Guess the Score #3 - This parchment of music looks like a work of art. It is part of a set, so do you know which number it is, the title, and composer?
Piano Trivia Time #10 - Answer 10 TRUE/FALSE questions. Please provide your answer as a long string. For example: "FTFTTFTTFT"
TRUE OR FALSE
01. The Church Organ is a wind instrument while the Piano is a percussion instrument.
02. New pianos need fewer tunings than older pianos.
03. The world record for most number of people playing simultaneously on a piano is 16.
04. On a piano, the naturals have always been white, and the sharps/flats have always been black... See More
Piano Trivia Time #10 - Answer 10 TRUE/FALSE questions. Please provide your answer as a long string. For example: "FTFTTFTTFT"
TRUE OR FALSE
01. The Church Organ is a wind instrument while the Piano is a percussion instrument.
02. New pianos need fewer tunings than older pianos.
03. The world record for most number of people playing simultaneously on a piano is 16.
04. On a piano, the naturals have always been white, and the sharps/flats have always been black.
05. The piano has 88 keys and 88 strings.
06. There are 4 types of vertical pianos: spinet, console, studio, and upright.
07. Pythagoras the mathematician was credited as the person who discovered the perfect interval, which is a ratio of 2:1.
08. All pianos start on an A key, but there are pianos that go even lower than that.
09. Una corda means you must depress the soft pedal, which is usually the leftmost pedal.
10. ThePiano.SG website was officially launched on 8 Aug 2015.
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FFFFFTFFFF |
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Just like the game of Mastermind - 3 wrong, 7 correct. |
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The answer (which can be discussed further) is TFFFFTFTTF. 1) TRUE. The Church Organ IS a wind instrument that produces sound because of the passage of air through pipes, and because the... See More The answer (which can be discussed further) is TFFFFTFTTF. 1) TRUE. The Church Organ IS a wind instrument that produces sound because of the passage of air through pipes, and because the piano has its key struck by hammers, it IS a percussion instrument. http://www.innovateus.net/content/there-difference-between-piano-and-organ 2) FALSE. New pianos needs the same (or more) number of tunings as older pianos. Piano strings have very high tension on them, and they just plain stretch as time passes. Hence, the need for tuning. http://www.betterpianoservice.com/how_often.html 3) FALSE. As of this writing, the world record for most number of people playing simultaneously on a piano is 21. Take a look at this feat achieved earlier this year in March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR3e71OO1tY 4) FALSE. Pianos by the original inventor - Bartolomeo Cristofori, were based on harpsichords. Cristofori's earliest pianos carried this same colour scheme: black naturals, and white sharps. You can read about it here: https://www.quora.com/Why-were-the-colors-of-the-piano-keys-reversed-in-... 5) FALSE. The piano does have 88 keys, but it has more than 88 strings. The treble pitches of a piano have three unison strings, the tenor range uses two unison strings, and the bass strings use only one string. The end result is that for 88 notes, there can be as many as 236 strings. http://www.piano.christophersmit.com/strings.html 6) TRUE. This statement is true; there are four types of vertical pianos: spinet, console, studio, and upright. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-difference-between-types-vertical-p... 7) FALSE. This part is true - Pythagoras the mathematician was credited as the person who discovered the perfect interval. However, the ratio of the perfect interval is 3:2, not 2:1. http://www.phys.uconn.edu/~gibson/Notes/Section3_2/Sec3_2.htm 8) TRUE. Not all pianos start on a very low A key. Bösendorfer pioneered the extension of the typical 88-key keyboard, creating the Imperial Grand (Model 290), which has 97 keys (eight octaves); this piano starts on an ultra-low C. Listen to the "Imperial" bass keys here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIOQ2Fwto8k 9) TRUE. Una corda (or rarely due corda) is used to signify that the soft pedal should be depressed. The leftmost pedal in a piano is usually the soft pedal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_pedal 10) FALSE. ThePiano.SG website was officially launched on 8 Aug 2014. The answer to this can be found on this page: https://www.thepiano.sg/about-us |
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This is quite confirmed to be Beethoven's Appassionata. |
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Well done! For those who might want to watch it (together with the proper engraved score), click below: Well done! For those who might want to watch it (together with the proper engraved score), click below: |
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I'm a fan of Beethoven's sonatas. Simply brilliant. |
Piano Trivia Time #9 - What is the significance of these 7 stacks of biscuits when we speak of piano music theory? (Other than that Oreo biscuits would probably make great snacks for pianists.)
