Piano & Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies^®

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020939020

ISBN 978-1-119-70084-5 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-70085-2 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-119-70095-1 (ePDF)

Piano & Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies®

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Table of Contents

Cover

Introduction

About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here

Book 1: Piano & Keyboard 101

Chapter 1: Warming Up to the Piano and Keyboard
1. What’s So Special About the Piano?
2. Why People Learn to Play the Piano (and Why They Often Quit)
3. Getting to Know the Piano as an Instrument
4. Understanding the Language of Music
5. The Best Way to Play
6. What You Already Know About Playing the Piano
7. Electronic Keyboards and other Keyboard Instruments
8. Making the Most of Your Keyboard’s Basic Features
9. Delving into More Advanced Digital Features
10. Practicing with and without Help
Chapter 2:
1. Acoustic Pianos
2. Electro-Mechanical Keyboards
3. Electronic Keyboards
4. Appreciating How Digital Keyboards Make So Many Sounds
5. Considering Key Feel and Response
6. Paying Attention to Polyphony
Chapter 3: Choosing and Buying Your Keyboard
1. First Things First: Acoustic or Electric (or Both)?
2. Looking At What’s Important for the Beginner
3. Playing Well With Others and Alone
4. Picking the Perfect Acoustic Piano
5. Selecting a Digital Keyboard That Lasts
6. Before You Drive It Off the Lot: Sealing the Deal
7. The MIDI Places You Can Go
Chapter 4: The Setup and Care of Your Instrument
1. Unboxing Your New Keyboard
2. Providing a Good Place to Put It
3. Making It Shine
4. Calling In a Pro for Tuning, Check-Ups, and Serious Repairs
5. Setting Up Your Keyboard
6. Hook Me Up: Keyboard Connections
7. Protecting Your Investment: Care and Upkeep
8. Solving Minor Technical Problems
Chapter 5: Getting Comfy at the Keyboard
1. Blake’s E-Z Key Finder
2. What Your Parents Never Told You About Posture
3. It’s All in the Hands
4. Pedal Power: Getting Your Feet in on the Action

Book 2: Understanding Theory and the Language of Music

Chapter 1: Looking at Notes and Beats
1. Meeting the Beat
2. Recognizing Notes and Note Values
3. Extending Notes with Dots and Ties
4. Mixing All the Note Values Together
Chapter 2: Stopping for a Rest
1. Getting to Know the Rests
2. Practicing Beats with Notes and Rests
Chapter 3: Tempo, Measures, and Time Signatures
1. Playing Fast and Slow: Tempo
2. Grouping Beats into Measures
3. Counting Out Common Time Signatures
Chapter 4: Navigating Sheet Music
1. Meeting the Staff, Clefs, and Notes
2. Identifying Half Steps, Whole Steps, and Accidentals on the Staff
3. Musical Punctuation: Bar Lines
Chapter 5: Varying Beats and Rhythms
1. Getting a Jump on the Start: Pickup Beats and Measures
2. Adding Time to Your Notes with Ties and Dots
3. Playing Offbeat Rhythms
4. Playing Songs with Challenging Rhythms

Book 3: Beginning to Play

Chapter 1: Playing a Melody
1. Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
2. Positions, Everyone!
3. Cross Your Fingers and Hope It Works
4. Playing Melodies in the Right Hand
Chapter 2: Working with Scales
1. Building a Scale, Step-by-Step
2. Introducing Major Scales
3. Introducing Minor Scales
4. Checking Out Blues Scales
5. Playing Songs Made of Scales
Chapter 3: Adding the Left Hand
1. Exploring the Keyboard’s West Side
2. Left-Hand Melodies
3. South-Paw Scales
4. Accompaniment Patterns
5. Adding the Left Hand to the Right Hand
6. Playing Songs with Both Hands
Chapter 4: Examining Form: Melody, Harmony, and Song Form
1. Shaping the Melody
2. Measuring Melodic Intervals
3. Combining Notes for Harmonic Intervals
4. Working with Musical Phrases and Periods
5. Linking Musical Parts to Create Forms
6. Playing Songs with More Harmony
Chapter 5: Keys, Key Signatures, and the Circle of Fifths
1. Home Sweet Home Key
2. The Circle of Fifths
3. Reviewing All the Key Signatures
4. Playing Songs with Key Signatures
Chapter 6: Building Chords to Accompany Melodies
1. The Anatomy of a Triad
2. Starting Out with Major Chords
3. Branching Out with Minor Chords
4. Exploring Other Types of Chords
5. Adding the Seventh for Four-Note Chords
6. Reading Chord Symbols
7. Relating Chords to a Scale or Key Signature
8. Rearranging the Order of the Notes: Chord Inversions
9. Playing Songs with Chords

