Hot Piano & Keyboard How-Tos

How To: Play "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz on the piano

Interested in playing Taio Cruz's "Dynamite" on a piano or other keyboard instrument? Let this free video music lesson be your guide. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate or advanced piano players, players of all skill levels can play along. Watch this tutorial to get started playing "Dynamite"!

How To: Play the song "Forgot About Dre" by Dr. Dre and Eminem on piano

Dr. Dre has only ever released two albums, and it's been 11 years since the last one, 2001. But it's lead single "Forgot About Dre" is still a classic, largely because it introduced Eminem to everyone who didn't already know him in '99. This video will teach you how to play the song on piano, complete with long runs and chords that will make your version sounds much better than most of the other ones out there.

How To: Understand crescendo, diminuendo & other tempo changes on the piano

In this video, we learn how to understand crescendo, diminuendo & other tempo changes. When you are playing piano, you are supposed to play the note until a dynamic change is shown on the music. A sforzando means that you must suddenly play very loudly. This occurs most in a surprise symphony. A crescendo is when you change the volume gradually. As the lines grow on the symbol you will increase the volume or decrease it if it's from larger to smaller. When you play dimiuendo you must not slow...

How To: Use allegro, moderato, andante, adagio, ferma tempos in music

In this video, we learn how to use tempo: Allegro, Moderato, Andante, Adagio, Ferma. When you are playing a musical piece it has to have certain notes and speed. You will also be setting a mood with your song as well. Use tempo marks to mark these on your song to make it unique. Learn how to read these mark when you are looking at music on a sheet of notes. Make sure to practice your music to make sure you are playing it at the right speed and taking pauses where appropriate. This will help y...

How To: Comprehend quarter, half, and whole music rests

In this tutorial, we learn how to understand music rests (Quarter, half, & whole rests). Rests are signs of silence while you are playing a song. Silence is a very important element in creating music, giving the audience time to reflect on the notes that they just heard. The whole note lasts for four beats and has two half notes. Every half note has a quarter not and every quarter note lasts one beat. The quarter rest means you will count one beat where you will lift your finger from the key ...

How To: Play an instrumental cover of the Jonas Brother song "Fly with Me" on piano

The Jonas Brothers may be on their way out as they grow older and Nick Jonas embarks on his solo career, but for their fans their songs will always remain. This three-part video will teach you how to play a cool instrumental version of their song "Fly with Me" on piano, the ultimate expression of your love for the Jonas Brothers. Check out a written version of the song here.

How To: Play the 12 bar blues on the piano in both major and minor tonalities

The 12 bar Blues is something that EVERY musician should know how to play. It may be "simple music" but as they say, "simple music is the hardest kind of music to play". Understanding the theory behind the 12 bar Blues is crucial to feeling measures and also gives you a chance to really make a very simple three chord phrase your own. In this video you will learn how to understand, play and feel the 12 bar Blues in it's various forms including the major, minor and dominant Blues.

How To: Read treble and bass clef lines and spaces

Now that you know what a staff is, how many lines and spaces are in a staff, and what the different clef's are, it's time to learn where the notes go in each one. It's crucial to understanding note placement and everything else that involves using the staff to learn the sayings for each space and line. For the Treble Clef spaces, it's "FACE", for Treble Clef lines it's "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge", for Bass clef spaces it's "All Cows Eat Grass" and for the lines he uses "Green Birds Don't ...

How To: Use the blues scale, twelve tone row technique, polychords, and tone clusters

Music theory, for any musician, is EXTREMELY important to know if you expect playing in any form of professional capacity. But if you can't afford to go to Berklee College of Music or Musician's Institute, then you can get almost the same education in this great video! In this video you will learn the basics of the minor Blues scale, 12 tone technique, polychords, chordal chords, and tone clusters. Truly amazing work and make sure you have a pen and piece of paper to take notes!

How To: Play piano using piano legato and staccato techniques

In this video, we learn how to play piano using piano legato and staccato techniques. These techniques are when you do not have any break in how you are playing, it all flows smoothly. You want to create a feeling of symmetry with the music so it all flows together seamlessly. To practice this, you will use one hand on the piano keys and play from A going to C. One you have done this, pay attention to your finger placement and then practice with the other hand. As you memorize this, you will ...

How To: Play the intro from "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA

In this tutorial, we learn how to play the intro from "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA. You will want to start out by playing the intro to this ABBA song. Once you have done the intro to the song, you will continue onto the first verse of the song. Make sure to pay attention to the keys and use the right and left hand while playing. Continue on to play the rest of the verses and the chorus of the song. Finish off with the last verse, then go back over the song adding in the lyrics and perfec...

How To: Play sixteenth notes and sixteenth rests

In this video, we learn how to play sixteenth notes and sixteenth rests. Start with the whole note and figure out how many beats it is worth. Treat this as a whole and then find the half note for each whole notes. If you continue to divide, you will end with two quarter notes for the half notes and will end with four beats. Two eighth notes and a quarter note will end the process and you will have eight eighth notes. You can divide all eighth notes to two sixteenth notes. There are many diffe...

How To: Play Bingo on a piano

In this tutorial, we learn how to play Bingo on the piano. You will want to start out with the notes in front of you so you know which keys to play. Play the first part of the song first. You will notice that you play the same keys over and over again while doing this song. Break it down into sections so you have all the correct keys and listen as you are playing. Once you have finished playing all the sections, bring it together to create the entire song. Now add in the lyrics to the song an...

How To: Use music dynamics (Forte, Fortissimo, Pianissimo)

This video presents a piano tutorial which explains music dynamics in playing music, which illustrate a change in the volume or intensity in your playing. The basic dynamics are forte (f), which means to play loudly, and piano (p), which means to play softly. Notations added to the left side of forte and piano signs such as mF and mP signify mezzo forte and mezzo piano, meaning that the part should be played relatively loud and relatively soft, respectively. FF and PP, fortissimo and pianissi...

How To: Master dotted whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes

In this tutorial, we learn how to understand dotted notes (Dotted whole, half, quarter). Dotted notes are a dot after a note that add more to the duration of the note. A whole note is four notes, adding the dot adds two more beats to the note. A whole note with a dot is worth six beats. Basically, you will have to read the music to see if it's a half a note or a whole note, then subtract the dot from the note to see how many notes that specific part of the song is. You will need to be familia...