Even though most people want to jump right on the piano, it’s important to know the instrument first. There are various forms of pianos out there that can range from large, heavy, or even tall vertical upright pianos. They hit somewhere around 36-51 inches tall. If you want one on the shorter side then the Spinets are around 36-39 inches. If you’re looking for a studio vertical piano, then you need something 44 inches or more.
If you get the chance to play a grand piano, the sound and overall quality is much better. We consider these horizontal pianos that are around 5′ to 9′ in length. Keep in mind the strings are horizontal as well. What about vertical pianos? Well there strings are vertical.
The piano will have a music rack of some kind where you can put your sheet music. It may fold down or slide into a slot. When you are ready to play, put it into position. There should also be a bench for you to sit on. Adjust the position of the bench so that you can reach all the keys from one end of the keyboard to the other. Do not sit either too far or away or too close.
If you look below the keys around your feet area will be a set of pedals. No, this isn’t the brake or gas, but they are considered to be used by those more experienced at playing the piano. Beginners need not apply, but the use is for sustaining sound or cutting them short.
The most important part though is the keyboard. You see a variety of white and black keys which run from left to right. Just remember they don’t necessarily alternate white and black throughout the entire keyboard.
Take a look close look at the keys. You will see that there is a consistent pattern that works with 7 white keys and 5 black. There will be an interval formed from the beginning of one set and ending on the beginning of the next. These are the musical distances between two sounds. You may know this to be called an octave.
The keys are lined up on the keyboard in order from the lowest on the left to the highest on the right. Starting at the left and moving to the right, each black or white key is a half step higher in pitch than the key before it. For a full step, it is necessary to go up (or down) two half steps. Try some half steps and some full steps. With a little practice, you should be able to learn the sound of those intervals easily.
We also recommend trying a few other intervals so you can hear different sounds. Just glance at the amount of half or full steps you are taking. Choosing a key and playing the next key up in the same position is basically how it works. Over time you will gain plenty of abilities to play octaves without an issue. No pun intended, but this is one of the keys to playing the piano.
Now that you have familiarized yourself with the instrument called the piano, you can begin to learn how to use it to make music. There is much to learn, but you can begin playing simple songs very quickly. All it takes is a little time and some effort, and soon you will be happily playing songs you enjoy. What starts with a few notes can end in a lifelong pursuit of musical accomplishment.
