Learning to play the piano later in life might sound to be a crazy idea. It certainly seems to be a daunting task especially when you always come across incredible stories of child prodigy and young pop stars. But it’s a myth and creates blocks in your subconscious mind stopping you from playing the piano. Most of us may wonder that we are too old to learn music and cannot match our favorite musicians. However, it’s never too late to study play piano and you will be surprised to know the benefits of piano practice are instantaneous.

Benefits of Learning Music Later in Life

It might be difficult to see any benefits of beginning music late in life. But surprisingly, there are several advantages of starting your piano practice at any stage of your life.

Most Musicians Achieve Success in Later Stages of Their Careers

There are numerous examples of musicians tasting success in later stages of their lives. Short-lived popularity through Spotify or YouTube might glorify the youth and their fans, but music is much beyond. For instance, artists like Bill Withers released his first album when he was 34. Bill never thought of pursuing a career till 30! Four years of hard work helped him release his first album. His story is inspiring for many who see age as a barrier to play piano or any other musical equipment.

You Have More Experience

At this stage of your life, you have more experience and enough clarity of your lifestyle and routine. You do have additional responsibilities too. But you have the experience of effectively managing your time. You probably know how important it is for you to include relaxing activities in your life now.

Also, when it comes to music, you have been listening to and see live performances for over the last decades. Thus, your idea of music is much better than a teen who has just started off listening or playing the piano. This knowledge provides you better focus when you practice and surety of what you wish to learn.

Another inspiring story is of the singer-songwriter Seasick Steve who achieved success at the age of 65. For decades he worked as a construction worker and did jobs which not many would prefer doing. But it was in 2006 when he got an opportunity to perform at the Jools’ Annual Hootenanny on New Year’s Eve. He was 65 and this event kicked off his music career. Both authenticities of his voice and success show the result of his experience and hard work.

Expressing Creativity Is Great at Any Stage of Your Life

You have heard about the expression saying “Music is timeless”. A universal language, music is a part of every culture and society. Everybody understands music and a C major chord is spelled the same irrespective of the place you live or the age you are.

Keep all such facts in mind and you will never feel tentative about starting to play the piano. The only thing that matters here is your desire to learn and your enthusiasm for the instrument. Music has been there before us and will stay after us. Hence, take the opportunity to become a part of the great human tradition of music.

Keep Everything In Perspective

Keeping things in perspective is important before starting to learn piano. Certainly, some musicians might have started to play the piano even before they learned to write. But that doesn’t mean you are behind or you should not give it a try to learn something you are so passionate about.

To get the best result from your practice sessions you need to have the right piano. If you are looking for one and confused about the best option suited to your needs, you can consult Dave’s Piano Showroom. They are based in Tampa Bay, FL, and have a range of pianos suiting every need or budget.

Picture Credit: Pexels

The post Learning To Play Piano Late In Life appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

Sadly, limited inclusion of music in today’s general public-school curriculums has reduced the number of people having expertise and knowledge about the power, history, or depth of music. Additionally, this exclusion has robbed children of several key developmental strengths that come with music education.

Besides creating joy, strengthen your hand muscles, or improving your hand-eye coordination, there are several other benefits of learning piano or other musical instruments. Let’s look at some of the advantages of learning music.

Increases IQ & Boosts Academic Performance

Yes, it’s true! You will come across numerous texts and researches advocating that music can help in increasing IQ levels and helping you perform better in studies. It also has the power to instill a sense of self-confidence and achievement. Playing different instruments in groups helps you develop a healthier and more fulfilling social life.

Going through the Mozart Effect you will learn that listening to Mozart can boost spatial intelligence. As per research, playing piano exercises different parts of the brain leading to an increase in IQ levels in both adults and children. Another research suggests learning piano plays as an effective antidote to memory loss or multiple mental deteriorations among adults.