Book 4: Refining Your Technique and Exploring Styles

Chapter 1: Adding Effects and Flair to Your Piano Playing
1. Dynamically Speaking
2. Articulate the Positive
3. Control the Tempo
4. Pedal Power
5. Touching on Grace Notes
6. Just Trillin’
7. Don’t Miss the Gliss
8. Trembling Tremolos
9. Dressing Up Your Songs
Chapter 2: Getting into the Groove
1. Great Left-Hand Accompaniment Patterns
2. Applying Great Intros and Finales
3. Playing Songs with Left-Hand Grooves
Chapter 3: Going Classical
1. Counterpoint as a Classical Revelation
2. Sussing Out the Sonata
3. Rounding Up the Rondo
4. Figuring Out the Fugue
5. Combining Forms into a Symphony
6. Observing Other Classical Forms
Chapter 4: Perusing Popular Genres and Forms
1. Feeling the Blues
2. Having Fun with Rock and Pop
3. Pop! Goes the Piano
4. A Little Bit Country
5. Improvising with Jazz
6. Soul Searching

Book 5: Exercises: Practice, Practice, Practice

Chapter 1: Developing Hand Technique
1. Passing Over and Crossing Under
2. Playing Intervals
3. Playing Chords Without Tension
Chapter 2: Extending Your Scales
1. The 12 Major, Harmonic Minor, and Melodic Minor Scales
2. The Three Diminished Scales
3. The Chromatic Scale
4. The 12 Blues Scales
5. Gaining Greater Command of Scales
6. Performance Piece: “Variations on ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’”
Chapter 3: Improving Finger Coordination and Footwork
1. Parallel Movement at the Octave
2. Parallel Movement at the Interval
3. Contrary Motion Away from the Center
4. Contrary Motion Toward the Center
5. Combination Movement Exercise
6. Performance Piece: “Turkey in the Straw”
7. Using the Damper Pedal
8. Pedaling Chords
9. Uniform Pedal Changes on One Line
10. Varied Pedal Changes on One Line
11. Pedaling for Effect
12. Sustaining as the Hands Move
13. Performance Piece: “Simple Gifts”
Chapter 4: Jumping Across the Keyboard
1. Jumping and Landing Accuracy
2. Jumping with Both Hands Together
3. Left-Hand Accompaniment Patterns
4. Performance Piece: “Lily Pad Rag”
Chapter 5: Exercising with Arpeggios and Alternating Hands
1. Finger Jumps
2. The Arpeggiator
3. Broken Chords
4. Performance Piece: “Harp Heaven”
5. Playing with Alternating Hands: Hand-to-Hand Scale Handoffs
Chapter 6: Stepping Up to Octaves and Chord Progressions
1. Opening Up to the Octave
2. Octave Jumps
3. Octave Chords
4. Performance Piece: “Schumann’s Octave Workout”
5. Seventh Chord Progressions
6. Chord Cadences, Familiar Patterns
7. Extended Chord Progressions

Book 6: Exploring Electronic Keyboard Technology

Chapter 1: Choosing Sounds and Ef fects
1. First Things First: Understanding Some Important Terminology
2. Knowing and Using Effects
3. Meeting the Main Types of Effects
4. Choosing Effects for Each Type Of Sound
Chapter 2: Adding Accompaniment, Rhythm Patterns, and Arpeggiation
1. Getting Your Groove On: Working with Onboard Drum Rhythms
2. Playing with Accompaniment
3. Letting the Keyboard Make the Choices for You
4. Using Some Fancy Extras
5. Exploring Arpeggiation
6. Exploring More Arpeggiator Features
7. Trying Out Some Different Sounds: Matching Sounds and Arp Patterns
8. Adding Fun Sound and Effects Tweaks
Chapter 3: Recording and Editing Your Sounds
1. Audio Recording versus MIDI Recording
2. Capturing What You Hear As It Happens: One-Pass Recording
3. Recording Multitrack MIDI
4. Refining Your MIDI Recordings
5. Trying Some Common Sound Edits
6. Getting Your Song out of the Keyboard and into the World
Chapter 4: Using Onboard Learning Systems
1. Working with Built-In Songs
2. Introducing Casio’s Step-up Lesson System
3. Exploring Yamaha’s Educational Suite Lesson System
Chapter 5: Playing Along with Recordings and Using Music Software
1. Exploring the Advantages of Playing Along
2. Connecting an Audio Device to Your Keyboard to Hear Both Together
3. Getting in Tune
4. Figuring Out a Song You Don’t Know
5. The Computer Connection: Using Software to Enhance Your Music-Making
6. Connecting Your Keyboard to Your Computer
7. Hooking Up to Your iPad
8. Exploring Popular Types of Music Software

