How to Write Interesting Songs for Piano

If you search WikiHow, you will find plenty of pages related to the topic "How to write songs" and "How to write songs for piano". However, most of these simply tell you to put aurally pleasing chords and melody lines together, and to write the notes down on a stave. These tell you nothing about how to find your aurally pleasing chords, etc. That is the purpose of this page. (This page can work for any other instrument, but primarliy for the piano.)

First of all, a lot of guides (and for that matter, people) will tell you that in order to compose effectively, you need to have a rough knowledge of theory, i.e. scales, chords, musical notation, etc. This is not always the case. For example, some artist have been composing since they were young, and could not read musical notation until a much later age. As long as you have a good feel for the music, and know what do do with your hands, then the sky's the limit.
you might like not knowing anything about notes and scales, because when you noodle around with a guitar, there are no harmonic boundaries. you are free to experiment. Judge for yourself.

Decide whether you're going to begin with lyrics or begin with piano. most people like to begin with the lyrics because then you feel as if you know what kind of mood you want the music to have. But lots of people work the other way around, so choose yourself.

Think of something that has inspired/angered/elevated you. you might want to write about something that you feel passionately about, otherwise your lyrics will have very little impact.

Watch out for plagarizing, whether it's intentional or not. Plagarizing is probable; it happens to the best of us. However, it's also illegal (as well as being generally frowned upon). So if you find that what you've written sounds very similar to something else, make sure that you hide it well. Change the melody, rhythm, pitch, whatever you want. I wouldn't recommend removing it though. The way I see it, there are only so many notes available, and if you plagarize someone else's combination along the way, so be it. Just make sure that not many people notice.
"Talent borrows, genius steals"

How to Utilize Your Synthesizer

If you have bought your $1000 shiny brand-new KORG and then think that you paid this much just for the preset sounds, then you should take a closer look! All synths are made to manipulate sound itself and the possibilites of them are endless. Here's how you can create the sound that you have imagined!

Steps

Go to the sound that is closest to your desired sound. Listen for interesting effects and do not worry about the basis sound.(It has a French Horn sound, but it has a great forte-piano that you love.)
Find the basic editing area of the synth and look for the oscillator editing areas.
Change the samples given to the sample or basis sound you desire.
Find the filters and change them. Take note that this is where you can change the start time, loudest point and how it decays.
Find the LFO and change the waveform.
Find the arpeggiator and change it to a preset arpeggio or make your own.
Find the FX and find the ones you desire.

My tips

Manipulating sound is based on experimentation. You can read the manual to grasp the knowledge of your keyboard, but you must be the one to change each parameter.
Don't give up on this! It may seem to take forever to change and edit your keyboard to get the sounds you want, but it's all based on how bad you need and want the sound.
Read some of your manual. These steps are very brief and depending on the synth, there could be more or less functions on your keyboard.

Take note that this was based on the KORG Triton LE 61 Key Music Workstation. You may need to look in your manual to find these things that I am talking because they may have different names than above.
Remember that depending on what synth you have, that if you save the program to save it onto a sound you do not care for or a new program. If you save it over the original, the deletion of the old could be permanent.

How to Use Piano Foot Pedals

Once you learn the basics of the keyboard,and the basic techniques of playing the piano, the next step is to learn how and when to use the Piano Foot pedals, so as to add depth and feelings to any piano piece.There are three pedals on the piano: the sustain pedal on the right, played with the right foot; the soft pedal on the left, played with the left foot; and the sostenuto pedal in the middle, played with the left foot.

The pedals are played with your foot; the sustain with your right, soft with left. The middle pedal, although rarely used, replaces the function of the sustain pedal once in a while, so it would be played with the right foot.

Place your foot flat on the floor when progressing through long passages without any pedal usage. If you find it hard to do this,move you seat back slightly to make yourself more comfortable (but not to far out).
When a pedal is meant to be played, place the heel of your foot on the ground directly in front of the pedal.
Pivot downwards, pressing down the pedal with the ball of your foot.
Your heel should never leave the ground while depressing a pedal.


