The Natural Piano Blog

Mastery of the Italian Opera was a prerequisite for a successful international composing career, and the Austrian political dominion over northern Italy ensured that doors would be open there to Mozart. 

Mozart’s mother and sister remained at home, and the family correspondence provides a full account of events. 

The first tour, begun on December 13, 1769, and lasting 15 months, took them to all the main musical centres, but as usual they …

What is Tempo Giusto? 

Tempo Giusto is a musical term that means 'the right, appropriate tempo; appropriate to the content of the piece of music'. 

In the 17th and 18th centuries (Baroque and early Classical), Tempo Giusto referred to the idea that each meter has its own 'ideal' tempo. 

This was also referred to as Tempo Ordinario (ordinary time). 

The larger the beat value of the meter, the slower the tempo.  Therefore, meters with …

You Don’t Need Sheet Music

Improvisation, or "spontaneous composition," is at the heart of the jazz approach.  Outside of a big band setting, jazz musicians rely very little on the printed manuscript.  In fact, jazz music is deeply rooted in the American spirit of freedom, with an emphasis on the performers’ voice.  Classical music, on the other hand, places a much higher emphasis on serving the composer’s intentions.  One reason why …

Why does the piano have its familiar curved shape? 

The piano is actually a stringed instrument so when you hit a key on the piano keyboard it sets a hammer in motion and the hammer strikes a string.  The string then vibrates and transfers its vibration energy to the sound board and the sound board radiates to the room.  The piano has 88 keys and each key produces a different pitch.  …