Music is a Universal Language

Music is regarded as a universal language as each culture or civilization has a form of musical expression. Several studies have shown a direct relationship between music and a child’s language development. It indicates that music helps them in learning to read, write and even socialize. Playing piano can increase brain activity and assist to learn foreign languages.

Improve Multi-Tasking Abilities

When learning piano, the most difficult part is to develop coordination between the left and right hands when reading the music sheets. With time and patience, you do master this skill which eventually means that you improve your ability to multi-task. It will help you in splitting your concentration and improving your hand coordination.

Generates Growth

Playing musical instruments supports having higher levels of human growth hormones. As per a study at the University of Miami, a group of people was tested for their keyboard lessons. The results showed that the entire group comparatively had increased energy levels which prevented them from issues like aches or pains. It meant that playing the piano can help in reducing your blood pressure, easing your heart health, strengthening your immune system, and contributing towards body repair and replenishing the same.

Leaves a Calming Effect

Music has the power to soothe your spirits. You may come across several metaphorical stories where music was used to tame a beast. In today’s times, music is believed to have the power to make you feel relaxed, less stressed, and take a break from crazy lifestyles.

Hence, without breaking any sweat you can reduce your stress. Experts have also concluded that it can lower blood pressure too. But to get the most from learning a piano, it is important to learn from experienced and qualified teachers. If you thinking of purchasing a new or a used piano contact Dave’s Piano Showroom to schedule an appointment with Dave. Dave’s Piano Showroom is the only technician owned and operated store serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Hernando and Manatee counties

Picture Credit: Freepik

The post Some Amazing Advantages of Learning Piano & Other Musical Instruments appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

1. Improves neuroplasticity: Neuroplasticity is the capability of your brain to recognize and form synaptic connections typically as a response to learning or treatment after injuries. In simple terms, this is the capability of your brain to convert to another form and function specifically for it when it is stimulated with physical activity. Playing the piano positively changes your brain. Studies indicate that music is responsible for stimulating the brain in a manner no other kind of activity can.

When you are playing a musical piece on a piano you are making additions to the brain in terms of neural connections. It primes the brain for other kinds of communication. Therefore, when you are thinking that you are only working on a difficult piece you are improving your attention span, memory, language, speech, math, and spatial skills, and also your capability to convey emotions vocally.

2. Improves hand-eye coordination: Piano playing needs you to have good hand-eye coordination. Research conducted recently suggests that a person playing piano changes the cortical mapping of his brain for increasing the finger speed. For people with lesser motoring skills, piano playing can challenge their brains for making newer connections and develop motor skills. It also helps kids and also the adults to improve hand-eye coordination later in life.

3. Greater stress relief: Studies indicate that piano playing is good for improving your mental health. People that play the piano are less likely to experience depression and anxiety than the non-musical counterparts. Playing the instrument just for a few minutes every day may improve your self-esteem and make you feel positive. It can also reduce your blood pressure. It is significant to note here that piano lessons are commonly used as a kind of therapy for ADD.

4. Good for split concentration: The split concentration is also termed as divided attention. It is an integral part of piano playing and helps in sharpening the concentration. For playing this instrument you are required to make use of both hands, read the music, work with pedals, and also listen to the notes you are playing on the machine. That is a lot you have to do all at once. If you can become adept at playing with split concentration you will find improvement in your multitasking abilities in the actual world away from the piano as well.

The wonderful part of playing the piano is that it is possible to share the event with family and friends. Music is one language that crosses all forbidding barriers such as ethnicity and age. It is also a great way of bringing together big communities and small groups of friends and families. If you want to buy a piano in the Tampa, FL area you can get in touch with the licensed firm Dave’s Piano Showroom for a reliable purchase.

Picture Credit: Freepik

The post Benefits Of Playing Piano On Your Brain appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

However, the industry in the last 10 years has evolved quite a bit. Yamaha has been and continues to be more focused on their digital and player piano lines and has done nothing to perfect the art of piano making. In fact, I would argue that it has gone backward. Readers need to understand that 85% of what Yamaha sells today is not built in Japan. Globalization has shifted production to countries such as China and Indonesia, where labor rates are favorable.