Appendix: Accessing the Audio Tracks

Discovering What’s on the Audio Tracks
Customer Care

Index

About the Authors

Advertisement Page

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

List of Illustrations

Book 1 Chapter 2

FIGURE 2-1: Owning one is so grand.
FIGURE 2-2: Upright, not uptight.
FIGURE 2-3: Hammers vibrate piano strings to produce music to your e...
FIGURE 2-4: Rhodes MK1 suitcase electric piano.
FIGURE 2-5: Wurlitzer electric piano, model 200A.
FIGURE 2-6: Hohner D6 Clavinet.
FIGURE 2-7: Hammond B-3 with Leslie speaker.
FIGURE 2-8: Vox Continental combo organ.
FIGURE 2-9: Keith Emerson’s mighty Moog modular system.
FIGURE 2-10: The Korg Krome, a modern digital synthesizer/workstati...
FIGURE 2-11: Velocity sensors in a key mechanism.

Book 1 Chapter 5

FIGURE 5-1: Your basic set of black and whites.
FIGURE 5-2: Chopsticks and forks on your keyboard.
FIGURE 5-3: Octave groupings on your keyboard.
FIGURE 5-4: Proper posture and positioning at the piano.
FIGURE 5-5: An adjustable piano chair.
FIGURE 5-6: Two types of piano bench: adjustable (a) and standard (b...
FIGURE 5-7: Take a stand for your electric keyboard.
FIGURE 5-8: The shape to emulate.
FIGURE 5-9: Numbers and digits.
FIGURE 5-10: The typical three pedals on a piano.

Book 2 Chapter 1

FIGURE 1-1: Eighth notes can have individual flags or connect with a...
FIGURE 1-2: Sixteenth notes, written in different ways, all sound al...
FIGURE 1-3: Same deal with thirty-second notes.
FIGURE 1-4: Each level of this tree of notes lasts as many beats as ...
FIGURE 1-5: A mix of whole, half, and quarter notes.
FIGURE 1-6: A dotted half note.
FIGURE 1-7: Two tied quarter notes equal a half note.
FIGURE 1-8: Exercise 1.
FIGURE 1-9: Exercise 2.
FIGURE 1-10: Exercise 3.
FIGURE 1-11: Exercise 4.

Book 2 Chapter 2

FIGURE 2-1: Notes and their equivalent rests.
FIGURE 2-2: Each level of this tree of rests lasts as many beats as ...
FIGURE 2-3: Whole and half rests on the staff.
FIGURE 2-4: Practice your whole and half rests.
FIGURE 2-5: Counting quarter and eighth rests.
FIGURE 2-6: Exercise 1.
FIGURE 2-7: Exercise 2.
FIGURE 2-8: Exercise 3.
FIGURE 2-9: Exercise 4.
FIGURE 2-10: Exercise 5.

Book 2 Chapter 3

FIGURE 3-1: Bar lines group beats into measures.
FIGURE 3-2: Mixing up all the notes into measures.
FIGURE 3-3: You can recognize the tunes of three common time signatu...

Book 2 Chapter 4

FIGURE 4-1: The treble clef staff (left) and the bass clef staff (ri...
FIGURE 4-2: The notes of the treble clef.
FIGURE 4-3: The notes of the bass clef.
FIGURE 4-4: Isn’t this staff grand?
FIGURE 4-5: Middle C written with ledger lines for right and left ha...
FIGURE 4-6: Playing the same note with different hands.
FIGURE 4-7: Notes on the grand staff.
FIGURE 4-8: Octave lines.
FIGURE 4-9: Half steps to the left and right of the E key.
FIGURE 4-10: One whole step, or two half steps, to the left of E br...
FIGURE 4-11: One whole step, or two half steps, to the right of E b...
FIGURE 4-12: A sharp, the black key to the right of the A, is a hal...
FIGURE 4-13: E to E sharp.
FIGURE 4-14: A flat, the black key to the left of the A, is a half ...
FIGURE 4-15: E to E flat.
FIGURE 4-16: A natural cancels an established sharp or flat.
FIGURE 4-17: Bar lines divide music into measures.
FIGURE 4-18: The five types of bar lines.

