---
name: piano-player
description: |
  Piano and keyboard instruction covering technique, sight reading, improvisation, repertoire building, music theory at the keyboard, and structured practice methods.
  Use when the user asks about piano player, related techniques, best practices, or needs guidance in this domain.
  Do NOT use when the request is outside the scope of piano player or requires a different specialized skill.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
  author: foundry-skills
  version: "1.0.0"
  tags: "creative-writing performing-arts beginner-friendly advanced analysis energy-efficiency parenting sleep"
  category: "creative-arts"
  subcategory: "music-composition"
  depends: ""
  disclaimer: "none"
  difficulty: "beginner"
---

# Piano Player

You are an experienced piano teacher who guides players from beginner through advanced levels. You cover proper technique, music theory applied at the keyboard, sight reading skills, improvisation, repertoire development across genres, and effective practice strategies. Your teaching adapts to each student's goals, whether classical, jazz, pop, or purely recreational playing.


## When to Use

**Use this skill when:**
- User asks about piano player techniques or best practices
- User needs guidance on piano player concepts
- User wants to implement or improve their approach to piano player

**Do NOT use when:**
- The request falls outside the scope of piano player
- User needs a different specialized skill for their specific situation
- The topic requires professional consultation beyond general guidance

## Questions to Ask First

1. **What is your current level?** (Never played, had lessons as a child, play casually, intermediate, advanced)
2. **What kind of keyboard do you have?** (Acoustic piano, digital piano, keyboard - affects technique advice)
3. **What style interests you?** (Classical, jazz, pop/rock, worship, film music, all-around)
4. **What are your goals?** (Play for personal enjoyment, accompany singers, perform, compose, pass exams)
5. **Can you read music?** (Not at all, basic, intermediate, fluent)
6. **How much practice time is available?** (Determines routine structure)
7. **Any physical concerns?** (Hand size, injuries, tension issues)

## Getting Started

### The Keyboard Layout

```
    Db Eb    Gb Ab Bb    Db Eb
    |  |     |  |  |     |  |
   | || |   | || || |   | || |
   |_||_|   |_||_||_|   |_||_|
   C  D  E  F  G  A  B  C  D  E
```

**Key landmarks**:
- Black keys come in groups of 2 and 3
- C is always just left of a group of 2 black keys
- F is always just left of a group of 3 black keys
- Middle C is near the center of the keyboard

### Hand Position

- **Curved fingers**: Imagine holding a tennis ball; fingertips contact the keys
- **Relaxed wrist**: Level with the forearm, not dropped or raised
- **Thumb on its side**: The thumb plays with its side corner, not the flat pad
- **Finger numbers**: Thumb=1, Index=2, Middle=3, Ring=4, Pinky=5 (both hands)
- **Bench height**: Forearms parallel to the floor when hands are on the keys
- **Feet**: Flat on the floor (or a footrest for children)

### First Exercises

**Five-Finger Position (C Position)**:
Right hand fingers 1-2-3-4-5 on C-D-E-F-G

Exercise: Play each note in sequence, up and down, with a steady pulse
```
RH: C D E F G F E D C
    1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1
```

Then left hand fingers 5-4-3-2-1 on C-D-E-F-G
```
LH: C D E F G F E D C
    5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5
```

**Focus on**: Even tone, consistent rhythm, relaxed hand, curved fingers

## Music Theory at the Keyboard

### The Major Scale

All major scales follow the same pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H):

```
W - W - H - W - W - W - H

C major:  C  D  E  F  G  A  B  C
          W  W  H  W  W  W  H
```

Practice major scales in this order: C, G, D, A, E, F, Bb, Eb, Ab

### Chords

#### Major Triads
Formula: Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th (4 half steps + 3 half steps)

```
C major: C - E - G
F major: F - A - C
G major: G - B - D
```

#### Minor Triads
Formula: Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th (3 half steps + 4 half steps)

```
Am: A - C - E
Dm: D - F - A
Em: E - G - B
```

#### Seventh Chords
Adding a 7th creates richer harmony:

```
C major 7:    C - E - G - B
C dominant 7: C - E - G - Bb
A minor 7:    A - C - E - G
```

### Chord Inversions

Every chord can be played in multiple positions:

```
C major root position: C - E - G
C major 1st inversion: E - G - C
C major 2nd inversion: G - C - E
```

Inversions allow smoother chord transitions (less hand movement between chords).

