http://note.pianopilot.com Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:00:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en “If I hear Jingle Bells one more time I’m going to jump off a cliff!” -Rhiannon Schmitt, December, 1997.I had just immigrated to Canada one month earlier as a self-employed musician. I made my living by playing hours of Christmas music at malls, craft fairs and parties. ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/168/jingle-hell-suffering-a-musicians-fate-each-december/ Imagine being able to sit down at your piano, place your hands on the keyboard, and just play! Many piano students think the ability to do this requires years of study. They couldn't be more wrong!Learning to play what you feel does not require extensive knowledge of harmony ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/167/piano-right-from-the-start-learning-to-play-what-you-feel/ So, you want to learn how to play piano. So do thousands of others around the world. Here's how they usually go about it.First, they try to find a piano teacher close to where they live. They may or may not know what style they want to learn, ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/166/learn-piano-fast-even-if-you-dont-know-where-middle-c-is/ Hawaiian Music has been developed over the years as a kind of melting pot of sounds from around the world. As such much of the Hawaiian Music that we associate with the islands is composed of a few basic native Hawaiian elements with other cultural influences woven ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/165/hawaiian-music-what-is-it/ Piano chord charts are used to help you keep track of chord changes. And the cool thing about them is that you can use them for improvisation and composition. Here's how.Let's say you have an 8-bar phrase to play. There are no chord symbols yet so you don't ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/164/piano-chord-charts-and-how-to-use-them-2/ When a landscape artist wants to get the essence of a beautiful scene, they make a quick pencil sketch of it.The artist doesn't want to represent the entire landscape as it is, but as they feel it to be. A few lines scribbled here and there indicate the ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/163/how-to-capture-a-mood-using-a-few-chords/ Be sure to make time this holiday season to celebrate the accomplishments your child taking piano lessons has made over the past year. Take time to listen to them as they play before family and friends and in their holiday recitals. This is also a ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/162/cool-gift-parents-can-give-piano-students-for-christmas/ This piece is written as an aid to training. Amateur movers should regard the information here as reasons not to attempt piano movements. Basic knowledge of lifting techniques may only encourage severe harm to assistants, yourself, and least of all...the piano.The piano is not only heavy ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/161/notes-about-moving-pianos/ So, you want to learn how to play piano by ear. You think this skill is reserved for those with "special" talent. You're wrong about that!What does it mean to play by ear? Simply that the musician understands the fundamentals of diatonic harmony. To understand this, you just ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/160/play-piano-by-ear-in-less-than-1-hour/ Oh, Boy! Did Roy Orbison get it wrong? Buddy Holly would have rolled over in his grave while Beethoven, contrary to the lyrics of Chuck Berry's classic song, rests peacefully in his, secure in the knowledge that his music has withstood the test of time. Rock 'n' Roll ... http://note.pianopilot.com/index.php/159/roll-over-roy-orbison/