The Playground
The Simply Music blog
You & Your Piano: New or Second-Hand?
Previously we’ve talked about the choice between digital or acoustic pianos, and, if you go acoustic, what kind of piano you might choose. If you’ve come this far, you might be ready for the next question – new or second-hand? Those new beauties look shiny…
Bringing Both Hands Together – A Video from Neil Moore
Do you find you can learn to play using separate hands but struggle when you try to play both together? You may not be making full use of a really valuable tool. When we can see each ‘event’ in each hand represented in a simple…
Meet the Team – Mary K Ferreter
We asked Mary K Ferreter some questions to gain some insight into her role here at Simply Music, what lights her up musically and some facts that make her the person she is. Your full name: Mary Kathryn Ferreter When did you start and what…
Wishing you a HAPPY PIANO DAY, every day!
Piano lovers, it’s that special International Piano Day time of year again! We have celebrated Piano Day in many ways in the past with shared lists of unusual pianos, collections of all things piano and more. This year, to commemorate our favorite mechanical friend, we…
Learn to Love Jazz
Next time you’re with a group of people who are at all interested in music, insert the word “jazz” into the conversation and observe how they respond. For every person who pricks up their ears, there will probably be a half-dozen who roll their eyes.…
Teaching the Blues Scale & Improvisation – A Video from Neil Moore
Were you ever wowed by the wizardry of a blues musician? Really, anyone can achieve an authentic blues sound with a few basic tools. Using some very simple tools Blues can be taught to entry-level students with great success. One of these tools, the principle…
You & Your Instrument: Acoustic Pianos
In the first article in this series, we discussed the choice between digital and acoustic pianos. For those considering a digital piano, we included some advice, but as to the purchase of an acoustic piano, we decided that dark art needed its own post. Are…
Study of a Song – How to Make Gravy
Although he’s spent quite a lot of time in the USA and elsewhere, Paul Kelly is not necessarily a household name worldwide. Here in his native Australia, this everyman poet is an unofficial Living National Treasure, one of our most loved musicians, for his unforgettable…
Teaching Chords & Accompaniment – A Video from Neil Moore
Chords are one of the most fundamental building blocks of all music and, taught in a particular way, they are incredibly simple to learn on piano. It’s amazing how much is opened up by an easily-developed grasp of chords. Neil describes here, for both students…
Interview with Giana Nguyen: Simply Music Teacher, Singer/Songwriter
Giana Nguyen is an Advanced Simply Music Teacher and Singer/Songwriter based in Irvine, CA. She has just released her new self-titled album, “GiANA”. Leon Moore spends a few minutes learning about her musical background, influences and inspiration behind her music, and how she got involved…