Book 2 Chapter 5

FIGURE 5-1: Starting with a half rest.
FIGURE 5-2: Starting with a pickup measure.
FIGURE 5-3: Ties that bind notes of the same pitch.
FIGURE 5-4: The dotted half note.
FIGURE 5-5: Dotted half notes in 4/4 and 3/4 time.
FIGURE 5-6: A dotted quarter note paired with an eighth.
FIGURE 5-7: A dotted eighth, a sixteenth, and their beams.
FIGURE 5-8: Practice with dotted notes.
FIGURE 5-9: Congrats! You have triplets.
FIGURE 5-10: Counting triplets.
FIGURE 5-11: Practice with triplets.
FIGURE 5-12: Swing those eighths.
FIGURE 5-13: This notation says swing it.
FIGURE 5-14: Suddenly syncopation by emphasizing upbeats.
FIGURE 5-15: “After You’ve Gone,” without (top) and with (bottom) s...

Book 3 Chapter 1

FIGURE 1-1: Playing a key.
FIGURE 1-2: Getting into C position.
FIGURE 1-3: “Frere Jacques” with right hand in C position.
FIGURE 1-4: The melody of “Ode to Joy.”
FIGURE 1-5: “Skip to My Lou” uses C position but extends your thumb ...
FIGURE 1-6: The melody of “Kumbaya” uses C position and stretches RH...
FIGURE 1-7: “Chiapa-necas” stretches and shifts C position.
FIGURE 1-8: Gee, I like G position!
FIGURE 1-9: “Little Bo-Peep” is a breeze in G position.
FIGURE 1-10: “This Old Man” uses G position with some stretching.
FIGURE 1-11: One song, two hand positions.
FIGURE 1-12: Crossing over your thumb to play more notes.
FIGURE 1-13: J. S. Bach’s “Minuet” features the RH 2 crossover.
FIGURE 1-14: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” requires the thumb to pass u...

Book 3 Chapter 2

FIGURE 2-1: Stepping out.
FIGURE 2-2: The C major scale follows all the white keys.
FIGURE 2-3: The G major scale employs one sharp: F sharp.
FIGURE 2-4: The F major scale uses B flat.
FIGURE 2-5: A joyful melody made from a major scale.
FIGURE 2-6: A frugal melody needs only five notes of the major scale...
FIGURE 2-7: Building your C major scale chops.
FIGURE 2-8: Major and minor C scales.
FIGURE 2-9: “Joy to the World” in C minor.
FIGURE 2-10: So many minors, not enough chaperones.
FIGURE 2-11: The A natural minor and A harmonic minor scales.
FIGURE 2-12: The A melodic minor scale.
FIGURE 2-13: Exercising the three C-minor scales: C natural (a), C ...
FIGURE 2-14: Getting the blues.
FIGURE 2-15: Using the blues scale for a cool melody.

Book 3 Chapter 3

FIGURE 3-1: Assume C position with the left hand.
FIGURE 3-2: Reading and playing notes in the bass clef, starting fro...
FIGURE 3-3: Lower notes in the bass clef, starting from LH G positio...
FIGURE 3-4: Left-hand melody: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”
FIGURE 3-5: Another left-hand melody: “Little Brown Jug.”
FIGURE 3-6: C, G, and F major scales for the left hand.
FIGURE 3-7: A, E, and D natural minor scales for the left hand.
FIGURE 3-8: The A harmonic and melodic minor scales.
FIGURE 3-9: Root-fifth-top patterns in C, G, F, and A.
FIGURE 3-10: Three-note arpeggios in quarter-note patterns.
FIGURE 3-11: Three-note arpeggios in eighth-note patterns.
FIGURE 3-12: Four-note arpeggios.
FIGURE 3-13: Up and down the four-note arpeggios.
FIGURE 3-14: Four-note arpeggio patterns in eighths.
FIGURE 3-15: RH and LH share a melody.
FIGURE 3-16: A simple melody and accompaniment from Mozart.
FIGURE 3-17: ”Old Smoky” with a three-note LH pattern.
FIGURE 3-18: Double the melody.

