| You want to learn how to play the piano and would | | | | learning the notes on the keyboard, but also for hand |
| love to jump right in playing, but the teacher hands you | | | | control. |
| a music theory book instead. Your homework is | | | | Chords are a little more advanced. They are three or |
| several pages of repetitive worksheets on scales and | | | | more pitches played at the same time. Learning how |
| definitions. Ugh! | | | | the pitches work together to create a desired sound, |
| Though it may feel like boring and tedious work, it is | | | | either consonance or dissonance, gives the student a |
| absolutely necessary to understand the music. Music | | | | tool for creating their own sound. |
| theory is the heart, soul and guts of a song. Anyone | | | | Other elements of music theory include the symbols |
| can play notes on a page, but if you do not understand | | | | that tell the play how to play the song. If you do not |
| the make-up of the song, you can not give it the | | | | know what that little dot is above the half note, you |
| feeling, the voice it is trying to have. | | | | won't know to play that note as staccato, short and |
| It is like reading a book. Maybe you can read all the | | | | abrupt. Or, if there is a pp you won't know to play that |
| words, but if you do not know what they mean, the | | | | pianissimo, which means very softly. |
| book makes no sense to you. No, theory is not | | | | These symbols are what give the notes action and life. |
| glamorous but it is an essential part of piano lessons. If | | | | It can be a lot to take in and that is why practice is |
| we could all play by ear, there would be no need for | | | | important. As a beginner, you start with the basics and |
| piano teachers right? | | | | once you have mastered that, you move on. |
| Most of us need instruction to make sense of those | | | | Eventually, if you keep up with your piano lessons, you |
| black and white keys and the sounds they produce. | | | | should be able to recognize all the elements in music |
| And, if you ever want to try your hand at actually | | | | you hear every day and perhaps be able to improvise |
| writing or improving a piece, you have to understand | | | | with your favorite piece of sheet music. |
| how the song works. | | | | If it is your ultimate goal to write music, you will have to |
| As a beginner, you learn about the staff, the five lines | | | | delve more deeply into music theory and the |
| that the notes are arranged on and the placement | | | | mechanics of writing. There are courses available that |
| denotes the pitch. You will spend hours learning scales, | | | | teach nothing but music theory. Your piano lessons will |
| drawing them on a staff and practice them over and | | | | give you a head start towards a lifelong enjoyment of |
| over again on the piano. A scale is the ascending or | | | | playing and listening to great piano. |
| descending order of notes. This is good for not only | | | | |