Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website A New Year’s Message from The Piano Guy By Scott Houston 2023 is here! And thanks to the holidays, I’ve had a chance to reflect a little on the last year, which in my case turned out to be pretty momentous for both good and not-so-good reasons. I had one of those “big number” birthdays this year that always makes me laugh as of course it’s no bigger than any other year that has passed by, but boy—starting to put a 6 in front of my age sure seems… OLD! Ha ha! The good news is I worked my (somewhat literal) buns off for most of the ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website How to accompany yourself or others on the piano By Scott Houston The holidays are the perfect time to gather around the piano with your friends and loved ones for some good old-fashioned singalongs. But maybe you or one of your carolers are wondering—how do you vocally match the tune being played on the piano?  The trick is finding the right key. If you’re not sure how to figure out the key in your playing or singing, then not to worry! This is a common question that stumps many players who would love some experience with pi ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website How to start a new hobby and beat winter blues By Scott Houston Did you know that 10 million Americans experience Seasonal Depression every year? Also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD (how fitting), the mood disorder is characterized by a major depressive episode that occurs during the fall and winter for at least two years in a row—and includes symptoms of lost interest in once enjoyable activities, fatigue, appetite changes, and more that affect daily life.  Types of depression in winter months Though this f ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website Easy way to play the piano with both hands By Scott Houston Perhaps the most challenging part about learning to play the piano isn’t reading music notation—it’s putting your hands together! If you’ve EVER struggled with maintaining hand independence, then don’t despair! You’re not alone—and while I don’t have a magic potion to combat this issue, I do have some technical tips and general mindset advice to help you overcome this hurdle.  Before I show you some tangible tricks, first, let’s try to shift our mindset from frustrat ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website Easiest songs to learn to play on piano By Scott Houston Learning to play the piano with a chord-based method is great for adult beginners or people who are revisiting the hobby after a while because it allows new piano players to simply focus on playing from chord changes rather than reading notation verbatim. The way I teach, players use their left hand to first learn the chord progressions of a song, then once they are familiar with the tune, we start to add harmony by adding the notes of the melody line. Most popular music use ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website Piano basics: how to play piano chords By Scott Houston A piano is a great instrument to start learning how to play. You don’t need knowledge of complex music theory or any fancy pieces of equipment—all you need is a piano and your hands! The fastest way to start playing and having fun on the keys is by using a simple formula to figure out the notes of any type of chord.  Watch the video below to see how I use the formula to figure out the notes of C major and A flat minor, then keep reading to get music term definitions and ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website Common mistakes to avoid when learning to play piano By Scott Houston  I’m sure everyone has heard the saying that if you do what you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Well, learning to play the piano was my first experience in applying this saying to my life. I’ve been playing since college, started teaching adults in my thirties, and I’m still at it today!   Throughout all my years of playing for enjoyment and teaching folks to do the same, I have identified four common mistakes to avoid if you w ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website Piano basics: how to find the right notes on your keyboard By Scott Houston Sharps, flats, octaves oh my! These words may sound overwhelming, but the fact is if you’re just starting to learn how to play piano—you’re going to want to know how to identify piano notes on the keyboard, and these words can help! Allow me to break it down for you. Watch this quick video below to get started then keep reading to find an in-depth, written explanation on the topics covered! Piano notes and keys for beginners There are only 12 unique ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website Keyboards for adult beginners: what’s the best option? By Scott Houston Congratulations! You’ve taken the first, oftentimes most difficult step in your piano journey—deciding that you’re going to learn to play the piano. The second step to conquer? Finding a piano to best fit your needs so you can start playing. With countless pianos and keyboards just a Google search away, researching and identifying options can seem like a daunting task… that’s why I’ve done the hard work for you. Keep reading below to find out how a piano make ..read more

Become a subscriber for free! Email address: Website What is a glissando and when do I use it? By Scott Houston Want a fun way to make your playing sound more professional on the piano? Maybe you want to amp up the drama on a specific piece? Consider adding a glissando to your bag of tricks! Also known as the “gliss” or “slide” technique, the glissando is a modern move popularized by the rockabilly movement in the 1950s.  This fun embellishment can be intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be! Keep reading to learn about what a glissando is and get professional tips for practicing ..read more