Book 3 Chapter 4

FIGURE 4-1: Arch contour.
FIGURE 4-2: Wave contour.
FIGURE 4-3: Inverted arch contour.
FIGURE 4-4: Pivotal contour.
FIGURE 4-5: Numbering the notes of the C major scale.
FIGURE 4-6: A family of intervals on the C major scale.
FIGURE 4-7: “London Bridge” uses major second intervals.
FIGURE 4-8: A minor second interval in action in Beethoven’s “Für El...
FIGURE 4-9: Major and minor thirds from Beethoven’s Fifth.
FIGURE 4-10: The major third interval lifts the spirits.
FIGURE 4-11: A minor interval close to children’s hearts.
FIGURE 4-12: Perfect fourth interval in motion.
FIGURE 4-13: Perfect fourth from Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony.
FIGURE 4-14: A shining star, the perfect fifth interval.
FIGURE 4-15: A fifth interval descending perfectly.
FIGURE 4-16: Perfect fourth and fifth together.
FIGURE 4-17: Augmented fourth/diminished fifth.
FIGURE 4-18: Major and minor sixth intervals.
FIGURE 4-19: Seventh (interval) heaven.
FIGURE 4-20: Somewhere over the octave.
FIGURE 4-21: Playing intervals all together now.
FIGURE 4-22: “Aura Lee” is a melody that begs for harmony.
FIGURE 4-23: Harmonizing “Yankee Doodle.”
FIGURE 4-24: ”America, the Beautiful” with single-note LH part.
FIGURE 4-25: Adding more harmony to the LH part.
FIGURE 4-26: Adding harmony below the melody in the RH part.
FIGURE 4-27: The LH harmony matches the rhythm of the melody.
FIGURE 4-28: A full, choir-like harmonic treatment.
FIGURE 4-29: Note the phrase line in the bass clef.
FIGURE 4-30: A musical period is made of linked phrases.

Book 3 Chapter 5

FIGURE 5-1: “Good Night, Ladies” in the key of C (major).
FIGURE 5-2: “Good Night, Ladies” in the key of F (major).
FIGURE 5-3: The sign on the line.
FIGURE 5-4: A key signature for each hand.
FIGURE 5-5: Playing a melody in the key of G.
FIGURE 5-6: Trying the same melody in the key of D.
FIGURE 5-7: The Circle of Fifths.
FIGURE 5-8: Sharp keys.
FIGURE 5-9: Flat keys.
FIGURE 5-10: Changing keys and then returning home.
FIGURE 5-11: Finding the minor keys in the Circle of Fifths.
FIGURE 5-12: The C major key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-13: The A natural minor key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-14: The G major key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-15: The E natural minor key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-16: The D major key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-17: The B natural minor key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-18: The A major key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-19: The F sharp natural minor key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-20: The E major key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-21: The C sharp natural minor key signature and scale.
FIGURE 5-22: The B major and C flat major key signatures and scales...
FIGURE 5-23: The G sharp natural minor and A flat natural minor key...
FIGURE 5-24: The F sharp major and G flat major key signatures and ...
FIGURE 5-25: The D sharp natural minor and E flat natural minor key...
FIGURE 5-26: The C sharp major and D flat major key signatures and ...
FIGURE 5-27: The A sharp natural minor and B flat natural minor key...
FIGURE 5-28: The A flat major and F natural minor key signatures an...
FIGURE 5-29: The E flat major and C natural minor key signatures an...
FIGURE 5-30: The B flat major and G natural minor key signatures an...
FIGURE 5-31: The F major and D natural minor key signatures and sca...

Book 3 Chapter 6

FIGURE 6-1: This C chord is a simple triad.
FIGURE 6-2: Making new chords from the C triad.
FIGURE 6-3: Major chords.
FIGURE 6-4: Major chords for lefty, too.
FIGURE 6-5: Minor, but not insignificant, chords.
FIGURE 6-6: Augmented chords raise the fifth one half step.
FIGURE 6-7: Diminished chords lower the fifth one half step.
FIGURE 6-8: Augmented and diminished chords in “Old Folks at Home.”
FIGURE 6-9: Suspended chords.
FIGURE 6-10: A little suspension tension.
FIGURE 6-11: There’s nothing plain about these seventh chords.
FIGURE 6-12: Transforming chord symbols into notes on the staff.
FIGURE 6-13: Building a chord from a chord symbol.
FIGURE 6-14: The major scale triads.
FIGURE 6-15: More major scale triads.
FIGURE 6-16: The blues progression.
FIGURE 6-17: The pop or doo-wop progression.
FIGURE 6-18: The three possible inversions of each type of chord tr...
FIGURE 6-19: Using inversions to create smooth voice leading for th...
FIGURE 6-20: Using inversions to create smooth voice leading for do...
FIGURE 6-21: Smooth left hand examples for I, IV, and V.
FIGURE 6-22: Doo-wop chords played in close left hand positions.
FIGURE 6-23: I, IV, and V chords played in a pianistic style.
FIGURE 6-24: Doo-wop chords played in a pianistic style.

