I promised myself from a young age that when I finally had kids, I would ensure that they would learn how to play the piano. For me, I have associated it with elegance, class and a rich history. I love the sweet tunes that this instrument produces and it is one of those things that you can learn at any point in life and I plan on entertaining my guests soon. There are piano techniques that are important when learning how to use this instrument and I have known that when sitting to play, my arms, hands, and legs should be relaxed as tension will make it hard to produce beautiful music.
I sit far back from this instrument so as to ensure that my elbow is in front of me so that I can move across the keys without any hindrances or weight. There are more than 10,000 moving parts in a piano which means that applying weight evenly through the arms and shoulders makes music that is effortless. If strained, then fatigue as well as cramping can occur so for beginners, starting out with placing arms on the lap then onto the keyboard can help one relax while they play.
The wrists should be on the same level as the white keys and cannot be higher or lower. These piano techniques have helped me apply the right speed for each note so that when released, it hits the hammer which then jumps from the spring and allows for vibration that produces rich music. When playing the piano at first, I had a tendency to really hit the keys fast but then I realized that sound was not being felt the way I had expected. Then I learned that hitting the keys hard made it impossible for the hammer to hit the string that produced cascading sounds.
Piano actions are of three types; horizontal, vertical direct and vertical pull up. Horizontal
actions are used for huge pianos that are found in celebrity homes or big theaters. When keys are pressed, they resonate to strike the strings and when released the hammer calls away from to its original position. The sound vibrates loudly to fill big theaters. The spinet action is used on vertical drops which are lowered with the aim of the hammers to hit short strings. The vertical direct is placed at the end of the piano which leads to an instant sharp sound. The vertical pull up is similar to the direct but has larger part sizes.
Knowing piano techniques and actions has helped me learn how to practice better and I have also learnt to tune my nerves and brain for a fully coordinated experience. Learning is easy and takes a very short amount of time. The other side effect to playing the piano is that it has increased my memory and has enabled me to cope better with problems of everyday life. I will teach my little girl who to play this timeless piece because I know she will apply it to her life.