Piano and Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies

649 Pages·2014·41.3 MB·English

by  Consumer Dummies

Music/Musical Instruments/Piano & Keyboard
Making Everything Easier!™
Jump into playing piano
and keyboard with this Open the book and find: Pi Piano & Keyboard
complete, easy-to-use guide • Tips on choosing an instrument a
and caring for it
n
If you’ve always wanted to play piano or keyboard, but didn’t • The scoop on reading notes and
know where to start, this book is the resource you need! understanding beats o A L L - I N - O N E
With four hands-on books all wrapped up in one, you’ll get
• How to begin playing, one hand A&
a complete guide to playing like a pro, from understanding at a time L
L
theory and reading music to exploring different genres and -
• An exploration of various IK
N
using practice exercises to improve quickly!
genres of music -e
O
• Meet the keyboard — get started by finding out how to choose • Exercises for developing Ny
an instrument, set it up, and care for it technique E
b
• A different language — dive into the basics of the language of • The skinny on electronic
o
music, including notes, beats, measures, time signatures, and more keyboard effects
a
• Do it with style — explore the different styles of music, including
• Tips on using software to play
jazz, classical, and blues along with recordings r
d
• Practice makes perfect — use the practice exercises to brush up
on technique, master scales, and more
Cover Image: ©Daniel_M/iStockphoto.com 4 BBOOOOKKSS

1
IN
Visit Dummies.com:
Improve your skills by listening to and playing
along with audio tracks demonstrating concepts
and examples from the book.
• Piano For Dummies
Go to Dummies.com®
• Piano Exercises For Dummies
for videos, step-by-step photes,
• Keyboard For Dummies
how-to articles, or to shop!
• Music Theory For Dummies
$34.99 USA / $41.99 CAN / £24.99 UK
ISBN:978-1-118-83742-9
53499 Listen to audio tracks online
9 781118837429
Get More and Do More at Dummies.com
®
Start with FREE Cheat Sheets
Cheat Sheets include
• Checklists
• Charts
• Common Instructions
• And Other Good Stuff!
To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to
www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/pianokeyboardaio
Get Smart at Dummies.com
Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s
of answers on everything from removing wallpaper
to using the latest version of Windows.
Check out our
• Videos
• Illustrated Articles
• Step-by-Step Instructions
Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering
our Dummies.com sweepstakes. *
Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on
• Digital Photography
• Microsoft Windows & Office
• Personal Finance & Investing
• Health & Wellness
• Computing, iPods & Cell Phones
• eBay
• Internet
• Food, Home & Garden
Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com
*Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules.
Piano & Keyboard
ALL-IN-ONE
by Holly Day, Jerry Kovarsky, Blake Neely,
David Pearl, and Michael Pilhofer
Piano & Keyboard All-In-One For Dummies®
Published by:
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
111 River Street,
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774,
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Media and software compilation copyright © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as
permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior writ-
ten permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the
Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone],
fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier,
and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not
be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE
USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR
WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF
THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED
BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE ADVISE AND STRATEGIES
CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH
A PROFESSIONAL WHERE APPROPRIATE. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE
LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department
within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone]. For technical support,
please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material
included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand.
