Playing the piano can bring the joy of music into your life as well as the lives of others. The piano is a very popular musical instrument through which you can produce amazing and beautiful sounds. By pressing the various keys on a piano's keyboard small hammers hit strings that produce the musical notes. The piano was invented long ago and is an integral part of many famous songs.

History of the Piano

The invention of the piano stems from other musical instruments that were already in existence. The prior instruments included the clavichord, the harpsichord and the dulcimer. The clavichord came into being in the 1400's. The instrument's sounds are typically produced by brass tangents at the end of each key striking bichord strings. The harpsichord, which came into existence around 1505, produces sounds by plectrums or quills plucking strings. Finally the dulcimer is an instrument that does not include a keyboard. The musician holds small hammers in their hands that they use to strike strings in order to produce the desired sounds. The very first "successful" attempt to create a keyboard that utilized hammers hitting strings to produce sounds was referred to as "gravicembalo col piano e forte." The instrument was created by a man named Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700. He was a maker of harpsichords, an Italian inventor and the "keeper of instruments" in the Florence court of Prince Ferdinand de Medici. His invention became publically recognized around 1709. Cristofori removed the crow quills from the harpsichord and replaced them with wooden hammers covered in leather.

Famous Composers

History is filled with extraordinarily gifted musical composers. The composers are the people who create the music that is heard throughout the world. Several of the most famous musical composers include: Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Frederic Chopin. Each one of these composers was a musical genius in his own right. Johann Sebastian Bach lived from 1685 to 1750. He was a musician during the Baroque period of music. He was descended from a family filled with musicians but was the first one to become famous to the world beyond his hometown. He is known for his intertwining melodies as well as the fugue. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived during the classical period of music from 1756 to 1791. He was a true genius who wrote his first symphony when he was only five years of age. He was a student of the famous composer Joseph Haydn and is well-known for his opera writings. Ludwig van Beethoven was also part of the Classical period of music. He lived from 1770 to 1827. Both Haydn and Mozart tutored Beethoven. He helped to link the Classical and Romantic styles of music. His music is known to be filled with emotion. The Romantic period of music included the genius of Frederic Chopin. He lived from 1810 to 1849. Chopin's specialty was the piano which he took to new heights. He forever changed the way the piano was regarded in music.

Fun Lesson Plans

Learning to play the piano or merely improving your skills has never been easier. The World Wide Web provides you with free access to many different lesson plans for a variety of levels. Whether you are young, old or somewhere in the middle, piano is a beautiful instrument to master. Online learning is a great way to learn the instrument because you are able to do it from the comfort of your home and at your own pace. No matter what skill level you currently are there are lesson plans that will help you to better your skills.

Tips for Improving Your Skills

Different piano instructors have different tips that can help you to improve your skills regarding the piano. One tip, for example, is to almost always play the piano with both hands. Try not to separate them. Another good tip is to play something that you are familiar with and that you truly enjoy. An additional tip is to listen to musical pieces and attempt to infer the notes in order to improve your musical ear. All instructors will also tell you that "practice makes perfect." This means that the more you practice playing the piano the better you will become at it.

Piano Education Resources

There are a large variety of educational resources that exist and focus on the piano. Your local library will have many books and possibly other items that can help you learn to play piano or learn about the piano. Music studios where piano lessons are offered are always a great place to begin. The World Wide Web has information regarding almost anything that you can access. The following links are merely a few that will help you with your journey of learning about the piano.