The more you practice piano, the faster you will improve. That is a basic fact of piano playing that we all must deal with. However, we do not always have access to the piano, even when we want to practice. Fortunately, it is possible to practice music away from the piano! This week we will …
Strategies to practice music away from a piano Read More »
The diminished scale, or octatonic scale, is an enigmatic and distinct scale that offers a great deal of melodic and harmonic depth and possibility. There are examples of the diminished scale in European classical music dating back to the time of Bach and also in various folk music traditions from the Middle East. However, the …
Explore the daring diminished scales Read More »
Jazz piano chords are some of the most complex sounds that a piano can make. Knowing some common jazz chord shapes, minor seventh chords and dominant chords can really add a lot of shape to your playing. Learning how to make jazz chords is not as difficult or complex as it might seem, and with …
A beginner’s guide to jazz chords for piano Read More »
The melodic minor scale is a variation on the natural minor scale that emerged primarily because of its melodic functionality, as opposed to its cousin, the harmonic minor scale, which developed based on its harmonic functions. In European classical music, the scale follows one interval pattern ascending and a different interval pattern descending. However, in …
Understanding the melodic minor scale Read More »
Musicians are often practicing groups of notes played one at a time in order, on their instruments. This is a very common way to develop speed and skill, hand independence and practice playing at slow or fast tempos. These notes musicians are often practicing are called Scales, which are actually called diatonic and chromatic scales. …
Understanding all seven diatonic scales Read More »
Reading two clefs simultaneously is one of the most unique musical challenges available and the piano is virtually the only instrument that requires us to do so. When you get in the zone of reading two clefs at the same time, you enter a true flow state. It is quite amazing and well worth pursuing. …
Learning to read two clefs at once! Read More »
Learning piano scales, and getting the most out of your practice, is all about your attitude. To the beginner, practicing scales might seem like a tedious and boring task. However, if you shift your perspective and view the practice of scales as an important tool in your repertoire of ways to become a better pianist, …
Bring some fresh spark to your piano scales! Read More »
Jazz is one of the most interesting, unique, and controversial musical inventions in recent memory. Much like rock and roll, funk, electronic, and hip-hop, jazz is part of the Black American music canon and is full of virtuoso musicians, iconoclastic characters, and a melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language and history all of its own. In …
Celebrate great pianists for Jazz Appreciation Month Read More »
We all love the piano. After all, that is why we are here, right? The piano is one of the coolest instruments ever created. So what better way to celebrate this 88 key wonder of modern music than with a special day dedicated to it? World Piano Day, first declared in 2015 by the pianist …
Celebrate World Piano Day with Skoove Read More »
Timbre, texture, and tone are three interconnected ideas in music. To the beginning pianist, these ideas may seem nearly identical. It is true that even the most advanced professional musicians will occasionally use these three words interchangeably. However, that is not because they do not know the meaning of them. In this article, we will …
Timbre, texture, and tone: three concepts of sound Read More »
Articulations are a category of terms that define not what notes we play on piano, but how we play those. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it that matters”. This is exactly the same for music and using an accent mark. The notes that you play are …
Articulation in music: how to play different techniques on piano Read More »
Learning the blues is an integral part of modern music making. The power and influence of the style can be felt in most forms of contemporary popular music and the music carries historical lessons and legacies that are vitally important. Particular scales have emerged out of the music called the blues scales. You might be …
A guide to the piano blues scale for beginners Read More »
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