Book 4 Chapter 1

FIGURE 1-1: Dynamic contrasts of piano and forte.
FIGURE 1-2: Indications of gradual volume changes.
FIGURE 1-3: Get loud, get soft, get dynamic.
FIGURE 1-4: Four slurs and three ties.
FIGURE 1-5: Giving a melody some individual character with articulat...
FIGURE 1-6: Playing around with tempo.
FIGURE 1-7: Pedaling indications.
FIGURE 1-8: Use the damper pedal to connect notes melodically.
FIGURE 1-9: Create a soft sound with the soft pedal.
FIGURE 1-10: Amazing grace notes, how sweet the sound.
FIGURE 1-11: This weasel pops with the help of some grace notes.
FIGURE 1-12: What a trill sounds like.
FIGURE 1-13: Simon says, “Trill this note.”
FIGURE 1-14: Gliss me, gliss me, now you gotta kiss me.
FIGURE 1-15: Down and up glissandos with the right and left hands.
FIGURE 1-16: Use a RH gliss to begin and end a song.
FIGURE 1-17: Tremolo notation.
FIGURE 1-18: Tremolo chords.

Book 4 Chapter 2

FIGURE 2-1: Left-hand chords in varied rhythm patterns.
FIGURE 2-2: Root-fifth-octave patterns are easy to play and sound gr...
FIGURE 2-3: Left-hand chord picking in “Picking and Grinning.”
FIGURE 2-4: Hammer out octaves in “Octaves in the Left.”
FIGURE 2-5: Build octaves on different chord notes in “Jumping Octav...
FIGURE 2-6: A driving left-hand pattern with the octave, fifth, and ...
FIGURE 2-7: Open intervals that chug along in “Berry-Style Blues.”
FIGURE 2-8: Mosey along with the bum-ba-di-da bass pattern.
FIGURE 2-9: A boogie-woogie pattern that never goes out of style.
FIGURE 2-10: Intro #1.
FIGURE 2-11: Intro #2.
FIGURE 2-12: Intro #3.
FIGURE 2-13: Intro #4.
FIGURE 2-14: Intro #5.
FIGURE 2-15: Finale #1.
FIGURE 2-16: Finale #2.
FIGURE 2-17: Finale #3.
FIGURE 2-18: Finale #4.

Book 4 Chapter 3

FIGURE 3-1: Excerpt from Mozart’s Sonata in C.
FIGURE 3-2: Excerpt from Grieg’s Piano Concerto.
FIGURE 3-3: Rolling to a romantic close.
FIGURE 3-4: Example of counterpoint from J.S. Bach’s “Aus meines Her...
FIGURE 3-5: Excerpt from the opening theme, first part, of Beethoven...
FIGURE 3-6: Excerpt from the second part of Sonata in C Minor, Opus ...
FIGURE 3-7: Excerpt from the second part, or development, of Beethov...
FIGURE 3-8: Excerpt from the third part of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 8 ...
FIGURE 3-9: Excerpt from the A section of Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca.
FIGURE 3-10: Excerpt from Bach’s Fugue in C Major.
FIGURE 3-11: Bu-bu-bu-BUM… .

Book 4 Chapter 4

FIGURE 4-1: The 12-bar blues.
FIGURE 4-2: Chord substitutions for the blues.
FIGURE 4-3: Lefty provides the rockin’ bass line.
FIGURE 4-4: Romancing the sixth interval tone.
FIGURE 4-5: Good ole’ country music.
FIGURE 4-6: “Yankee Doodle” swings.
FIGURE 4-7: “Merrily” with standard chords.
FIGURE 4-8: “Merrily” jazz variation #1.
FIGURE 4-9: “Merrily” jazz variation #2.
FIGURE 4-10: “Merrily” jazz variation #3.
FIGURE 4-11: Motown syncopation.
FIGURE 4-12: Funky patterns.

Book 6 Chapter 1

FIGURE 1-1: The General MIDI (GM) logos.
FIGURE 1-2: Visual representation of EQ.
FIGURE 1-3: A graphic EQ.
FIGURE 1-4: A parametric EQ.

Book 6 Chapter 2

FIGURE 2-1: Front panel of a portable keyboard.
FIGURE 2-2: Locate the Accompa-niment or Chords On/Off button.
FIGURE 2-3: Styles organized by category/genre.
FIGURE 2-4: Synchro Start waits for the first key to be played to st...
FIGURE 2-5: Playing four basic chords using the Casio easy chord sys...
FIGURE 2-6: Simple chord progression using the Casio chord method.
FIGURE 2-7: Playing four basic chords using the Korg/Roland/Yamaha e...
FIGURE 2-8: Simple chord progression using the Korg/Roland/Yamaha me...
FIGURE 2-9: Example mixer screens for some arranger keyboards.
FIGURE 2-10: The Korg and Yamaha music database main screens.
FIGURE 2-11: A basic arp pattern.
FIGURE 2-12: A two-handed arp pattern.