If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you
may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley
products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013956854
ISBN 978-1-118-83742-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-83756-6 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-118-83744-3 (ePDF)
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Book I: Piano & Keyboard 101 ..................................... 5
Chapter 1: Warming Up to the Piano and Keyboard .....................................................7
Chapter 2: Looking at the Different Keyboard Options ..............................................21
Chapter 3: Choosing and Buying Your Keyboard ........................................................41
Chapter 4: The Setup and Care of Your Instrument ....................................................63
Chapter 5: Getting Comf y at the Keyboard ..................................................................81
Book II: Understanding Theory and the
Language of Music .................................................... 97
Chapter 1: Looking at Notes and Beats .........................................................................99
Chapter 2: Stopping for a Rest .....................................................................................109
Chapter 3: Tempo, Measures, and Time Signatures ..................................................115
Chapter 4: Navigating Sheet Music ..............................................................................125
Chapter 5: Varying Beats and Rhythms ......................................................................137
Book III: Beginning to Play ...................................... 153
Chapter 1: Playing a Melody .........................................................................................155
Chapter 2: Working with Scales ...................................................................................171
Chapter 3: Adding the Left Hand .................................................................................187
Chapter 4: Examining Form: Melody, Harmony, and Song Form ................................209
Chapter 5: Keys, Key Signatures, and the Circle of Fifths ........................................235
Chapter 6: Building Chords to Accompany Melodies ...............................................257
Book IV: Refining Your Technique and
Exploring Styles ....................................................... 281
Chapter 1: Adding Effects and Flair to Your Piano Playing ......................................283
Chapter 2: Getting into the Groove .............................................................................305
Chapter 3: Going Classical ............................................................................................325
Chapter 4: Perusing Popular Genres and Forms ........................................................337
Book V: Exercises: Practice, Practice, Practice ........... 357
Chapter 1: Developing Hand Technique .....................................................................359
Chapter 2: Extending Your Scales................................................................................387
Chapter 3: Improving Finger Coordination and Footwork .......................................409
Chapter 4: Jumping Across the Keyboard ..................................................................429
Chapter 5: Exercising with Arpeggios and Alternating Hands .................................443
Chapter 6: Stepping Up to Octaves and Chord Progressions ..................................463
Book VI: Exploring Electronic Keyboard Technology .... 479
Chapter 1: Choosing Sounds and Ef fects ....................................................................481
Chapter 2: Adding Accompaniment, Rhy thm Patterns, and Arpeggiation .............499
Chapter 3: Recording and Editing Your Sounds ........................................................525
Chapter 4: Using Onboard Learning Systems ............................................................551
Chapter 5: Playing Along with Recordings and Using Music Software ...................565
Appendix: Accessing the Audio Tracks ....................... 593
Index ...................................................................... 601
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................. 1
About This Book ..............................................................................................1
Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................2
Icons Used in This Book .................................................................................3
Beyond the Book .............................................................................................3
Where to Go from Here ...................................................................................4
Book I: Piano & Keyboard 101 ...................................... 5
Chapter 1: Warming Up to the Piano and Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
What’s So Special About the Piano? ..............................................................7
Advantages to playing the piano .........................................................8
Advantages to learning music at the piano ........................................8
A skill and an art ....................................................................................9
Why People Learn to Play the Piano (and Why They Often Quit) ............9
Getting to Know the Piano as an Instrument .............................................11
Understanding the Language of Music .......................................................12
Developing an ear for horizontal and vertical music ......................13
Getting to know musical forms and styles........................................13
The Best Way to Play ....................................................................................14
What You Already Know About Playing the Piano ....................................14
Electronic Keyboards and other Keyboard Instruments .........................15
Examining keyboard designs throughout the years........................15
Touching on key weight ......................................................................16
Join the family: Grouping keyboards ................................................16
Making the Most of Your Keyboard’s Basic Features ...............................17
Working with sounds ...........................................................................17
Exploring effects ..................................................................................18
Getting into automatic playing features ...........................................18
Delving into More Advanced Digital Features ...........................................19
Stepping into the virtual recording studio .......................................19
Shaping the sounds you play .............................................................19
Checking out the computer connection ...........................................19
Practicing with and without Help ................................................................20
vi
Piano & Keyboard All-In-One For Dummies
Chapter 2: Looking at the Different Keyboard Options . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Acoustic Pianos .............................................................................................22
Lids ........................................................................................................24
String layout .........................................................................................24
Keys, hammers, and strings ...............................................................24
Electro-Mechanical Keyboards ....................................................................25
Electronic Keyboards ....................................................................................28
Combo organs ......................................................................................28
Synthesizers .........................................................................................29
Portable keyboards .............................................................................31
Workstations ........................................................................................32
Arrangers ..............................................................................................32
Controller keyboards ..........................................................................33
Appreciating How Digital Keyboards Make So Many Sounds ..................34
Considering Key Feel and Response ...........................................................35
Touch sensitivity .................................................................................35
Key weight ............................................................................................37
Paying Attention to Polyphony ....................................................................38
Chapter 3: Choosing and Buying Your Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
First Things First: Acoustic or Electric (or Both)? ....................................42
Pros and cons of acoustic keyboards ...............................................42
Pros and cons of digital keyboards ...................................................43
Looking At What’s Important for the Beginner ..........................................45
Playing Well With Others and Alone ...........................................................46
Going solo .............................................................................................47
Accompanying vocalists .....................................................................47
