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What is this, a cruel joke?
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Minor Deity
Picture of Doug
posted
So, I’m having my usual pleasant morning break tinkering around with the piano. I pretty much just grab something from the pile of ragtime music in the corner and play around with it, then move onto the next. I’m usually pleasantly surprised because a)it turns out I really do like this stuff, and b) they are usually pretty damn simple, because these folks made their living by selling sheet music to hacks like me.

so, this morning selection I get to the trio section and it tells me it wants me to play in the key of G flat. Why is that even a thing? It claims I’m supposed to be playing six flats. My piano only has five flats. Do I have to buy an adapter kit?

One of my less smooth site reading ventures of the week…
 
Posts: 10334 | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Minor Deity
Picture of LL
posted Hide Post
Playing keys of black is easy...

Sometimes not to read, but to play.

Playing All black keys is the first I teach a student!


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The earth laughs in flowers

 
Posts: 16320 | Location: north of boston | Registered: 16 May 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Minor Deity
Picture of LL
posted Hide Post
Try playing scales of black keys.

So comfortable under ones fingers!


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The earth laughs in flowers

 
Posts: 16320 | Location: north of boston | Registered: 16 May 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
(self-titled) semi-posting lurker
Minor Deity
Picture of ShiroKuro
posted Hide Post
Throw the book on the floor and stomp around.


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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

 
Posts: 18329 | Location: not in Japan any more | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
"I've got morons on my team."

Mitt Romney
Minor Deity
Picture of Piano*Dad
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Throw the book on the floor and stomp around.


ROTFLMAO


Well, Doug, at least it wasn't written in C-flat.
 
Posts: 12511 | Location: Williamsburg, VA | Registered: 19 July 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Minor Deity
Picture of Doug
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by LL:
Playing keys of black is easy...

Sometimes not to read, but to play.

Playing All black keys is the first I teach a student!


Playing the black keys is fine. I just have to stop and think every time I’m about to play a damn C flat. Stupidly enough, if they wrote the thing in five flats, and wrote in an accidental every time they hit C, I think I could sight read it pretty easily.
 
Posts: 10334 | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of CHAS
posted Hide Post
Beware of the stealth Fb.


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Several people have eaten my cooking and survived.

 
Posts: 25677 | Location: Still living at 9000 feet in the High Rockies of Colorado | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Minor Deity
Picture of Axtremus
posted Hide Post
Hire a piano tuner to tune the piano a half tone down except the F notes, then you can ignore all the flats in the key signature.


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www.PianoRecital.org -- my piano recordings -- China Tune album

 
Posts: 12682 | Registered: 01 December 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Forum Frequenter
Picture of DaleH
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quote:
Originally posted by Doug:
Playing the black keys is fine. I just have to stop and think every time I’m about to play a damn C flat. Stupidly enough, if they wrote the thing in five flats, and wrote in an accidental every time they hit C, I think I could sight read it pretty easily.


Doug, try writing those Cb accidentals in yourself. (This is a common practice in orchestra music - writing in a "courtesy accidental" as a reminder.)
 
Posts: 335 | Location: Central Massachusetts | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
(self-titled) semi-posting lurker
Minor Deity
Picture of ShiroKuro
posted Hide Post
Yeah, I have always disliked Cb and Fb and often write those in myself.


--------------------------------
My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

 
Posts: 18329 | Location: not in Japan any more | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Minor Deity
Picture of Doug
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by DaleH:
quote:
Originally posted by Doug:
Playing the black keys is fine. I just have to stop and think every time I’m about to play a damn C flat. Stupidly enough, if they wrote the thing in five flats, and wrote in an accidental every time they hit C, I think I could sight read it pretty easily.


Doug, try writing those Cb accidentals in yourself. (This is a common practice in orchestra music - writing in a "courtesy accidental" as a reminder.)


Was not expecting a serious, useful suggestion!
Apart from underestimating my laziness, this seems like it would help...
 
Posts: 10334 | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
(self-titled) semi-posting lurker
Minor Deity
Picture of ShiroKuro
posted Hide Post
quote:
this seems like it would help...


You mean, more than stomping around? Don't knock it til you try it!


--------------------------------
My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

 
Posts: 18329 | Location: not in Japan any more | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pinta & the Santa Maria
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of Nina
posted Hide Post
I can't handle F#. Technically, it's the same number of black keys as Cb but for some reason I can't seem to read the sharps nearly as well. I keep thinking, well, F# is G, but G is sharped so.... may day! may day!
 
Posts: 35367 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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