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Here are a few good starter lessons on music modes. Here are a few good starter lessons on music modes. |
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What if you were to play one song using different modes? Well, it would sound something like this video link as they replay "The Flintstones" in Dorian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian.... See More What if you were to play one song using different modes? Well, it would sound something like this video link as they replay "The Flintstones" in Dorian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWaW2q1KM0Y |
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Here is another example with "Hey Jude" played in all 7 modes: |
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Possibly the least understood or used is the Locrian mode. I will compose a song employing Locrian mode and share it with you when done. Thanks. |
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If you check out the Hungarian Dance No. 5 (see link below), you will know that the piece above is not composed by him. Did Brahms copy somebody else? Try again! If you check out the Hungarian Dance No. 5 (see link below), you will know that the piece above is not composed by him. Did Brahms copy somebody else? Try again! |
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This is "Bártfai Emlék" (Memories of Bártfa) by Hungarian composer Béla Kéler. It is a csárdás - a Hungarian dance with a slow introduction and a fast, wild finish. The story goes that... See More This is "Bártfai Emlék" (Memories of Bártfa) by Hungarian composer Béla Kéler. It is a csárdás - a Hungarian dance with a slow introduction and a fast, wild finish. The story goes that Brahms had mistakenly thought this was a traditional folksong and therefore used it in his Hungarian Dance #5. Unintentional plagiarism or not? You decide. |
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Here is a duet version of "Bártfai Emlék: Csárdás" - https://youtu.be/l5-6jfE-YcA?t=1m14s |
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Compare this with Brahm's version: |
Might be a bit too late to share! Hahaha! It's next Tuesday! Love their youtube videos.
Hello Guys!
I got to learn some useful tips from this article- “10 tips from a good performer to a great performer”. I have never realized some of these tips until now. Still, better late than never! Hope you find it useful too! cheers :)
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Nice sharing! I think the weekly meetup already helps with point 5 and 8! |
Just to share:
I completed a duet version of Brahms first waltz, it's available here for reference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-hCYqEUFhU
For those who want to practice playing "virtually" with me as your duet partner at home, follow the links below.
I want to play Primo part - https://youtu.be/LzZi0fSUSTA
I want to play Secondo... See More
Just to share:
I completed a duet version of Brahms first waltz, it's available here for reference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-hCYqEUFhU
For those who want to practice playing "virtually" with me as your duet partner at home, follow the links below.
I want to play Primo part - https://youtu.be/LzZi0fSUSTA
I want to play Secondo part - https://youtu.be/Q4oIbzqbrOc
The score is available for free at IMSLP at the following link: http://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/4/42/IMSLP147080-PMLP06507-Brahm...
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The advantages of using Youtube as a learning platform is that you can slow down the video to 75% or 50% speed and slowly learn the piece from there. Would also like to hear any feedback... See More The advantages of using Youtube as a learning platform is that you can slow down the video to 75% or 50% speed and slowly learn the piece from there. Would also like to hear any feedback you may have on how this series of videos can be improved. Thanks. |
Piano Trivia Time #8 - With no clef or key signature evident, can you guess which of the following sequence of notes is the odd one out, that is by a different composer? If you like a cerebral challenge - name the four pieces.
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Correct for #1 and #2. But, wrong for #3. |
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#4 is the odd one out. Songs #1, #2, and #3 are all by French composer Léo Delibes. #4 is the odd one out. Songs #1, #2, and #3 are all by French composer Léo Delibes. Song #4 is from Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. |
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You can watch all four pieces by following these links: You can watch all four pieces by following these links: |
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Flower Duet is very nice, even used in the old British Airways advertisement. Very lasting impression. |
Piano Trivia Time #6 - Is there anything different about the piano pictured below; what is it?
