What is a metronome?

A metronome is a music practice tool that sounds a steady beat. This beat can be adjusted faster or slower based on the musician’s preference.

Think you don’t have a metronome? You probably do. Metronomes are so useful that you either already have one or you can easily find one for free. So, there’s no excuse not to use one—ha!

• Most digital keyboards have a built-in metronome. Look for it in yours.
• Google offers a free metronome. Just google “metronome” and it’ll come up!
• Several websites offer free online metronomes too. There’s one here, here, and here!
• Metronome apps are great for when you’re offline. Look some up on your device’s app store and pick one with a design you like.

If you want to buy your own dedicated metronome, here’s a pro tip: make sure you like the sound! Being stuck with an obnoxious click won’t motivate you to practice, so shop carefully!

The Pianote Wittner Metronome

Introducing one of our favorite products ever: the branded Pianote metronome!

It looks so good, you’ll want to use it.

This metronome is a collaboration with Wittner, the prestige metronome maker. Hand-wound and battery-free, the precision German manufacturing will keep you playing in time for years to come. In fact, this product comes with a 2-year guarantee!

GET YOURS TODAY

How to Use a Metronome

Here’s how to use a metronome without throwing it against the wall:

Start SLOW

People underestimate how hard staying true to a metronome can be. In fact, slower tempos can be trickier than fast ones!

So, set a tempo like 60bpm. Listen to the click and feel it in your body. 

Then, try playing a simple scale (in our video, I play G major) and match each click with each note. It’s harder than it looks!

Find your perfect tempo

Now that we’ve gotten to know our metronome, let’s find our perfect practice tempo.

This is a tempo you’re already comfortable with. See if you can play without any mistakes in this tempo. If you can’t, that means you’re going too fast! And be sure to practice with your hands together. That’s the real test.

Gradually speed things up

Once you can tackle one tempo perfectly, speed it up by 3-5bpm. Then get comfortable with that rhythm before moving up.

Be patient. It might feel like a slow process, but if you jump ahead and play at a tempo you’re not ready for, it can be even more frustrating. So take your time.

Try subdivisions

Sometimes, playing two notes per beat can be easier than one note per beat.

So, try playing a scale in eighth notes, which means playing two notes per click. Then, try doubling that and play sixteenth notes. That’s four notes per click.

Another fun one to try is triplets. That’s three notes per click!

Try doubling

If playing four notes per click is tricky, you can try the reverse: double the metronome’s tempo and play two notes per click. 

We’re all different. Some of us will feel comfier this way. So, experiment and see what feels best for you. Your preference may even change depending on the song and/or time signature!

Apply this to a song

Now let’s try applying our metronome skills to a song. Look at the time signature first. For example, if we’re looking at Christian Petzold’s “Minuet in G Major” (a classic), you’ll see the time signature is 3/4. This means there are three quarter notes per measure and a quarter note equals one beat.

Most sheet music will have a “suggested tempo” with a metronome marking in the top left corner. It’ll have a note value, an equal sign, and a number (eg. “145”). This means with every click at 145, you play one quarter note.

This will probably feel way too fast.

But don’t panic. Slow it way down to a tempo you’re comfortable with and then gradually work up to that suggested tempo.

How to use a metronome for other time signatures

Using a metronome for 4/4 or 3/4 is pretty straightforward, but what about a time signature like 6/8?

Let’s take “Hallelujah.” It’s in 6/8. The rhythmic feel of this song is 1-2-3, 4-5-6 with a slight emphasis on the 1 and 4. So, we’ll set our metronome so that we get a click on the 1 and the 4. A good tempo for this song is 60bpm.

Again, if this doesn’t feel fantastic, you can multiply the metronome speed to 120 and play one note per click. Then, when that feels good, go back to 60 and play with those accented beats.

Tempo in Other Languages

Fancy tempo words are some of the first music terms you’ll learn. Traditionally, many of these words are Italian, French, or German.

More Ways to Use a Metronome

Believe it or not, metronomes aren’t just for student musicians. The pros use them…probably even more than us. More ways to use a metronome:

• Practice improvising solos: Learning to improvise a piano solo can be tough because you may be tempted to go back and correct “wrong” notes. But if you practice with a metronome, it’s like playing with a band: you have to keep things moving!
• Keep the band together: It’s easy to speed up or slow down even as a group. A metronome can keep everyone in the same pace, especially if you’re missing a drummer. If you do have a drummer—well, they’re human and they can speed up or slow down too! It’s why a lot of drummers listen to a click track during live performances—they need a metronome to be the metronome.
• Record songs: This is another occasion when you want to use a metronome. Having a click track helps you sync parts together when you’re recording a song.

We hope this lesson helps you become better friends with your metronome! Happy practicing

The metronome is like your musical GPS. It keeps you on the right track and makes sure you get to your destination in perfect time.

Lisa Witt

The post How to Use a Metronome (And Make It Your Friend!) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

Let’s back up for a second and break down what an arpeggio is. Then we’ll look at piano arpeggio techniques and a few piano arpeggio patterns you can practice.

What is an arpeggio in music?

An arpeggio is essentially a broken chord. We take a chord and roll through its notes one by one, bottom to top or top to bottom.

For example, an arpeggio built from the Am triad has three notes: A, C, and E. That’s the root, third, and fifth of the Am triad. To play this as an arpeggio, you’ll play these notes broken and add the root note on top.

You can extend an arpeggio across the whole piano by tucking under or crossing over, just like with scales.

Arpeggios aren’t just a series of notes. They’re the magic that turns chords into beautiful music.

Lisa Witt

Famous Arpeggios in Piano Music

Arpeggios abound in piano music. Some famous piano songs with arpeggios you might know include:

• “Moonlight” Sonata – Ludwig van Beethoven
• “Clocks” – Coldplay
• Prelude in C Major – J.S. Bach
• “River Flows In You” – Yiruma
• “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen

How to Play Piano Arpeggios

Piano arpeggios require a little more technique than basic broken chords. Because an arpeggio covers a lot of distance over the keyboard, it’s important to stay loose and relaxed when playing them. Use movement and mobility to reach all the notes.

Another tip: make sure you let go of notes right after you play them, this will help you loosen up!

Piano Arpeggios: Patterns to Practice

There are tons of pretty arpeggio patterns you can play to spice up your chord progressions. Here are a few.

You can also switch this around and play fast arpeggios with your right hand and slow arpeggios with your left.

> Full Lesson With This Arpeggio Pattern

The “Hallelujah” Pattern

This is a very basic arpeggiated chord pattern that you’ll recognize from Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Ty it out!

The “Clocks” Pattern

Here’s another arpeggiated chord pattern. Sound familiar? It’s used in Coldplay’s “Clocks”!

> Full Lesson With “Hallelujah” and “Clocks” Pattern

Expert Lessons

The post Beginner’s Guide to Piano Arpeggios and Patterns appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

But all is not lost. There are ways to keep your skills as sharp as possible while you’re away from the piano. Here are some ideas on how to practice piano without a piano.

*This article contains affiliate links, which means we might earn a small commission from the product seller if you make a purchase. For more info, check out our privacy page.

How to Practice Piano Without a Piano

Finger Independence Exercises

You can practice finger independence and dexterity on the go. All you need is a flat surface like a desk or airplane tray table.

First, create some patterns. Write down the finger numbers 1 to 5 in random order. Then, play that pattern on your desk with each hand. Try it with your dominant hand first, then the other, and then try playing with both hands at the same time. 

Mix up the order of numbers. You can also use a metronome and slowly ramp up the speed. Don’t want to bring a metronome? Use a metronome phone app; even Google has a metronome if you Google “metronome”!

Try to lift and press each finger individually without moving the others. Personally, I always find the 4 finger (the ring finger) to be a struggle. That little guy hates doing anything on his own.

When you’re back home, take the Finger Independence Challenge to see how your desk work has helped your playing.

Forearm Scales

Try playing scales on your forearm. ​​Why your forearm? Because you can feel exactly how hard each finger is pressing. When we play scales we want even pressure from all fingers, so this exercise will show you which fingers are pushing harder than others.

Again, try doing this with a metronome. And don’t just practice C major—this exercise is especially useful for scales with unusual fingerings like B-flat major and F-sharp major.

Rhythm Exercises

One thing you can absolutely practice on the go? Rhythm!

Rhythm exercises are a great way to practice hand independence, one of the trickiest piano techniques for beginners to master. Try tapping one note value with one hand and another note value on the other. For example, try tapping quarter notes with your left hand and tapping eighth notes with your right hand.

Then, try tapping some trickier rhythms, like polyrhythms. Tap triplets in one hand and eighth notes grouped in four in the other—it’s challenging!

Sheet Music Study

You can’t bring your piano on the plane with you, but you can definitely bring sheet music!

While it may sound boring, studying your sheet music “offline” (away from the piano), can be very helpful even when you’re not traveling. In a different context, you may notice things in your sheet music that you didn’t notice when you were busy playing. This can include subtle dynamic markings or even notes you thought you were reading correctly but were not!