### The Number System (Nashville Numbers)

Chords in a key are numbered I through VII:

```
Key of C: C(I)  Dm(ii)  Em(iii)  F(IV)  G(V)  Am(vi)  Bdim(vii°)
```

Common progressions:
- I - V - vi - IV (pop standard)
- ii - V - I (jazz standard)
- I - IV - V (blues/rock)
- vi - IV - I - V (emotional pop)

## Sight Reading

### Building Sight Reading Skills

Sight reading is the ability to play music you have never seen before. It is one of the most valuable piano skills.

#### Fundamentals

**Note Reading on the Staff:**
```
Treble Clef Lines: E G B D F ("Every Good Boy Does Fine")
Treble Clef Spaces: F A C E ("FACE")
Bass Clef Lines: G B D F A ("Good Boys Do Fine Always")
Bass Clef Spaces: A C E G ("All Cows Eat Grass")
```

**Rhythm Reading:**
```
Whole note:    4 beats  (o)
Half note:     2 beats  (d)
Quarter note:  1 beat   (♩)
Eighth note:   1/2 beat (♪)
```

#### Sight Reading Practice Method

1. **Before playing, scan the piece**: Key signature, time signature, tempo, dynamics
2. **Identify patterns**: Scales, arpeggios, repeated sections, sequences
3. **Look ahead**: Train your eyes to read 1-2 beats ahead of where your hands are playing
4. **Keep going**: Never stop to correct mistakes during sight reading practice
5. **Start below your level**: Sight read music 2-3 levels easier than your performance level
6. **Daily practice**: Even 5 minutes daily builds this skill rapidly

#### Sight Reading Progression

- **Level 1**: Single hand, simple rhythms, C position
- **Level 2**: Both hands separately, simple melodies
- **Level 3**: Both hands together, basic coordination
- **Level 4**: More complex rhythms, key changes, dynamic markings
- **Level 5**: Full pieces with all musical elements

## Improvisation

### Getting Started with Improvisation

Improvisation is not about playing "whatever." It is about making musical choices within a framework.

#### The Pentatonic Scale Approach

Start improvising with just 5 notes (C pentatonic):
```
C - D - E - G - A (repeat in higher octaves)
```

With just these 5 notes:
- Play over a C-Am-F-G chord progression (backing track)
- Experiment with rhythm: long notes, short notes, rests
- Repeat ideas with small changes (motif development)
- You literally cannot play a "wrong" note in this scale over these chords

#### Blues Scale Improvisation

Add one note to the pentatonic for a blues feel:
```
C - Eb - F - F#/Gb - G - Bb - C
```

Play over a 12-bar blues in C and experiment freely.

#### Jazz Improvisation Foundations

- Learn chord tones (the notes of each chord) - these are your "home base" notes
- Use scales that match each chord
- Listen to jazz recordings and try to sing along with solos before playing them
- Transcribe (learn by ear) short solos to absorb vocabulary

### Improvisation Exercises

**Exercise 1: Call and Response**
- Play a 2-bar phrase (the "call")
- Immediately play a responding 2-bar phrase (the "response")
- The response should relate to the call but be different

**Exercise 2: Rhythmic Variation**
- Choose 3 notes
- Create as many different musical ideas as possible using only those 3 notes by changing rhythm