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I kind of think of this as a person getting used to both left-hand and right-hand drive, but the complexity involved would be tremendous. If you could play on both, you would truly be an... See More I kind of think of this as a person getting used to both left-hand and right-hand drive, but the complexity involved would be tremendous. If you could play on both, you would truly be an ambidextrous god! |
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I think driving is completely different from this. The way you look at the scores, and how you move your fingers will be really more challenging. Just imagining playing the first 9 notes of Fur... See More I think driving is completely different from this. The way you look at the scores, and how you move your fingers will be really more challenging. Just imagining playing the first 9 notes of Fur Elise's on my left hand is already taxing my brain and finger muscles! |
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Conversely, it must be tough forcing a left-handed person to play on a "right-handed" piano? Perhaps somebody who is left-handed should chip in and share their viewpoint. |
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I've even heard of people saying that left-handed pianists are better pianists! |
This is so cool! Can't stop hearing it over and over again.
And... the sequel Frozen 2 is scheduled to release in 2019 winter!! Yay! ?
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Here's one for the fans - The Piano Guys are coming to Singapore again on 25th Sep to the Star Theatre. You can get your tickets from Sistic. |
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Nice! I love these guys! |
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Btw, The Piano Guys is coming to sg on 25/9!! ?? |
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3 more weeks. Hehe. Countdown! |
Piano Trivia Time #1 - Can you guess - in which city can we find this very interesting piano-shaped building, which comes complete with glass violin staircase?
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Wow.. designed by archi students!! Impressive. Just realised it is mentioned also by thepiano.sg too! Wow.. designed by archi students!! Impressive. Just realised it is mentioned also by thepiano.sg too! |
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Heh heh... |
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Thanks Gavin for sharing this! This is so cool! Wish sg can have one too! |
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Actually, is it quite out of the way if you happen to be touring China? Seems nice to take a picture together with, but need a lot of effort to reach there? ? |
Keep this date free to see how ten odd participants have made use of what they’ve learnt in improvising their songs of choice. This concert is FREE, though we only have limited seats. Yong Meng and Elyn will be gracing it too! There will be a debrief at each performed piece so that the audience will be cognisant of the musical elements being infused in their improvisations. And feel free to interact and jam with them at the end of the concert, since instruments of various types will be... See More
Keep this date free to see how ten odd participants have made use of what they’ve learnt in improvising their songs of choice. This concert is FREE, though we only have limited seats. Yong Meng and Elyn will be gracing it too! There will be a debrief at each performed piece so that the audience will be cognisant of the musical elements being infused in their improvisations. And feel free to interact and jam with them at the end of the concert, since instruments of various types will be available there! RSVP your attendance by either sending me a PM or email me at acosean@yahoo.com. Hope to see you there!
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Nice.will be going. |
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Hope more ?luvers frens going ^+^?? |
So Bad!!!
Adrian, and Janice, check this out! This is the one which I mentioned during the Meetup. =)
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Woah! I feel so motivated after watching the video. |
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I saw the first page of the scores following the link in the youtube. Wanna cry... |
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Lol.... of cos it’s gonna be hard ? |
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That's sooo BAD!!! ? |
Wow! I love the pianos! Especially the R2D2 piano! Looking forward to play this in the future.
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Pianos look very nice! We should have a piano refurbishing service that changes a normal piano into something else like this here in sg. Will be interesting to know what other people wanna change... See More Pianos look very nice! We should have a piano refurbishing service that changes a normal piano into something else like this here in sg. Will be interesting to know what other people wanna change it into. For me, minion theme! You? |
Piano Trivia Time #7 - Identify the piano composer who is associated with these two images. On a harder note, why and how do the images represent him?