Leaving Japan and going to China is not at the heart of the problem.  Yamaha or any other piano manufacturer is fully capable of producing a quality piano anywhere in the world. The issue is for some peculiar reason Yamaha strips out all of the refinements they are known for, from their Chinese, Indonesian and Taiwanese made pianos. Why this is done is not clearly understood. One piano craftsman in Japan costs $75,000 per year. In China, it is less than 20% of this amount. This means there is a significant amount of monies left over to refine the piano. It is widely believed Yamaha does not produce a Japanese caliber piano in China, because if they did, not a single tremendously more expensive Japanese made piano would ever sell again.

With the Japanese resting on their laurels and the Internet age coming alive; the European hybrid formula was born. The definition of a European hybrid piano is the fusion of European componentry assembled where labor rates are favorable. In these pianos, the absolute best materials are used. Every tangible component that can be measured or observed, in each step of the building process, is incrementally or substantially better in a piano such as a Ritmüller, than that of a similarly priced Yamaha.

Ritmüller pianos date back to the late 18th century. Recently they were completely redesigned by Lothar Thomma, with the goal being to fuse the best components the world has to offer, chiefly from Europe, with the most accurate forms of modern construction, such as the use of more precise CNC machinery.

The importance of Lothar Thomma’s involvement can not be overstated. For decades Lothar sat at the helm of the engineering department at the world’s highest rated piano maker, Bechstein; a handmade piano built exclusively in Germany. Thomma was hired by the world’s largest piano manufacturer, a brand which also is the official builder for Steinway’s Essex line of pianos, to breathe new life into an old standard. Thomma has achieved world wide success and notoriety with his new Ritmüller designs.

This is illustrated perfectly in the Piano Book by Larry Fine and is likely the single most powerful point that can be made with regard to the quality of a Ritmuller piano. You will notice in the following chart that there are three areas of concern.

https://www.pianobuyer.com/Articles/Detail/ArticleId/243/The-New-Piano-Market-Today-Staff-Picks

Classical / Perennial Favorites – This is essentially what is popular.

Musical Standouts – Amongst
connoisseurs and aficionados what is considered musically sublime.

Good Value – Best bang per buck

Most people respond that musical standout status of these three categories is the most important and this is precisely what I would like to bring your attention to. But before I point this out, it is important to know that size matters in pianos. The longer a grand piano is the larger the soundboard is, which is the speaker in the piano, and the longer the strings become. String length and soundboard size determine decibel production or overall volume. Therefore, smaller pianos are more difficult to make musical. While larger pianos are easier to make musical.

Scroll down and look at baby grand pianos between 4’10” – 5’4”. Is Yamaha or even Steinway present as a “musical standout”? They are not! Ritmüller is! Fine writes, “Amazingly good performance from such a small piano”. He also naturally checks the boxed under “good value” for this piano.

If one wants a “musical standout” from Yamaha one would have to spend $57,000 for a 6’7″ semi concert grand.

At least this is less than the nearly $90,000 Steinway O, which measures5’10.5”

Ritmuller somehow finds a way to make an inherently nonmusical size piano a “musical standout.”

This NEW Ritmüller baby grand in Winter White has a list price of $19,195.  It is being offered for sale at just $16,900 only at Dave’s Piano Showroom of Tampa Bay!

The sale includes:

* Tuning

* Prep work

* One tuning

* 10 year Ritmüller warranty

* Matching bench

The post 2023 Ritmüller Baby Grand – Winter White Edition – $16,900 appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

1. Vinyl records collection: The serious record collectors are aiding this renewed drive for the vinyl records. There is a thrill in finding a rare LP in a cardboard box inside a small record store and being able to make a valuable addition to your collection of records at home. Around 40% of the vinyl record buyers are of the age of close to 40 years. This means collecting records is an established pastime for many people that grew up with vinyl records to re-connect with their youth.

