When you play piano, it's important to remember that music is about rhythm and pattern. It's also about pitch (frequency) and tempo (speed). Learning to read sheet music is essential for pianists. Reading sheet music teaches you the names of the notes and how to play them. You will learn to read both treble and bass clefs. The treble clef is the higher pitch and the bass clef is the lower pitch. The treble clef notes match up with the white keys to the right of Middle C and the bass clef notes match up with the black keys in groups of twos and threes.
In order to read music you need to understand that a beat is a measure of time and each note equals one beat. There are different types of beats and they all affect how fast or slow you need to play. A fast song will have a faster beat, while a slower song will have a slower beat. You will also need to know the difference between a sharp (#) and a flat (b). When a sharp or flat is written on a line/space in a piece of music, all the notes for that measure are affected. When the sharp or flat is removed with a natural, all of the notes return to normal.
Pianists are often compared to drum players because they hit the strings that produce sound. Piano is classified as a string instrument, but it's also considered a percussion instrument because when you press a key on the keyboard, a hammer strikes the strings. This hitting motion is what makes a Piano unique from instruments like violins and cellos that are plucked or guitars that are played with a bow.
Initially the piano was called the fortepiano because it could be played loudly or softly depending on how hard you struck the keys. This was different than the harpsichord which could only make a small difference between loud and soft. The name was later shortened to piano.
The first pianos were built by German organ builder Gottfried Silbermann in the late 1700s. His pianos were almost direct copies of Cristofori's. He also invented the pedal system for pianos. When the left pedal is depressed, it shifts the action of all the keys slightly to the right which creates a softer sound. The right pedal is known as the sostenuto or sustain pedal and when it's depressed, it lifts all the dampers off the strings which allows the notes to ring out longer.
To start playing the piano, begin by finding Middle C on the keyboard. Use the show tune from The Sound of Music - Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do to help you find it. Then try playing that same sequence of notes with your right hand (#1 finger). After you get it down, then do the same with your left hand (#2 finger). Practice until you can play these simple notes without stopping. Then move on to other songs that teach you proper fingering and the rhythm and pattern of music.
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