10 Tips For Choosing Music to Play on Piano (2024)

Music is a very powerful way to connect with your audience emotionally and to make sure, you are creating a long term audience by personally touching their hearts. Playing an instrument such as a piano can create an amazing feeling and can create an amazing moment, as well. It can make any moment special. It is very important to choose the right music for all the playlists available in your piano section. There are ways through which you can easily make your piano music outstanding and can stand out from the crowd. 

What is Keyboard Action? 

The mechanical component of a keyboard or other musical piano that converts key depression into rapid hammer motion, which strikes the strings to produce sound, is known as the keyboard action mechanism (also referred as the key action mechanism or just the action). A piano’s action can be compared to that of other musical instruments, such as the digital or electronic stage piano and synthesizers, some of which possess “weighted keys” that mimic the feel and touch of an acoustic piano. The “weighted keys” sensation, or the perception of the weight of the contact of the keys, is determined by the layout of the key action mechanism. 

Since the piano’s action determines its sensitivity and relative lightness—or heaviness—of touch, a professional performer is likely to be most concerned with it. In general, a piano’s action is considered light when the keys are readily pressed and heavy when a significant downward movement is needed. In a nutshell, the action determines whether a piano may be played by a certain performer. 

When Bartolomeo Cristofori designed the piano in 1698, he made a significant advancement with the piano action. The early pianos were built quite similarly to modern harpsichords, save from the action. A hammer hits the string on a piano, while a mechanism attempts to pull the string on a harpsichord. Many of the concepts currently present in actions from the year 2000 were already present in Cristofori’s action. It was designed so that the final portion of the hammer’s motion prior to actually striking the string would’ve been entirely the result of inertia and not propelled by the key. This precludes the key from pressing the felt-covered hammer staunchly into the string, which would dampen and stop the string vibrations and the sound. It used levers to amplify this same small motion of the piano key into a large motion of a hammer. 

Songs For Beginners To Play On The Piano 

What are the finest easy piano songs to get you started if you’re just starting out in the world of piano playing? Pitch, or the actual sound of the note, and rhythm, or how faster or slower you move through one note to the next, are the two components that make up music. The easiest piano songs are those with a simple beat and notes that don’t jump around a lot when you’re just learning the instrument. 

Naturally, utilising two hands at once is required for playing the piano. However, it’s recommended to start with tunes that are easy to play with one hand if you’ve never played before or haven’t for a while. It’s usually best to practice each hand independently before starting to play the tune hands together when learning any song, regardless of skill level. 

Additionally, bear in mind that you must utilize the finger that makes the most sense for each note, which may need some trial to determine what suits you the best. Once you’ve figured out which finger works best for each note to move around with ease, be sure to utilise that same finger each time you play the notes to make things much simpler. 

• Twinkling Twinkle Little Star is constantly a favourite, particularly with younger students, but grownups who are just beginning out can also gain from knowing this. First, put your right thumb just on letter C. Except for the highest note, which is just one note beyond your little finger, all the notes you need are under your fingers. 
• For beginners learning to play the piano, Happy Birthday is an extremely helpful and simple tune to learn. If there is a keyboard or piano nearby during a birthday party, you could lead group singing which may inspire everyone to sing in tune. Put the right thumb on C, just like in Twinkle Twinkle, and the first part of the song will flow easily under your fingers. There is, however, an octave jump from the C you begin on to the following C. The next series of notes will be exactly under your fingers if you use your little finger to play the higher C. A B flat is the only other black note. 
• One of the easiest keyboard songs to learn is the chorus to Jingle Bells because there are many notes that are repeated and almost everyone is familiar with the song. It is always simpler to learn a song from music notes that one is familiar with than it is to play it. The verse is a little more difficult, but it’s still manageable. 
• It’s time to move on and begin learning how to utilize the left hand once you’ve accomplished a few songs using just your right hand. Learning the fundamental chords on the left hand is a natural next step and a wonderful resource for being capable of playing any song you like because all music is built on chords. 
• What a sweet and enjoyable tune, “Havana”! It is harder since the right-hand melody is a little bit more complicated and the rhythm is off-the-beat. Once you’ve got the left hand’s repetitive pattern for the chorus going, you’ve got it. In the right hand, there are a few chords to start, and then the tune itself begins. 