2. Quality listening experience: The way people listen to music has changed significantly thanks mainly to the massive popularity of streaming music. The computer speakers and earbuds have come to dominate but it is heartening to see the vinyl record lovers still spending time and money despite the high-tech set-ups in the home. Although the traditional experience consists of having a good turntable, stereo receiver, and a set of nice speakers, it is also about sitting down and listening carefully. It is in contrast to playing streaming music in the background while at work.

3. Better sound quality: A lot of experts feel that the old school vinyl records with analog audio provide a better sound than the digital audio. This is particularly observed in the case of CD formats utilized by the different streaming agencies. However, it is a fact that there are higher-quality playback formats available such as FLAC. However, you will need to pay more for them and they are difficult to locate. The vinyl records on the other hand are easily available online and at the local stores.

4. Tangibles: Although the subscripted streaming service proves almost uninterrupted access and convenience there is one shortcoming to it and that is ownership. You do not own the piece of music when you are playing the digital files via an app. The vinyl records on the other hand are physical items that may be collected, held in your hands, and purchased in person. You may also discuss it endlessly with fellow music lovers and record store clerks. These records also come with other tangibles such as liner notes and album artwork.

As you can see there are several good reasons why you should collect the vinyl records. Many people from all generations are looking to have a renewed outlook on the past, present, and future of music. Many people are looking at vinyl record collection as a cool and trendy effort. There are good reasons to learn to play the piano as well if you are a music lover. If you are looking to buy a piano in the Tampa, FL area make this purchase from Dave’s Piano Showroom. You can visit them for a preview today.

Picture Credit: Unsplash

The post Reasons For The Revival Of Vinyl Records appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

1. Actually practice: Most children and adults these days lead busy lives and so it is easy to make the mistake of not paying sufficient attention to practice. Sometimes you make piano practice a second priority than compared to other commitments. Everyone goes through a period where they struggle to find time for practice. But if you start to enjoy playing piano this practice can be something you will look forward to. Try to provide a certain time every day for the practice and make it a part of the daily routine.

2. Set up the piano in a place where it is easily visible: You should not set up the piano keyboard in a backroom you rarely visit. Or worse, some people may place the keyboard in a cupboard with the intention of using it for practice sometime. It is not an encouragement to piano practice. Rather place the piano keyboard in a prominent position such as the dining room or living room where it can be easily accessible and just the sight of the piano will act as a reminder for the practice session.

3. Do not practice what you already know: It might be enjoyable to play the songs you already know or have learned but are you learning anything new this way? Most students are excited when they feel that they have made progress in their efforts to learn playing the piano. This results in them playing the chords they have learned instead of making an effort to learn new things. In most cases, this is followed by discouragement and boredom. Try to learn new things in all practice sessions by keeping things interesting.

4. Revise the pieces for a healthy repertoire: After having made the point above, it might surprise a few people to find out that several students after learning a piece are not inclined to practice it again. They rather try to move on to the next piece. It is the addiction to completing the levels and it may lead to a situation where these students are unable to play any pieces for family and friends as they are not through learning the current piece and they have forgotten what they have already learned. You need to maintain a balance here between learning new things and practicing what you have already learned.

5. Use correct fingers: All fingering you will ever need for playing the piano is printed on the music sheet and for a reason. Using correct fingers has many advantages and one of the significant ones is that it leads to the correct sequence of fingering for all pieces. Apart from mentally learning a song, it is also important to learn the physical shape of movements. If you are not consistent with the fingering you will be insecure while playing in front of others.

There are several ways you can take piano lessons from home, but if you are looking to move your piano to another place, get professional help in the Tampa, FL area from Dave’s Piano Moving that is a licensed company and will move the instrument safely into a new place.

