Are there any pianists out there who have never played studies by Czerny as part of their training? Probably not many. It is a fact that the technical and stylistic formulas necessary for playing the masterpieces of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and other classical composers can be developed by playing Czerny's studies.

It is, however, a controversial issue, since many teachers argue that valuable practice time should not be wasted on such mechanical and artistically dry pieces when the same results can be achieved by practicing real music.

But why not practice video game music in order to develop a more contemporary piano technique?

Read more about Super Mario for piano

How about instant access on the go to 3000+ study scores from the standard classical piano repertoire?

On m.pianostreet.com, a mobile version of Piano Street’s sheet music library you can easily view all piano scores on your mobile device.

The mobile sheet music library gives convenient mobile access to all scores from www.pianostreet.com. It is a mobile application in the form of a website specifically adapted for mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, Android devices and other smartphones. It also works well in many less advanced mobile phones with Internet access.

1. Visit m.pianostreet.com with your mobile device’s Internet browser.
2. Login with your Piano Street membership details.
3. Browse the composer lists to view any of the 23,000+ pages of sheet music.

Read more on the info page for the Mobile Sheet Music Library.

You should always spare a thought to your posture before you start playing piano for any serious amount of time.  

If you want to avoid pain in your back, hands, arms and fingers then you need to have good posture. Not only will your physical health suffer from bad posture but your playing will also suffer. The incorrect posture leads to an incorrect technique, for this reason you should certainly think about how appropriate your posture is.  

The first step in achieving good posture is buying a good piano chair that can be adjusted, this is because sitting at a good height is vital and the chances of a chair that cannot be adjusted being the right height are slim.  

So, how will you figure out what is an appropriate height? 

The key to finding the right height lays in your forearms, you should sit at a level in which your forearms while resting on the keys are completely parallel with the floor. This is the most standard position to sit while at the piano. Your fingers should be resting on the keys comfortably while they stay slightly arched. However this is not to say you cannot adjust the height slightly one way or the other, many pianists do not sit in precisely this position however they still have good posture. The secret is to find a height you are comfortable with.

What is the best distance to sit from the piano? 

Your upper arms are the key to finding the right distance. The standard distance to sit requires your upper arms to rest completely vertically to your sides while your hands rest comfortably on the keys. You shouldn't sit any closer than this and in fact I find that sitting a little further back is more ideal. If you position yourself so your elbows come slightly closer to the keys than your shoulders I think that you will find that you are able to move around the piano easier and more comfortably. 

The Correct Posture  

Phase one of finding the right posture is sitting at the right height and distance from your piano, phase two is where you ensure your actual posture is right. The correct posture at a piano is pretty much the same as the correct posture anywhere, the main thing to avoid is slumping, you should keep your back straight in order to avoid stiffness and back aches, exactly the same as sitting at the dining table. You will not only avoid pain around your back sitting in the right way but will also ensure you can control your hands and arms properly and so strengthen your playing technique.  

Playing the piano requires a lot of intricate movements out of your hands and although most people will only associate piano playing with finger movements the fact is your posture will have a big affect on how well you can pull these off, you need your body to provide a solid foundation in order to control your hands and fingers properly.  

To support your hands properly you need to sit as mentioned, have your feet placed firmly on the ground while sitting at the right height and distance from the piano, lean forwards very slightly and provide the right support for your arms while keeping you back straight.  

Comfort is key here as well, you need the right posture but should always remain relaxed and comfortable, if you are too stiff you will get the same results as if you are too relaxed, there needs to be a balance. You may need to move around the piano so ensure you do so smoothly but remember to return to a healthy and correct position each time.  

The fact is if you practice smart fingering from the start you will save a lot of hassle in the long run, and be a better piano player because of it.  

It is only natural to become stressed under the load of everything you are trying to learn, the rhythm and basic notes are tough enough at the start, then when you throw fingering suggestions into the mix it may feel as if the whole thing becomes even tougher.   