The sustain pedal is the most often used pedal. It releases the strings of the dampers, felt-covered pieces of wood that deaden a string's vibration. muffled by the felt.
The soft pedal enhances soft passages. The soft pedal does not mean you should play loudly when depressing it so that the sound is soft.
The middle pedal, called sostenuto, is rarely used, but is indicated in music with clear instructions. This pedal keeps the dampers up that were raised when it was depressed, enabling staccato play independent of the sustained note.

Tips
Most piano pieces, including the classics, only require use of the sustain pedal, but the soft pedal is used occasionally.
Not all pianos have three pedals since the sostenuto is seldom used. That does not mean the piano is inferior or should not be used or purchased.
Never randomly use the pedal by going up and down on it because the music will sound choppy, instead of smooth.
Experiment with the pedals. Play a scale, and be aware of how you are using the pedal. Listen to the sound and how the pedal effects it.
The more you experiment with the pedal usage, the better you will become using it and enhancing your piece of music.
During practice time, include practicing with and without the pedal, holding it down and raising it, to get the desired effect.
Remember, after you get used to using the pedal, songs will sound unfulfilled without the pedal, so its important to know how to use the pedal properly.

How to Tune a Piano

Are you a piano player or teacher who dislikes the unnecessary expense of hiring a piano tuner and feels that you could do it yourself with a little training? Well this is your lucky day. All you need are the right tools, a piano and patience,

Buy tools. Tuning tools are hard to find, especially if you are accustomed to shopping at local retail locations. eBay is a reliable place for tuning tools.

Choose a tuning lever and try to find one with a star tip as opposed to a square tip. This will give you some extra flexibility.

Set aside a couple of hours. Depending on the out-of-tuneness of your piano, this could take awhile.

Remove every item between you and your tuning pegs.

Block off the outside strings of your starting octave octave: F below middle-C up to E above middle-C-

Notice three strings for each of the keys in that octave. Block off the outside strings of each of those keys with the temperament strip. You will need a flat-head screwdriver to stuff the strip between the strings. F up to E

Tips

a tuning lever (AKA tuning hammer)
A=440 tuning fork
felt temperament strip (preferably tapered)
2 rubber mutes

Warnings

A piano is a fine and delicate instrument that should be tuned about twice a year. There is more to tuning than just following these instructions. It would be advisable to seek the services of a professional piano tuner to make sure that the tone is of good quality and sound.

How to Teach Yourself to Play the Piano

To learn the piano without a teacher (I.e by ear) will require a strong musical ear and patience...
First of all, you obviously need a piano, or a place with a piano that you are free to use in spare time for a few hours a week at least.
Make sure the piano is reasonably tuned (most pianos are kept in tune).
To learn to play the piano well on your own, the best possible first step is to learn your basic scales, most importantly the Major and Minor pentatonic. This doesn't require a teacher as the internet is full of information and resources for musical scales - just google it! ;)
It is important to learn these scales first - if you wish to play basic piano songs - and know what key the song is in. Nine times out of ten the notes will be in the scale of that key.
To learn your own favourite songs, just listen by ear and work out the right notes, once you have the melody down you can usually work out the chords using notes from the melody. If you can read music, resources can be found on the internet.
This is basically the furthest you can go on your own, but just by simply practicing your scales and training your ear, you can play anything if you put enough time into it.

Don't stress out, remember its just fun that way you will stay more interested.
It is a lot easier if you already play a melodic instrument, as you will have a familiar view on musical notes and will be able to work with your other instrument(s) for a guideline.
Practice scales as much as possible, as they are the basis of every song, and will greatly improve the speed of your finger movement.
As tempting as it can be, try to play without the sustain pedal pushed down as it will sound clearer and you will be able to hear your mistakes more. This can help you to improve a lot.

If you want to play piano as a career or seriously wish to go further into your playing, it is highly recommended that you do get a teacher, without one you will pick up many bad habits that will take years to unlearn, as with any instrument! It is very difficult to obtain a profession or high grade without an appropriate teacher/tutor.

