted Chopin the freedom to develop along clear personal lines.

About David Foster

David Walter Foster, OC, OBC (born November 1, 1949), is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter and arranger, noted for discovering successful singers Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Michael Bublé and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world.

Foster was a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark discovered by Eirik Wangberg. The band's song “Wildflower” was a top ten hit in 1972. He has worked as a producer with a wide range of musical stars, including Andrea Bocelli, Céline Dion, Mariah Carey, Charice Pempengco, Gloria Estefan, Nsync, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Cher,Kenny Loggins, Prince, Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, Kenny Rogers, Boz Scaggs, Olivia Newton-John, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Beyonce Knowles, Destiny's Child, The Bee Gees, Bryan Adams, Christina Aguilera and many other people. He produced Japanese singer Seiko Matsuda's 1988 album "Citron", also arranging and co-writing all the songs on the album, including the number one single "Marrakech".

Together with Jay Graydon he formed the band Airplay, which is often labeled the most important album within the Westcoast AOR genre.

He has produced debut albums for The Corrs, Michael Bublé, Renee Olstead, Josh Groban which were released under his own record label, 143 Records, and distributed through Warner Music. Foster helped launch Kevin Sharp's career after the two met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and he produced David Hayes singing a song by composed by Ed Scheid and Laramy Smith title "Friend".

The Pianist Soundtrack

These is the further information about The Pianist Soundtrack

• The piano piece heard at the beginning of the film is Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor Lento con gran espressione, Op. posth.
• The piano piece that is heard being played a next door neighbour while Szpilman was in hiding at an apartment was the Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 17, No. 4 by Frederic Chopin.
• The piano music heard in the abandoned house when Szpilman had just discovered a hiding place in the attic was the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. It would later be revealed that German officer Hosenfeld was the pianist. The German composition juxtaposed with the mainly Polish/Chopin selection of Szpilman.
• The piano piece played when Szpilman is confronted by Hosenfeld is Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23. Also, the version played in the movie was shortened. The entire piece lasts 9-10 minutes.
• The cello piece heard at the middle of the film, played by Dorota,

A Roman Polanski Film ~ The Pianist

The Pianist is a 2002 biographical film directed by Roman Polanski, starring Adrien Brody. It is an adaptation of the autobiography of the same name by Jewish-Polish musician Władysław Szpilman. The film is a co-production between Polish, French, German, and British film companies.

Polanski's film won Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Film Editing.

It was also awarded Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival^[1], BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Direction in 2003 and seven French Césars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Brody (who became and remains the only American actor to win one).

Władysław Szpilman (Brody), a famous Polish Jewish pianist working for Warsaw Radio, sees his whole world collapse with the outbreak of World War II and the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. After the radio station is rocked by explosions from German bombing, Szpilman goes home and learns that the United Kingdom and France have declared war on Nazi Germany. He and his family rejoice, believing the war will end quickly.

When the SS takes over Warsaw after the Wehrmacht moves out, living conditions for the Jewish population gradually deteriorate as their rights are slowly eroded: first they are allowed only a limited amount of money per family, then they must wear armbands imprinted with the blue Star of David to identify themselves, and eventually, in November 1940, they are all forced into the squalid Warsaw Ghetto.

Ballade Pour Adeline Piano Sheet

I really love this song... I can play this song very well... ^^

I have the piano sheet of "Ballade Pour Adeline". So I want to share it... 

About William Joseph

William Joseph is a pianist and recording artist from Phoenix, Arizona.

William Joseph won, at age 8, a full music scholarship provided by the Boys Club of America, enabling him to study piano with Russian pianist Stella Saperstein.

He was the first teacher hired by Piano Warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona and taught for the company Arizona Music Lessons later to be renamed Arizona Music Academy, for which he still performs short teaching periods.

Fur Elise Piano Sheet

Debussy Biography

Some people call Claude Debussy a musical Impressionist, comparing his music with the paintings of Monet and Renoir. Others speak of him as a musical Symbolist, using sounds to stir feelings and sensations in the listener's mind in much the same way as Symbolists poets, such as Baudelaire and Verlaine, used words and phrases. Regardless of how one interprets Debussy's music, it undeniably has a subtle and a magical power over the imagination.

Claude Debussy was born 22 August, 1862, at St. Germain-en-Laye, France. From the age of ten on, Debussy was a brilliant student at the Paris Conservatoire de Musique, where he won the highest prizes for composition - including the Prix de Rome for his cantata L'Enfant prodique.

He was also a rebel and would often alarm his professors by sitting at the piano and playing chords that broke every textbook rule. What he was beginning to do was search for a new musical language, and slowly but surely he found it.