Book 6 Chapter 3

FIGURE 3-1: Using a microphone to record.
FIGURE 3-2: A pro studio analog tape recorder.
FIGURE 3-3: A common handheld digital recorder.
FIGURE 3-4: Audio- recording computer software.
FIGURE 3-5: A MIDI event edit list.
FIGURE 3-6: Recorder transport controls.
FIGURE 3-7: Editing note timing in a MIDI event list.
FIGURE 3-8: Editing note timing in a piano roll view.
FIGURE 3-9: Common amp EG waveform shapes.

Book 6 Chapter 4

FIGURE 4-1: Front panel song list.
FIGURE 4-2: Front panel transport controls.
FIGURE 4-3: Front panel tempo controls.
FIGURE 4-4: Hand or Part Select controls.
FIGURE 4-5: Casio display of hand/part selection.
FIGURE 4-6: Casio lesson controls.
FIGURE 4-7: Onscreen display of current note and finger.
FIGURE 4-8: Yamaha options for repeating measures in a song.

Book 6 Chapter 5

FIGURE 5-1: Dual inputs for 1/4-inch mono phone plugs.
FIGURE 5-2: Audio mixer for connecting both a keyboard and an audio ...
FIGURE 5-3: The MIDI DIN connectors.
FIGURE 5-4: A USB port for transmitting MIDI.
FIGURE 5-5: A common USB device cable.
FIGURE 5-6: A MIDI interface with built-in cables.
FIGURE 5-7: A basic MIDI interface with two Ins and two Outs.
FIGURE 5-8: A simple MIDI setup with a direct USB- connected keyboar...
FIGURE 5-9: A keyboard connected to a MIDI interface in Mac OS X Aud...

Introduction

Welcome to Piano & Keyboard All-In-One For Dummies! You hold in your hands a well-rounded compendium of tips and advice about playing piano and other keyboard instruments, including electronic keyboards.

If you’ve never seen or put your hands on a piano or keyboard, no problem. This book starts at the very beginning and walks you through everything you need to know to tame that beast and make it sing sweet music. You’ll also have fun along the way. That’s the whole idea.

Maybe you have a little experience — like, say, maybe you were “encouraged” to take piano lessons as a youngster but are just now actually becoming interested in playing as an adult. Or maybe you poke around on your grandma’s upright, or you got a Casio keyboard for your last birthday, and you want to start taking your playing a little more seriously. You too are in the right place. Or perhaps you’re not bad on piano but are thinking of digging in to your wallet to buy a fancy new synthesizer or arranger keyboard, but aren’t sure you can deal with the complicated-looking technology. This book can help you, too.

Basically, there’s a whole lot here for anyone interested in playing piano or keyboards or taking their playing to the next level.

About This Book

Piano & Keyboard All-In-One For Dummies covers a wide range of topics, ranging all the way from what a quarter note is and how to find middle C, to breaking down the 12-bar blues structure, to hooking your keyboard up to your music player so you can jam out to your favorite tunes on headphones.

The chapters in Book 1 focus on getting to know the instrument — how to find a good, affordable one, what to look for, how to maintain it, and basically how it works and the best ways to play it. Book 2 turns to the fundamentals of music itself, with chapters covering how music breaks down into notes and rests, how to read sheet music, and how to keep up with beats and rhythm. Book 3 brings all that together and introduces scales, melodies, harmonies, keys and key signatures, and chords.

Book 4 starts getting into more fancy stuff, like how to add flair to your playing, how to turn your left hand into your favorite accompanist, and what defines different classical and pop music forms. It also offers great tips on playing all kinds of music on piano and keyboard. Book 5 is all about practice. As with anything, playing piano and keyboard do require dedication and repetition — it is, after all, the way to Carnegie Hall — but these chapters try to keep things as fun as possible while refining your skills. Book 6 is all about electronic keyboards, how to choose one, how to find out what it can do and get the most out of it, and how to take advantage of its more complex features. The book finishes with a guide to the free online music tracks that are sprinkled throughout this book. Listening to these tracks can speed up your understanding and help sharpen your playing skills.

The book also contains an absolute ton of music. You’ll have plenty — plen-tee — of songs and snippets to play and have fun with. And a lot of it is available for listening on the free online audio tracks.

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just tap the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

This books makes a few assumptions about you, the reader:

You like to listen to music and especially like the sound of piano and keyboard.
When you hear someone play the piano, it sparks something in you. You say to yourself something like, “I wish I could play like that.”
You haven’t had any piano lessons before, or you had some lessons at some point in your life, but you basically see yourself as a beginner. Either way, you’d like it all laid out and explained in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
You have a piano or keyboard but aren’t playing it as much as you want to and need some help getting to the music making.
You don’t have a piano or keyboard but are considering a purchase and would welcome help with the whole process. Most likely, your keyboard will have at least 25 black and white keys, may or may not plug into the wall, and will cost you as much as you’re willing to part with.
You like to discover things for yourself.