How to Teach Piano

If you love music and want to spread your knowledge, perhaps you should consider becoming a piano teacher. Here's a step-by-step guide to starting as a new piano teacher.

Understand and be able to play piano yourself. You need to have piano experience before becoming a teacher. Most teachers have learned their craft thoroughly and enjoy it.
Decide how many lessons you want to teach each week, how much you will charge, and how long each lesson will be. Most lessons are 30 minutes long, especially for beginning players. Find out what other piano teachers in your area are charging. As a new teacher, your rate should be lower than theirs. Many starting teachers begin with a low rate of $10 per lesson and raise their rate every two-three years by a few dollars. When you're deciding how many lessons and when you want to teach each week, remember the time commitments of your students. Are they still in school? College students? Are they working a 9-5 job? You'll have to work around their schedules too. Remember to leave time your lunch or dinner break.

Decide where you will have your lessons. You could have them at your house, at your student's house, or at another site, such as a music store or community center. Make sure there is a piano and a chair for you and your student. It should be clean, easy to work in, and easy to get to for you and your students.
Find students. Advertise in the newspaper, hand out fliers in your neighborhood, and tell everyone you know. If your city has a community center, ask if they have a music program that you could be part of. It would give you more credibility. Music stores are good places to find aspiring students. Ask if they have a place, such as bulletin board, window, or desk, where you could hang a flier.

Plan out your lessons. Once you have a student and the first lesson scheduled, plan out what you will teach your student at the first lesson. Introduce yourself and ask the student some basic questions about themselves. Find out if they have ever played piano before and how much they know. You could ask them to play a simple song for you. Do they have any goals or songs that they're working on? Why do they want to learn to play piano? What kind of music do they like? You may want to find out when the lesson is scheduled if your student is new to the piano so you can recommend books for them to buy before the lesson. Alfred Piano Course books are an excellent series for learning the basics, but there are many other series to choose from. As the teacher, you should be familiar with the books.

Some teachers buy the books for the students (the student pays for the books at the first lesson) so that they can play through the songs themselves and be able to give the student helpful hints, skip songs that doesn't agree with your teaching principles or other things.

Have your first lesson. Learn from them and change how you're teaching for each student. Teach on the level of the pupil. Base your lesson off them. Go their speed. They're paying for the lessons. You want them to understand why the reason behind various music techniques. Start with what they know and build off it.
Encourage your students often. Tell them when they've improved and what they do well. Offer constructive criticism only.

If you don't buy piano books for your student, be sure to recommend titles that they should purchase. To a beginner, all books look the same, just in different colors.
Be patient with your student. Some people require more instructions while others understand with a simple sentence.
Try not to bore your student with talking, but get to know them. Start the lesson with a "How was your week? Did the practising go well?" They'll be able to tell you right off about the spots that had them screaming with frustration and you'll know why they practised the amount they did. If their grandma died and they had to ship off to Antarctica for the funeral, they probably didn't get much chance to practise. If so, turn the lesson into a "How to Practise Effectively." Show them your tips for learning a song quickly and have them show you how they do their practicing.
Find interesting songs for your students. There are many many many piano books in different genres for all different levels. If they enjoy the songs, they'll want to practise more.
Teach your students the tricks and tips that helped you become a better pianist.

Don't pretend to be something you're not. Professional piano teachers have at least a bachelor's degree in piano with coursework in piano pedagogy. A professional should know how to sequence and teach musical concepts and how to develop the technical ability and structure of the hands as they grow.
If a student has learned everything that you can teach them, don't hang onto them. Let go of your student and tell them to find a more advanced teacher. You will be able to find another student to fill their spot.
Students may not want to practice. If they consistently come to lessons every week having not, or barely, looked at their songs since the last lesson, you should remind them that they won't improve their playing unless they practise between lessons. With younger students, try to get the parents to help. Make a practise calendar for them to fill out and have a parent initial every week. Be aware that not all students are honest.

Do not push students to practise boring songs longer than necessary. Many beginners have quit because they were forced to play simple songs fifty times over for thirty minutes each day.