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The Piano Player Newsletter Issue #68, How to read music better.
May 11, 2022

Tips & Tools for Piano Players

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"The Piano Player" Issue #68, May 2022

In This Issue:



Learn How to Read Music Better & Faster

When you learn to read music, it will open a whole new world of possibilities for you! Imagine all the piano sheet music and books with all kinds of music you could devour.

In this issue, we'll start with a lesson on improving note reading for beginners.

Trouble reading the bass clef notes? Get my free flashcards and tips on how to get better, in the lesson about reading the bass (F) clef.

If you're not a beginner anymore, you may want to improve your sight reading skills. And I have included a lesson on how to do just that!

Don't miss an interesting question of the month- about the mysterious use of accidentals in Greensleeves.

Finally, I have included some excellent resources with easy sheet music to practice your note reading or sight-reading skills.

Enjoy!


Learn to Read Music for Piano

Is It Hard to Learn to Read Music?

Not really. Reading musical notation is actually very logical and relatively easy to understand.

Does it need a lot of work? Of course, it needs work!

But learning to read music enough to be able to learn and play new pieces is not as hard as you might think.

Read more >>


Master the Bass Clef Notes

Are You Struggling to Read Bass Clef Notes?

As pianists, we have to learn to read both the Treble clef (G) and the Bass clef notes (F) equally well.

Unfortunately, most students learn only treble notation in school. When starting piano lessons, they often struggle to get note reading on the bass staff to the same level as the treble clef.

Follow the exercises outlined below and print your own free set of bass clef notes flash cards (PDF). Printable & free, with both letter and syllable names, to keep practicing on your own. Have fun! :)

Read more >>


Sight Reading Music

Not what you might expect, but sight reading music effectively requires quite a bit of preparation.

The technique you'll learn here can become a very quick habit with practice. And done daily, at least for periods, you'll improve your sight reading quite dramatically!

Even though it hardly seems like sight reading music with all this preparation, practicing these exercises will help you develop a "quick scan and test" technique.

This technique you may later use, quickly in under 30 seconds, before playing the piece; a prima vista!

Read more >>


Got Piano Questions?

Ask your piano related questions here: Piano Playing Q & A



Piano Question of the Month

Flats and Sharps in Greensleeves

I have a quick question regarding flats and sharps. Due to the coronavirus, I am stuck at home and re-learning the piano :)

Yesterday I was printing out sheet music and I printed out Greensleeves. I know how to read flats and sharps but there are some notes where they don't have the sharp or flat at the beginning of the sheet music but you still somehow have to know that you have to add a sharp or flat to that note.

For example in Greensleeves, it never specifies that there has to be an F#. How do I know when to play a note that needs to have a sharp or flat when it is not specified?

Read more >>


Printable Sheet Music for Piano

FREE Printable Sheet Music Resources for Piano

Sometimes you just want one piece of lovely printable sheet music to play, perhaps not a whole book...

Printable online sheets are a quick way to get something fun to play! Here, you will find links to popular and classical sheet music collections for piano, ragtime music, and more. Some that you can even print and play right away.

These collections are also great for practicing note reading and prim a vista!

Printable Sheet Music for Practicing Note Reading and More



Comments? Ideas? Feedback?

I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this newsletter and tell me what you think or what you'd like to read more about.

Happy Practicing,

Your Online Piano Coach,


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