Music Genres 

Audiophiles are bound together through music, which serves as a unifying factor. Music is the outcome and the goal of our hobby pursuit, independent of our preferences for the component parts or our propensity to support or criticise rival technology. Even though it may seem straightforward, we love classical music and want to make it sound as authentic and emotionally engaging as possible. No matter how we get there, musical nirvana is where we’re ultimately going. It goes without saying that audiophiles often have a variety of musical tastes, both in terms of style and content. 

But somewhere along the line, we started giving various music genres various labels. “Musical genre,” according to Wikipedia, is a “conventional category that designates some musical pieces as adhering to a shared tradition or set of customs.” These kinds of defining categories are said to make things simpler. They are supposed to make it simple for listeners to distinguish between music composed in the 18th century by Mozart and Beethoven and contemporary music that a band might be playing today. All music lovers have a frame of reference thanks to genres. 

It’s difficult to put musical elements and a genre designation together under one roof. It is challenging to categorize musical pieces because each one has its own distinctive fingerprints. Because of this, there is a phrase for a type of music known as crossover, whose songs incorporate elements from several distinct genres. From the primitive rhythms made by our ancient ancestors using stones and sticks, music evolved into a broad web of genres, ranging from the basic folk music structures to hypnotic dancing music or rock riffs, complicated classical music, or jazz pieces. The roots of the majority of genres are found in religious and traditional music. With the advent of new musical instruments and the globalization of the music itself, new genres were created as a result of the blending of many influences. Every branch of the music’s growth made way for new ones, like the branches of a large tree. 

There existed classical, sacred, and conventional folk music prior to the 20th century. The opera genre appeared later. With the impact of African traditional music on Christian gospel music in the 1920s, jazz & blues were born. Later, alongside blues and indigenous musical influences, country music entered the scene. Country has given way to rock, which in turn gave way to pop and metal. Pop gave way to disco music with the introduction of electronic instruments for usage in music. On the other side, hip-hop as well as rap were created thanks to their various vocal techniques. As a result of each genre impacting the others and giving rise to a fresh genre or subgenre, the music tree became wider and larger in a domino effect. 

Capture The Audiences’ Attention

• The first step in doing this is to play your song or piece frequently while gradually improving each time. Have good practice habits and practice correctly. Knowing your most challenging passage and spending some time getting more comfortable with it are crucial while getting ready for a performance.
• Regardless if you wish to play virtuoso compositions, if your skill level isn’t there, you’re just asking for trouble. Learn which instruments and pieces you can best perform with. Your repertoire will expand as you develop as a pianist, and you’ll add additional songs to your list of prospective performance songs. Music is not a sport; it’s about sharing the delight of music. 
• Create an acting scenario in your home room. Take a seat at the piano, pull out your scorebook, inhale deeply, and play the song all the way through. Even if you’re alone, keep trying to complete the piece and reassures you that you’re in front of people.
• Understand how your body is responding to the stressful circumstance. During a performance, the only things in the world are you and the piano. Take a few deep breaths and enter the “zone.” Pay attention; ignore the commotion and people around you. Try your utmost to maintain inner peace and tranquility. Take a seat on the bench and ground yourself. 
• The most frequent symptom of performance anxiety is playing your piece way too quickly and stumbling. Every musician experiences that at some point in their career. This teaches you that you must be aware of the tempo at which you feel most at ease performing the composition. Be mindful not to speed up when playing the piano in front of an audience, especially at that challenging passage in your composition. Instead, softly sing the piece’s opening in your thoughts as if it were a song.

Tips for Choosing Music to Play on Piano

1. Create your music

Creating your music is one of the best ways to enjoy playing piano, as this way you will not only have your music but also be able to match it with your practice. Start making the music into pieces of small compositions and then get them with your hands over the piano. With time, you will improvise slowly and gradually on the spot playing and then, will start enjoying by yourself. 

2. Search & Research about the libraries of music

Music is also having its libraries, developed and designed by people who love music and worship music. These libraries are mostly available online, either paid or unpaid. There is enormous stunning music written by various writers and added to the libraries, open to all. You can easily visit these libraries and search for your relatable music which might intrigue your taste and the level of a piano player, you are.

You can also check out the music based on your category requirements such as classifications, thickness, temperament, scores, and so on. 