It can be easy to think that the fingering suggestions make little difference and are just another useless thing you have to learn. This of course isn't the truth, fingering in the score does exist for a reason, although I can see quite clearly why many people  will just try to do what comes easier to them. The real question here is are you in the wrong for using a finger other than that recommended, if it sounds the same either way?  

The fact is, you are well within your right to do this, you don't have to follow the printed fingerings if you find a way to play the score as it should sound but in a way that is easier for you.  

When I was learning the piano myself, I asked the same question of my teacher, who replied by saying it was fine to change fingerings but I should first discuss any changes with her so she could ensure they didn't have negative technical connotations to the way I played the piano.   

The fingering directions themselves are almost certainly written by somebody who is far better at the piano than you currently are, they were designed to ensure your hands are in the best position to play the piece as it should be, however this is from the point of view of the person who wrote them, there is nothing wrong with realizing that they are not perfect for your own skill or technique. The best thing to do is ask your teacher about any changes you wish to make and see if you are doing anything wrong from a technical aspect.  

To make changes to printed fingering directions without doing anything 'wrong', or to just understand why individual directions are in any given piece in the first place, you need to know a few things about piano fingering: 

- When first learning the piano you will almost certainly play pieces that consist of 5 notes for each hand. When doing this you should have each hand in a position where each finger can hit each note that will be needed. An example: for a five note scale in the right hand moving upwards, play the first note with your thumb. As you progress with your level of play you will have to move your hands around more and more as you play more than 5 notes for each hand, however it is always good to try and implement one note for each finger when you can. 

- Use your thumb and little finger to play white keys while letting your longer fingers hit the black keys when playing scales or broken chords that require both sets of keys. As you play the piano more you will start to realize the thumb is a good finger to use as a pivot and help you alter hand positions as you play. Each finger is a different shape so remember this and use them accordingly.  

- To play the piano well you need to use all 10 of your fingers. There are many pianists out there that overlook their fourth fingers particularly. This is a bad habit to get into so when learning the piano make a conscious effort to use all of your fingers to their full potential, it is hard enough to play with 10 let alone 8! When you first start learning you will quickly see why many overlook these fingers, they are often described as the weakest fingers when playing but this is just even more of a reason to practice with them.  

The main thing you need to remember is that finger directions are there to help you, but just blindly following them without knowing the fundamentals behind finger placement is not enough. When you understand the basics you will see why certain directions have been given, and be in a better position to alter them where you wish in a technically sound way. 

Imagine hearing great, departed pianists play again today, just as they would in person. John Q. Walker demonstrates how recordings can be analyzed for precise keystrokes and pedal motions, then played back on computer-controlled grand pianos.
About John Q. Walker

Listen to the presentation on TED:
http://on.ted.com/8iej

This video documentary provides a survey of 18 extraordinary keyboard artists that dominated the concert world in the mid 20th century, from Ignaz Paderewski to Claudio Arrau. Featured performers are Vladimir Horowitz, Artur Rubinstein, Sviatoslav Richter, Sergei Rachmaninov, Glenn Gould, Edwin Fischer, Claudio Arrau, Georges Cziffra, Wilhelm Backhaus, Alfred Cortot, Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Francis Plante performing live and on film.

Watch the movie online:

The Art Of Piano Movie: Great Pianists Of The 20th Century

Deutsche Grammophon and Decca Classics are delighted to announce the signing of a wide-ranging recording agreement with conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim. Music director of Berlin’s Staatsoper and Staatskapelle and Maestro Scaligero at Milan's Teatro alla Scala – with projects including a new Ring production at both houses – Barenboim has been called by The Times (London) "one of the few musicians in the world today who could accurately be described as legendary".

