Q. I've been learning piano for a little over 3 years, and currently learning Grade 9 RCM. My piano teacher suggested that I should join band at school. I wasn't interested in middle school because the band wasn't very good, but now I'm in high school and the beginner band actually doesn't sound half bad. I also play a little bit of guitar, like basic chords and finger plucking. I don't really want to play percussion, maybe a woodwind instrument because I'm also in choir at school. I really like jazz music, if that helps. Any suggestions?
A. I think saxophone would be pretty awesome if you like jazz music, but transposing the music and stuff would be a bit difficult since a C in saxophone is different from a piano C. I play the flute, which I find is pretty nice!
How do you build a IV chord?
Q. In piano class, we are adding IV chords to our 5 finger patterns. How would I go about building one? For example, if c was the root, what would the other notes be for the chord?
A. You know that a major chord has 3 notes, right? The root, the 3rd, and 5th notes of the scale. You can double some of the notes or scramble them, but a major chord always needs the 1, 3 and 5 notes in the scale. The C major scale is easy....no flats or sharps.
C=1
D=2
E=3
F=4
G=5
A=6
B=7
C=8
So when you play a C major chord, you should be playing the notes C, E, and G. (1-3-5)
Now you asked about building a IV (4) chord. Well the 4th note in the C scale is F. The 1-3-5 of an F scale is F-A-C. Coincidentally, this is also the 4-6-1 of the C scale.
Piano Fingering: How to determine the correct fingering when sight reading?
Q. When you're learning a new piece on your own, how exactly do you determine the most efficient fingerings? Do you base the fingering from the basics: scales, arpeggios, and chords we learn all those years of practising? Or does it just come naturally and randomly?
A. Absolutely use your knowledge of scales, arpeggios etc to get started. From there, be prepared to experiment; there is not usually one, best definitive way.
Generally, avoid too many jumps and make it as smooth as possible. Specifically, a few ideas:
- If your score includes fingerings, follow them, but know that you might need to change some of it to suit your hands. Compare fingerings from different scores, if possible.
- Use the middle fingers on black keys and the end fingers on white.
- Avoid having fingers left over at the end of running passages; try to end the phrase on the pinkie.
- For sequential chords, use fingering that requires the least amount of movement of the hand.
- For chords, don't forget to use your 4th finger!
- What works slowly may not always work up to speed; remember that.
- Use finger substitution for expanding hand positions or sustaining single notes.
The best advice I ever received about fingering was to pencil it in on your score, and do it that way every time (unless you make a decision to change it, then rub it out and put the new finger in, and do it *that* way every time).
An example of this: if you have a rapid, scale-like passage, mark in where the 3rd and 4th fingers will fall. Not the first, or anything else, just 3s and 4s. This way, your brain can quickly see where the thumb and the 3rd/4th finger will interact.
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Title : What instrument in concert band should I play?
Description : Q. I've been learning piano for a little over 3 years, and currently learning Grade 9 RCM. My piano teacher suggested that I should joi...