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In case you didn't know, the letters "B-A-C-H" in german nomenclature also refers to the Bach motif, a sequence of 4 notes that you may have heard in his music. Learn more about it in this fun... See More In case you didn't know, the letters "B-A-C-H" in german nomenclature also refers to the Bach motif, a sequence of 4 notes that you may have heard in his music. Learn more about it in this fun video that tells us about the motif as well as hiding messages in music. Anyone up for musical espionage? |
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Finally, to end this little puzzle entry, here is one of quite a few songs that actually features the B-A-C-H motif. It's Liszt's "Fantasy and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H". Finally, to end this little puzzle entry, here is one of quite a few songs that actually features the B-A-C-H motif. It's Liszt's "Fantasy and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H". |
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Mind-blown!! Waaa.. Definitely won't be able to guess this right. Lolx. |
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Np. |
Piano Trivia Time #5 - Which piece was John Denver's "Annie's Song" first 5 notes based upon (see video below) - name the composer and the classical piece? Name a Frank Sinatra song that is also based off this exact same classical piece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbAn3wWV7bM
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To round up this Trivia solution. You can play the piano version of "Moon Love" from this IMSLP download (starting from page 23):... See More To round up this Trivia solution. You can play the piano version of "Moon Love" from this IMSLP download (starting from page 23): http://ks4.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/d/d4/IMSLP08001-Tchaikovsky_-_... |
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thx Gavin for your very detailed answers! kudos to you for coming up with the piano trivia quizzes. |
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No problem Adrian. Just glad that Pianover users will get to enjoy and learn something new from it. |
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Thanks Gavin! Although I didn't comment on all the posts, I read through most of them. |
Visited Museum of Music Making in San Diego. Lots of vintage pianos, organs, synths and other keyboard instruments like the celesta. Can only post limited photos owing to the forum's capacity. For full viewing (including all other instrumental types) please visit my Facebook album.
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Haha of course! But my visit to the above museum in San Diego wasn't a deliberate one - since I had to go San Diego to visit my bro-in-law's family, I might as well look for interesting music-... See More Haha of course! But my visit to the above museum in San Diego wasn't a deliberate one - since I had to go San Diego to visit my bro-in-law's family, I might as well look for interesting music-related venues in the vicinity. |
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I'd think a trip to Europe to those famous classical piano composers' venues will be super ex!! ? Anyone got a rough estimate? |
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Well, there's a "14-Day Paris, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Bonn Tour from Paris in EnglishTour " that costs US$1272 (land cost only). If you go free and easy (driving from city to city), it should... See More Well, there's a "14-Day Paris, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Bonn Tour from Paris in EnglishTour " that costs US$1272 (land cost only). If you go free and easy (driving from city to city), it should be somewhere there too, I suppose. |
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It's the flight and accommodation costs that I'm worried abt. ? |
To sell your piano, list your piano at our Used Pianos page instead.
The forum here is for the general discussion of buying and selling used pianos. Example, what to look out for when buying a used piano.
Piano Trivia Time #4 - In which city can you find the oldest piano in existence on display today? How old is it and how many keys did it have?
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?... You can hear the oldest piano being played here too. |
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I think the pianist will have immense pressure on him! What if he accidentally break a string or something!! The oldest piano! Btw, what about those other pianos by famous composers? Are... See More I think the pianist will have immense pressure on him! What if he accidentally break a string or something!! The oldest piano! Btw, what about those other pianos by famous composers? Are they preserved or something? |
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The piano tuner would also feel stressed repairing a broken string on such a pristine piano. The pianos of famous composers are well preserved in museums. Here are just a few of them: ... See MoreThe piano tuner would also feel stressed repairing a broken string on such a pristine piano. The pianos of famous composers are well preserved in museums. Here are just a few of them: - Mozart's piano can be found at his home in Vienna. - Chopin's only working piano can be found as part of the Cobbe collection of musical instruments displayed at Hatchlands, a country house run by Britain's National Trust in the southern English county of Surrey. Chopin's other pianos in Paris and Majorca do not work. - At the Budapest museum dedicated to Liszt are two Chickering pianos and a Bösendorfer piano. There's also an Erard grand piano owned by Liszt during the last 15 years of his life at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. - You can find one of Beethoven's piano in Bonn at the museum dedicated to him. |
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Nice. Wonder how current pianists will feel playing on these preserved pianos. Ha. |
There is no Pianovers Meetup on 12 Aug 2018.
The next Pianovers Meetup #89 is on 19 Aug 2018.
Would we see piano-themed clothes on the E-Store? Frankly, would anyone be interested in these? (PS - Click on the camera icon to add an image. If you want to include more than 1 photo, they must be of the exact same dimensions. I think this website needs a manual somewhere.)
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Haven't seen a gal wearing a big piano dress! ? |
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Think I saw the top right at Suntec recently, together with many other piano-themed clothes. |
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Oh! Haha, we had a Pop-stall @ Suntec 404 on 21 and 22 July 2018. You might have passed by our stall! =) |
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LOL! No wonder, I thought Linette was mentioning about some new shop at Suntec. Kept scratching my head there for a while - like wow, which new boutique? Thanks for connecting the dots. |
Piano Piece Pick #15 - And so it goes that Billy Joel's 13th (and last) album would be entirely classical compositions, and not a single piece would be performed by him.
