Piano Facts

How can you describe a piano? Well, a piano is a stringed keyboard instrument which have strings inside that will be hit by soft hammers. The word piano is just a short term for its real name "pianoforte" which consists of two Latin words that means soft (piano) and loud (forte). The piano has a very vast span of loudness and softness which is one of the most significant characteristic of the piano.

There are four important basic parts of the piano which includes the action. It is the mechanism which allows the strings to quiver. In this instrument, this can be done with the hammer action of the piano.  The second one is the frame. The frame is usually made from iron or other kind of steel which can resist the great tugging exertion of the piano's strings. The third one is the soundboard which is made up of wood being placed into the frame. Last but not the least the strings (basically steel wires ) which are being extended above the soundboard and securely attached to the frame. These are all joined into a wooden container.

The common total number of keys is 88 which are also made out of wood. The white keys are being coated with ivory while the black ones are covered with ebony. But nowadays, plastic has been a replacement for ebony and ivory because it is cheaper.

Did you know that the room temperature and humidity can influence the tuning of the piano. This is why you should never put it near any heating device and even under the heat of the sun. The piano should also be tuned regularly every time the season starts to change, this is a common method for places who have enormous change in their temperature and humidity.
Here is an example of a piece played through a piano which is accompanied by a Cello:

2 Greatest Christmas songs

Every holiday season, in the mall as you buy for your gifts, on the radio as you drive through a Christmas Party and even during family gatherings, we can hear those familiar Christmas songs being played and we don't get bored hearing them every year. Also yearly, there are a lot Christmas songs trying to nail themselves into the hearts of the people. However only few ones made it like the "All I want for Christmas is You". Most of the other songs are classics and caroling songs. Here are the most popular Christmas lyrics through they years and interesting facts about them. 

White Christmas

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white"

It is so popular around the it's not just the number one Christmas song but the number one selling song of all-time. This song is originally written by Irving Berlin and there were a lot of covers that followed like of Bob Barley, Bette Midler, Kenny Rogers and even the famous superstar Taylor Swift. Even though it is just a 3-stanza song, the melody and the harmonious rhythm represents well  the spirit of Christmas.  

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight"

Tears fell down to the audience when Judy Garland sang this heart-filling song to Margaret O'Brien. The song was published and released to the public in the year of 1943. This is known to be one of the most heartbroken Christmas song of all time. Many artiss like Christina Aguilera, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande and Michael Buble made renditions of this famous song. 

Studying with Music

Almost everyone has listened to music whilst doing homework or studying, right? But have you ever wondered what music is the best ‘study music’?  Studies have shown that some music can not only focus and relax your mind, but also improve your concentration and give you short-term mind-boosting effects! 

Classical music, and in particular, baroque classical music, is well-known for relaxing the mind and body. Composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, and Telemann are the most popular when it comes to soothing and peaceful music. Recent studies revealed that baroque classical music lowered the stress and enhanced the concentration across all age groups, including young children.

The ‘Mozart effect’ is another popular study tool used worldwide. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, perhaps the greatest classical composer of all time, remains one of the most listened to composers of this modern era. The ‘Mozart effect’ refers to the short-term improvement of tasks performed by a listener of Mozart’s music. Such improvements include deeper concentration, lower stress levels, and improved creativity. A common belief of the Mozart effect suggests that “listening to Mozart makes you smarter”, and that an early childhood exposure to classical music has a positive impact on their mental development.

Classical music isn’t the only way to calm your mind, however. Genres such as smooth jazz, country, and even techno, can relax your body and help your focus. Researchers believe that the best music for studying is at a slow tempo, usually under 60 beats per minute. 

Other ‘study music’ include ambient sounds or pulses. This music is designed to keep your brain engaged and alert on a subconscious level. The sounds of rain, waterfalls, wind, or waves crashing against a beach, might be just what you need when studying for that upcoming exam!

Here is an example of a classical music for study period.