The Playground

Written by: Page Stegner It is not as intimidating as one might think! 15-year-old level 3 Simply Music student Antoine ROCKED the house when he jammed for the first time with my band ‘the Smokin’ Rats’. […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Aug 8, 2023
• 12 bar blues, coaching, group music, learn piano to play in band, music, music for bands, page stegner, piano for band, play in a band, simply music, smokin rats, the playground, tutorial

Written by: Ray Nelson “I can’t count how many times over my teaching career I have heard students say this. There is such an interest out there to be able to play in a band […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Jul 11, 2023
• accompaniment, chords, coaching, how to play guitar, how to play piano, keyboard, music, music lessons, musical journey, musicians, piano in a band, play in a band, ray nelson, simply music, tutorial

Connection, Awareness & Practice If you’re not telling a story with your playing, not conveying an emotion, you might even say it’s not music at all. Last month Simply Music Senior Teacher Laurie Richards wrote […]

• Written by Laurie Richards on Jun 2, 2023
• coaching, Laurie Richards, music, musical communication, self expression, simply music

Long-time Simply Music Teacher and respected contributor to the music education community Laurie Richards is a believer in the communicative power of music, but only when we really think about just what it is that we […]

• Written by Laurie Richards on Apr 28, 2023
• coaching, Laurie Richards, music, musical communication, self expression, simply music

From their earliest lessons, Simply Music students know how fun and easy it is to get into real, authentic-sounding blues piano pieces.They also learn that there are lots of ways to vary and develop their […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Mar 3, 2021
• blues licks piano tutorial, blues piano licks tutorial, blues piano pieces, blues piano riffs, blues projects, coaching, how to play blues licks on piano, Laurie Richards, lessons, music, piano, piano tutorial, player, simply music, simply music method, the playground, tutorial

I think we all have fallen into the trap of setting new year’s resolutions that don’t last a week, especially when it comes to playing & practicing our instruments. I know I definitely have! I […]

• Written by Gretta Dunn on Jan 17, 2021
• accountability, beginnings, challenge, music, music education, new resolutions, new years, piano, simply music, songwriting, the playground

Intro: Music of the last hundred years would sound completely different without the Blues. You may have a certain picture in your mind when you think of blues music, but you may not realise how […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Oct 22, 2020
• Blues, music, music education, piano, Robert Relly, simply music, teach piano, the playground

For a machine, a piano can sometimes be almost like a living thing. It can seem to have behaviours that change with the seasons and the years and the places it lives. Like a family […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Jul 22, 2019
• gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, piano care, simply music, the playground, Vincent Tarin

Previously we’ve talked about the choice between digital or acoustic pianos, and, if you go acoustic, what kind of piano you might choose. If you’ve come this far, you might be ready for the next […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Apr 18, 2019
• Acoustic Piano, Buying a piano, gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, the playground, Vincent Tarin

In the first article in this series, we discussed the choice between digital and acoustic pianos. For those considering a digital piano, we included some advice, but as to the purchase of an acoustic piano, […]

• Written by Guest Contributor on Mar 6, 2019
• Acoustic Piano, Buying a piano, gordon harvey, music, music education, piano, simply music, the playground, Vincent Tarin