Visualization

Did you know that mental practice—visualizing yourself playing a piece in your head—can help you progress faster? A study on guitar players found that those who used both mental and physical practice performed better and had superior memory than those who used physical practice alone.

Of course, mental practice isn’t a substitution for actually sitting down at the piano. But it’s a way to keep your mind and body sharp while you’re away from the keys. So try closing your eyes and visualizing yourself playing a piece from start to finish.

More Travel Tips

Consider investing in a travel-sized keyboard. Thanks to new technology, there are tons of portable keyboard instruments you can bring on your travels. Consider a melodica (the Hohner Performer 37 is a solid model to start with), the Yamaha Reface synthesizers, the Roland GO:KEYS, and the Korg Liano. The collapsible new Piano de Voyage is also something to think about! 

Do note that these instruments are not substitutes for a real piano—they don’t have weighted keys and should only be used to scratch your traveling piano itch, not to practice on regularly!

Find a public piano. Public pianos have become very popular in cities around the world. They’re not just great places to practice songs. You can also practice performing in front of an audience, play with other people, socialize, and jam! Here’s a map of public pianos around the world.

Listen to music on a portable device. Finally, it’s easier than ever to listen to music on the go. So listen to your repertoire, do some visualization exercises, or follow along with the score.

The post How to Practice Piano WITHOUT A Piano appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

In this lesson, we’ll teach you a better way to read notes. It has nothing to do with acronyms and everything to do with making sense of the grand staff.

How to Read Notes: Review

Before we dive into the tips and tricks, let’s review the traditional way of learning how to read notes.

Here we have the grand staff. 

• The top five lines hold the treble clef, which represents higher notes that are typically played with the right hand. 
• The bottom five lines hold the bass clef, which represents lower notes that are generally played with the left hand.

We plot notes on the five lines and four spaces of each clef. Traditionally, music students learn where the notes are by using acronyms like “FACE” or “All Cows Eat Grass.”

There’s nothing wrong with acronyms, but learning to read notes this way can slow you down. Here’s a better way…

The Musical Alphabet: It’s All Connected!

First, understand that all the notes are connected.

This is, fundamentally, how sheet music works! Look at all the notes plotted on the grand staff. There’s no Bass Clef Land or Treble Clef Land. Rather, it’s all on a continuum, and it’s just the alphabet from A to G over and over.

Instead of memorizing acronyms, practice saying the musical alphabet forward and backward. We find this so much more useful!

Landmark Notes

You use landmarks to help you get to where you’re going. We can use a similar concept in music.

Pick a few notes on the grand staff to memorize. These will be your wayward points, or landmarks. Knowing your landmarks will give you a general idea of where you are up or down the keyboard.

What are good landmark notes, then?

The Cs

Middle C is a perfect landmark note and it may be the first note you learn. This note is iconic: it’s a little planet floating between the two staves with a line through it.

Next, you might want to memorize the Cs above and below Middle C. These are also known as C5 (higher) and C3 (lower). Memorizing these Cs is easy because they’re on the second space from the ends of the staff.

Get used to seeing what “Middle C to C3” and “Middle C to C5” look like, visually, in sheet music. After some practice, you’ll be able to recognize what an octave looks like:

The Clefs

Did you know that the treble clef is also called the G Clef and that the bass clef is also called the F Clef?

There’s a reason for this! The little curl in the treble clef wraps around the second line from the bottom of the top staff. This is where G lives!

The two dots of the bass clef are above and below the second line from the top of the bottom staff. This is where F lives!

So, G in the treble clef and F in the bass clef are excellent landmark notes to memorize because the clefs show you exactly where they are.

Now you have Middle C, two other Cs, F, and G. This covers a pretty good range across the grand staff.

Patterns

If you think of notes as letters, note patterns are words and phrases spelled from these letters.

Steps

Take this little nugget of music. Notice that we go from a line note (Middle C) to a space note (D) to a line note (E) and so on.

When you see a pattern like this—line to space to line to space—this is a series of steps. You’re just moving from one letter of the musical alphabet to the next.

So, instead of thinking and counting “C, D, E…” see this as “step up, step up, step up…”

Skips

Here’s another pattern: going from line note to line note to line note.

These are what we call skips. That’s when you skip a letter of the musical alphabet. Skips also look like going from a space note to a space note to a space note.

Now, combine your knowledge of steps and skips with the idea that going up or down the staff means playing higher or lower pitches on the keyboard. See if you can read this:

Remember: sheet music is a visual medium. Pay attention to how things look, visually, on the page. Try to connect the graphics you see to the sounds you hear.

But what about bigger gaps?!

Of course, music isn’t always organized by nice legible steps and skips. Sometimes you’ll get larger gaps between notes.

The space between two notes is called an interval. When you have a step (such as C to D), this interval is called a 2nd. When you have a skip (such as C to E), this interval is called a 3rd.

You can learn to visually recognize larger intervals too. For example, the interval of a 4th (such as C to F) is a line note going to a space note with a larger gap in between. Lisa likes to call this a leap.

Similarly, a 5th is a larger distance between two line or two space notes.

Putting It All Together

Now let’s put all our knowledge together and read the following passage. See how many notes you can read using landmark notes, skips, steps, and intervals:

You can recognize the first note as middle C. Use that as your base.

The note after that is another line note, with a pretty large gap in between. You might recognize this as a 5th interval. You may also notice that this note sits on the same line as the G clef’s curl, making it G!

Then we go back to middle C. And then we step up three times to F before stepping back down to D.

Recognize the melody?

Mastering the art of sight reading piano music takes time. You won’t get there overnight and that’s totally normal. 

It’s just like learning how to read books when you were a kid. You learn the alphabet song, then you learn how to sound out words, then you form sentences, and then you combine sentences into paragraphs, essays, or even books! 

More Sight Reading Piano Tips

1. Flash cards. See how fast you can name a note when you draw a card at random. Better yet, have a friend test you!
2. Sight reading exercises. There are entire books you can get with sight reading exercises at every level. Alternatively, get a method book or songbook below your grade level and use it to practice sight-reading.

Learn to Read Music, Step-by-Step

Get a deeper dive into piano, sight reading, and theory as a Pianote+ Member. You’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists and learn whenever you want, wherever you want, and whatever you want.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post How to Get FASTER at Sight Reading Piano appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

The Pentatonic Scale

The pentatonic scale is a five-note scale that’s popular around the world. All the black keys make up a pentatonic scale, and they form a unique, distinct sound.

The magical thing about the pentatonic scale is that it sounds good whether you play it chaotically or in a more organized way. Try a random glissando up and down the keyboard. Then try playing chords and melodies with the black keys (don’t overthink this, just explore). 

Things naturally harmonize in the pentatonic scale, and because there are no semitones, pentatonic notes don’t clash.

Pedal Tone

This one is simple: play different chords with your right hand while playing a consistent bass note with your left. That left-hand note is called a pedal point or pedal tone.

Magically, it works well with any chord! Yep, even an Eb major chord over the C.

Now, some chords will create more tension with the pedal tone. But this tension creates a richer, more sophisticated chord.

If a chord you’re playing over the pedal tone sounds a little too crunchy for your taste, try moving to a chord near it. You might just resolve the crunchiness!

Inverted Pedal Tone

This is essentially the same idea but flipped around. Play a pedal tone with your right hand, high up on the keyboard, and play different chords with your left hand.

Grace Notes

A grace note is a short note played just before a main note. In standard notation, you’ll see it as a tiny note.

The grace note is usually the note right next to the main note, either a whole or half step away. Grace notes create tension that is instantly resolved and they make notes and chords sound more interesting.

For example, say you’re playing a C major triad (C-E-G). Now try playing E-flat as a grace note right before E. Sounds cool, doesn’t it? The E-flat essentially resolves into the C major triad.

You can slip into that C major triad from the E-flat using the same finger. Jazz and blues pianists love using this technique.

You can do this with melodies too. Grace notes imitates how a singer might slide into certain notes of a melody. Just try not to overdo it

Improvise With the C Major Scale

This is one of our favorite piano hacks of all time. The concept behind this is pretty simple: notes from the same scale sound good together.

Let’s use C major as an example. Play a C major triad with your right hand (C-E-G). You can also just play C-G if full triads don’t feel comfortable yet.

Then, play any white note with your left hand. Any white note! Explore, play around, and see what you can come up with!

Why does this work? All the white notes on the piano keyboard belong to C major. So when we play white notes with a C major chord, they’ll always sound good.

We hope you enjoyed these secret piano hacks! Now go and impress your friends. But more importantly, have fun.

The post Piano Hacks: Tricks to Sound Awesome on the Piano appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

There’s a common misunderstanding that improvisation is only for musical geniuses. But it’s a skill that anyone can learn, even beginners. You don’t need to know how to read sheet music, and you don’t need perfect pitch. What you do need are a few basic ingredients, which we’ll show you.

The Cinematic

The first progression we’ll learn, I like to call the Cinematic. It creates a movie-like, emotional atmosphere. The chords in this progression are:

Dm – C/F – C – G

Here’s how I like to play these chords:

C/F is a slash chord. That means we play the C major triad with our right hand and an F in the bass with our left.

