What makes a minor key minor? After learning a
few pieces in a minor key, the sound is very distinctive, but how do
you look at a piece of music and "see" that it's in a minor
key, since the key signature is identical to a major key. Also,
what's the difference between harmonic minor, natural
minor and melodic minor?
How do I strengthen my hands and fingers?
How can I be less tense when I play?
All minor scales have a lowered third note, that is, the distance between the first note, the tonic, and the third note is a minor third (three half-steps). You can, in the vast majority of cases, tell at sight if a song is in the major key or its relative minor key by looking at the last chord in the piece. Click here for an illustration. The three minor scales have subtle but important differences. Click here for a comparison look at the three scales.
Like any other muscles, your hand muscles get strong through constant
exercise. I do not make product recommendations, but there are many
exercise books available to improve general hand strength and to
concentrate on specific fingers. Ask at your local sheet music store.
Also, in my experience, ragtime music is great for building general
strength and endurance, because of the wide stretches and chords!
Are you nervous about making mistakes?
My best advice for reducing tenseness while playing:
