The first experiments in the construction of an opera were in circumstances of no great importance, and only remotely connected with music. In 1579 Bianca Capello was married to Francisco de Medici, son of Cosmo, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The wedding took pl...

The artistic beauty of Renaissance work was that of its truth to nature, as opposed to tradition, which had been the accepted style of pre Renaissance art and letters. This principle was deduced from the study of the new found learning, being spread th...

The musical compositions of Palestrina, and the reforms he was able to make in Church music, could be said to mark the end of the early ages of Christian musical art. We have now come to an important turning point in musical history, but before going furt...

The damper of the piano is the only means of stopping the string's vibrations, which would otherwise continue, longer than is wanted. In violin playing, the same stoppage of tone takes place when the player stops drawing the bow across the strings. The...

You have heard the expression "You Get Out What You Put In." This is something every piano student should remember. If you play the piano correctly, it will be obvious from the sound that is produced. It will be equally obvious if you play incorrectly. ...

When a key on an acoustic piano is pressed down, the resulting sound continues for a considerable time after the press of the key has taken place, and stops when the key is released and allowed to rise. This elimination of sound is caused by action of a s...

The piano has many parts that are similar to other musical instruments. It is similar to the Dulcimer, Zither, Guitar, Harp, and the Violin in its being stringed. It resembles the Tambourine, Cymbals, Triangle, and the Drum in its dependent on percussion ...

The hand in its relation to playing the piano keyboard is the final stage in a process that normally will start with the eyes or possibly the ears. While the eyes and ears are not absolutely necessary we can agree that an outside influence that's creates ...

In part 1 of this two part article, we discussed that the correct use of the hands when playing the piano keyboard can produce a beautiful sound. But before any accurate observations can be made of what the hand is doing, it is necessary that the eye s...

This series of articles will help everyone who is learning to play the piano to attain that all-important part of the whole process of learning the piano, the ability to produce a good tone. It will be necessary for the piano student to observe, fully ...

In the early seventeenth century, British music and that on the continent were virtually identical. The main types of music were secular, minstrelsy and church music, the latter having the most influence on people of the time. Even secular music, which wa...

Any noble that was in the unfortunate position of being ridiculed by a Troubadour, could be sure, that very soon every court and castle in Southern Europe, would be laughing at him. He may even have to be prepared to defend himself, his family and his pro...

Arranger keyboards such as the Ketron Auyda and the Roland G70 are becoming immensely popular, especially since the organ market is all but dead. The arranger keyboard will provide you with an automatic bass line, which is adequate for most keyboard playe...

As Europe recovered from the savagery and barbarism, in the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire. Two distinct types of music were available, and was represented by two different people of the time, the Monk and the Minstrel or Gleeman. The Mon...

The Romans had little or no musical genius, and they were content to take their music, like every other artistic element of their national life, from the Greeks. The Greek was the child of nature, refined and educated through his own innate sense of beaut...