You might notice that I play the C chord in 2nd inversion. This makes it easier for us to transition between chords.

Once you’re comfy with the chords, try breaking up the notes in your right hand to create some melody. If you need some inspiration, here’s a melody you can try:

Psst: If you’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, Suits, the Olympics, or various sporting events and commercials…you’ve probably heard the song this progression comes from: “To Build a Home” by the Cinematic Orchestra. It’s a beautiful song with Patrick Watson singing. Check it out!

The Lana

This one is absolutely beautiful. It’s a melancholic chord progression thanks to two minor chords:

Am – C – Em – F

Here’s how I play these chords. I’m using all inversions here:

These are beautiful voicings, but you can experiment with all sorts of voicings.

Can you guess which song this progression comes from? It’s “Video Games” by Lana Del Rey!

The Romantic

This is a chord progression you’ll definitely recognize. Why? Because it’s used everywhere, from Pachelbel’s Canon in D to Maroon 5’s “Memories.”

The awesome thing about this progression is that, with the right inversions, you can play it as a simple walk-down in steps. Check it out:

You can make it sound fancier but substituting in a sus chord, like this:

You can also try breaking up the chords. Here’s a broken arpeggio pattern I like. All I do here is break up the notes of each chord voicing and play top-bottom-middle-bottom.

Experiment with mood for this progression. You can play it lightly and romantically. Or, go dark and dramatic. Green Day uses this progression in “Basketcase,” so it even fits punk rock! The possibilities are absolutely endless!

Improv Techniques

Anyone can improvise beautiful music on the piano. You don’t need to be a musical genius or even famous chord progressions. But you do need to understand a few things…

To improvise, we first need to know what key we’re in. I’ve introduced each progression in this lesson in C major, so that’s the scale we’ll stick with for now. Notice that in C major, we have seven scale degrees:

We can build a chord on each scale degree. These are called diatonic chords.

If we build a chord on the first, fourth, and fifth degrees of the scale, using C major’s key signature, we end up with the major chords C, F, and G.

And if we build a chord on the second, third, and sixth degrees of the scale, using C major’s key signature, we end up with minor chords Dm, Em, and Am.

If you mix and match these chords, you can create beautiful progressions.

And guess what? You can play a melody using any note from C major on top of this progression. All C major notes are fair game and will sound good. Neat!

Learn Your Favorites, Step By Step With Full Sheet Music Downloads

As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post 3 Beautiful and Famous Chord Progressions appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> The Easiest Way To Sound Beautiful On The Piano (Beginner Lesson) adult https://www.pianote.com/blog/let-it-be-music-analysis/ Fri, 22 Sep 2023 18:54:28 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=15413 Get a fascinating look at the music theory behind the Beatles’ “Let It Be” and what makes this timeless song so iconic.

The post What Makes “Let It Be” Such a Good Song appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> “Let It Be” by the Beatles is one of the greatest songs ever written, period. Few songs are as legendary or instantly recognizable as “Let It Be.” So, what’s the secret sauce that makes this song great? In this lesson, we’ll dive into the music theory behind “Let It Be.” Don’t worry—it’s not super complicated. In fact, the beauty of “Let It Be” is how Paul McCartney uses very simple music theory in new and creative ways.

Table of Contents:

Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

The Chord Progression

If you’re new to music theory, a chord progression is a continuous pattern of chords that drive the harmony of a song.

The first chord progression used in “Let It Be” is: C-G-Am-F. This is the most popular chord progression in pop music. Seriously, you can find it everywhere—from Adele’s “Someone Like You” to Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” and Jason Mraz’s “Im Yours.”

This progression is called the I-V-vi-IV progression. It’s called that because it’s built on the first, fifth, sixth, and fourth notes of the C major scale.

In a way, you can argue that “Let It Be” is “basic” because it uses the most common pop progression. But there’s a reason why songs that use the I-V-vi-IV are hits: it just works that well. And re-using chord progressions isn’t necessarily bad or “uncreative”—in fact, we’ll later explain how Paul McCartney puts his own unique spin on the I-V-vi-IV.

> The 1564 Chord Progression, Explained

The Intro

Intros are what sell a song. It’s the first thing we hear and what we remember a song by. Let’s look at how Paul McCartney composes the “Let It Be” intro.

There’s a clear melody in the song’s opening chords. We hear this melody because Paul uses a technique called inversions. That’s when you re-arrange the notes of a given chord in a different order, changing its sound but keeping its general feeling. For example, Paul moves from a root position C chord (C-E-G) to a first inversion G chord (B-D-G), which keeps that top note (G) constant. The top note is what we hear as the melody.

The second time this intro is played, Paul uses fuller, four-note chords. He also skips the Am chord and instead plays the small, iconic riff that ends the intro:

The left hand is also worth mentioning. For the most part, it plays a simple bass line based on the root notes of our chord progression. But, Paul does insert a funky chromatic passing tone here that belongs outside of the key.

> Chord Inversions, Explained

The Chorus

What’s cool about the chorus is that Paul uses the same chords; he just mixes up their order. So instead of going C-G-Am-F, we hear:

(The Cmaj7/G functions similarly to the G chord.)

But let’s look at the melody. What I love about the melody is that it’s based on the pentatonic scale. Pentatonic scales are neat because these five-note scales can be found across many cultures, making them a universal musical concept that humans just love.

The pentatonic scale also doesn’t have much tension. This is unlike major and minor scales, which want to resolve to something. Instead, pentatonic scales just kind of float around and sound good. I find it so incredible that this is the scale used in a song called “Let It Be”!

> The Mighty Pentatonic Scale

We end the chorus with a plagal cadence. That’s a IV-I chord movement. Plagal cadences are common in hymns and spiritual music. Moving back to the I creates a feeling of resolution and satisfaction.

The Passing Chords

We end with that iconic walkdown. The chords may look complicated, but if you look at the left hand bass notes, it’s just a scale walking down. Remember that Paul McCartney is a bass player! He likely found a neat bass line and then found chords to fit into that scale.

This scale that Paul uses is called the C Mixolydian. You can think of C Mixolydian as F major starting and ending on C. That’s why there’s a B-flat (flat 7) here. The Beatles also use this trick in “Hey Jude,” and later on, more pop artists would jump on this trend, including bands like Guns ‘N Roses, Boston, and Green Day.

> Piano Scales: Modes

The walkdown is also made possible with slash chords. This means we play the chord before the slash with our right hand and the note after the slash with our left hand. Slash chords create a more unique walkdown effect than if we’d simply gone down using our root notes.

Take-Aways

So, what can we learn from “Let It Be”? Things that can help all of us become better musicians! I can think of three main points:

1. Playing multiple instruments can be a superpower.
2. You don’t need to know theory to write an iconic song. BUT,
3. Behind every iconic song is music theory.

We hope this lesson lets you appreciate one of history’s favorite songs even more. And if you want to learn how to play “Let It Be,” we have a free, step-by-step tutorial right here!

Learn Your Favorites, Step By Step With Full Sheet Music Downloads

As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post What Makes “Let It Be” Such a Good Song appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> What Makes "Let It Be" So Good | Pianote nonadult https://www.pianote.com/blog/experience-piano-sheet-music/ Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=15220 Learn how to play "Experience" by Einaudi with Lisa Witt. Download a beginner-friendly easy Experience piano sheet music.

The post “Experience” Piano Sheet Music (EASY) & Tutorial appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> In this tutorial, we’ll teach you how to play “Experience” step by step! The original song is quite long and has some trickier parts, so we’ve created a beginner-friendly simplified Experience piano sheet music that is just as charming.

“Experience” is a top song among piano players, and Ludovico Einaudi is one of today’s hottest composers. His simple yet beautiful style is easy to play for most piano players, even beginners, which proves that you don’t have to write super complex music to reach people’s hearts.

Table of Contents:

Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

Experience Piano Sheet Music

To download Experience piano sheet music, you’ll need to access our Members’ Area (sorry, it’s a copyright thing). So, if you’re not a Pianote Member yet, click this button to get your 7-day free trial:

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS FREE

Pianote+ Members can also grab a full transcription of the original sheet music in our Songs area.

Playing Tips

Basics

We’re in the key of F-sharp minor, which means there are three sharps to keep in mind: F#, C#, and G#. (F-sharp minor is the relative minor of A major).

If you know chords, you’ll get a shortcut sight-reading this piece. The entire song is built on a continuous i-III-v-VI chord progression. Einaudi sticks pretty close to the notes of those chords, so reviewing your F#m, A, C#m, and D chord shapes will help you quickly find your notes.

Does a song of this length feel intimidating? If so, break the piece down into three sections. In each section, the note values get smaller (quarter notes > eighth notes > sixteenth notes), which gradually builds tension.

> How to Read Sheet Music

Keep It Loose

This piece has so many beautiful arpeggios! Many of the left-hand arpeggios are broken power chords (root-fifth-root) and some of the right-hand arpeggios are pretty wide too. This means it’s a good idea to stretch out your hands and keep them wide and loose throughout the piece. Stay relaxed.

> Posture and Stretching Tips

Bring Out the Melody

You’ll notice that there are tenutos on some of the notes with up-facing stems. This means the notes should be sustained for their entire value. Tenuto also means emphasis. These are your melody notes, so make sure to bring them forward from the other accompanying notes.

---

Einaudi and “Experience”

Ludovico Einaudi is an Italian composer who, in recent years, has become one of the world’s most popular composers. You may have heard of his other hits—”Nuvole Bianche” (we have a tutorial here!) and “I Giorni” are among the most popular. “Experience” was originally released in 2013 on the album In a Time Lapse, but it went viral on TikTok in 2021, racking 15.6 million views by January 2022.

Embed from Getty Images

Einaudi is a hit on public pianos, film, and social media, but he’s been criticized by the classical music world for writing music that’s too simplistic. Still, you can’t deny Einaudi’s impact. He’s genuinely touched a lot of hearts. This comment by the Reddit user mean_fiddler sums up the Einaudi phenomenon pretty well: “His music brings pleasure to many people, and that is a wonderful thing. I don’t find his music interesting, so don’t go searching it out or play it. These two truths can happily coexist.”

Learn Your Favorites, Step By Step With Full Sheet Music Downloads

As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post “Experience” Piano Sheet Music (EASY) & Tutorial appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> https://www.pianote.com/blog/zelda-soundtrack-koji-kondo/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=14923 Get into the musical world of The Legend of Zelda. Piano teachers Lisa Witt and Kevin Castro react to Koji Kondo’s masterpieces.

The post What Makes Legend of Zelda Music So Good? ⚔️ appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> What makes a video game epic? The music, of course! Music sets the mood, gets us excited, and makes players feel like heroes as they control their game character through challenging quests and thrilling adventures. Today, we’ll dive deep into what makes a particular video game franchise’s music legendary. That game is none other than The Legend of Zelda.

Table of Contents:

Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

Who wrote the soundtrack for The Legend of Zelda? About Koji Kondo

Zelda’s iconic music was composed by Koji Kondo, who also composed the music for Super Mario. Born in 1961 in Nagoya, Japan, Kondo started playing the Electone organ at age five and later played jazz and rock in a cover band. He was also fascinated by film music, synthesis, and LCD and arcade games. 

Kondo was hired by Nintendo in 1984 and his first major project was scoring Super Mario. The NES console at the time severely limited the music you could make. Kondo was restricted to a four-minute soundtrack of segments that can be endlessly repeated. But his extraordinary sense of melody and use of open voicings made the music sound fuller than what its limitations would seem to allow.

When it came to Zelda, the original intention was to use Ravel’s Boléro as the opening theme. But the Nintendo team learned last-minute that Boléro was still under copyright. So Kondo had to take elements from the soundtrack and re-arrange it into an opening theme in one night! Missing that night’s sleep was probably worth it, though, because today, the Zelda theme is one of the best-known melodies in gaming, perhaps even popular culture.

I’ll be walking down the hallway in my house, suddenly the music pops into my head. It really doesn’t happen at work, it’s always somewhere outside of the office.

Koji Kondo, interview with Polygon

The Theory Behind Zelda’s Music

So what makes the music in the Zelda series so good? Well, it succeeds in creating the perfect atmosphere. The player feels like they’re on a Medieval quest. 

Yet, the music is far from predictable. The main theme is rather traditional, with a majestic, fanfare-like opening, but the music in the Zelda games can be quite diverse. According to one music expert, Kondo combined “Gregorian chant, Hollywood fantasy, rustic folk, 20th-century classical . . . and medieval troubadour.”

And if we look at the music theory, we can really appreciate all the work that goes into making Zelda memorable.

Majestic Quest Vibe

From the 8-bit chiptune to modern orchestral arrangements, the iconic Zelda theme succeeds thanks to a heroic, descending chord pattern in the parallel minor. The progression behind the majestic theme is B♭-A♭6-G♭-D♭-C♭-B♭m-C-F. Try it yourself!

Playful Fountain Theme

The fountain theme is interesting because while it’s beautiful, there’s an eeriness to it. It uses a technique called sequencing, where we take a phrase and then repeat it in different pitch levels. We also have a polyrhythm happening during this theme—the accompaniment is in 12/8 and the melody is in 4/4. So, there’s a slight jaggedness to the peaceful melody!

Pastoral Hyrule Field

This music paints a pastoral, peaceful feeling. We get these vibes thanks to a melody based on the Lydian mode. The Lydian mode is a major scale with a raised fourth and is what gives the melody that dreamy feel with a touch of mystery.

Pretty Lullaby

This is the famous tune you play on the ocarina! Again, it’s based on the Lydian scale! The first few measures begin with a Cmaj7-D/C-Cmaj7-D/C progression and it’s that D major triad over C that creates the Lydian sound. Then, the next half of the song is based on a Bm-B♭maj7-Am11-D7 progression that’s reminiscent of other video game music harmonies.

Riding Horsies!

The horseriding theme perfectly captures the playful, clip-cloppy feeling of riding a horse! And guess what? We’re in Lydian mode again.

Zelda Sheet Music!

Want to play Zelda music on the piano? We have full transcriptions of songs from the franchise in the Pianote Members Area. Not a Member yet? Try us out for 7 days.

Play Your Favorite Songs

As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post What Makes Legend of Zelda Music So Good? ⚔️ appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Zelda Main Theme Song nonadult https://www.pianote.com/blog/nocturne-in-e-flat-major-easy-sheet-music/ Sat, 12 Aug 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=14835 Chopin’s Nocturne in E-Flat Major is one of his most famous pieces. Play it yourself with this accessible simplified version and step-by-step tutorial.

The post How to Play Nocturne in E-Flat Major (Chopin) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> The Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 is one of Frédéric Chopin’s most beloved pieces. It’s beautiful, and it’s inspired a lot of people to play piano!

If that’s you and you want to learn to play Nocturne in E-Flat Major, you’ve come to the right place! Now, this is not an easy song. But we’ve created a more accessible, easier version for intermediate piano players. You can use this version as a stepping-stone to the more advanced original.

Table of Contents:

Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

Nocturne in E-Flat Major Easy Sheet Music Download

Simplified Arrangement

This is the arrangement we use in our video lesson. It is shorter than the original and omits some of the more challenging parts of the original. Download it here:

> Nocturne in E-Flat Major Simplified Arrangement

Beginner Arrangement

If the simplified arrangement is still a little too challenging right now, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a beginner-friendly arrangement that’s just as beautiful:

> Nocturne in E-Flat Major Beginner Arrangement

Original Sheet Music

Here’s the original sheet music taken from our Most Beautiful Classical Piano Pieces book, complete with some extra tips!

> Nocturne in E-Flat Major Original Sheet Music by Chopin

Nocturne in E-Flat Major: The Basics

This piece is written in E-flat major and the time signature is 12/8.

So, we have three consistent flats: B♭, E♭, and A♭. But watch out for accidentals—there are quite a few!

12/8 means there are 12 beats per measure, and an eighth note is worth one beat. You’ll notice that Chopin groups his eighth notes in threes. This gives the piece a waltzy feel.

Bach is an astronomer, discovering the most marvellous stars. Beethoven challenges the universe. I only try to express the soul and the heart of man.

Frédéric Chopin (source)

Nocturne in E-Flat Major: Expert Tips

Phrasing

Chopin’s melodies are sweet and beautiful, and the best way to bring out this sweetness is to pretend you’re singing the melody yourself. Think of the phrases as musical “sentences” you’re singing with one breath.

Left Hand Chord Shapes

The left hand can look intimidating, but see if you can spot chord shapes. This can help making the reading process faster.

Memorizing the left hand is worth the time because then you can focus on phrasing and trickier fingering in the right hand. Having a solid left hand will help with this piece—it works as a “time-keeper” to keep you anchored to that waltzy rhythm.

Look Ahead

Be prepared for upcoming finger gymnastics! There are several octave stretches in the melody, so looking ahead on occasion to see what’s coming up can help your hands prepare.

Break It Down

We can break down the scary parts into their essential elements and suddenly they’re not that scary at all!

For example, take a look at this fancy-looking figure with tons of accidentals. Look closely at the downbeat notes and the notes that lead towards them. You’ll see that this complex-looking group of notes is, essentially, an arpeggiated C major triad connected by half-step approach tones.

Trust your intuition!

Start slow, write down your fingering, and trust your fingers. The more you practice, the more muscle memory you’ll build, and soon you’ll be able to play these tricky parts without thinking.

Fingering Note: You may notice that in m. 10 we write down three different fingers for three E-flats in a row! This is on purpose: playing a repeated note with different fingers lets you articulate each note slightly differently. This makes a repeated note sound a lot more interesting than if you’d played it with the same finger three times!

Learn Your Favorites, Step By Step With Full Sheet Music Downloads

As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

What is a nocturne?

A nocturne is a piece that is inspired by or evokes the night. Chopin is perhaps the most famous nocturne composer, having penned 21 himself. But other composers who wrote nocturnes include Debussy, Mendelssohn, and Rachmaninoff. Other famous Chopin nocturnes include the Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor, Op. posth. and the Nocturne in E Minor, Op. posth. 72 No. 1.

Who was Chopin the composer?

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was half-French and half-Polish. Born in Poland, he lived in Paris, France for most of his life where he mingled with like-minded artists like Franz Liszt and Eugene Delacroix. He was famously involved with the author Aurore Dudevant, known as George Sand. Unfortunately, Chopin suffered from poor health and he passed away in 1849 at age 39.

Chopin was unique for having focused almost solely on the piano. You can recognize a Chopin piece by its chromaticism, polyrhythms, folk influences, and singable, beautiful melodies.

Play more Chopin!

Chopin pieces can be difficult, but there are a few Chopin pieces that are accessible to beginner-intermediate pianists. Check out these:

• Waltz in A Minor
• Prelude in E Minor

Want all these pieces—and more—in one beautifully designed book with expert tips? Check out our latest release, The Most Beautiful Classical Piano Pieces.

EXPLORE THE BOOK

The post How to Play Nocturne in E-Flat Major (Chopin) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> https://www.pianote.com/blog/olivia-rodrigo-vampire-piano-tutorial/ Sat, 08 Jul 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=14521 Learn how to play the latest pop-punk piano hit in this step-by-step tutorial with Lisa Witt.

The post How to Play “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo – Piano Tutorial appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo is the latest pop-punk piano hit by the rising young star. What I love about this song is how dramatically it changes. We go from sweet and warm to intense and aggressive in a matter of seconds! You don’t normally get to hear such contrasting sounds in a piano ballad, but Olivia has done it!

Note for parents: in our video, we teach the song using clean lyrics, but I’ll be performing the song with its original words at the end of the video.

Table of Contents:

Tutorial

Love our video tutorial? Your favorite song might be next! Subscribe to our newsletter for piano news, exclusive interviews, new tutorials, interesting articles, and more delivered to your inbox every week.

By signing up you’ll also receive our ongoing free lessons and special offers. Don’t worry, we value your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Olivia Rodrigo “vampire” Piano Sheet Music

Pianote+ Members can download the full sheet music transcription of “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo in the Songs section of our Members Area.

Not a Member yet? No problem! Check out our method and song library yourself with a free 7-day trial:

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

“vampire” Chords

This song is built on just a handful of chords: F, A, Asus4, B♭, B♭m, Gm, C, Csus4. Here are diagrams of all the chords in root position:

F

Asus4

B♭m

C

A

B♭

Gm

Csus4

“vampire” is written in F major. So, if you want to improvise your own riffs and fills, remember to flat your Bs.

---

I wrote [“vampire”] on the piano, the original version, in December of last year, and I really liked it. I remember writing it and feeling like something special was there. And I took it to my producer Dan, and we finished it up together and rewrote some things and produced it. It was quite a long production — it’s pretty lush, so it took us a while. But I’m really happy with the way it came out.

Olivia Rodrigo (Source: Billboard)

Embed from Getty Images

---

Piano Playing Tips

• Counting: The left-hand part can look confusing in the sheet music. To simplify things, think of your left hand as playing on the “and” of beats and you’ll have the basic idea down.
• Fingering: There are a number of chord walk-ups in this song that require a re-adjustment of fingers. So, give yourself time to prepare for adjustments and look ahead! And use fingering that makes sense to you.
• Easy version: If different chord shapes and inversions are new to you, you can still play this song using the root positions of the chords listed above the sheet music!
• Have fun with contrasts: This song is chock full of moody fun. Experiment with dynamics, tempo, and solid and broken chords to suit the mood!

> How to Play “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo

The post How to Play “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo – Piano Tutorial appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> https://www.pianote.com/blog/the-secret-to-beautiful-chord-progressions/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 14:06:41 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=13984 Pssst! The secret is inversions...

The post The Secret to Beautiful Chord Progressions appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Here’s the secret to beautiful chord progressions on the piano: inversions.

Chord inversions may seem intimidating to new piano players, but they’re worth learning, I promise. And instead of memorizing a bunch of inversions (boring!), we’ll show you the magic of inversions through an exercise that sounds good and is fun to play.

Table of Contents:

Learn Piano For Free

Inspiring tutorials. Fascinating articles. Exclusive interviews. We create piano content anyone, anywhere can enjoy for free. Don’t miss out, sign up for more free lessons.

The Chords

For this exercise, we’ll be using the following chord progression:

Am – G – C – F

But we won’t play standard triads. Instead, we’ll voice each chord like this:

Am

G

C

F

With your left hand, play the root notes of each chord:

A – G – C – F

The Theory Behind This

Okay, let me explain how this works.

Inversions are when we shuffle the order of the notes in a chord stack. There’s a method to this: the first inversion of a C major triad is when we flip C to the top, making E-G-C. And the second inversion of a C major triad is another flip, making G-C-E.

Here are all the chords and their inversions:

Am

Root

1st Inversion

2nd Inversion

G

Root

1st Inversion

2nd Inversion

C

Root

1st Inversion

2nd Inversion

F

Root

1st Inversion

2nd Inversion

You’ll see that in our exercise, we’re playing inversions of chords but omitting a middle note. Customizing the order of notes in a chord and omitting or adding notes is called voicing a chord.

Why play chords like this?

Inversions are useful because they help us transition from chord to chord in a smoother, easier way. For example, here’s me transitioning from the root position of a C major triad to the root position of an F major triad:

And here’s me transitioning from the root position of a C major triad to the second inversion of an F major triad:

See how the movement is much smaller and easier in the second animation? Neat, huh!

Inversions also spice things up. By mixing up the order of notes in a chord, we retain the quality and function of the chord (C major 1st inversion still sounds like C major) but the sound is somewhat different. Which keeps things interesting!

In this exercise, when we omit the middle note of our chord stacks, we end up playing sixths. A sixth is one of the most beautiful intervals out there. It just harmonizes so well! 

We hope this lesson inspires you to play some inversions! If you want to learn more, here are some more in-depth lessons on chord theory and chording:

• Chord Theory 101
• Chord Inversions, Explained (With Free Downloadable Cheat Sheets!)
• 10 Awesome Piano Chord Progressions (And How They Work)

Learn Piano With Real Teachers

The best way to learn piano is with real teachers, but not everyone has the time and money for a private instructor. At Pianote, you can get real feedback from real experts…all from the comfort of your own home. Explore our Method and community yourself with a free 7-day trial.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post The Secret to Beautiful Chord Progressions appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> The Secret to Beautiful Chord Progressions | Pianote nonadult https://www.pianote.com/blog/wish-you-the-best-reaction/ Sun, 30 Apr 2023 16:10:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=13343 Watch Lisa and Kevin react to Lewis Capaldi's newest hit "Wish You the Best" and break down what makes it such a powerful song.

The post Lisa and Kevin React to “Wish You the Best” (Lewis Capaldi) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Sometimes, stuff at my job makes me cry…

This time, the team showed me the most touching music video that’s been popping off on YouTube: Lewis Capaldi’s “Wish You the Best.” The video was released on April 14 and already has nearly five million views.

It’s a beautiful piano-driven tune, but the most beautiful part?

The dog and the human

Table of Contents:

Get the Sheet Music

Get the sheet music to “Wish You the Best” by Lewis Capaldi, free with Pianote+. Not a Member yet? Try it for free and get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The Theory Behind “Wish You the Best”

Before we start crying, let’s discuss the theory in this song because there are several things that make it the hit that it is.

Altering a Classic Progression

First up is the classic I-V-vi-IV pop progression. This is one of the most popular progressions ever and it’s so successful because it works! Lewis Capaldi slightly alters it to I-V-vi-I-IV-IV in “Wish You the Best.”

But wait…he does something even more interesting to this base progression. Lewis ends the chorus with some tasty tension by altering that IV chord into a minor iv chord. So we go from this:

E♭maj – B♭maj – Cm7 – E♭maj/B♭ – A♭sus2 – A♭sus2

to this:

E♭maj – B♭maj – Cm7 – E♭maj/B♭ – A♭sus2 – A♭m/C♭

Lewis Capaldi even puts that minor third (C♭) in the bass to make sure we hear it!

The Signature Motif

Lewis seems to really like rocking between the notes. In this song, he alternates between a rocking perfect 4th and major 3rd. “Someone You Loved” has similar vibes, except we rock a major 6th interval in that song instead.

Pssst: you can learn how to play “Someone You Loved” here!

Dramatic Bridge

Finally, Lewis Capaldi does something really cool in the bridge. It’s a chromatic walk-up and it goes like this:

B♭maj – Bdim – Cm

The Bdim is used as a passing diminished chord and that diminished sound adds so much drama, tension, and intensity to the song!

Now that we understand how Lewis Capaldi wrote this song, let’s enjoy the music video!

Greyfriars Bobby

The music video is based on the story of Greyfriars Bobby, a terrier who was famous for guarding his owner’s grave for 14 years (!).

Greyfriars Bobby was either a Skye Terrier or Dandie Dinmont Terrier (we’re not sure). He was born in 1855 and died in 1872. His owner was John Gray, a night watchman.

Bobby stood guard over Gray’s grave after he died and was admired in his hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland for his loyalty. When a new bylaw ordered all dogs to be licensed, the Lord Provost (similar to the mayor) of Edinburgh paid for Bobby’s license himself and gave him a collar with the inscription “Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost 1867 licensed.” 

Today, a statue of Greyfriars Bobby stands between Candlemaker Row and the George IV Bridge in Edinburgh. You can also find his resting place in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the same cemetery where his owner was buried.

Winnie the Skye Terrier

Lewis Capaldi’s music video stars Winnie, a five-year-old Cairn Terrier from Worcester. Her owners are Dawn Innet and Molly Davison. Winnie co-stars alongside veteran actor David Bradley. A scene where Winnie had to carry an envelope took 10 days of training!

Before we spoil the video too much, we’ll let you watch it for yourself. Bring tissues!

For Piano Players, By Piano Players

Love content like this? Subscribe to The Note for more quick tips, cheat sheets, explainers, and other stuff piano players love. Delivered to your inbox for free.

The post Lisa and Kevin React to “Wish You the Best” (Lewis Capaldi) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> How To Play "Someone You Loved" On The Piano nonadult https://www.pianote.com/blog/3-easy-chopin-pieces/ Fri, 14 Apr 2023 19:10:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=13070 1. Nocturne in E Flat Major 2. Prelude in E Minor 3. Waltz in A Minor.

The post 3 Easy Chopin Pieces (With Sheet Music) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Is there such a thing as an easy Chopin piece? Yes! In this lesson, we’ll introduce you to three fantastic classics. We’ve arranged an easy version of each piece so beginner players can get the joy out of playing Chopin right away! You can use the arrangements as a stepping-stone to playing the originals, which we’ll also link to in this post.

1. About Chopin
2. Nocturne in E-Flat Major
3. Prelude in E Minor
4. Waltz in A Minor

Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

About Frédéric Chopin

Frédéric Chopin is one of the most famous and beloved composers of all time. His sound has become so tied with the piano, that when we think of what piano music sounds like, many of us automatically think of Chopin.

Chopin was born in 1810 with a Polish mother and a French father. He performed and taught in Paris, where he was a local celebrity and a much sought-after teacher. Famous friends included Eugene Delacroix and Franz Liszt. Chopin’s most famous relationship was with the novelist George Sand (Aurore Dudevant) and he was his most productive during his relationship with her.

Interestingly, Chopin only performed 30 times over 30 years. He was also unique in that he focused almost solely on the piano. While other composers wrote operas and symphonies, Chopin wrote waltzes, preludes, etudes, mazurkas, polonaises, and nocturnes.

What makes Chopin’s music so Chopin?

So what’s behind that magical Chopin sound? There are certain things that are unmistakably Chopin:

Chromatic runs: Chopin wasn’t afraid of a little crunchiness and frequently slides up and down the piano with chromatic runs.

Ornaments: Chopin liked to decorate his melodies with trills, turns, and mordents.

Romantic melodies: Chopin’s melodies can be described as wistful, yearning, lyrical, and no doubt emotional. He was a Romantic composer after all! If you want to play Chopin well, try to think of your piano as singing.

Waltz rhythm: Chopin was fond of waltz rhythms and triple meters. These aren’t exclusive to his waltzes—the Nocturne in E-Flat Major we’ll play does this too!

Moody harmonies: Chopin added drama to his pieces with interesting harmonic choices like using predominant and diminished chords.

Nocturne in E-Flat Major

> Download Free Sheet Music (Easy)
> Download Free Sheet Music (Original) via IMSLP

The secret to mastering this piece is nailing the left hand first. Our key signature is E-flat major, which gives us three flats (B♭, E♭, and A♭). Watch the accidentals too! Especially those pesky C-flats. (C-flat is the same pitch as B natural). 

The “fanciest” section is measures 21-24. Things look complicated here, so take it slow and one note at a time. Essentially, we’re “dancing around” a C chord. Don’t be afraid to write down fingering if you need to! And use whatever fingering works best for you.

Once you get all your notes down, it’s time for the fun part: expression! The secret to playing incredible Romantic music is to imagine as if you’re singing the melody. Take a breath (literally) before phrases, and connect notes together that would be “sung” in one phrase. Shape your melody by using dynamics and let your personality shine through!

What’s a nocturne? Nocturnes are meant to evoke a nighttime atmosphere and are perfect for nighttime listening! While Chopin’s nocturnes are the most famous around, did you know that the form was actually invented by Irish composer John Field? Other composers who wrote nocturnes include Mendelssohn, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff.

Prelude in E Minor

> Download Free Sheet Music (Easy)
> Download Free Sheet Music (Original) via IMSLP

This moody prelude famously showed up in the Academy Award-winning film The Pianist. It’s so dark and broody and beautiful! We’re in E minor, which means there is only one sharp (F#) to remember.

Again, it helps to get the left hand locked in first. We have some crunchy 7ths in this piece, and while the many accidentals can look intimidating, you’ll discover that our left hand is a pattern of descending, chromatic half-steps.

On your right hand, watch your thumb-tucks, and again, think of yourself as singing the melody.

It’s important to connect with this piece emotionally. Think tentative, nervous feelings. This is also a great piece to practice rubato with. Rubato (“robbed time”) is when you push and pull at the tempo to be more expressive.

What’s a prelude? As its name suggests, preludes are short pieces that introduce a larger piece. However, many preludes can stand alone. The most famous preludes you’ve probably heard are the Well-Tempered Clavier preludes and fugues by J.S. Bach, including the heavenly Prelude in C Major. Chopin, on the other hand, wrote 24 stand-alone preludes.

Waltz in A Minor

> Full lesson on Waltz in A Minor, including sheet music downloads

This one is super fun. It’s pretty lively too! And the best part? The original version isn’t that much harder, so use this easy version as a stepping-stone and you’ll be playing the original in no time

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, again, master the left hand first. We’re in A minor this time, which means no sharps or flats to worry about (yay!). Just watch for the occasional accidental.

When it comes to the left hand waltz rhythm, feel it in a strong-weak-weak pattern. Meanwhile, your right hand will be dancing around. Again, watch your phrasing in this piece. Think of each phrase as a sentence.

What’s a waltz? Waltzes are dances…right? Chopin’s waltzes, however, are notoriously difficult to dance to! Just imagine keeping up with the Minute Waltz. Whether or not some of Chopin’s “dance music” was meant for dancing confused people even in Chopin’s time. What we can say is he was probably inspired by the physical movements of dance.

We hope you like these easy Chopin pieces! You’ll be playing Chopin originals in no time. Meanwhile, here are more easy classical tutorials:

• 3 Classical Songs That Are Perfect for Beginners
• “Clair de lune” Easy Sheet Music & Piano Tutorial
• The BEST “Für Elise” Tutorial on the Internet! (Beethoven)

Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

The post 3 Easy Chopin Pieces (With Sheet Music) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> How to Sound Like Chopin nonadult https://www.pianote.com/blog/how-to-practice-chord-inversions-on-piano/ Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:05:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=12743 Free backing track included. Learn how to practice chord inversions on piano in a way that's fun, engaging, and musical.

The post How to Practice Chord Inversions on Piano (The Fun Way) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Piano chord inversions can make an enormous difference in your playing. You’ll sound more sophisticated, and inversions can even make transitioning between chords faster and smoother! In this lesson, we’ll show you how to practice chord inversions in a way that’s also fun and musical.

1. Backing Track
2. Chords
3. How to Practice
4. Transition Practice

Practice Backing Track

To get the most out of this lesson, enter your email below and we’ll send you a link to download the backing track used in this lesson. You’ll receive free lessons and more piano content from us, but don’t worry, you can unsubscribe anytime.

The Chords

In this lesson, we’ll be playing a vi-IV-I-V progression in G major. That’s Em-C-G-D. Here are all the chords and their inversions:

Chord	Root Position	1st Inversion	2nd Inversion
Em	E-G-B	G-B-E	B-E-G
C	C-E-G	E-G-C	G-C-E
G	G-B-D	B-D-G	D-G-B
D	D-F#-A	F#-A-D	A-D-F#

---

Need more help with inversions?

Check out Piano Chord Inversions, Explained for a beginner lesson just on inversions.

---

How to Practice Chord Inversions on Piano

Here are the practice routines I use in this lesson. First, practice just playing the chords in their root position. Get used to the movement. Get used to the sound. If you get lost, you can always return to the root position.

Next, play the root position triad on beat 1 and the first inversion of the chord on beats 2, 3, and 4. You can hold out the inversion or play quarter notes on it. Count and feel the rhythm in your body—it helps with internalizing your physical technique.

Finally, try playing all the inversions, one on each beat, with your last inversion holding out over two beats. Or, play that last inversion twice. To add some depth, you can pair your right hand with bass notes in your left.

Anytime you want to take a break, just return to your root position triad, hold, and breathe

How to Use Inversions to Transition Between Chords

The cool thing about inversions is that they can act as a shortcut between chords. We’ll practice exactly that in this exercise. It’ll go something like this:

Em root position
C 1st inversion
G 2nd inversion
D root position

Here’s another pattern you can try:

Em 2nd inversion
C root position
G 1st inversion
D 2nd inversion

We hope you had fun with this lesson If you want more fun approaches to piano practice, check out these lessons:

• 10-Minute Arpeggio Practice in F-Sharp Minor
• Complete Practice Routine in D Minor
• Piano Ideas When You Don’t Feel Like Practicing

Master the Piano YOUR Way

As a Pianote Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists and learn whenever you want, wherever you want, and whatever you want.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post How to Practice Chord Inversions on Piano (The Fun Way) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> How to Practice Chord Inversions on Piano (Free Backing Track) | Pianote nonadult https://www.pianote.com/blog/mad-world-piano-tutorial/ Fri, 10 Mar 2023 20:05:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=12457 Learn how to play "Mad World" (Gary Jules/Michael Andrews, Tears for Fears) with this step-by-step tutorial from Lisa Witt at Pianote!

The post How to Play “Mad World” (Gary Jules, Tears for Fears) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> “Mad World” is a must-play moody piano hit! And while the right-hand fingering can be tricky at times, this is a relatively simple song with a straightforward left-hand pattern. Get a head start with learning “Mad World” with our step-by-step piano tutorial.

But first, a little history behind the song…

Table of Contents:

Never Miss a Song Tutorial

Love our video tutorial? Your favorite song might be next! Subscribe to our newsletter for piano news, exclusive interviews, new tutorials, interesting articles, and more delivered to your inbox every week. Unsubscribe at any time.

“Mad World” was originally by Tears for Fears

You might be most familiar with the Michael Andrews and Gary Jules version of “Mad World.” The song, featured in the movie Donnie Darko, was a big hit from the 2000s.

“Mad World” from Donnie Darko
Michael Andrews and Gary Jules

https://youtu.be/4N3N1MlvVc4

But did you know “Mad World” actually has its roots in 80s synth music? The song was originally written by Roland Orzabal and sung by Curt Smith of the band Tears for Fears and released in 1982. Orzabal wrote the song on acoustic guitar when he was 19 and was inspired by the synth sounds of Duran Duran. He wanted to make something similar, so the original version of “Mad World” sounds very different from the Donnie Darko version. Take a listen:

Original “Mad World”
Tears for Fears

But while Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” was successful, the Donnie Darko cover got very famous. In fact, it became the U.K. Christmas No. 1 in 2003.

Since then, the song has had lots of covers and appearances. It’s been featured in the video game franchise Gears of War, covered soulfully by Demi Lovato, and Curt Smith even covered the song with his daughter while in quarantine.

“Mad World” on American Idol
By Adam Lambert

“Mad World” Cover
By Demi Lovato

“Mad World” Cover
By Curt Smith and his daughter, Diva

“Mad World”
As seen in Gears of War

Playing Tips for “Mad World”

“Mad World” is written in F minor. The relative major key of F minor is A-flat major, so the song has three flats (B♭, E♭, A♭).

Pianote+ Members can download the full sheet music in our Members Area. If you’re not a Member yet, try Pianote for free.

Otherwise, here are some quick playing tips:

Learn the left hand first. The left-hand accompaniment is a simple pattern based on triads. Getting comfy with this part first can help ground the rhythm and make counting the right-hand part easier.

Listen to the song! Knowing the melody well makes a big difference! If the ties and counting in the right hand confuse you, listen to the song and play what you hear.

Use whichever fingering feels best for you. The right-hand melody fingering can be a little all-over-the-place, so find a fingering that works for you. I use 2-4-1-3-1-3-2-1 at the start.

Be aware of space. The hands get quite close together at times during this song, so be prepared to move aside for the other hand to play.

We hope you enjoyed this “Mad World” piano tutorial. Happy practicing!

Learn Your Favorites, Step By Step With Full Sheet Music Downloads

As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post How to Play “Mad World” (Gary Jules, Tears for Fears) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Mad World - Gary Jules nonadult https://www.pianote.com/blog/10-minute-arpeggio-practice-in-f-sharp-minor/ Fri, 03 Mar 2023 20:15:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=11920 An epic arpeggio practice lesson with a downloadable backing track that will make your practice session sound like a movie!

The post 10-Minute Arpeggio Practice in F-Sharp Minor appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Arpeggios are one of the musical building blocks in piano music. And they sound beautiful!

You want to practice your arpeggios…but practicing anything over and over can sound boring. So, we’ve introduced an epic and cinematic way to practice your arpeggios in this lesson. You’ve never seen arpeggio practice like this before!

1. Backing Track
2. Chord Progression
3. Variations
4. Playing Tips

Backing Track

We’ve included a backing track to enhance your practice session! Pianote Members can find this track in the Pianote Members Area. If you’re not a Member yet, here’s a free trial!

Or, input your email to grab just the backing track. You’ll be subscribed to our emails, but don’t worry, you can unsubscribe any time

The way this track is designed, the background music ebbs and swells along with your progression. It’ll sound super nice and cinematic.

The Chord Progression

This practice routine sounds so good because we’ll be using a two-part chord progression. Here’s what that looks like:

Section A:

F#m – D – A – C#

Section B:

D – Dm – A – C#

Beginners: if you’re new to chording, check out our How to Play All Piano Chords lesson or check out some of the other chording lessons on this site.

Variations

If you’re new to these chords, start with just playing and holding the chords in their root position first. Then, play these chords broken. Then, once you’re familiar with the notes, try some variations:

• Travel up and down. You can transition from F#m to the D chord in the octave above or below.
• Left hand bass. When you’re ready, add the root note of each chord in the bass with your left hand.
• Two-octave arpeggios. If you’re up for a challenge, start playing two-octave arpeggios! Remember: relax your wrist, release any attention, and try to be as flexible as possible.
• Left hand power chords. I also experiment with playing broken power chords (such as D-A-D for my D major chord) in my left hand.
• Faster tempo. At some point, the backing track tempo will increase! Gradually work up to this tempo.

You can also switch the focus between your right and left hands. Or play broken chords hands together. Improve strength and dexterity in both hands.

---

Love chords? Love arpeggios?

Then get the Piano Chords & Scales book, the handiest resource for piano players! This gorgeous book features full-color diagrams of common scales and chords in all their inversions in every key. Simply use the handy tabs to flip to the key you need.

CHECK IT OUT

---

Playing Tips

1. Tension-free arm movements. Try not to tense up your arm. Allow for some rotation and movement in your wrist and forearm. As you play these wide arpeggios, imagine your elbow sort of leading the movement up and down.
2. Mistakes are okay! They’re a part of practice The way this backing track is set up, you can pause and re-orient yourself with no hassle.

> More Arpeggio Lessons!

The post 10-Minute Arpeggio Practice in F-Sharp Minor appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> https://www.pianote.com/blog/take-your-piano-chords-to-the-next-level-beginner-lesson/ Fri, 17 Feb 2023 20:05:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=11969 If you’ve learned your root position triads, congratulations! This is a MAJOR step in your piano journey. Chords and chord progressions are the foundation of music, so you’re well on your way to becoming a well-rounded piano player and musician. At this point, you can probably look at a lead sheet and “strum” the chords […]

The post Take Your Piano Chords to the Next Level (Beginner Lesson) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> If you’ve learned your root position triads, congratulations! This is a MAJOR step in your piano journey. Chords and chord progressions are the foundation of music, so you’re well on your way to becoming a well-rounded piano player and musician.

At this point, you can probably look at a lead sheet and “strum” the chords along with the melody. And while this sounds fine and dandy, you may find yourself wanting to play more. So, how can we make our chords sound even better? In this lesson, we’ll show you ways to take your piano chords to the next level with a few simple techniques:

1. Play With Both Hands
2. Inversions
3. Broken Chords
4. Left-Hand Patterns

Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

The Chord Progression

We’ll be working in the key of D major for this lesson, and our chord progression is the I-V-vi-IV pop progression that is found in pop songs everywhere:

D – A – Bm – G

Before you start dressing up the progression, practice the chords here in their basic, root position form first:

You can also experiment with playing just shell chords and removing the center note.

Play With Both Hands

An easy way to spice up chords? Play them with two hands! 

Now, hand independence can be a tricky thing for beginners. But if you’re just learning how to play with both hands, you can still spice up your chords with an easy two-hand pattern. Such as this one:

With this pattern, you don’t even need to play both hands at the same time. But by using two hands, you cover a wider ranger of notes. A pattern like this is perfect for playing and singing at the same time.

Try experimenting with similar two-handed patterns.

Inversions

Inversions will instantly level up your playing. What are inversions? Inversions are when we play the notes in a chord in a different order. 

For example, here is the root position and two inversions of the D major chord. We create each inversion by taking the bottom note and flipping it up an octave.

Root Position

1st Inversion

2nd Inversion

You can learn more about inversions here.

Inversions aren’t just for show. They’re useful. In fact, inversions can be used to transition faster between chords.

