Piano Blog
Stay up-to-date with the latest updates for key-notes! At the Piano Blog you'll get news, information and tips for learning piano online... hot off the electronic press!
Online Piano Lessons
I'm pleased to announce the availability of online piano lessons with me personally, from anywhere in the world! After a series of successful tests, I've...
Bass Clef
This video is an excerpt from my course, How to Read Sheet Music. Let's take a look at the F clef. Here is the symbol:
Treble Clef
This video is an excerpt from my course, How to Read Sheet Music. This symbol is called a G clef:
My Practice Routine
Question: Hello Albert, I often read about practicing on your website, and you write a lot about how to practice efficiently, and how you get the best...
key-notes Products
key-notes product listing: DVDs and piano courses
Urtext Editions
Question: In your opinion, which are the best urtext editions with regards to fingering, paper quality, critical commentary, etc.? Thank you,
How to Practice Polyrhythms
Question: What is your advice for playing polyrhythms? For example, simple polyrhythms like triplets against duplets or quadruplets and odd ones (Chopin's...
Albert Frantz
Albert Frantz began piano studies at the unusual age of seventeen—years after a childhood teacher proclaimed he would never be able to play the piano. Under...
Deck the Halls Sheet Music
Question: How do we know which chords to use in Deck the Halls in key of C? Albert's reply: I've created a simple arrangement and have made the 'Deck the...
A Musician's Fitness Routine
Question: I'm a music student—a piano student—and also I want to start a fitness program. Can it damage my piano technique? I mean, how can...
Happy Birthday Sheet Music
By very popular request, key-notes is happy to offer the Happy Birthday sheet music for free download! This no-frills arrangement is easily accessible and...
The Entertainer Sheet Music
key-notes is pleased to offer The Entertainer sheet music for free download! Composed in 1902 by ragtime pioneer Scott Joplin, The Entertainer is among the...
Moonlight Sonata Sheet Music
key-notes is pleased to present a beautiful new edition of Beethoven's 'Moonlight' Sonata! The first movement, available for free download, was edited by...
Für Elise Sheet Music
By popular demand, key-notes is offering the Für Elise sheet music for free download! This special, professionally typeset edition has been prepared just for...
Yamaha Digital Piano: A Pianist's Review of the AvantGrand
I recently had an opportunity to play the AvantGrand, the new Yamaha digital piano that represents the current state of the art, and wanted to share my...
Writing in Fingerings
Question: I am returning to playing the piano after 20 years. I took lessons from the age of 8 until I was 17. My problems are fingering, sight reading and...
Wrist and Forearm Tension
Question: I've been having some tightness and tension in my wrists and forearms lately. I'm aware that you struggled through similar problems with discomfort....
Whole Note
A whole note (also called a semibreve in British English) is the longest note typically found in music notation. It is notated with only an open note head...
Who Invented the Piano?
It was a harpsichord maker named Bartolomeo Cristofori who invented the piano in 1700. Cristofori (pronounced kris-TOFF-or-ee) (1655-1731) was from Padua, in...
Which Hand to Watch?
Question: I've been a guitarist for 30+ years and have always watched my left hand, and rarely my right. And now that I am learning/practicing the major and...
Which Chords Do You Really Need to Know?
Question: Hi Albert, What are the chords that I really, really need to know as an intermediate piano player? Here's my guess: Major, minor, diminished, ...
When Do People Usually Start Playing by Ear?
Question: I know people usually say it depends on the person. Well, I want to know the average year of when a person who take lessons starts playing by ear. I...
What to Expect from Piano Lessons
Question: Hi Albert, First of all, thank you for taking the time to run such an awesome site and provide so much detailed and helpful advice.
What Is Music Theory?
Question: I had been formally trained in piano quite a long ago for a short duration of time. I have not been so much in touch with it since then, but I have...
What Is Music Notation?
'Music notation' is a contradiction in terms. Music is heard, while notation is seen. Notating music is thus a translation from one sensory modality to another.
What Are the Notes on a Piano?
Question: I was wondering, what are the notes on a piano? Albert's reply: I assume you're talking about the names of the keys... but they don't really have...
Warming Up the Hands
Question: Hello dear teacher, I had some problems and sickness and I couldn't practice at all! I want to start again but my hands are too cold to play after...
Warming Up for Lessons and Performing
Question: What is the best way to quickly warm up or get acclimated to an unfamiliar piano? That is, if you have, say, five minutes to prepare, what do you...
Warming Up Before Practicing
Question: Do you do or suggest any kind of physical warm-ups (non-musical) such as hand or arm stretches before practicing or playing (or after as well)? I...
Voice Leading and Inner Voices
Question: I would like to know more about proper voice leading. I can hear each separate voice in a piece and I can hear chord progressions, but this seems...
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