Is An Acoustic Piano Necessary? - Mozart’s Monthly Memo-Volume 31
May 31, 2023
Summer session of Crescendo Kids Online begins Tuesday, June 13
Is An Acoustic Piano Necessary?
This Memo includes
Feature Article: Is An Acoustic Piano Necessary?
Student Hall of Fame
Practice Tip
Piano Party - June 3
Parents Ask Pam - Your classes at the community center are full. What other options do you offer?
Feature Article - Is An Acoustic Piano Necessary?
By Pamela Cornell, Director
Do you really need a piano or is a keyboard good enough? In today’s age of technology, I have become super impressed with the quality of inexpensive keyboards. They have done a remarkable job of imitating an acoustic piano in both its sound and feel. I love this because it means that more people can learn to play the piano since it is more accessible and affordable. Bringing the piano to as many children as possible is what Move Over Mozart is all about! And the keyboard provides a bridge to many children that would not have any opportunity otherwise. Unfortunately, the ease of having an affordable and portable instrument, combined with all the free YouTube tutorials, results in getting a lot of teacher applicants that never took a lesson and are self-taught at playing the piano. Is playing the piano really that easy or is it too good to be true?
Vladimir Horowitz, a famous Russian-American classical pianist, once said “the piano is the easiest instrument to play . . . and the hardest to master . . .” The “easiest to play” part is why I love to teach children. Children get immediate satisfaction from creating and imitating music that is beautiful. But what is Horowitz talking about when he says, “hardest to master”?
The piano is made up of over 10,000 moving parts. This means each key has over 100 moving parts that make up the sound that comes out when pressed. How that key is pressed can change the whole sound quality. How many ways can a key be pressed? There are many different markings in our music to help dictate how to press the key. Not just legato (connected) or staccato (detached), but also tenuto (stressed), accent (attack), portato (less detached) and combined with dynamics (loud and soft) it all requires a different way of touching the piano. A keyboard, even an expensive, fancy, “all-the-bells” digital, can only imitate so far. What the keyboard wants to do is “correct” your imperfect touch to make it sound better. For a young, new player, this can be nice. The keyboard can actually make you sound better than your ability. But once you switch to an acoustic piano, all your flaws become more obvious and exaggerated. It also means that it is virtually impossible to practice any type of technique on a keyboard.
One example is playing three notes at once. This is called a chord and is very common in music. In fact, no matter what type of music is played, be it popular, jazz, or classical, some form of chords will always be played. Being able to play all three notes as one with all three having the same loudness is a skill that takes specific time and practice to be mastered. A keyboard may correct and make the 3 notes sound as one automatically. An acoustic will not. This is a simple skill and one of the earliest techniques required when learning to play piano. But if a student is learning on a keyboard, they may never even realize their own lack of skill.
How important is it to be able to play on a piano? That depends on what you plan to do with your music. Being able to play a variety of quality sounds is a strong motivator for continuing and learning to play. So having an in-tune acoustic piano may naturally motivate your child to play (practice) more compared to just an electric piano. Performing in any capacity, such as an accompanist for singers, instruments, or dancers, or playing in a hotel lobby or restaurant, or even just auditioning for the position, would require having the ability to play on an acoustic piano. Studying music at a higher level, such as at the University, will also require basic piano proficiency skills, not just keyboard skills, even if the main instrument is something other than the piano.
These self-taught teacher applicants are simply not qualified to teach piano. They may be able to read notes and play the keys on the piano, but there is so much more to making beautiful music than just matching fingers to keys. As a parent, it is difficult to know what your child will do in the future. I know my parents never expected me to have music be a main part of my adult career. But I am so thankful for the training I received and the instrument I was able to practice on. What about your child? Everybody’s circumstances are different and any music education you give to your child is valuable and important! If it is possible, I strongly encourage everyone to start planning and preparing for an acoustic piano in your home.
Sources:
Student Hall Of Fame
Our students are making great progress! These students have accomplished new goals this last month.
100 Days - play the piano for at least 5 minutes 100 days in a row - Nathan H.
5X5 - play the piano for 5 minutes, 5 days in a week, for 5 weeks in a row - Ira W*, Isabella N, Janice L, Jason J*, Kevin J, Lieto Z, Lillian R, Shaurya J, and Siya P. ( * indicates first time meeting this challenge!)