3. Choose with the keyboard actions

Considering the keyboard tune activity and the contact reaction for the relevant tune should be significant components to be taken care of while playing the piano. So, one can choose that one can impersonate the vibe of any of the acoustic instruments, which could make up with the expected music under the required circumstances.

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4. Relate to the music artistically

Make sure while choosing music for the piano practice, you should choose a song to which you can relate artistically. If you have a thought, that this music could not be for you, then it must also not be for your audience. Always make sure you are not sounding impersonal or forced, while making your music or while choosing your music for the audience. 

5. Always be creative

Don’t give up the fact that creativity means longevity. If you are creative and there is a sense of uniqueness in your music then people will listen to it again and again and enjoy it. So, make sure if someone has written the music creatively or even if you had designed the music creatively, then you just play it exactly as written. Allowing some flexibility, and making a performance out of it, won’t be a big deal if you want to stand out from the rest.

You can add your creativity by making some new music from the old music or any contrasting music that could be played in a tempo style or any subtle style. One can always approach things dynamically. 

6. Check the quality of sound

Always make sure to check the quality of sound which will be produced by your music. Digital pianos are very similar to the chronicles and thus, could be very helpful in producing music related to the music. Always focus on the components while choosing any kind of piano music as an amateur.  Make sure the number of speakers and the digital memories is as same as required.  

7. Check out the segmented market 

Always choose the music which will speak the language, easily understood by your audience. Try to touch their heart with your music. If you are playing the music for a particular audience then understand their culture, demographics and then finalize something, which might prove beautiful for them with a sense of personal touch. Play something which will heat directly to their heart. 

8. Take help from any skilled teacher

If you are finding it hard to choose any arrangement of melodies for your piano sessions, then you can also take the help of a professional teacher. A professional singer could be an extraordinary help for your music. The tutors are very professionals and experience play a major role in making something outstanding. Once your teacher understands how you play a particular composition, then he/she might easily help you in finding the right music for your piano. 

9. Check the Polyphony

Polyphony mainly suggests the number of notes which a piano can play on an immediate basis. As soon as you arrive in the polyphony cap, for playing it, it will drop the previous notes so make the place for the fresher notes to be played. It, thus, delivers a sound that isn’t that close as it should be. So make sure to always work on the polyphony part of your music and make it worth listening to.

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10. Challenge yourself

As much as you challenge yourself, as more you will be able to make the best out of anything. Challenge yourself as a pianist and don’t try to play safe. Make sure to play the features which you like to work on, or which you think might needs to be grown further. Always practice as much as you can and make it a perfect one.  

Thus, these are the few tips that you can follow to make your piano music, more outstanding and more amazing. Make sure you are well disciplined while doing so, since this way you can easily get connected to your audience and enjoy yourself with them. There are various ways explained above and one can choose any of them, as per their relevance. Just always make sure, the music must be as simple and as elegant so that it can touch the hearts of the audience and they would love to hear you again and again.

Related:

• How to Sit Properly at The Piano: Correct Your Posture
• How To Play Piano Chords For Beginners?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the main drawback of classifying music genres? 

Oversimplifying certain headlines to individual musical pieces is one of the main issues with genres. This can sometimes result in labels that are incorrect and do not properly represent the musicians and their work. 

2. Why is it recommended to perform in front of a small audience initially? 

If your initial audience consists of family members, close friends, neighbours, or someone else you know, there’s a strong chance you’ll do well. Consider your pet as your first crowd if you suffer from social anxiety. This will free you from pre-performance panic. 

3. Why is jazz said to be the most complex genre of all? 

Along with other instruments like the bass, drums, and guitars, it makes extensive use of musical instruments like the trumpet and saxophone. 

4. What is so unique about Beethoven’s Fur Elise? 

A few black notes are used in Fur Elise, and some of the note jumps are longer than in Bach’s Prelude in C major, but if you’ve practised these beginner-friendly easy piano pieces, you should be up to the task. 

5. What is the interlink between hip-hop and rap? 

The primary way that hip-hop and rap music are defined is as stylized rhythmic music also with a quick-rhyming singing style known as rap. The origins of the two genres can be found in the mid-1970s Afro-American and Latino ghettos in the United States. With breakdancing, MCing, DJing, and graffiti, the music has a distinct culture of its own.