Re-Learning to Play the Piano



Posted: Saturday, October 31, 2009

by
Gourmet New England

This article is about a new musical product that I think every aspiring musician should know about. It's called "Sheet Music On A Stick" and is a small USB memory drive that is filled with sheet music, audio files and a ton of interactive options that can make learning, or re-learning to play the piano much easier than traditional books of sheet music.

Like many others during their childhood I took piano lessons at the strong urging of my parents. After two years of such lessons the call of my friends on the baseball diamond meant the end of the lessons and shortly thereafter the end of playing the piano. Over the years I often thought how nice it would be to be able to play the piano again. And then last summer I decided to give it a try but even with the help of my old Thompson Third Grade book (amazingly still available) I was very discouraged. Not long after I came across this amazing little product called "Sheet Music On A Stick". It's a small, and I mean small, USB memory drive that plugs into your computer and is filled with sheet music and a ton of interactive stuff. The one I had was called "Today's Hot Hits" and it had the sheet music for 25 songs including songs of the Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Taylor Swift and many others.

What makes this product so unique is the way it can help you to play those songs. After plugging into the computer you can choose any number of songs and print the sheet music. Then with the computer by your side you can hit the play button and the notes will light up across the screen and the audio will play. You can listen or begin to play along. You can slow it down to whatever tempo is easier. You can isolate the audio and make a solo for either hand or mute it altogether as you play the notes yourself. You can easily go back and practice a section again. You feel that you have a teacher at your side.

There is a wonderful feature for vocalists. If they don't like the key of a song they can change it to whatever key is comfortable for them, keeping the piano in its correct key. They can then print their own customized version of the music. The melody can also be customized for various instruments such as Trumpet or Saxophone.

I don't think that I would have persevered in getting back to the piano if it hadn't been for "Sheet Music On A Stick" . I think that this will help a lot of people who have long wished to get back to playing the piano again.

The author, Neal Smith, is a retired orchard farmer living in Montague, Massachusetts and presently the web manager for Gourmet New England, internet marketplace for fine New England foods, including live Maine lobster, Cap Cod shellfish, Vermont cheddar and maple syrup, "My Grandma's Coffee Cakes", raw natural honey, New England bisque and chowder and more.
http://www.gourmetnewengland.com
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