Keyed In Music

From left to right, the three pedals on a piano are una corda, sostenuto, and the damper pedal. The damper pedal is the most commonly used pedal, as it works to sustain the sound by raising all the dampers (felts) off the strings. When the pedal is released, the dampers fall back and stop the sound.

The una corda pedal (literally “one string”) is referred to as the “soft” pedal. On a grand piano, the hammers shift to the right so they will only strike one string of the depressed key, hence making it softer. On an upright piano, the hammers are moved closer to the strings, therefore having less distance to travel and less momentum, enabling the pianist to play more softly.

The sostenuto pedal is only found on grand pianos. This allows for selective sustain in the bass without affecting the upper notes. On an upright piano, it is generally a practice pedal, lowering a piece of felt between the hammers and the strings thus making it quieter. This is useful if you live in an apartment or want to practice without disturbing others. Usually, this pedal can be locked into place so you don’t have to hold it down continuously.

Sorry, but I have no room for any more students.

Featured Student.

Last term, Morgan completed her Grade 1 exam, with a High Distinction score of 94/100. I was pleased to present her with her Certificate. Awesome! 😀

Please Like and congratulate Morgan on her well deserved result.

Featured Student.

Last term, Meg completed her Grade 1 exam, with a High Distinction scoring 92/100. Amazing! 😃

Please Like and congratulate Meg on her wonderful result.

I have just completed the first week teaching after my break, and I have to say for the most part, I am super impressed with how my students have stayed with the program, and really practised hard on their set assignments. It was such a joy to listen to them confidently play their pieces, which were learned in a completely different format to the usual. Kudos to the older students who carried on independently with their exam pieces and really impressed me with their progress. And a massive thank you to all the parents for their role in supporting their kids. 😃🎹🏆😍

Last week I read the first post from Daryl Braithwaite, announcing his retirement from performing live gigs. I had to check if it was authentic before getting inundated with posts from every source. The other day I heard him interviewed and he was saying how difficult it was becoming to have to make decisions while performing - whether to attempt singing a phrase in full voice or try the high parts in falsetto, and having to measure every note in order to deliver the performance he wanted. He commented that it was really hard work and never used to be hard work, and this process took the joy out of performing.

I totally get it. When I was performing overseas I would play and sing 5 hours a night, 6 or 7 nights a week. I had to measure my performance too, to last the distance each night, and then continue to deliver an exemplary performance night after night. It is exhausting. As a performer, you want the performance to sound effortless and hold perfect pitch and tone. There is no such thing as taking a sick day - the show must go on.

This photo is from 1998, when I played as the support act one night for Daryl Braithwaite in a club in Melbourne. We had a chat and drink after the gig. I found him very personable - authentic, humble, natural and very down to earth. I briefly taught his son at high school and used to see him at school drop off times. Daryl always used to ask where I’d played on the weekend and then encouraged me to pursue my dream to work professionally in the industry, which then took me abroad for some 18 years. I feel very privileged to have met him.

Keyed in Music is temporarily closed. Please check in later. 

Enjoy the long weekend. 😃

The answer to last week's post, is image B. Did you get it right?

Today's info graphic demonstrates good hand shape for playing piano, and explains why it is neccessary. You can observe your child's hand shape as they play, and share this image with them.

Beginner Hand & Finger Mistakes at the piano include:

• Flat fingers.
• Fingers collapse instead of staying gently curved.
• Collapsed knuckles.
• Finger joints “cave in” when pressing keys.
• Curled pinkies tucked under .
• Trying to lift fingers extremely high at the knuckle joint before every note.
• Thumb sticking out stiffly.