As you hear the Air (Dublinesque) from his Fantasies & Delusions album, played beautifully here by Richard Joo, you can't help but marvel at the talent of the incredible "Piano Man" born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Here's to many more years, Billy!
... See More
Piano Piece Pick #15 - And so it goes that Billy Joel's 13th (and last) album would be entirely classical compositions, and not a single piece would be performed by him.
As you hear the Air (Dublinesque) from his Fantasies & Delusions album, played beautifully here by Richard Joo, you can't help but marvel at the talent of the incredible "Piano Man" born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Here's to many more years, Billy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70fiAUFniNQ
PS - Yes, the intro to "And So it Goes" (also from Billy Joel) does sound very similar to the Air (Dublinesque), that I shall add a link to it below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHO6a2H-pqY
Enjoy.
I know I did, playing the Air (it was excellent) and listening to Billy Joel. You can find Fantasies and Delusions at the Esplanade Library.
Book Intro #1 - "Play it again: An amateur against the impossible" by Alan Rusbridger. This is an inspiring book by the Editor of the Guardian, one of the world's foremost newspaper. Alan, who gave up the piano at 16, gave himself a year to learn Chopin's Ballade No. 1 forty years later, and this book deals with his focus, discipline, and desire. It is, above all, about the sanctity of one's inner life in a world dominated by deadlines and distractions. A great read - available at NLB (... See More
Book Intro #1 - "Play it again: An amateur against the impossible" by Alan Rusbridger. This is an inspiring book by the Editor of the Guardian, one of the world's foremost newspaper. Alan, who gave up the piano at 16, gave himself a year to learn Chopin's Ballade No. 1 forty years later, and this book deals with his focus, discipline, and desire. It is, above all, about the sanctity of one's inner life in a world dominated by deadlines and distractions. A great read - available at NLB (Esplanade, Tampines, Woodlands, and Jurong).
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A short video about Alan's book by Alan himself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwJKGEWarAk |
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Currently going through this book and must say it's very well written and full of insights. The content is laid out in the style of a diary and I especially love the ending where Chopin's Ballade... See More Currently going through this book and must say it's very well written and full of insights. The content is laid out in the style of a diary and I especially love the ending where Chopin's Ballade is analyzed thoroughly page by page, section by section - kind of like an amateur climber tackling the Matterhorn, one cramponed step at a time. |
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Very inspiring. |
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Absolutely! Here is a single paragraph from the following entry "Friday, 25 March": Lunch with Noriko Ogawa today. She's just flown from Japan and looks emotional and sombre. I... See More Absolutely! Here is a single paragraph from the following entry "Friday, 25 March": Lunch with Noriko Ogawa today. She's just flown from Japan and looks emotional and sombre. I suggested a couple of weeks back that she might give a Kings Place concert in aid of the Japanese tsunami relief appeal. She immediately agreed - and promised to play the G minor Ballade. After a single course, we steal off for a very quick lesson in one of the rehearsal rooms in Kings Place. She begins by playing the piece to me. I realise that this is the first time since I started on this journey that I have heard the piece live and played by a 'proper' pianist. I've of course sampled numerous recordings on YouTube and iTunes, but nothing in the flesh. She plays it with incredible power and certainty - especially given the inner turbulence she must be feeling after such personal exposure to the tsunami, which has wrecked the concert hall where she most regularly plays. The piece today has an extra dimension - the sheer elemental feeling of some of the passages, that sense of being almost out of control, or rather in the control of wilder external forces. At the end, she seems shocked by what's happened. We both sit there in silence for a few moments. Noriko then asks me to play. I struggle - even though it's a new Steinway O - to make the piano sing, to tease a delicate sound out of it. On Saturday at Fish Cottage I was flying on my newly arrived Steinway. Further evidence that progress is not linear. |
Correct! Well done!
I won't be able to guess from the bunch of messy notes! Is Bach that untidy?
If you compare Bach's score with the rest of the composers... See More
If you compare Bach's score with the rest of the composers here, I should think that Beethoven's work was probably most untidy of the lot. You can also see the untidiness in his Appassionata.
This is considered very tidy already. Try reading Handel’s manuscripts.