Talk:Piano

New Page
I'm new to WikiBooks but I just created my first page on accidentals. I do not know if it fits the WikiBook format but I tried my best! -Sage Jim

Purpose
What is the intent of this wikibook? Is the Piano wikibook, as it is, aiming for a more informative angle - telling readers about the piano? If so, we wouldn't need chapters on improvisation and practice. I want the book to slant toward teaching readers how to actually play the instrument, eventually going into deeper music and complicated techniques. I don't think duplicating the 'structure of the piano' and 'how it works' is really necessary, because that's already on Pedia. I'm new to Books, so I'd appreciate if someone could clean up the Pedal page I've started as well. --Zen 10:22, 15 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I would like it if this book teaches how to play it as well, just like the language wikibooks. -- H  A YSON1991  03:40, 23 November 2007 (UTC)

Chords
The chords are wrong. They all should be in same inversion, or otherwise it will be confusing for the beginners.

Masahiko 11:18, 22 January 2006 (UTC)

In Response: Actually, the author is trying to show a simple chord progresson. This is one of the basic chord progressions. He/She is also showing that chords don't always have to be the same three notes in the same basic pattern. But I do agree with you Masahiko, this would be very confusing for beginners and the chords should be shown in their "natural" state and not in a inversion until the inversion has been taught and explained. --CherryT 00:40, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

Improv?
How about chapters on basic and intermediate improvisation techniques, the pedals and pedaling techniques, stylistic concerns (like... not using pedal in baroque pieces). Maybe we could even include simple drills for learning chords and getting the hands comfortable on the keyboard? Fun ways to play with scales? Learning piece suggestions? I could make some basic animations, given time. But I think this book needs a lot of work. :) --Akashayi 18:36, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

Great Ideas! I need to do something for them! I will begin to work now. But I will not do anything related to improvisation, because I am myself dull and boring in it. Masahiko 20:59, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

Improvisation can be applied if some theory is known by using pentatonic scales. I think the scales section needs some work as well. you can introduce the dorian, frigian or locrian scales but i don't see the notes that you play for them. i would first explain the basic scales (major and minor) and then go onto intervals and making people see the relationship and importance of intervals for identifying scales and the construction of chords. Then I could move onto playing some chords and then we can come to augmented and diminished chords, adding "blue notes" to some of them and such. The problem is that piano usually is the basis for musical theory and you have to introduce it wether you like theory or not. 68.205.240.133 00:51, 6 August 2007 (UTC) 68.205.240.133 00:51, 6 August 2007 (UTC)

Sections for deletion?
i was confused about the categorizing of some well constructed chapters as part of the new "categories to be incorporated or deleted". The titles seem to be worthy of their own page and i could not find another article which would easily mesh with them. does anyone know why they were categorized like this?

techniques and other sections?
I think improvisation could be on this book, although if this book aims at beginers we must introduce music theory as well. You really cannot play piano without the theory. If you have your hands on theory your improvisational skills will surely improve. You can also listen to recordings and learn from them if you can pick out the pieces by ear, or even better to see notes separately, use midi. I have introduced most concepts into the intervals chapter but if this is aimed to play for the beginer then I don't see why we need to explain chord progressions and other stuff. Piano is really difficult to understand at length because the diversity of styles and how broad the music theory is. Many atempt to learn piano and want to play like proffesional pianists such as Michael Camilo or the more famous classical pieces by mozzart. Unfrtunately many will be frustrated because of lack of practice and mostly patience. I think we could separate books by levels: Beginners, intermediate and advanced. I still strongly suggest the addition to music theory as it makes the piano more suitable for mostly everything. If you do have the talent to improvise naturally and mix theory along with your playing (like I do) you will eventually find out that theory can help you when you don't have things on mind to call for improvisation. Learning classical music first is a really good basis to develop finger dexterity and will really help you playing many styles, especially montunos. In fact, playing such styles can be considered as a language that has to be spoken, but mostly felt. That is why music theory can sound really boring to many but knowing some theory and having experience playing really does help. 68.205.240.133 00:46, 6 August 2007 (UTC)