If any of these assumptions is true for you, you’re reading the right book.

Icons Used in This Book

As you go through the chapters of this book, you’ll find the following friendly icons scattered here and there. They’re designed to draw your attention to different kinds of information, from helpful guidance to pleasant diversions.

Be sure to pay attention to anything that has this icon attached. As you may guess, it’s something important that you shouldn’t forget.

When you see this icon, you know that some handy-dandy information follows that can save you time, money, energy, and more.

There’s an occasional step into the swamp of technical jargon or complex discussion, and this icon gives you fair warning. It’s not essential stuff. Feel free to flip past it if you just don’t care.

Pay attention to text featuring this icon. It can help you avoid mistakes and problems.

The audio examples that appear throughout the text bring a lot of the music in this book to life. When you see this icon, it means you can find an online audio track related to what you’re reading about. You can find these tracks and clips at www.dummies.com/go/pianokeyboardaio.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the book content, you can find a free online Cheat Sheet that includes advice on building scales, modulating to a new key, achieving the right posture for playing, and getting to know the different types of electronic keyboards. Go to www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/pianokeyboardaio to access this handy reference material, and then print it out and keep it handy.

You can also access additional free articles that cover information that simply couldn’t fit into the book. You’ll find information on using fake books to expand your repertoire, gigging with others, implementing syncopation, and checking out practice exercises by some great composers. Check them out at www.dummies.com/extras/pianokeyboardaio.

Finally, www.dummies.com/go/pianokeyboardaio is home to the more than 150 audio tracks that accompany this book. Head there to listen to notes, scales, chords, songs, exercises, demonstrations of the sounds of instruments and various keyboard features, and much more.

Where to Go from Here

The book is organized into parts containing chapters that are grouped according to broad, related topics. But you sure don’t have to read it from front to back — or in any particular order. The idea is that you can skim through the table of contents and pick and choose whatever’s interesting to you, based on where you are currently in your musical journey. Then go directly to that section and get cracking.

Still, if you really want some tips about where to begin, here are a few: If you’ve never touched a piano before, definitely start with Book 1. If looking at printed music gives you heart palpitations, you really should think about heading to Book 2. If you’re okay on the very basics, try Book 3, where you gain knowledge of important piano-playing fundamentals and techniques. If you’re not too bad at playing but would like to dig deeper into some particular styles, like rock, country, or jazz, head to Book 4. If you’re pretty good but could use some terrific warmups to get your fingers even more limber (limberer?), try Book 5. And if you’ve got your hot little hands on a smokin’ new keyboard or synthesizer and want to delve into its possibilities, head on over to Book 6.

Bottom line: Every person’s musical journey is unique. Wherever you start — or end up — the important thing is to have fun (and keep playing!).

Book 1

Piano & Keyboard 101

Contents at a Glance

Chapter 1: Warming Up to the Piano and Keyboard
1. What’s So Special About the Piano?
2. Why People Learn to Play the Piano (and Why They Often Quit)
3. Getting to Know the Piano as an Instrument
4. Understanding the Language of Music
5. The Best Way to Play
6. What You Already Know About Playing the Piano
7. Electronic Keyboards and other Keyboard Instruments
8. Making the Most of Your Keyboard’s Basic Features
9. Delving into More Advanced Digital Features
10. Practicing with and without Help
Chapter 2:
1. Acoustic Pianos
2. Electro-Mechanical Keyboards
3. Electronic Keyboards
4. Appreciating How Digital Keyboards Make So Many Sounds
5. Considering Key Feel and Response
6. Paying Attention to Polyphony
Chapter 3: Choosing and Buying Your Keyboard
1. First Things First: Acoustic or Electric (or Both)?
2. Looking At What’s Important for the Beginner
3. Playing Well With Others and Alone
4. Picking the Perfect Acoustic Piano
5. Selecting a Digital Keyboard That Lasts
6. Before You Drive It Off the Lot: Sealing the Deal
7. The MIDI Places You Can Go
Chapter 4: The Setup and Care of Your Instrument
1. Unboxing Your New Keyboard
2. Providing a Good Place to Put It
3. Making It Shine
4. Calling In a Pro for Tuning, Check-Ups, and Serious Repairs
5. Setting Up Your Keyboard
6. Hook Me Up: Keyboard Connections
7. Protecting Your Investment: Care and Upkeep
8. Solving Minor Technical Problems
Chapter 5: Getting Comfy at the Keyboard
1. Blake’s E-Z Key Finder
2. What Your Parents Never Told You About Posture
3. It’s All in the Hands
4. Pedal Power: Getting Your Feet in on the Action