Classical Piano – Learn from the Masters!
Classical Piano - You may already be having some preconceived notions about classical music, like a lot of people do. Generally people think that classical piano is difficult to play; some think it is boring; some even think that it is only for intellectuals. But this is not at all true!
Difficult to play?
Whether any particular song is difficult to play will depend entirely on the complexity of the song. Just because you like some particular piece does not mean you should start learning that piece; you may not be ready for it yet. So learn slowly and steadily!
But in case you really want to play a song and it is taking some time to play it, here is what you should do. If it is a lengthy song, break up into pieces, say around eight bars and try to learn the song one section at a time. Once you have learnt the individual sections, try playing the entire song at one go.
If there are difficult passages in the song, go to the difficult section and try to play that section at a much slower tempo. Make sure you maintain that slow tempo and your fingering is correct. If you can play it correctly three times in a row at that tempo, increase the tempo and repeat again till you can play at the required tempo.
Is it boring?
As for the boring part, it again depends on what you like. If you do not enjoy this style of music, you can definitely choose to play in some other style. You can just read through so that you are aware of what is involved, just for your knowledge!
If you want to give it a try and if you are not sure what pieces to play then try getting yourself a good book on classical songs. A couple of good books on easy classical songs are "The Joy Of 100 Best Loved Piano Classics" and “Easy Classics To Moderns” by Denes Agay.
Popular Classical Pieces
There are hundreds of good classical songs but some of the more popular ones are listed below. In case you want to learn classical songs, make sure you can play some of these!
Mozart - Turkish March, Marriage of Figaro, Serenade
Beethoven - Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata
Chopin - The entertainer, Nocturne, Funeral March
Bach - Minuet in G
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture
Characteristics
The following are the characteristics of Classical Piano. You would already know some of these as they are the basics of piano playing!
Trills - Alternate your fingers / notes.
Arpeggios - Chord played one note at a time in quick succession.
Scales - Play some section of Major / Minor scale as fill-in.
Octaves - Use this music interval frequently.
You will normally use trills, arpeggios and scales while playing songs or sections of pieces that are soft and melodic. But there are many other compositions which can be loud and dramatic where you will be required to play thumping octaves.
Learn more about Piano Duets Go back to the Home page from the "Classical Piano" page