All About Keyboards

It was in 1887 when Torakusu Yamaha made his first reed organ.  (Click for more info!) When I took Yamaha as a child in the 70s, we actually played on reed organs like this one!

Times have changed!  Once a student is enrolled in the Junior Music Course or Young Musicians Course, they must have a keyboard or a piano to practice on at home.  Portable keyboards are fine for the first year or two of classes, but you will need to upgrade for your child to progress to their full potential.  The portable keyboards we use in class are not available for purchase, but here are some tips for finding the best instrument for your child.

1.  Keys must be full sized with a minimum of 49 keys.
Notice how the keys on the organ above seem small - they are!  If a child practices on a keyboard with smaller keys, they will learn an incorrect hand position.  

2.  Piano/keyboard must play the correct pitches.
This is one benefit to using electronic instruments.  They never need tuning and are set to the correct pitch.  Pianos should ideally be tuned every 6 months-1 year.  In order for your child to confirm and solidify their ear training, the pitch must be A440.  Basically, if they play middle Do (C) along with the CD, it should match!  

3.  The piano or keyboard should be YAMAHA!
This is not a requirement, but a very high recommendation!  We have compared other brands and there's no comparison.  Yamaha produces high quality instruments that are innovative and beautiful - to listen to and look at!  

4.  The instrument must be at a proper height.
Students should be able to sit comfortably at the instrument.  They should not be reaching up to the keys, nor should they be hovering over them.  A sturdy keyboard stand and bench are recommended.  Typically, portable keyboards do not come with a stand or a bench.  

Some higher priced digital pianos come with their own stand.

4.  I have a piano - will that be ok?
Yes - assuming that it is in tune and all the keys work. Sometimes, however, it is very difficult for a small child (ages 4-6) to physically push the piano keys.  This sometimes can create an undesirable finger and hand position.  If you do choose a portable keyboard to start on, you will need to upgrade sometime during the 2nd or 3rd year of curriculum.

Still have questions?  We are having a special Instrument Petting Zoo at our Family Fun Fest on Friday, September 14th from 6-8pm.  Our friends at Alamo Music Center will be there to answer any questions you might have and give you a chance to compare the different types of keyboards available (weighted keys. touch sensitivity, etc.)

If anyone wants to buy me an instrument - this is the one I would like :-)

Notes on the Grand Staff

If you're like the majority of the parents at Jensen's Yamaha, you have not ever taken any formal music lessons.  This can make class challenging sometimes, but don't worry - we're here to help!


Let's first just look at a keyboard or piano to understand how the notes are organized.


The low notes on a piano are on the left side (think Ls for left and low).  High notes are on the right side.

<---------------------------------------------Low notes   Middle DO (C)  High notes ----------------------------->

Now if you look at this chart, you can see how the notes on the piano relate to the grand staff.  The grand staff is when you have two staves that are joined together - this is where most piano music is notated.   It is easy to see how the notes are moving up the grand staff as the notes get higher.  Also notice that middle DO is in the middle of the keyboard as well as the middle of the grand staff!

1. staff (pl. staves) : a set of 5 horizontal lines and 4 spaces that each represent a different musical pitch
2. grand staff : when you have two staves that are joined together

When we start in JMC Book 1, the first songs look something like this (read from left to right):

Recognize the song?  Yes, it's "Hot Cross Buns"!  The first repertoire piece in JMC Book 1.  Notice that there is only one staff (that's what we call the 5 lines) and a G clef (or treble clef).  We use the G clef because we are playing the notes above middle DO (or middle C).


By the end of JMC Book 1 and the beginning of book 2, we start to use our left hand (LH) as well.  Here's what changes :

1. The songs are notated on the grand staff. 
2. The top staff is always for the right hand (RH), the bottom staff is for the LH.
3. Most beginner songs will have the G clef (or treble clef)  in the top staff and the F clef in the lower staff.   This is because most of the notes played by the RH will be the notes above middle DO (C) and most of the notes played by the LH will be below middle DO (C).

When you have a grand staff, you still read from left to right, but now both hands can play at the same time.  At the beginning of this song, you'll notice that there are notes for the RH to play, but if you look directly below in the F clef, there is only a rest.  The LH does not play at the beginning.  


Don't worry about why right now, but just know that there are bar lines that divide up the staves into equal parts.  In the example above, the bar lines are blue.  We call these equal parts bars or measures.  


The LH has it's first note in the third measure.  It lines up with the note RE in the RH - that means you play them at the same time!  


So there you go!   Please let me know if you have any questions or if this is too much information!  


You can also check out this website http://www.musictheory.net/.  They have animated music theory lessons, however, they will be using the letters instead of solfege (but you can use the chart above!!)