Here’s me using the second inversion of our D major triad to transition smoothly to A major root position.

Broken Chords

Playing chords broken is an awesome way to make your chords sound fancy and more advanced. This is actually quite easy. Simply take your triads, inverted or not, and play each note separately.

In the example above, I added the root note with my left hand and played it in an octave. This adds more depth to the song.

Broken chords are used by tons of pop artists, including Adele. In fact, by playing this progression broken, you’re basically playing “Someone Like You”!

Left Hand Patterns

This final technique combines a little bit of everything we’ve learned so far.

On our left hand, we’ll play a broken fifth pattern. And then we’ll pair it with chords (inverted or not, it’s up to you!) in our right hand. Like this:

We hope you leave this lesson with a few new ideas on how to spice up your chords! If you want more support and feedback from real teachers, consider joining Pianote as a Member. Here’s a free trial to get you started!

Related Free Lessons:

• How to Play ALL Piano Chords (Major, Minor, 7ths)
• 4 Chord Piano Songs (Play Hundreds of Songs on Piano With Just 4 Chords)
• Why We Love Chords! (The Foundations of Music)

Learn Your Favorites, Step By Step With Full Sheet Music Downloads

As a Pianote+ Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists who have played with rock stars.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post Take Your Piano Chords to the Next Level (Beginner Lesson) appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Take Your Piano Chords to the Next Level (Beginner Lesson) - nonadult https://www.pianote.com/blog/absolute-beginner-practice-routine/ Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:05:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=11336 Don't know what to practice? Know exactly what to work on in this easy practice routine for absolute beginners!

The post Practice Routine for Absolute Beginners 📝 appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Are you a beginner piano player? If so, welcome to piano! Some of the most common questions we get include “where do I start?” and “what should I practice?” Well, this lesson will answer both questions!

In this practice routine, I’ll walk you through some essential beginner skills you can start practicing right away. We’ll go slowly so you can play along!

• Step 1: Keyboard Familiarity
• Step 2: Five-Finger Scale
• Step 3: Shell Chords
• Step 4: Mini Chord Progression
• Extra Support

Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano

Subscribe to The Note for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

Step 1: Get to know your keyboard

First, let’s build some keyboard confidence by getting to know how this thing works!

You’ll notice that the keyboard has groups of two black keys and groups of three black keys.

We can use these black keys to help us find certain notes. For example, the white key to the left of the group of two black keys is always C. Play these black and white keys a few times to get comfortable with them. Then, try the same thing in a different octave—that is, move to a new set of two black keys!

Now try this with your left hand. We’ll use our middle, ring, and pinky finger for this. And if it feels weird, that’s normal! These fingers are often the toughest to train.

Step 2: Practice the five-finger scale

Next up, we’ll learn how to play the five-finger scale: C-D-E-F-G. This will help you get to know the next few white keys.

We’ll step one note up at a time on the keyboard. If your fingers feel like they’re about to smush together, that’s a common thing among beginners, so don’t worry! With more practice, you’ll feel more comfortable with these movements. It helps go slow and to keep your wrist up (rather than flat).

Try this with your left hand too, starting on the pinky finger:

If this starts to feel easy, try closing your eyes. This will help you learn to trust your fingers

Hands Together!

Ready for the next level? Try playing your five-finger scale with both hands together.

Now, learning how to play hands together is one of the most challenging steps in learning piano. So take this slowly! Make sure you’re comfortable with hands separate first.

Make sure you take breaks and stretch out your hands. Oh, and make sure to laugh. Practicing shouldn’t be a chore and you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. Laugh at yourself—it helps!

Step 3: Try shell chords (fifths)

Next, I’ll teach you how to play fifths. First, let’s review how notes are laid out. Notes are named after the letters of the alphabet, but we stop at G.

Now line your fingers up with the keys like you did with the five-finger scale. Then play the note under your thumb (C) and the note under your pinky (G). This is a fifth because the notes are five notes apart. It’s also called a shell chord.

Then, shift your hand one step to the right and play D and A. Then play E and B. You’re essentially climbing up the keyboard in fifths!

This exercise will help build strength and dexterity in your fingers.

The Left Hand

Now try the same exercise with your other hand. On our left hand, we’ll play the C with our pinky and G with our thumb. Then shift upwards like we did on our right.

If you feel crowded as your hand starts crossing your body, try shifting back a little on your bench. This should give you more space to play.

Ready for a challenge? Try this walking fifths exercise with both hands:

Step 4: Try a mini chord progression!

In this step, we’ll play what is technically a chord progression!

First, practice rocking through the fifths in your right hand. Then play them in this order: C-G, F-C, G-D, F-C.

Try this with both hands too. Rock your body with the movements to get used to the motion. You can also play and hold the shapes.

Now try holding the notes in your left hand and playing the notes apart in your right:

By the way, congratulations! You’re playing a I-IV-V-IV chord progression!

Need some extra support?

The best way to get better at playing piano is to learn with a teacher. If you need some extra support and want to connect with real teachers, try Pianote with a seven-day trial, just for you. You can then connect with us and we can offer personalized feedback on your playing!

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS

The post Practice Routine for Absolute Beginners 📝 appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> https://www.pianote.com/blog/the-entertainer-piano-sheet-music/ Fri, 03 Feb 2023 20:00:00 +0000 https://www.pianote.com/blog/?p=11480 Learn how to play the ice cream truck song! Download free, easy "The Entertainer" (Scott Joplin) piano sheet music and check out our video tutorial.

The post “The Entertainer” (Scott Joplin) Easy Piano Sheet Music & Tutorial <strong>🚚🍦</strong> appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Millions know “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin as the ice cream truck song. It’s fun, it gets stuck in your head, and it reminds you of childhood summers! This song is so fun to play.

Make sure you download the sheet music and watch our free lesson on how to play this ragtime icon. And keep reading for playing tips. Note: our sheet music is an easy version designed to be accessible for beginners without losing the character of the original piece!

Table of Contents:

DOWNLOAD “THE ENTERTAINER” SHEET MUSIC

“The Entertainer” – Piano Playing Tips

via GIPHY

Watch your fingering

The fingering to this song can be tricky, and there are lots of big leaps. Pay attention to hand position changes and remember, there’s no shame in writing fingering down! 

Also, practice hands separate before putting your hands together. Playing hands together will be much easier if your brain has already learned the fingering on each hand.

Notice the chords

If the sheet music feels overwhelming to you but you’re familiar with chords, see if you can identify the chords the music is built on. Remember: everything is built on chords! Seeing the chords in your sheet music can be a shortcut to reading it faster.

WHAT IS RAGTIME? According to the Library of Congress, ragtime is: A genre of musical composition for the piano, generally in duple meter and containing a highly syncopated treble lead over a rhythmically steady bass. A ragtime composition is usually composed three or four contrasting sections or strains, each one being 16 or 32 measures in length.

Go slow and look ahead

Always start a new piece slowly. (The original score even has “not fast” as the tempo marking!) Another tip is to look ahead at what’s coming up in the next measure.

Spend extra time on the tricky bits

It’s easy to fall into the habit of playing the fun, easy bits over and over. But you won’t progress that way. It’s harder work, but find the trickiest bits and practice those parts over and over. Your hard work will not go unrewarded!

Have fun!

Keep the vibes light and happy. Maybe reward yourself with some ice cream after practicing “The Entertainer.”

---

About Scott Joplin

The man behind the ice cream truck song was actually a very serious (and talented) composer named Scott Joplin.

Scott Joplin is nicknamed the King of Ragtime—ragtime being a piano-focused genre that is a direct ancestor of jazz. Joplin is probably the most famous ragtime composer of all time, but he wanted to be seen as a serious composer, which was challenging because he was born not too long after the Civil War. Joplin’s biggest musical achievement was probably Treemonisha, an opera about the importance of education and the struggles of Black Americans as they try to gain a foothold in mainstream American society.

Unfortunately, Scott Joplin never saw a full performance of his opera and Treemonisha would not officially début until the 1970s. Joplin died poor and was buried in an unmarked grave. Decades later, he was posthumously given the Pulitzer Prize for his achievements and a marker was finally placed on his burial spot.  For a fascinating look at Scott Joplin’s life and career, check out Polyphonic’s 12-minute YouTube documentary on the composer’s legacy.

---

Get extra support learning songs

As a Pianote Member, you can access 1000+ accurate transcriptions of your favorite songs. You can also use our Practice-Along feature and submit recordings of your playing to real teachers for real feedback!

Sound exciting? Try Pianote for seven days, absolutely free.

PIANOTE FREE TRIAL

Never Miss a Song Tutorial

Love our video tutorial? Your favorite song might be next! Subscribe to our newsletter for piano news, exclusive interviews, new tutorials, interesting articles, and more delivered to your inbox every week. Unsubscribe at any time.

The post “The Entertainer” (Scott Joplin) Easy Piano Sheet Music & Tutorial <strong>🚚🍦</strong> appeared first on Free Piano Lessons Online | The Note | Pianote.

]]> Learn to play "The Entertainer" 🍦🎹 (Beginner Piano Version) nonadult