Musical Cosmos

Welcome to the first ‘Basics’ series. This initial series covers the piano. Over the coming weeks a variety of piano-related topics will covered, and this information is primarily aimed at those who are new to the piano, or who are thinking of learning to play, but don’t know much about it. The aim is not to teach you to play (which I’m not qualifed to do), or to provide a comprehensive account of everything piano-related (which would take many volumes!). Instead it is to give a very broad overview of what I see as the major topics associated with piano playing, so you can get a general idea of what is involved if you decide to learn to play. Rather than trying to go into great detail here, each article will cover some of the key points associated with that topic, then point those who are interested in finding out more in the direction of more in-depth resources.

This information will necessarily be incomplete, firstly because of time and space contraints - this is a blog after all, not an encylopedia, and the posts have had to be kept to a manageable length (I will be expanding each article into a much more detailed account for the Musical Cosmos website later this year however). It’s also aimed at beginners, so more advanced concepts and techniques won’t be covered. This information is also limited in scope because it represents my personal view. I’ve been playing the piano since I was 7, so I know something about it, but I don’t claim to be an expert. Everything I write here is based on my own experience and reading around, which will inevitably be lacking in some areas. I’ve also naturally just focused on the areas that interest me most, rather than trying to cover absolutely everything piano-related. So take this information as a starting point if you like, but not as more than that!

The ‘Piano Basics’ series will unfold as follows (unless I decide to make some changes along the way, which is possible!):

1. (that’s this part) Introduction
2. Why play the piano?
3. The piano in context - The keyboard family of instruments
4. Piano history
5. Types of piano, and how the piano works
6. Buying a piano
7. Playing the piano - Self-taught or lessons?
8. Playing the piano - Posture and hand position
9. Playing the piano - Reading piano music
10. Playing the piano - Practicing - What to cover
11. Playing the piano - Practicing - How to practice effectively
12. Playing the piano - Playing by ear
13. Playing the piano - Improvisation
14. Piano exams
15. Major styles of piano music
16. Looking after your piano
17. Taking it further - Careers for pianists
18. Recommended listening, reading and websites