Introduction

About this Book

Welcome to All About Piano. This book is designed to help you play the piano or electric keyboard, and have fun doing it! Maybe you’ve already fooled around with the piano, and you’re excited by the sounds, and want to learn more. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to learn, but you’re intimidated because you think it’s too difficult. Or maybe you were turned off the piano during the lessons you had when you were younger, but now you’re ready to start up again. Well, whatever your situation, this book will help get you playing the piano in no time!

It’s important to mix “organized learning” with some good old “goofing off”: playing what your ears and fingers feel like doing. That’s one way we always stay in touch with the “fun” element of playing piano. And remember, above all, this is supposed to be fun! However, organized learning helps develop your skills, so you’ll ultimately be able to play more tunes and styles, and have even more fun (and maybe even get paid occasionally!).

The following are some different ways you can use this book:

• as a method or teaching/learning aid if you are a beginner
• as a reference and a source of new ideas if you are already a more experienced player
• as a way to learn more about the piano, some famous pianists, and music in general.

Maybe you already have a piano or keyboard instrument, but if you need some help buying one, we’ll cover the various types of keyboards available, to help you decide which is right for you. The techniques in this book apply to electronic keyboard instruments, as well as the good old-fashioned acoustic piano (sometimes referred to as a “steam piano” in musician circles!).

This book is divided into different sections or parts. You can work through the book from beginning to end, or jump into any section you wish. You can easily review material from an earlier section, as needed.

Section 1: Preparing gets you acquainted with the “nuts and bolts” of how acoustic and electric pianos work. We’ll see how the black and white keys are laid out, and how to use the pedals. We’ll also cover how to sit at the piano, as well as how to develop good practice habits (so that we can learn to play all the fun stuff in this book more quickly!).

Section 2: Playing, Part 1 gets you started on your journey at the piano. We’ll unlock the mysteries of music notation, so you’ll know how to relate the notes on the paper to the keys on the keyboard. We’ll learn how piano music is organized into a “Grand Staff,” and is divided into bars or measures. Then we’ll start to play some well-known songs, first with each hand separately, then combining both hands. Along the way, we’ll learn about scales and key signatures, and how to add left-hand chords to a melody played in the right hand. Using these techniques, you’ll be playing professional arrangements of famous songs sooner than you think!

Section 3: Playing, Part 2 develops more advanced piano techniques in a step-by-step method. We’ll learn about “seventh” chords, and how to re-arrange chords into “inversions.” We’ll also learn how to move the hands to new positions on the keyboard as needed, while playing well-known classical and pop tunes. Then we’ll learn how to create on-the-spot arrangements of songs from “fake books,” both for accompanying a vocalist or another instrumentalist, and for playing the melody of the song (which will hopefully then be recognized by our adoring public!). We’ll also work more with scales and fingerings, in preparation for playing improvised solos over chord changes.

Section 4: Styles introduces the techniques you’ll need to play in various musical styles: boogie-woogie, rock ’n’ roll, blues, jazz, pop/rock, country, and classical. When creating your own arrangements, you need to use the techniques and tricks appropriate for each style. To put it another way, if you think you’re playing rock ’n’ roll, but your audience thinks you’re playing a country ballad, you may have a problem! So using famous pieces and some original tunes, we’ll look at all of these styles and see what makes each of them “tick.”

Section 5: Songs contains five full piano parts for famous songs in different styles (which are all included online). There is a wealth of information here, as you can compare the note-for-note transcriptions with the recorded versions to get the “inside scoop” on how the professionals create those special sounds on the piano.

Section 6: The Gig gives you a lot of real-world information to help take your performance to the next level, whether it’s a cool jazz gig, a high-energy rock ’n’ roll set, or a classical recital. Here we cover the preparation for the performance, sound check, etiquette, interaction with other musicians, even how to “fake it” and use showmanship when necessary! We’ll also delve into the playing opportunities available for piano players, including solo performance, joining or forming a band, and the different types of gigs that are out there for you to pursue. “Playing out” can be a uniquely rewarding experience, making all those hours of practice worthwhile! Finally, we’ll explore recording techniques for the piano, both acoustic and electronic.

Section 7: Instruments and Care introduces the different types and brands of pianos, both acoustic and electronic. Buying a piano or keyboard instrument is an important decision. If you buy an acoustic, should you go for a grand or an upright? If you prefer electronic, should you go for a digital piano, a “workstation”-type synthesizer, a controller-and-module setup, or a computer-based software piano? We’ll help you navigate through all the jargon, and put you “in control” of the purchase process so that you end up with the equipment that is right for you and your situation. This section also discusses how to treat your instrument once you’ve got it home. You’ll need to consider issues such as sunlight, temperature, humidity, ventilation, and so forth. We’ll also get into piano cleaning, tuning, and repairs, as well as moving your acoustic piano from one location to another (always hire a qualified professional for this job!).

Section 8: Who’s Who gives you information on eight great piano players, spanning the eras from classical through jazz, and on to pop and rock. Recommended listening examples are also included for each artist. Hopefully, you’ll find these profiles interesting and inspiring, and that they will motivate you to check out some of their compositions and recorded works.

About the Audio

You’ll find recorded demonstrations of most of the exercises and songs in this book online (including all of the full-song arrangements in Section 5). Many of the solo piano examples feature the left-hand piano part on the left channel, and the right-hand piano part on the right channel, for easy “hands separate” practice (just turn down the left or right channel).

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There are also a number of tracks with a full band accompaniment as well as the piano. For these tracks, the rhythm section is on the left channel, and the piano is on the right channel, so that you can easily play along with the band by turning down the right channel. Please refer to the audio track listing at the end of the book for further information. It is recommended that you “try out” all songs and examples first, before you listen to the recordings. Also, playing along with the band is a great way to impress all your friends!

Section 5 songs and classical pieces were recorded by Hal Leonard musicians. All other tracks were recorded by Mark Harrison.