Private Piano Tutor Archives - Hey Joe Guitar

At Manhattan Music School, We are Unbiased About Instruments

Hey Joe Guitar — Fri, 20 May 2016 00:01:10 +0000

Anyone is Welcome to Learn at Manhattan Music School

Do you ever wonder why there haven’t been, until the 20th century, any great female cellists? Or why we don’t know of any women in history who became famous for playing the double bass? Why was there such a gender inequality? Because straddling the legs around instruments like the cello and double bass had once been considered not only unfeminine but also immoral.

The same guardians of morality also proclaimed other instruments to be unsuitable for women: the horn, recorder, flute, bassoon, oboe, and trumpet were off-limits since they would look indecent in the mouth of a woman. And the taboos didn’t stop with the instruments. Certain playing positions were also seen as immoral for decent ladies. For instance, distorting the face in order to play a wind instrument was a definite “no-no.” Isn’t it incredible that such crazy rules dominated the world of music in days gone by?

“Feminine” instrument

Fortunately, one instrument has long been judged suitable for females: the pianoforte and its descendant, the piano. Nothing about the body position or style of playing was found objectionable, which may be the reason why women composers who went down in history, such as Marianne Martinez (1744 – 1812), Fanny Mendelsshon (1805-1847) and Clara Schumann (1819 – 1896), were pianists. In fact, during the 1800s, mastering the piano was de rigueur for well-born women. As this recent, very interesting article points out, “Piano instruments were considered the feminine musical instrument ‘par excellence’ in the 19th century, to the extent that it became a norm in this period for all women belonging to the bourgeoisie and upper classes to have a decent command of the instrument.” The article goes on to quote a mid-19th century Norwegian author who said, “No cultured house should be without a pianoforte… No Lady, who wish to be a Lady, can admit to not being able to play the pianoforte, and no Gentleman can allow its disregard.” Maybe that’s why such genteel 19th century women as Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, and the Bronte sisters all played this instrument.

Oh, how times have changed…

Fortunately, gender bias, especially when it comes to musical instruments, is a thing of the past. These days, boys AND girls, men AND women, can choose to play any instrument at all. The only guidelines that apply are the students’ own interests, not outdated social or cultural conventions. Whether you (or your child) are male or female, just contact us and we’ll send one of our truly amazing teachers to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office to give you lessons. We believe in letting bygones be bygones!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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Enjoy Your Lessons, With Brooklyn Music School

Hey Joe Guitar — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 00:01:24 +0000

At Brooklyn Music School, Lessons are Fun and Games

Far too many people think of music as serious and solemn. In many cases it is, but music can also be light-hearted and even humorous. The same can be said for musical instruments. True – anything that is capable of emitting such beautiful sounds deserves our utmost respect and reverence. But that doesn’t mean that these instruments cannot be used in creative and funky – albeit slightly unconventional -ways.

What do we mean? Read on and find out!

Be amused!

Let’s start with the piano. The “normal” way to play this instrument is by sitting down and hitting the keys with the fingers. But that doesn’t mean that nothing else will do. Take a look at how these two individuals manage to make beautiful music without the use of their hands. Should you jump on your piano keyboard and play with your feet? Probably not, but it’s fun to watch others do it! Now, if you think strings are only for mellow music, you are in for surprise! Both the violin and the cello can emit some “quarrelsome” sounds when put them into the right (or wrong?) hands. But not all strings want to do battle; most just want to play nicely together, as this ukulele orchestra demonstrates. And in case you are wondering whether it is possible to have a fun experience with instruments like the accordion or the harmonica, the answer is YES! Just look at these two examples . Of course, some instruments (and orchestras) are really funky and wacky , but still capable of making some cool music!

Any instrument

We hope that all the above videos have inspired you to start music lessons. We won’t tell you that we will teach you to play on beer bottles, because we won’t. We have a feeling that this mostly a self-learned skill. However, our teachers can certainly come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office and give you lessons on any of the above-mentioned musical instruments: the accordion, ukulele, piano, violin, cello, harmonica, and many others. And while we are very serious about our lessons, we also believe that music education should be an enjoyable experience.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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The Piano: It’s Always About Hitting the Right Key

Hey Joe Guitar — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 00:01:35 +0000

New York Piano School Has the Keys to Great Lessons

Did you know that the world-famous Steinway Piano Company was founded right here in New York in 1853, in a loft on Manhattan’s Varick Street? If you are curious to see how these elegant instruments are put together, you can go on a tour of Steinway’s factory in Queens.

And that brings us to the topic du jour: September is the National Piano Month, dedicated to this elegant instrument that has contributed so much to the development of music, both classical and modern. This is also a great occasion to talk about the piano, which continues to be one of the most popular instruments in the world. There is a good reason for that: this instrument is versatile and can be used to play different styles of music. Think of the piano as a “gentle giant:” its takes up a lot of room, weighs between 400 and 1,000 pounds, has over 12,000 parts – 10,000 of which are moving – 200 to 250 strings, as well as 88 keys. But oh – what beautiful music this mighty instrument is capable of producing!

Proud history

It seems like the piano has been around for a long time – and it has. But before an Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofo created the piano in the 17th century, many composers (including Bach) played on a look-alike instrument called the harpsichord . Over the next centuries, composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Chopin, and many others, created the most beautiful, emotionally stirring piano concertos , sonatas , and other pieces of music. Later, different styles of music– including jazz , pop , rock , and other genres – took over the piano as well. And though the piano is such a “grand” instrument, it lends itself to some musical whimsies as well!

Let your fingers do the…playing

We hope that all the above exampled have inspired you (or your child) to start taking piano lessons. If you are nervous about having to strap your piano on your back and schlep it across town – don’t. Our teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office – wherever your instrument happens to live. They won’t haul their own pianos but they will certainly teach you how to tickle the ivories on yours!

Photo by Oliver Quinlan

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