Deutsche Grammophon renews a collaboration with the artist which previously yielded landmark recordings of solo music by Beethoven, Chopin and Mendelssohn, and of orchestral works by Bruckner, Debussy and Ravel. For Decca Classics, this brand new collaboration with Maestro Barenboim marks an exciting chapter in its programme of expansion as a world-class core classical label.

http://ping.fm/98Kcb

"The tone isn't breathing" - complains pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, distraught. This is a typical sentence in Steinway & Sons' chief technician and Master Tuner Stefan Knupfer's normal work day. Each piano has its own personality, each piece demands its own timbre, and every interpretation has a particular temperament. The film Pianomania takes the viewer along on a humorous journey into the secret world of sounds, and accompanies Stefan Knüpfer at his unusual job with world famous pianists like Lang Lang, Alfred Brendel, Rudolf Buchbinder, Till Fellner and Pierre-Laurent Aimard, among others. Pianomania - the movie

A lot of people dream about learning to play the piano. This is in large part because of the beautiful music that the instrument plays when under the control of a master musician. This article will focus on the reasons why you or your children should not wait any longer to learn piano.

The first reason is obvious and we have already touched on it lightly: the sound of piano music is a huge draw to those who wish to learn how to play properly. Learning how to play a song that is a personal favorite, or attempting to write your own piece of music, will help you to gain a better understanding of the piano, how it works and what you will need to do to play it well.

Another popular reason has more to do with social benefits, such as playing a beautiful song in a concert before an audience or even something more modest, such as playing holiday or children's songs for family and friends to enjoy singing out-loud together. The piano has a reputation for being the best instrument to accompany other instruments or singers, making it easy to play a duet.

Another great reason to want to play the piano is because it is so versatile. There are millions of different piano arrangements for songs as well as music that has been written expressly for the piano, all under a number of different categories such as folk, pop, orchestra or rock... there really is no limit to what you can play on the piano.

The piano also is one of the very best instrument for creating complex harmonies, making it a great tool to gain an understanding of music theory, helping you to learn how music is all composed together. Perhaps the best benefit of all for learning to play the piano is that it helps to exercise both your body and mind. Excellent eye hand coordination is needed in order to play the piano,and some foot work is required as well, helping to keep your brain focused and alert. Learning how to sight-read music or memorizing songs can also help to increase your overall mental agility.

If you learn to understand the techniques and posture behind proper playing you will also be working to keep your back, arms and fingers strong. Learning to play the piano will improve your discipline and concentration even in other areas. If you can start lessons and learn at a sensible pace without trying to play pieces that are beyond your skill level or understanding, you will also be able to improve your self-esteem and confidence all while you learn to do something you've always dreamed of doing!

Piano teachers are always searching for places and products to help their students learn how to play piano and also to further their piano playing abilities. It is in their best interest to know where to purchase sheet music and what types of piano music can be found at the places they suggest. The Internet can provide their students with a variety of piano sheet music, audio recordings, and even online communities to ask questions and simply connect with others who share their interest in piano music. When a teacher can suggest such online sites to their students, it will make them popular.

Since there is a wide variety of online stores, you need to look for the ones that include the kind of sheet music you are interested in in their selection. Don't worry, it won't be long before you find the sheet music you need. Some stores will even offer you combo deals including an audio recording with the sheet music. This is definitely a better alternative to driving to another town to a piano music store only to find out that they do not carry the sheet music you wanted.

Along with the amount of piano sheet music you can find online, you can also find a wealth of educational materials. E-books are the popular new method of learning. A lesson plan that is focused and well thought can be downloaded almost immediately after purchase. There are also music dictionaries that can be purchased online and downloaded to your desktop for quick and convenient access to the answers to all your technical questions.

One of the most attractive prospects to finding online stores that sell piano music is the idea that these same stores will have online forums or some other type of online community where people with a love of piano music can have conversations and trade techniques with others who share their interests. Ideally, these store sites would sell sheet music, audio recordings, AND have an online forum community – all servicing their customers’ every need.

No matter whether you are an accomplished concert pianist or a beginning piano student, the foundation of your education and progress as a pianist is through sheet music. Finding the sheet music you want should not be a difficult task. One quick Internet search could have you “bookmarking” several sites that offer the music you want in the format you need, plus perhaps connecting you with other music aficionados who share your love of piano music.