shArp magazine by Jennifer McIntosh

th 25

Anniversary

CONTENTS 07

feature article

Passion does something to people. Not the something that leaves you becoming a different person, but the something that calms your heart and makes the world go away.

key me in

letter from the editor

2013 Edition

20. Sneak Peak of upcoming albums

letter from the For the first edition of shArp Magazine, I had to really examine how music plays a part in my every day life. I asked myself, how often do I listen to music daily? I also asked, If music was taken from me, would it effect me, and if so, how? You would probably be surprised how often you listen to music. Personally, I hear it on TV, my computer, when I get in my car, while I’m at work, when I’m shopping, and many other places. Sometimes I hardly notice music is playing, but when a song comes on that I really enjoy, I can’t help but sing along. I challenge you to ask yourself the same two questions and stop to see how music is involved in your life. Upon asking these questions, I was reminded of what instruments mean the most to me. And as you will be able to tell, the piano is my heart and soul. The piano has affected my life from a young age and has always been an instrument of choice in my family. When I learned to play the piano, I thought I was a genius. Little did I know, there is always something new to learn about the piano. The piano doesn’t have just the basic notes like some instruments. You can combine any keys or notes that you want and something new is bound to happen. This doesn’t mean it will always be a pretty sound, but there are many ways to create the music that’s desired. I hope you enjoy my first issue of shArp and that you become encouraged to try something new! J e n n i f e r G r i gg

2013 Spring Edition

shArp magazine

ianoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s come in all different styles, colors, and brands. A muscian should know which one fits their style the best!

2013 Spring Edition

How to care for your piano?

What are the different types of pianos? There are two main types of pianos, then you just have a variety of styles. The main and most common types, are the Grand and Upright pianos. A grand piano is laid out horizontally, while an upright is vertical. Both types come in a few different sizes, for example, a baby grand is well known. There are many other types of pianos that aren’t quite as common. A few of their names are the toy piano, silent piano, prepared piano, transposing piano, electric piano, and digital pianos. Each piano was made for a specific purpose. The silent piano for example, gives an option to silence its strings, which is great for a private silent practice. So, depending on your preference, I’m sure you can find the perfect piano that fits you.

Pedals, what do they do?

The majority of U.S pianos have three pedals. From left to right they are called the soft, sostenuto, and sustain pedal. The soft pedal, also called the una corda, causes the hammers to hit two of the three strings for each note on the grand piano. On the upright piano the soft pedal just moves the hammers closer to the strings, which causes less kinetic energy. The sostenuto pedal allows you to maintain selected notes on grand pianos, while on upright pianos it simply helps mute the sound by a piece of felt between the hammers and strings. There are some pianos, however; that have the middle pedal maintain the sound. This pedal is helpful when you want to continue the melody, but have your bass note hold in the background. Last, but not least, there is the sustain pedal, that is placed on the far right. This pedal is used the most because it ‘sustains’ all the played notes. Also known as the damper pedal, both the upright and grand pianos use this pedal for the same thing. Of course, there are a few pianos that have an extra pedal for a specific purpose and the electric piano will only have one pedal that it comes with. Yet, the three pedals listed will be the most commonly used.

Pianos have many changeable parts. In fact, an old piano with replaced parts and proper care can be renewed to almost new again. Pianos have a temperate system, also known as a set of bearings. In the temperate system the piano has frequencies that are based on the relationship of pitches the piano makes. You can flatten or lower pitches to make sure the frequencies are accurate. Now, behind all of these words is a mathematical answer, but what you need to know, is that, after a period of time things get shifted around. Just like tuning other instruments, pianos need tuning also. During this process, the piano strings are adjusted so that the pitches are set correctly again. This is a procedure that needs to be done once every six months. Although, it can get pricey, the result of a great sounding piano is worth it. Make sure to keep the humidity level around your piano at a consistent rate to help prolong the tuning checkup and any wear or tear. When cleaning your piano you need to be cautious of the materials you use. Everything gets dusty eventually so it’s good to use a feather duster to dust off parts of your piano. If you use a cloth, there are certain tips that you need to know. Never use a dry cloth, rags, or paper towels. First, you need to get a

fabric cloth and dampen it a little. Make sure to be gentle while cleaning and immediately dry the area with a separate cloth. It’s important to leave the interior of the piano alone because it is fragile and should be handled by a professional. If you decide to polish your piano, I suggest researching directions for the type of finish your piano has on it, to avoid damaging it. A basic rule of thumb to follow when polishing, is not spray the polish directly on the piano, but instead on the cloth. Also, keep the polishing to a minimum.

Pianos verses keyboards?

For the most part, a piano has a fixed number of keys, 52 white, 36 black, with a total of 88 keys. There is also an extended range piano that contains 102 keys. Having a piano gives you a wide range of space on your keyboard. Electric or portable keyboards have this range, but the most commonly come with 61 to 72 keys. Keyboards opposed to pianos, usually have smaller, thinner, and plastic keys. This can be something that is very nitpicky to a professional. Also, something to have to adjust from if you switch to which keys you play on. Professional or not, a pianist has a range of styles they can learn and experiment with on a keyboard that you just can’t get as easily with a piano. Just know, that an electronic keyboard is simply a replica for an actual piano, the sounds are going to be different every time.

shArp magazine

Black keys

A white keys

2013 Spring Edition

middle c

C D

D E

# b

1 octave

F G

G A

A B

shArp magazine

Between

the& BlWhites ack by Jennifer Grigg

2013 Spring Edition

Passion does something to people. Not the something that leaves you becoming a different person, but the something that calms your heart and makes the world go away. Hi, my name is Jennifer {most people call me Jenny}. I grew up in your average American home. Some statistics hit me and others didn’t. Overall, I think I came out just fine. I would consider myself in the normal category, like the rest of you do. At a young age, I became interested in music. People in my family played instruments, so why couldn’t I? I picked up on the piano, such a simple, but complex piece. My mother put me in piano lessons and I loved them, until things started to get too hard. My response was quitting. ThWere is no good explanation to why I did this, but unfortunately, I did. Later in years, I was upset at myself for quitting, because I still had a passion to learn more. I tried teaching myself, but didn’t get far. Then, when I started college, I began taking lessons again. I found a new side of myself that I wish I had found a lot sooner. Making an effort to achieve your passion is one of the most important things in life.

Never give up on something you care about

Now, you may be expecting me to say I ended up as some Mozart and studied music in college, or played at some important event. However, I did not, and never plan to. Music still remains my safe harbor. When I play the piano, I play alone and selfishly for my own benefit. Sitting down to play the piano calms my mind. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, it causes my heart to be joyful, but most importantly, I enjoy it. And most importantly I enjoy it. Playing the piano is essentially my escape from the world. I’m sure you’ve found something in your life that does the same things for you. If you haven’t, then you should start searching for something your passionate about. Passion does something to people. Not the something that leaves you becoming a different person, but the something that calms your heart and makes the world go away.

shArp magazine

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