Picture Credit: Unsplash

The post Tips For Practicing Playing Piano appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

1. Stress Relief: Studies have noted that playing the piano is responsible for improving mental health. People who play the piano have a tendency of lessening their depression and anxiety levels than compared to other non-musical treatments. Playing the piano for a few minutes each day can improve your self-esteem and make you feel more positive towards life. It will also decrease your blood pressure. Not surprisingly piano lessons and playing the instrument is a commonly used part of ADD.

2. Split Concentration: This is also known as divided attention and it is an integral portion of playing the piano. It helps in sharpening your concentration. You need to use both your hands for playing the piano, you must also read the music, listen to the notes you are making, and work on the pedals. It is a lot you have to do at the same time. Once you are accustomed to using split concentration while playing the piano you can find your multitasking skills improved while going about in the outside world.

3. It is relatively easy to play: Unlike some other musical instruments, the piano is simple to play. There is no pain and anxiety involved in learning to play the instrument. If you are new to playing guitar you will find the build-up of calluses on your fingers. If you are learning to play woodwind or brass instrument, you have to learn to use the facial muscles and lips for producing a sound. This can be painful at times and it dissuades enthusiastic students from lessons. For playing piano there is no such anxiety. All you need to do is sit and press the keys.

4. It is good for physical health: Regular piano lessons and playing it offers various physical and physiological benefits to the players. It sharpens your motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and improves dexterity. Music is also responsible for reducing your respiratory and heart rates, lower blood pressure, decrease cardiac complications, and raise immunity. Playing piano also strengthens your arm and hand muscles to make you stronger than an average person.

5. Improved performance at school: The grade school students who take up piano lessons have been observed to have better spatial and general cognitive development than students that do not take up to piano lessons. The students taking to piano classes scored a lot higher on standardized tests than those involved in other instrumental music. If you took music lessons as a child here is some good news. You are in a better position to retain information during the college lectures.

In an increasingly faster world, it is even more significant than ever to be able to concentrate. Playing the piano improves focus and it aids in all areas of life. Some university studies conducted in Georgia and Texas found significant benefits of instrumental music in the academic achievements in the field of science, math, and other arts.

Children that took piano lessons for two years or more were shown to retain 20% more vocabulary words than their peers. If you are looking to purchase a piano for your kids or for yourself in Tampa Bay area, get in touch with Dave’s Piano Showroom, which has the great selection of new and used pianos. Their moving division Dave’s Piano Moving can also help you with transporting your piano in or out of Tampa.

Picture Credit: Pixabay

The post Less Anxiety And Other Benefits Af Playing Piano appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

It’s actually fun!

This is a pretty obvious one, don’t you think?
Anyway, there’s one thing we’re sure about: playing the piano is equal to having a blast, no matter how good you’re at it.
Our recommendation is, to begin with learning the keys and start mastering one song – even you’re favorite – for a while. It will feel really great to hear it played by you, even if you manage to get just a few notes right.

It can reduce stress levels

Believe it or not, a structured piano practice session is one of the best ways of reducing both stress and anxiety.
Just hitting those keys and hearing music coming back from them will surely make you feel better, no matter how awful your day was.
Fun fact, some therapists actually recommend playing an instrument in order to let go of that daily stress and problems. So why not start with the piano?

Your eyes and hands will work better together

A study conducted by the American Music Conference revealed that playing an instrument can improve your hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, as well as concentration, memory, and attitude.
Let that sink in for a moment, especially if you always wanted to start playing the piano and never did it.

Technically speaking, this happens because you need to read music while also focusing on the keyboard and get used to the notes. And yes, it can be a pretty difficult process, as you need to concentrate a lot, but as you get used to this, your eyes and hands will work together flawlessly.

It helps to build confidence 

Learning to play an instrument is far from being easy. You need to put a lot of time, dedication and plenty of discipline into this, not to mention the hallenges that you will encounter. However, as you begin to overcome them, you will feel happier and happier.
Playing piano does this to you and it helps a lot.
In the end, you will learn that making mistakes doesn’t mean that you should quick, but take the best out of such experiences and continue!
Is the piano something you consider trying? Dave’s Piano Showroom can be the place where your adventure begins. No matter where you live or what brand of piano you want, you can always get the best deals. Not to mention that you can try one, in the two locations in Tampa Bay!

