George Gershwin: His Life & Music
Although his life was tragically cut short, George Gershwin’s legacy will always live on through his music. From timeless hits to musicals, his melodies still resonate in popular culture.
Continue reading →Duane
Duane Shinn (that would be me) has good news for you if you want to play the piano. He (me) has little fat hands & stubby little fingers - not at all suited for playing the piano - more suited to making mud pies or some such. I am also fairly uncoordinated with just average musical ability - certainly not a great piano player. But I've learned a ton about music over the years and people tell me I'm pretty decent at explaining how music works & how to progress more rapidly on the piano. Over the years I have developed about 150 techniques for conquering the piano. Most professional pianists can do these techniques, but very few can explain them in a way people can understand. I specialize in making complex techniques simple. I invite you to watch a few of my free videos and see some of these for yourself before making any decision about taking any of my courses.
Electronic Keyboards and MIDI
How can one or two musicians sound like a full band? The answer is MIDI. It’s the abbreviation for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface.” It’s the electronic “language” that is “spoken” between different instruments and the main device (computer) controlling them.
Continue reading →A Musical Family: Johann Sebastian Bach and The Bach Family
A famous German composer and organ player, Johann Sebastian Bach came from a very musical family. He was born in Eisenach on March 31, 1685. He was the youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach and Maria Elisabetha Lammerhirt Bach.
Continue reading →Piano Tuning: The Basics of Piano Tuning & Keeping Your Piano Up To Pitch
When was the last time your piano was tuned? You might not be getting a true pitch if it’s been more than six months. Has it been more than a year? You might be shocked to find that what you thought was middle “C” really isn’t. Piano tuning is an important part of maintaining quality sound.
Continue reading →Harry Connick, Jr.: Great Musician and Noteworthy Humanitarian
The charming crooner known best by the name Harry Connick, Jr. was born Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. on September 11, 1967 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father was the district attorney of New Orleans. His mother was also a lawyer, judge and former Louisiana Supreme Court justice. In addition to their legal background, Harry Connick, Jr.’s parents also owned a record shop.
Continue reading →Starting Piano Lessons: Five Signs of Readiness in Your Child
Starting piano lessons is a big step in a child’s life. Parents who value a musical education are usually eager to begin as soon as possible.
After all, many of piano’s great prodigies began playing at age three. Still many piano instructors advise parents to hold off starting piano
lessons until between ages six and eight. What age is actually best?
Continue reading →Billy Joel: The Piano Man
William Martin Joel, better known as pianist and pop tunesmith Billy Joel, was born on May 9, 1949 in the Bronx. From ballads like “Just The Way You Are” to rocking tunes like “Uptown Girl,” Joel’s music made him a household name.
Continue reading →Perfect Pitch: How to Tell if You Have It
Perfect pitch is a musical term. It is universally defined as “the ability to identify and/or recreate a musical note without comparing it to a reference note.” It is the ability to hum, sing or play on an instrument any given note without hearing it first. Perfect pitch is also referred to as “absolute pitch.”
Continue reading →Ragtime Pianists Down Through the Years
Ragtime is a style that developed from the roughest of neighborhoods and was originally performed in brothels. A precursor to jazz, it is enjoying a resurgence in popularity today. There are quite a few famous ragtime pianists, though many of the originators of the genre died before audio recording was widely available.
Continue reading →Franz Liszt: The Greatest Pianist Ever?
Is there a way to definitively say someone is the “greatest pianist ever,” especially when the person in question lived long before recorded music? One of the contenders for the title is a gentleman by the name of Franz Liszt. His peers were awed at his skill and proclaimed his playing to be the pinnacle of instrumental prowess. European audiences bowed before him; women fawned over him; and fellow musicians aspired to be like him. Liszt was a master of the piano.
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