Have you ever had the frustrating experience of hearing a song you love but not knowing the name of the song or who sang it? Or how about getting a song stuck in your head but not being able to remember what song it was or where you heard it? These experiences are universal enough…
Pianos come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common – they are heavy. If you’re thinking about moving a piano, you’d better know how much it weighs. And in this guide, we’ll tell you. First off, if you know the exact model of your piano, you can look up the…
Maintaining a piano in good condition is not complicated. Keep the piano on an inside wall to prevent temperature changes and don’t move it often. Once or twice a year, have a piano tuner do some maintenance and tune the instrument, and you should be all set. But problems do occur. Most commonly, you’ll sit…
It is never too late to start practicing with a metronome. If you are like me, your piano teacher was constantly reminding you to practice with a metronome, even if it is hard. Timing is so important and the earlier you start working on it, the better off you will be. Unfortunately for all those…
As your musical career progresses, you will work with different people in the music industry in various roles. Many artists end up working with managers, booking agents in different territories, record labels in different territories, publishing companies, and publicists. These business arrangements can be set up in different ways – agents and publicists don’t usually…
You know a good song when you hear one. A good song can send a chill down your spine. It can immediately get your head bouncing. A good song can have you singing the words by the second chorus. A good song makes you want to spin the track again. As a songwriter, your ears…
Songwriting contests are a great way to extend the potential life of your song, give it a chance to be heard, and get feedback on the song. If you place in one of the top spots you’ll win cash, and often performance and industry opportunities as well. Winning or placing in a songwriting competition is…
Buying a used piano is a good move for most prospective piano owners. Pianos tend to have long shelf lives, especially if they are properly maintained and cared for. Pianos are expensive instruments and moving them around is not easy. You want to be sure you’re buying a good instrument before you shell out cash…
Songwriting is a skill that can be improved. Like any other skill, there are techniques to learn, skills to develop, talents to hone. But unlike many other musical skills, songwriting suffers from a lack of obvious resources. Because songwriting is so personal, people tend to be unwilling to accept the idea of ‘practising’ songwriting or…
Owning a piano is a privilege and a treat, whether you spent a pretty penny on a new piano, bought a nice used one, or acquired one through family or friends, they are beautiful instruments that deserve your care. Learning to clean a piano properly will improve the durability of the instrument and keep it…
Doing warmup exercises and technique work on piano is not the most exciting part of your piano practice. That’s okay, it doesn’t have to be. Warmup is not the fun part of playing a sport, but it’s still important. Like in sport, the right exercises can help prevent injury and improve overall technique. These exercises…
In the world of high-end pianos, only one brand is a household name the world over. Steinway is to pianos what the Kleenex brand is to tissues. They are almost interchangeable. There is good reason for this – according to figures collected by Steinway, over 98 percent of concert pianists choose to perform on their…
Learning to play piano opens up a whole world of keyboard instruments. Piano skills are transferrable to synthesisers, electric pianos, harpsichord, clavs, and organ. Most of these instruments are pretty similar to the piano – they all involved some sort of percussion on a string to make sound, except the synth and the organ. Synthesizers…
Trying to list the ‘hardest songs ever written’ on any instrument is a difficult task. Everybody has a different perspective on what makes a song ‘difficult’. On the piano, the technique, endurance, and rhythmic/harmonic complexity of these pieces are what earn them their top spots. However, some would argue that a somewhat ‘simpler’ piece can…
Due to the coronavirus crisis, millions around the world are suddenly out of work, and artists feel the pain of this unexpected loss of income as hard as anyone else. In fact, if you’re a working musician or artist, you’re probably feeling a little stressed. Shows, tours, and festivals have all been postponed or cancelled…