Does Learning Piano Make You Smarter?
We have all seen news stories about “The Mozart Effect” and other ideas that suggest that making music, or even exposure to music can...
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Dr. Guy Whatley
- Dec 14, 2021
- 2 min
Harmonic Rhythm
Early on in your piano playing journey you learned about rhythm, its the pattens of long and short notes that line up with the beat of...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Nov 30, 2021
- 1 min
Two-Part Inventions
Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a set of fifteen two part inventions in the 1720’s to help his son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach learn to play the...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Nov 16, 2021
- 2 min
Playing Games
Learning to read music can be slow, boring, and frustrating. Most young students become fluent in reading the right hand notes long...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Oct 26, 2021
- 2 min
The Middle Pedal on a Grand Piano
Some pianos only have two pedals, but most have three. The right pedal is used most often, it sustains the notes. The left pedal is often...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Oct 19, 2021
- 2 min
Preparing for a performance
At some point in your piano playing journey you are probably going to want to play some of your music for other people. This might be a...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Oct 5, 2021
- 2 min
Record Yourself!
I record myself most days when I practice the piano. I just use my phone, and even though I have been doing this for years I still often...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Sep 29, 2021
- 2 min
The Una Corda
Have you ever wondered what the left pedal on the piano does? Have you ever wondered why all the keys move to the side when you press...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Sep 13, 2021
- 2 min
Playing Bach on the Piano
We love to play the music of Johann Sebastian Bach on the piano. It's some of the most beloved of all the piano repertoire. However,...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Aug 31, 2021
- 1 min
Time Management
Learning a new skill is difficult, it’s a huge investment of time and it requires a great deal of motivation. To become proficient at...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Aug 24, 2021
- 2 min
Learning to Pedal
All the strings on the piano are always damped. This means that a piece of felt is resting on the string all the time that the key is not...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Aug 17, 2021
- 2 min
An Introduction to the Harpsichord
Many piano players are curious about the harpsichord, especially those who play a lot of old music like Bach and Haydn from the days when...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Aug 10, 2021
- 1 min
Piano Players Have all the Fun
Piano players have a huge musical advantage. Some instruments only play one aspect of music. They might only play the melody line, or the...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Aug 3, 2021
- 2 min
Why Use a Metronome
Metronomes are really useful. They provide a steady beat that you can play along with. They come in mechanical and digital versions, but...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Jul 28, 2021
- 2 min
From the Ground Up
A ground bass is a bass line that never stops repeating in a piece of music. They are everywhere and are much more common than you might...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Jul 20, 2021
- 1 min
Can Adults Learn Piano from Scratch
I have mentioned in some previous blog posts how easy it is for children to learn music. I have also mentioned how many adult students...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Jul 13, 2021
- 2 min
Why Scales Are Necessary
Is it necessary to learn scales to learn piano? The answer is actually no, many people don’t learn or teach scales. However, they are a...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Jul 9, 2021
- 2 min
Are Piano Lessons Worth It?
There are so many demands on our time these days. And kids are more programed than ever. So is it worth adding piano lessons into this...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Jun 22, 2021
- 1 min
Learning To Play Trills
Trills are often the hardest thing for young pianists to master. Most of the issues come from playing them too fast, from playing them...
Dr. Guy Whatley
- Jun 15, 2021
- 1 min
Best Seat In The House
Millions of dollars are spent on ergonomics for office furniture and vehicles etc, but often musicians are asked to play piano on really...