1. Aim for balance. Take a cue from figure skater Mirai Nagasu, 16, who finds time for school, homework, friends and Japanese classes…plus her intense skating schedule. Goodbye, lame TV shows. Piano lessons first!
2. Ditch excuses. Limb loss, wheelchairs and brain injury don’t stop Olympians from high achievements in competition. Don’t let the anything stop you from your goals! Piano lessons are worth it!
3. Stay dedicated. Some world-class athletes travel hundreds of miles for every practice. Makes the few-seconds to walk to and practice the piano seem not-so bad, huh?
4. Have fun. U.S. athlete Noelle Pikus-Pace tapes funny messages to her sled before races. Find ways to make practicing piano a fun practice for you!
5. Share those skills. We love that hockey player Angela Ruggiero runs camps for girls. Take a second to teach someone a new skill that you just learned!
6. Stay organized. Olympic athletes have a lot to do! On top of preparing and competing, they also have press events and have to make time for their friends and family. Being organized and creating lists is a good idea for every busy bee!
Piano lessons and practice are well worth your time!
This is a quick way to learn how to read and recognize notes written on the staff and on the piano. However, there is no replacement for learning how to sound smooth and pretty on the piano than with step by step instruction and with songs that allows gradual progress.
Recognizing the names of the bass and treble clef notes can be fun and rather simple. All you have to do is memorize a word for each note, like this.
Caution: Use this method only for learning “off” the piano. Do not rely on this method while you are actually reading music and playing because it will slow you down as you try to recite these. Only use this as a fun way to learn the notes off the piano:
Bass clef space notes: A C E G (All Cows Eat Grass)
Bass clef line notes: G B D F A (Good Boys Do Fine Always)
Treble clef space notes: F A C E (This spells “face”)
Treble clef line notes: E G B D F (Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge)
Now the fun begins. Here are some simple and fun ways to memorize these notes.
1) Speed Run: See how fast you can say the names of the notes. Try doing it first with the words, and then with the letter names only.
2) Reverse Speed Run: Now see how fast you can practice saying the letter names in reverse. This is a great way to see just how well you know the letter names.
3) Say-n-Play: While sitting at your piano, say the letter name out loud and then play it on the keyboard. If you are using flashcards, mix them up so that you can select a card at random and do the same activity. This is a very good memorization activity.
4) Play Them All: Now comes a fun way to test your knowledge. Say out loud the note then play all of those notes on the entire keyboard. For example, you have selected the note “A.” Play all the “A” keys on the entire keyboard.
The sooner one can memorize the names of the notes and recognize where they are found on the keyboard, the more enjoyment that can be found playing the keyboard. Just like you learned the ABC’s for reading you’ll be a great success at learning your ABCDEFG’s for the keyboard. Enjoy!
For more information and some video tips on how to learn piano properly, visit:
Consistency is KEY!
Consistent effort leads to success.
What would happen if you were consistent in your piano practicing?
When you watch these athletes, remember that they have been working towards this moment for an very long period of time.
Some started when they were just children, and they have trained every day to reach this shining moment.
They have made sacrifices. They have trained when they didn’t feel like it. They have put in the work necessary to be the best in their field.
* What would happen if you practiced piano when you didn’t feel like it?
* What would be the result if you carved regular practice times into your week and disciplined yourself to stick to your plan?
* What would happen if you persevered in your piano practicing, week by week, month by month, and year by year?
Like these athletes, you would begin to shine. You would start to rise to the top of your piano class. And you will feel GREAT about what you
have accomplished!!
During my last visit to San Diego, my brother surprised me when he stopped by on his lunch break. He started to play around on the piano and I captured a little bit on camera.
I just wanted to take a moment to show you that playing piano isn’t just about playing a song perfectly, it is about enjoying time with friends and family. The piano has a rich history, and one that unites generations together. Since I am holding the camera, what you don’t get to see is us playing some fun duets together, but here’s a clip of some spontaneous conversation between brother and sister… Enjoy!
P.S. This piano, is the piano I started lessons on when I was 5 years old. (In 1969!) Am I that old?