Picture Credit: Victoria_Borodinova

The post Yes, Playing The Piano Can Really Make You Happier appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

Children are all different. So this makes it hard to say if there is a perfect age to play piano when beginning. Some children learn to play as soon as they are three because they have an older sibling in the house that plays. Others will not start until they are twelve or thirteen because they become interested in music. Many children will start at the age of five or six.

Now, let’s talk about that three-year-old again. Can a three-year-old really be expected to play piano? If a three-year-old has an interest to play piano, there is nothing wrong with letting them explore the piano. But this should be done in the manner that they want to do it, without any set schedule. Should they be forced to play? Probably not. That may cause them to hate everything about the piano when they become older. And a child this age does not have a very long attention span, so paying towards coaching will most likely be pointless. The music teacher will spend a great deal of his or her time averting the youngster instead of teaching anything.

If you like the idea of your child being involved with music, and your youngster is too young to perform on the musical instrument, spend this time with them musically involved. Sing and dance with them. Listen to a variety of music. Send your kid to a music curriculum, such as Kindermusik. By building musical concepts, you can build a great, solid framework for your child’s love of music.

There are some requirements that should be met in order to see if a youngster is set to play piano. These include the following:

• Is the child able to arrange their fingers on five white keys that are adjacent to each other? This may not be possible for every five-year-old. A child’s hand must be big enough to be able to do this, or they will not be ready enough to play this musical instrument.
• Does the young person possess finger independence? Can they keep up all the fingers and move only the finger you ask them to?
• Does the young one have a passion to discover new things? Are they interested in songs? If you make your child take piano lesson, they will struggle with learning or try to rebel against it. If your child does act interested, and you do start lessons, but then they lose interest, you can take a rest for a while and then try starting back up again.

The best age that most parents have found to start piano lessons is around age six. This makes sense as this is the age when children are going to kindergarten and have adult direction at school. Their hands are flexible enough to move around on the keyboard too.

Once your child has started to play piano, you should consider purchasing a piano for your home to practice on. Consider purchasing from a trusted piano shop, such as Dave’s Piano Showroom.

Picture Credit: nightowl

The post At What Age Should You Play Piano And Start Lessons? appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.

Who Avett Ray Maness Is

Avett was born with optic nerve hypoplasian (ONH). This is a congenital disorder that leaves the optic nerve underdeveloped. Being blind has affected the way that Avett learns and interacts with the world around him. This is because when we who are visually able see something our body reacts in a way that a blind person’s body can’t react. For this reason, blind children need to get more stimulus by rocking back and forth or spinning in circles. Doing so helps them focus and balance.

His mother goes on to explain that for Avett this was the piano. In fact, as soon as he could reach the piano’s keys, he was a natural when it came to playing piano. He started by teaching himself how to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” when he was only 11-months-old. He’s also managed to teach himself how to play guitar and has an instructor who teaches him new techniques with both instruments.

Avett’s Take on the Situation

Avett says that he enjoys singing and playing piano because it makes those around him happy. This is why it doesn’t bother him to perform before crowds of thousands of people. He says he hopes that by doing so he’s inspiring others to be more accepting of disabled people. His mother says that when you interact with him, you’ll get to see the world in a new and different way.

When you’re ready to have your child start playing piano you’ll want to buy them a piano from Dave’s Piano Showroom. Many customers have done so and found themselves very happy with the piano their child is using. Your child and their musical future deserve to be next so contact them today.

Picture Credit: YouTube Avett Ray

The post 7-Year-Old Blind Child Teaches Himself to Play Piano Then Goes on to Mesmerize Crowds appeared first on Dave's Piano Showroom.