Performing classical music with others ............................................48
Jamming in a pop, rock, or jazz band ................................................48
Picking the Perfect Acoustic Piano .............................................................49
Taking location into account ..............................................................49
Getting all the pedals you deserve ....................................................50
Finding good buys and avoiding scams ............................................50
If you’ve heard one, you haven’t heard them all .............................51
Looking at specific piano brands .......................................................51
Selecting a Digital Keyboard That Lasts .....................................................52
Digital pianos and organs ...................................................................53
Arrangers ..............................................................................................53
Stage pianos ..........................................................................................53
Workstations ........................................................................................54
Synthesizers .........................................................................................54
Avoiding obsolescence .......................................................................54
Knowing the digital features you want..............................................55
Browsing some specific keyboard brands ........................................56
Before You Drive It Off the Lot: Sealing the Deal .......................................57
Take it for a spin ..................................................................................57
Love it and leave it ...............................................................................58
vii
Table of Contents
Never pay the sticker price ................................................................58
Shopping online ...................................................................................59
The MIDI Places You Can Go ........................................................................59
A mini MIDI primer ..............................................................................60
Keyboard to computer ........................................................................60
Keyboard to keyboard ........................................................................61
MIDI and music notation .....................................................................61
Chapter 4: The Setup and Care of Your Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Unboxing Your New Keyboard ....................................................................63
Providing a Good Place to Put It ..................................................................65
Making It Shine ...............................................................................................66
Calling In a Pro for Tuning, Check-Ups, and Serious Repairs ..................67
Tuning pianos: Leave it to the experts ..............................................68
Keeping digital keyboards happy ......................................................69
Dealing with serious problems ..........................................................69
Setting Up Your Keyboard ............................................................................71
Hook Me Up: Keyboard Connections ..........................................................71
Making the electrical connection.......................................................72
Firing up your keyboard .....................................................................72
Working with headphones ..................................................................73
Connecting to external speakers and amps .....................................74
Protecting Your Investment: Care and Upkeep .........................................77
Avoiding temperature extremes ........................................................77
Combating dust with a keyboard cover ............................................77
Cleaning the keys and case .................................................................78
Moving from place to place ................................................................78
Solving Minor Technical Problems .............................................................79
Chapter 5: Getting Comf y at the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Blake’s E-Z Key Finder ...................................................................................81
The white keys .....................................................................................82
The black keys — sharps and flats ....................................................84
What Your Parents Never Told You About Posture .................................85
To sit or not to sit ................................................................................85
Chairs versus benches ........................................................................86
Stands and racks ..................................................................................89
It’s All in the Hands .......................................................................................90
Arch those hands and fingers ............................................................90
Fingering ...............................................................................................91
When to give your hands and fingers a rest .....................................92
Pedal Power: Getting Your Feet in on the Action ......................................93
Piano pedals .........................................................................................93
Digital keyboard pedals ......................................................................94
viii
Piano & Keyboard All-In-One For Dummies
Book II: Understanding Theory and
the Language of Music ................................................ 97
Chapter 1: Looking at Notes and Beats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Meeting the Beat ..........................................................................................100
Recognizing Notes and Note Values ..........................................................101
Examining the notes and their components ..................................101
Looking at note values ......................................................................103
Whole notes ........................................................................................103
Half notes ............................................................................................104
Quarter notes .....................................................................................104
Eighth notes and beyond ..................................................................105
Extending Notes with Dots and Ties .........................................................106
Using dots to increase a note’s value ..............................................106
Adding notes together with ties .......................................................107
Mixing All the Note Values Together ........................................................107
Chapter 2: Stopping for a Rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Getting to Know the Rests ..........................................................................109
Whole and half rests ..........................................................................110
Quarter and eighth rests and beyond .............................................111
Dotted rests ........................................................................................113
Practicing Beats with Notes and Rests .....................................................113
Chapter 3: Tempo, Measures, and Time Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Playing Fast and Slow: Tempo ...................................................................115
Grouping Beats into Measures ...................................................................116
Counting Out Common Time Signatures ..................................................118
Common time: 4/4 meter ..................................................................119
Waltz time: 3/4 meter ........................................................................120
March time: 2/4 meter .......................................................................121
6/8 time................................................................................................122
Chapter 4: Navigating Sheet Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Meeting the Staff, Clefs, and Notes ............................................................125
The treble clef ....................................................................................126
The bass clef .......................................................................................127
The grand staff and ledger lines ......................................................127
Climbing beyond the staff .................................................................129
An octave above, an octave below ..................................................129
Identifying Half Steps, Whole Steps, and Accidentals on the Staff ........130
Working with half steps ....................................................................131
Taking whole steps ............................................................................132
Changing pitch with accidentals ......................................................133
Musical Punctuation: Bar Lines .................................................................136