Dr. Guy WhatleyDec 28, 20211 minDoes 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...
Dr. Guy WhatleyDec 14, 20212 minHarmonic RhythmEarly 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 WhatleyNov 30, 20211 minTwo-Part InventionsJohann 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 WhatleyNov 16, 20212 minPlaying GamesLearning to read music can be slow, boring, and frustrating. Most young students become fluent in reading the right hand notes long...
Dr. Guy WhatleyOct 26, 20212 minThe Middle Pedal on a Grand PianoSome 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 WhatleyOct 19, 20212 minPreparing for a performanceAt 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 WhatleyOct 5, 20212 minRecord 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 WhatleySep 29, 20212 minThe Una CordaHave 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 WhatleySep 13, 20212 minPlaying Bach on the PianoWe 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 WhatleyAug 31, 20211 minTime ManagementLearning 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 WhatleyAug 24, 20212 minLearning to PedalAll 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 WhatleyAug 17, 20212 minAn Introduction to the HarpsichordMany 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 WhatleyAug 10, 20211 minPiano Players Have all the FunPiano 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 WhatleyAug 3, 20212 minWhy Use a MetronomeMetronomes are really useful. They provide a steady beat that you can play along with. They come in mechanical and digital versions, but...
Dr. Guy WhatleyJul 28, 20212 minFrom the Ground UpA 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 WhatleyJul 20, 20211 minCan Adults Learn Piano from ScratchI 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 WhatleyJul 13, 20212 minWhy Scales Are NecessaryIs 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 WhatleyJul 9, 20212 minAre 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 WhatleyJun 22, 20211 minLearning To Play TrillsTrills 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 WhatleyJun 15, 20211 minBest Seat In The HouseMillions of dollars are spent on ergonomics for office furniture and vehicles etc, but often musicians are asked to play piano on really...