Listening - Listen to classical music for 1 hour/week for 4 weeks in a row - Elliott B and Elliott W.
Completed their piano lesson book - Isabella N.
Moved Up To The Next Music Level - Alice P, Amira S and Joshua G.
Practice Tip
Practicing scales can seem boring or tedious, but they are necessary not just for the theory, but also for technique and articulation. To make the scales more interesting, combine them with specific technique practice such as 2- note slurs, crescendo and diminuendo, staccato, or really challenge yourself and do one technique with one hand and a different one with the other. As with all practice tips, make sure you are having fun!
Upcoming MOM Events
Want to see all upcoming events? Check out our calendar. It includes when the next Crescendo Kids class begins, school closure dates, piano parties, and recital dates.
FREE Online Piano Party! Students share their own music as well as participate in musical games, creating music and learning some music history. Each party is a little different with new lessons and a special guest instrument. Come, meet our piano teachers, play some music, and have fun! All ages and musical levels are welcome. Parties are available to non-students, former students as well as current students. Click the link to sign up. Piano Party Sign Up
Saturday, June 3, at 11:00 am for ages 3 - 6 years old
Saturday, June 3, at 12:00 pm for ages 7 - 12 years old
Parent Information Meetings - Have questions about our online piano class program? Want a tour of our practicing app? Click the link to schedule your free meeting with Miss Pam. Parent Info Meeting
Crescendo Kids CLASSES - Tuesdays or Thursdays at North Kirkland Community Center visit kirklandparks.net
Registration is now
Tuesdays/Thursdays:
Summer: June 27/29 - August 22/24 (no class July 4)
Crescendo Kids CLASSES - Mondays at Spartan Recreation Center in Shoreline visit shorelinewa.gov/registernow
Registration is now for Summer classes
Mondays:
Summer: June 26 - August 21
30 - Minute Private Online Piano Lessons - Did you know that many of our teachers also teach privately? Now you can continue your child’s musical education, or your own, with Move Over Mozart. Click here for more information. Private Lessons
New Crescendo Kids Online begins Tuesday, June 13. Our piano classes are fun and easy to do! Perfect for beginning students ages 3 1/2 to 12 years old. Students are put into one of 4 classes depending on their age and musical ability.
Crescendo Kids Online Sign Up
Pre-Reading - Ages 3 - 5 years, or students not yet reading,
We use a color-coded method for the students to match their five fingers to five keys on the piano. New songs using only those 5 notes are given each week.
Primary - Ages 5 -7 years or older and brand new to music,
This group is for the very basics of piano playing. Students learn to play simple rhythms, correct hand position, and the names of the white keys on the piano.
Beginning Elementary - Ages 7-12 years or younger and reading notes,
This is for students just starting to read notes on the staff. Students are taught how the staff relates to the piano and how to translate the notes to making music. Also, having the students memorize a few key notes on the staff will help greatly with their ability to read music.
Advanced Elementary - Ages 7 - 12 years with previous piano lessons
This group already reads notes on the staff and can immediately identify many of the notes by name. They will learn more advanced technique and music theory beyond the initial basics of learning to play.
Parents Ask Pam
Have a question for Miss Pam? You can email, text message, or message on Facebook your questions. She will respond immediately to you, and your question might be featured in future newsletters.
Q: Your classes at the community center are full. What other options do you offer?
A: We offer two main programs. Traditional, 30-minute private lessons online and our beginning piano program, Crescendo Kids. Crescendo Kids Online program has been very successful since we started in March of 2020. Our virtual lessons are not your typical online experience! Our piano lessons are designed to motivate and interest your child at their learning and interest level. Our online program includes short weekly videos as well as one-on-one virtual lessons. We understand children have a short attention span and we want to provide quality within those few moments that your child is focusing. We also provide games and interactive activities through our practice app. Want to know more? You can schedule a free parent intro meeting with Miss Pam to answer your questions and discuss the best option for your child.
Your Comments And Questions
We want to hear from you! What questions do you have? What do you like best about this memo? How do you encourage practicing in your home? Please leave your questions and comments below or email Pam directly at misspam@moveovermozart.net