River Flows in You MV and Piano Sheet

These is the piano sheet of "River Flows in You"

Hee Ah Lee ~ Ballade Pour Adeline MV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO2Aq0sEf88

The History of Piano Pedals

Piano pedals have existed for almost as long as the modern piano itself, but they had a rocky start. While the modern piano accepted most of its final touches, the evolution of the piano pedal continued.

In 1722, the piano’s first tone-modifying mechanism came in the form of a hand stop, and was created by Father Piano himself: Bartolomeo Cristifori. The device positioned the hammers to strike only one piano string per key, which created a soft, relaxed timbre. But it was far from ideal; a spare hand was required to use it, meaning the pianist either repeatedly removed one hand from the keys, or practiced alongside a hand-stop operator. Thankfully, the mechanism was later modified to be operated by the knee, and became the predecessor to today’s una corda, or “soft,” pedal.

The next modification arrived soon after. Gottfried Silbermann -- renowned European constructor of keyboard instruments -- created a mechanism that lifted the dampers off of the strings,

Tips For Better Piano Playing

 There are five tips to make your piano playing better...

1.   One Hand At A Time

When learning to play a new piece, begin by playing with only one hand. Learn the hand movements and play the piece with each hand separately. If you are right-handed, this exercise will strengthen your left hand. Once you know how to play the piece with each hand separately, you may be surprised how easy it is to play it with both hands.

2.   Foot Off The Pedals

When playing a piece that normally requires the use of the pedals, try playing the piece without the pedals. Doing so will allow you to hear the passages more clearly and identify any notes that sound wrong, ill-timed, or uneven.

Interesting Facts about Piano

These is interesting facts about piano...

• The Piano was invented in 1698 by an Italian, Bartolomeo Cristofori.

• There are over 12,000 parts in a piano, 10,000 which are moving.

• There is approximately 18 tons of pressure being exerted by the stretched steel piano strings. In a concert grand, it is close to 30 tons of pressure. The average string having about 160 pounds of tension. There are 230 strings inside a typical piano.

The Four Fingered Pianist ~ Hee Ah Lee

Lee Hee-Ah (born July 9, 1985), is a pianist notable for only having four fingers. She was born in Seoul, Korea, with severe disabilities, including only two fingers present on each hand, no legs below the kneecaps, and mild brain damage.

When she was 7, her mother started her on the piano to train her hands, which at the time couldn’t even hold a pencil. "However, as time went by, the piano became my source of inspiration and my best friend," she recalls. Soon she diligently practised piano for hours at a time trying really hard to improve. For example, she worked on one passage from Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu for five years.

Fur Elise

Fur Elise is one of Beethoven's popular composition, written in 1890. It means "For Elise" in Germany.
At first, the composition was titled "Für Therese". But when the creation was published in 1856, the inventor, Ludwig Nohl either copy the title become "Fur Elise". His signature is missing.

This is the simple piano sheet of Fur Elise...

Biography of Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was baptised on December 17th 1770 at Bonn. His family originated from Brabant, in Belgium. His father was musician at the Court of Bonn, with a definite weakness for drink. His mother was always described as a gentle, retiring woman, with a warm heart. Beethoven referred to her as his "best friend". The Beethoven family consisted of seven children, but only the three boys survived, of whom Beethoven was the eldest.

At an early age, Beethoven took an interest in music, and his father taught him day and night, on returning to the house from music practice or the tavern. Without doubt, the child was gifted, and his father Johann envisaged creating a new Mozart, a child prodigy.

On March 26th 1778, at the age of 7 1/2, Beethoven gave his first know public performance, at Cologne. His father announced that he was 6 years old. Because of this, Beethoven always thought that he was younger than he actually was. Even much later, when he received a copy of his baptism certificate, he thought that it belonged to his brother Ludwig Maria, who was born two years before him, and died as a child.

From The Beginning Until Now Piano Sheet

This is the piano sheet of "From The Beginning Until Now" from korean drama called Winter Sonata...

Trust me, this song is really good...

Hope you'll like it... ^^

Piano Sheet of Canon

I want to share a piano sheet of Canon. I only have Canon in C, I don't have Canon in D...

But you can change the tones into D. This piano sheet is the simple one. I will share another piano sheet of Canon. Hehehe...

Hope you like it... ^^

Piano Scales

Piano scales are great if you know how to use them, you need to know what fingering to use, the best way to practice them, and how much time to put in to them. Below are a whole heap of scales to keep you going with different ways of practicing them, the fingering, and how you go about implementing them into your playing, but first a little bit more about piano scales.
Scales are best used to get comfortable with a new or unfamiliar key signature, if you’re reading music and you’re hitting wrong notes all over the place it can be a good idea to go back to playing the scale of that key signature a few times, so that you can reconfigure your brain to that key signature, then when you go back to reading the music you’ll be hitting more of the right notes simply because your fingers will be used to hitting them.

Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel

Johann baptized September 1, 1653 – buried March 9, 1706) was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most important composers of the middle Baroque era.