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Course: Music > Unit 4
Lesson 4: Percussion- Timpani: Interview and demonstration with principal Jauvon Gilliam
- Piano (as orchestral instrument): Interview and demonstration with Kimberly Russ
- Percussion: Interview and demonstration with principal Chris Devine and members of the percussion section
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Piano (as orchestral instrument): Interview and demonstration with Kimberly Russ
Created by All Star Orchestra.
Want to join the conversation?
- why is the piano considered a percussion instrument?(10 votes)
- The piano is sort of both. It's a string instrument because the musical tones originate in the strings, and it's also a percussion instrument because the strings (inside the piano) are set into vibration by being struck with hammers (also inside of the piano).
Hope this answered your question.(24 votes)
- At, Kimberly states that there are more than two clefs. I know there are the treble and bass clefs. But what are the other clefs? 4:43(4 votes)
- The treble and bass clefs are the most commonly used. Alto clef is always used for viola music. Tenor clef is occasionally used for some instruments that usually play in the bass clef (trombone, bassoon, cello, euphonium) when they are playing very high notes. The use of tenor clef reduces the number of ledger lines needed.
Piano music is written only using the treble and bass clefs, but a pianist might learn the others in order to play music written for other instruments - perhaps in the context of accompanying a solo instrument or reading from a full orchestral score.(14 votes)
- How is the piano different from other instruments?(5 votes)
- The piano is unique in a number of ways. It has an enormous range of notes and dynamics, and is built on a mechanism of padded hammers that hit tuned strings (only the celesta and harpsichord are similar in this respect). The piano is also a very large instrument, and can be found in many different forms -- upright, baby grand, concert grand, etc. It is also relatively young compared to other instruments, most of which have their origins in ancient civilizations (the piano was invented during the Baroque era). Furthermore, the piano is one of the most popular instruments for students to learn, as it teaches both treble and bass clefs, and requires a unique coordination between both hands and the feet.(6 votes)
- Do you get nervous before performing? ( I do! )(4 votes)
- Many people, professionals included, are nervous when playing on stage. But most professionals can use that to their advantage. Nerves can give you that extra jolt you need to do your best.(6 votes)
- I am playing Chopin's Waltz in A Minor, and I am having trouble playing the trill at the end of the piece. Does anyone have any tips for it?(3 votes)
- Trill slowly at first. Start it with quarter notes at 60 bpm, and accelerate it to sixteenth notes at 60 bpm, or maybe even 32nd notes. Make sure your arm is not tensed, and that you are rotating primarily with your hand not your arm. Also, make sure you shoulders are relaxed. If they are tensed it is a sure sign of bad technique.(4 votes)
- Why is piano a percussion instrument?(3 votes)
- A percussion instrument is an instrument that makes sounds by "striking, shaking, or scraping" (Merriam-Webster dictionary). Each key on a piano is attached to a lever. When you push a key, that lever pushes a wooden hammer which in turn his the strings that go with that note. That is how it makes the sounds that it does, and because the hammer his the string to make the sound, out is considered striking and therefore a percussion instrument.(5 votes)
- So what do I do to help me be able to do left and right hand at the same time?(3 votes)
- Also, when practicing songs with both hands, play the song slower than normal to get the hang of it first.(4 votes)
- I'm in 5th grade right now and I'm playing "The Storm" by Freidrick Burgmuller in the original version. My hands are small and it's really hard for me to get to all of the octaves. Any advice? Thanks!(3 votes)
- Alright, so I happen to be learning the same song as you currently. My advice is if you have tension in your wrists, let the tension go and try to relax. In addition to letting the tension go, on your left hand, try not to move your pinkie and thumb up and down, move your hand side to side. Hope this was helpful :)(4 votes)
- How many different types of pianos are there?(4 votes)
- there are grand pianos and keyboards or electric pianos. I own an electric piano and this piano doesn't use strings it just uses the keys as buttons so if you push a key a sound comes out. the grand piano uses strings because when you hit a key, it plucks on a string in the main body of the piano. This is also why the piano is considered a percussion instrument.(2 votes)
- I quit piano because I was forced to practice everyday, and I wasn't too good at it. But now I am really getting interested in it again. Should I start playing again?(3 votes)
- Playing an instrument is likely something you will always enjoy. While practicing isn't fun and takes up time, it is worth it in the end. You just have to realize that practice is what makes you good, so if you start playing again, you will likely feel the same frustration as you have previously. However, you will also probably regret not learning to play in your later years. So my advice would be to start playing again. Perhaps now, since you are older and have more maturity, you can appreciate it better.(3 votes)
Video transcript
(instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) - Playing in an orchestra is quite an educational experience for
any pianist and I highly recommend it because pianists
have to be so versatile. Its wonderful to be able to
be a soloist and most pianists grew up dreaming of
being a famous soloist. But, as most of us know
that's not very realistic. And, so we have to learn to
be able to make money in many different ways and that may
be accompanying other soloists or teaching lessons, or
playing in a large ensemble such as an orchestra. Or perhaps, accompanying
maybe a chorale rehearsal. With the all star orchestra we
use two keyboard instruments. There was the piano and
there was the celeste. Celestes are a very special
instrument. They have an interesting touch which
sometimes is difficult to manage but you just have to learn
how to produce the sound. Pianos tend to have an even
touch along the keyboard and celestes aren't quite as even. (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) - When I was about 4 years old my grandmother in Orlando, FL had
a Baldwin Acrosonic piano in her living room that she
enjoyed playing hymns out of the church hymnal. I would hear
her play and one day I went and picked out tunes on the
keyboard and my grandmother thought, well we should
have her take piano lessons. I was the first grandchild
in our family and so my aunt who was a school
teacher took me to the Iris Daniel Engel School of
Music which was a huge southern plantation style house in Orlando. I started lessons there at five years old. From there, I studied
with Iris Daniel Engel and her daughter Drucilla Engel. Then I moved over to Dr. Gary Wolf at the University of Central Florida. I continued with him
during my college studies. When I decided to go back to
school for my Masters degree I had been in the musical
workforce for a couple years and at that point I had been
teaching, accompanying, doing some solo playing, I had a diverse background. When I decided to go back to
school I thought well what is going to help me to make a living as a musician and be a pianist. I decided that the most practical
thing for me to do would be to pursue a degree
in collaborative piano. The teachers at Julliard on
the collaborative piano faculty were very well versed in all
of those disciplines of what I was interested in and I knew
by studying each one of them I'd have a firm background
for any opportunities that may present themselves to me in the future. (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) Anyone thinking about wanting
to go into music I would suggest starting with the piano
because it gives the basic foundation of all musical
that needs to be known. Particularly, harmonic
understanding so that if you play the piano you
already know how to read notes on the treble clef and the base clef possibly others if your piano teacher
is very thorough there are other clefs too. That would give you the basis
of learning key signatures and time signatures and then
you could take that and apply that to any other instrument
that you would want to learn to play. Playing the piano specifically, I would say to find a teacher that teaches the fundamentals and a teacher that is personally compatible with the student. Not only is it important what
you learn, but to have that compatibility is important
too and continuity week to week. So if the student enjoys
going to see the teacher every week and looks forward to doing
their homework then they're going to have a productive
time learning how to play. How to become specialized,
I think as a professional musician that has to lie deep
in the desires of the child. If they want to pursue music
as a career that's a very big decision and so they would
have to approach taking piano lessons very seriously,
knowing they were going to be doing a lot of practicing. I suggest studying music for
everyone because it helps instill discipline and you
can translate many things you learn about music into
other things in life. (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music) (instrumental music)