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 »
Piano chords can be an intimidating concept to beginning musicians. We so often only associate music with one note at a time, but chords are when we play multiple notes at the same time, often across many different octaves, and often with two hands! Chords with only three notes in them are called triads. This …
Understanding seventh chords on piano 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 »
Setting realistic and achievable goals is one of the best methods for progressing with the piano. It has been proven time and time again; small steps add up to huge leaps over time. Now that we have cleared the first month of the year, and possibly the spark of inspiration that comes from a “New …
Setting goals is the way to success Read More »
The chromatic scale is simultaneously one of the most important and most overlooked scales in music. It is a scale well worth studying for its technical and creative applications. Because the scale does not follow an interval pattern like any of the major or minor scales, the chromatic scale does not contain any of the …
The chromatic scale: the ultimate beginner’s guide Read More »
A scale in music theory is a sequence of notes played in ascending or descending order with a specific interval structure. There are many scales in music. Some are extremely common and fundamental, like the major scale or minor scale. Others are more obscure and only called upon in certain settings, like the whole tone …
Beginner’s guide to the world of scale degrees Read More »
Learning to play an instrument is a series of small victories. First you learn how to create sounds, then press keys accurately. Soon you’ll know the names of all the notes, and how octaves are just the same notes but played higher or lower. Eventually you start playing chords and playing with two hands at …
Understanding the A major scale: the ultimate beginner’s guide Read More »
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