This simple piano notes chart is designed to help beginners find their way around the piano keyboard. If you’re just getting familiar with the piano keyboard, all you need to do is recognize this pattern of black keys:
As described in the article Layout of Piano Keys, this pattern of groups of tw...
A piano is indispensible for learning music theory. Piano theory implies the use of the instrument, which in turn implies sound, which of course is what music is all about. However, many music students make the grave mistake of learning music theory on paper only.
Hearing the music first in your mi...
Question: How do you know if a note is a sharp?
When the sharp sign (#) is next to the G clef and F clef, how do I know what notes in the music piece are played as sharps?
Albert’s reply: One sharp is the key signature for G major and its relative key of E minor.
Here is the key signature you...
Question: These are the questions that my music teacher asked me and I didn’t quite know what he was trying to tell me.
Here are the questions:
- Of what is the major scale composed?
- What degrees of the scale are used to build the major scale?
Could you help?
– Courtney
Albert’s reply: A...
Question: As an adult (aged 54) student of the piano, I have encountered lots of difficulty achieving stability (and/or a firm grip) on black keys and have often wondered whether this is connected with age. This difficulty first became apparent when I started learning the G-flat and the E-flat min
...
Question: When sight reading new music by professional piano players, are the fingering positions subject to interpretation or are the fingerings “set in stone”?
– Don (Hillsborough, New Jersey, USA)
Albert’s reply: Editorial fingerings are essentially always to be understood merely as suggest...
Question: Hi, I would like to have some explanation about the third measure of the Chopin Etude, Op. 10, No. 4. I already play it up to tempo, but only on this passage am I having some problems. it doesn’t sound exactly how I expect it to sound. I even rotate and don’t leap, even though this is no
...
Question: I am in urgent need of the finger settings for the following scale: A-sharp chromatic major – double note thirds for both hands. Can you please help me?
– Heleen
Albert’s reply: I assume you’re talking about chromatic minor thirds. “Chromatic major” is a contradiction in terms, since...
Question: Hello Albert,
It’s good of you to help me, thanks. Like you, I am an extremely “late starter” but I feel this is my time now to achieve my dreams. I only did 3 years of classical training when I was 7 years old, I also disliked learning and would try to forget about my lessons. Now in m
...
Question: What’s the best way of practicing to make the left hand give a lower sound than your right hand? And to make a lower sound in one finger of another in the same hand?
– Ali Kareem (Lebanon)
Albert’s reply: Dynamics in piano playing has to do with the speed with which you strike the ke...
Question: I have problems with playing the fast octaves at the end of the third movement of Schubert’s Sonata in A minor D. 784 (Op. 143).
Do you have any advice on how to practice the octaves to achieve the fast tempo (my aim is about 138 quarter notes per minute)?
Thanks for your reply in adva
...
Question: My question is, how important is “correct” fingering when playing?
I recently downloaded (THANK YOU) your scales reference, which showed all twelve scales. I’m already familiar and comfortable with the scales, but your fingering was different than I’m used to.
When I learned to play th
...
