Playing the Piano
The piano is one of the most widely played instruments available, and rightfully so: it makes a wonderful accompaniment to other instruments, and can stand on its own as a solo instrument. Whether you want your child to start playing, or wish you’d never stopped your piano lessons years ago, the Web can help you find what you need to start tinkling those ivories.
Expand All Guide SectionsLearn to Play Piano
With some good music theory lessons, an understanding of piano basics and lots of practice time, you can turn your aspirations of playing the piano into a reality. The Web sites in this section take you through much of the preliminary work you’ll need to accomplish before sitting down to play.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Learn why it’s never too early—or too late—to learn to play the piano at Pianonet.com, the Web site of the National Piano Foundation.
- Try “The Piano Handbook: A Complete Guide for Mastering Piano” for help learning to play or improving current skills. Pianists starting from scratch may also find “Teach Yourself to Play Piano: A Quick and Easy Introduction for Beginners” useful.
Dulcinea's Picks
For piano basics …
Concert Pitch Piano Services
provides several diagrams and explanations of how pianos are made and how they work. Check the menu at the left for a discussion of how often pianos should be tuned, how to care for a piano and how to move a piano.
For tutorials …
The Piano Pages
offers free online lessons in playing the piano. Scroll down to find 16 lessons for the beginning piano player. Also check the “Articles” section for more helpful insight and inspiration.
Piano Tricks
can help visual learners play the piano with its free video lessons. Scroll down the page to find lessons under the “Learn piano in-depth with these tutorials” heading.
To play by ear …
Hear and Play Music
offers free lessons to budding piano players hoping to learn to play the instrument by ear. Follow the steps in the “personalized lesson plan” to get a grasp of piano fundamentals and move on to more advanced concepts.
To find a piano teacher …
The Music Teachers National Association
features a directory of certified music teachers in the United States. Use the search tool on the lower left side of the page to get started.
MusicStaff.com
is a search engine for music instructors that teach all kinds of instruments. Begin your search using the “Find a Music Teacher” section at the upper left.
Buying a Piano and Piano Accessories
Buying a piano is a major purchase but the Web makes it easy to research your options. Use the sites in this section to get tips on buying a piano, and find popular locations for purchasing both pianos and piano music.
Dulcinea's Insight
- If you’re not sure what type of piano you’d like to buy, a directory like the one on Piano.com can be a great place to browse a long list of piano makers and dealers.
- Companies that sell pianos, such as Eckroth Music, frequently sell piano music.
- If you’re buying items online, read the findingDulcinea Shopping Web Guide for tips on making your purchases safely and avoiding scams.
Dulcinea's Picks
For buying advice …
Pianonet
, the Web site of the National Piano Foundation, offers some advice on things to check and questions to ask when buying a piano.
Children’s Music Workshop
has pointers on what to look for if you’re planning to purchase a keyboard or digital piano.
To buy pianos and piano supplies …
The Piano Technicians Guild
provides a list of piano manufacturers with links to their respective Web sites. In some instances, Web sites for individual manufacturers have sections for dealers that sell that particular brand of piano.
PianoBuyandSell.com
is a central location to search for various upright and grand pianos, electric keyboards and organs around the United States.
Concert Pitch Piano Services
sells an array of piano supplies and accessories, including benches and stools, polishes and cleaners, piano covers and more. Click on the category that interests you to start shopping.
To find a piano tuner or piano mover …
The Piano Tuners Directory
lists piano tuners by state, providing basic information such as location and phone number. Don’t miss the link to the Piano Movers Network for some help moving a piano.
To buy piano music …
Piano at Pepper
sells various genres of piano music, and makes it easy to find the music you want in age-appropriate categories. Hover your mouse over the “Methods” button at the left to find music for kids, teens and adults.
Portland Music Company
sells piano music from publishers like John Thompson, Bastien and Alfred. Search for music for the holidays or for scores from musicals, movies and Broadway plays.
Alfred Publishing
sells music from the Suzuki Piano School. Use the links on the left navigation bar to browse products.
The Piano Community
If you have questions about piano playing that you can’t answer on your own, or if you just want to talk about a piano-related topic that you really enjoy, the sites listed in this section can connect you with other piano players within the music community.
Dulcinea's Insight
- As with any public forum on the Internet, remember to be cautious about sharing personal information online.
Dulcinea's Picks
For message boards …
Piano World Forums
offers discussion forums for beginning piano players, piano teachers, piano tuners and more. Register for free to post messages of your own.
Piano Street
is another hub for piano students and teachers to discuss matters of piano technique, practice tips and music in general on message boards and chat rooms. Free registration is required to participate.
For blogs and community Web sites …
The Collaborative Piano Blog
is maintained by a pianist and teacher with a focus on collaborative piano or piano accompanying. Find numerous posts on classical music and playing piano, as well as links to videos and sheet music.
My Piano Friends
is a community site for piano players to upload photos, ask and answer questions about playing the piano, and connect with other piano players. The site features a blog, forums, a photo album and more.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
