Robert Schumann’s Opus 68, also known as the ‘Album for the Young’ is a collection of easy pieces for piano study. The German musician composed these pieces in 1848 for his daughters. For those who have been studying piano for at least a couple of years, playing some of these pieces can be very inspiring.…Continue readingSchumann op. 68 Album for the Young, complete review and study guide
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Why do jazz musicians like Bach so much?
Of all European classical composers, the one who enjoys the greatest popularity among jazz musicians is certainly Johann Sebastian Bach. Let us try to answer this question: why do jazz musicians like Bach so much?Continue readingWhy do jazz musicians like Bach so much?
On Piano Playing is a book by Hungarian pianist Gyorgy Sandor, published in 1981. Born in Budapest on Sept. 21, 1912, the pianist was a pupil of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály and went on to become a concert pianist of international standing. Let us try to analyze his book and draw some useful lessons…Continue readingOn Piano Playing, Gyorgy Sandor and piano technique
[Monday Notes n.169] Chopin’s Waltz in A minor, Opus B.150, is one of the easiest pieces to play in the great composer’s repertoire. It is very simple and clear even in its harmony, so it lends itself to being used as an example to understand four fundamental concepts of music: the cadence, the modulation, the…Continue readingChopin waltz in A minor, four simple harmony lessons
[Monday Notes no.167] A Whiter Shade of Pale is a classic Procol Harum song, the song that launched the band in 1967. While American rock is mainly inspired by the blues, British rock has always maintained a close relationship with classical music. No wonder, then, that A Whiter Shade of Pale is largely derived from…Continue readingA Whiter Shade of Pale, all in one scale, like Bach
Beyer’s Opus 101, the Bastien Method for piano study, the Musigatto and Bela Bartok’s Mikrokosmos are very popular methods for learning to play the piano. I analyzed their merits and demerits, here is what I found out by comparing the piano methods, Beyer vs Bastien vs Musigatto vs Mikrokosmos.Continue readingBeyer vs. Bastien vs. Musigatto vs. Mikrokosmos, piano methods compared
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Comparing classical and jazz piano
The history of the piano begins long before the history of jazz. However, the jazz piano represented a real revolution, greatly expanding the limits of the instrument and bringing new impetus and new styles. Therefore, I have tried to discuss the relationship between classical piano and jazz piano. At the end of the article, I…Continue readingComparing classical and jazz piano
[Monday’s Notes No. 143] The Doors were one of the legendary bands of the psychedelic and rock movement. A charismatic leader and soul of the band, Jim Morrison consumed his existence in a few years, both glorious and dramatic at the same time. We analyse one of the Doors’ best-known songs entitledContinue readingJim Morrison, The End. The revolution is knocking at the door
[Monday Notes no.88] Abbey Lincoln is an inimitable singer, not only because of the timbre of her voice but also for her special ability to sing powerfully and deeply, delivering the words sometimes with gravity and sometimes with sharp sarcasm. Her performance of Laugh Clown, Laugh is beautiful and moving.Continue readingAbbey Lincoln, Laugh Clown Laugh. From Opera to Jazz
[Monday Note No. 75] Valzer per un amore is a song by Fabrizio De André written on the Valzer campestre from the Suite Siciliana by Gino Marinuzzi, a Sicilian composer and conductor. The song was released as a single on the B-side of the more famous La canzone di Marinella and shows how interested De…Continue readingFabrizio De André, Valzer per un amore – Valzer campestre