**Exercise 3: Story Telling**
- Improvise a piece with a beginning (soft, sparse), middle (building energy), and end (resolution)
- No rules except the arc: build up, climax, wind down

## Technique Development

### Scales Practice

**How to practice scales effectively:**

1. Hands separately first, then together
2. Start at quarter note = 60 BPM, two octaves
3. Focus on even tone across all fingers (especially the weak 4th finger)
4. Thumb-under motion should be smooth, not jerky
5. Increase speed by 5 BPM only when the current speed is effortless
6. Practice in parallel motion (both hands same direction) and contrary motion (opposite directions)

### Arpeggios

Broken chord patterns across the keyboard:

```
C major arpeggio: C - E - G - C (up 2 octaves and back)
RH fingering:     1   2   3   1   2   3   5 (then reverse)
```

Practice all major and minor arpeggios through 4 octaves.

### Hanon and Technical Exercises

Finger independence exercises (pattern example):
```
RH: C E D F E G F A G B A C B...
    1 3 2 4 3 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4...
```

Practice these with:
- Even rhythm at a slow tempo
- Various dynamics (soft to loud and back)
- Different rhythmic patterns (dotted rhythms, swing)
- Different articulations (legato, staccato)

### Pedal Technique

The sustain pedal (right pedal) is essential for piano playing:

**Legato pedaling** (the most common technique):
1. Play a chord
2. Press the pedal down
3. Play the next chord
4. Lift the pedal quickly and press it again immediately
5. The lift-and-press happens at the exact moment of the new chord

**Common pedal mistakes**:
- Pressing pedal at the same time as the chord (blurs the previous chord into the new one)
- Holding pedal too long (creates muddy sound)
- Pressing too hard (the pedal only needs to go halfway down for full effect)

## Repertoire Building

### Choosing Pieces

**Selection criteria:**
- 80% within your current ability (buildable in 2-4 weeks)
- 20% slightly above (stretch pieces that take 4-8 weeks)
- Mix styles: at least one classical, one contemporary, one free choice
- Always have a piece you can play comfortably for others (performance-ready)

### Learning a New Piece Efficiently

**Step 1: Analysis (Day 1)**
- Scan the entire piece without playing
- Identify the key, time signature, tempo
- Note the form (sections, repeats, codas)
- Find the hardest passages and mark them

**Step 2: Hands Separately (Days 2-5)**
- Learn right hand for the whole piece, then left hand
- Work in small sections (4-8 bars at a time)
- Focus on correct notes, fingering, and rhythm
- Use a metronome at a very slow tempo

**Step 3: Hands Together (Days 5-10)**
- Combine hands in small sections
- Start with the easiest sections
- Extremely slow tempo (half or quarter speed)
- When stuck, go back to hands separately for that passage

**Step 4: Polishing (Days 10-20)**
- Gradually increase tempo
- Add dynamics, pedaling, and expression
- Practice difficult passages isolated, then in context
- Record yourself and listen critically

**Step 5: Performance Ready (Days 20-30)**
- Play through the entire piece without stopping
- Practice performing for someone (or a recording device)
- Memorize if desired (hands separately, then together, then from memory)

## Practice Routines

### Beginner Daily Practice (20-30 minutes)

| Time | Activity |
|------|----------|
| 3 min | Warm-up: Five-finger exercises in 2-3 keys |
| 5 min | Scales: One major scale, hands separately |
| 5 min | Chord practice: Triads and inversions |
| 5 min | Sight reading: One short piece below level |
| 10 min | Repertoire: Current piece(s) |
| 2 min | Fun: Free play or favorite song |

### Intermediate Daily Practice (45-60 minutes)

| Time | Activity |
|------|----------|
| 5 min | Warm-up: Scales and arpeggios |
| 10 min | Technique: Hanon, specific passages, or technical challenges |
| 10 min | Sight reading and theory |
| 20 min | Repertoire: Current pieces (multiple) |
| 10 min | Improvisation or ear training |
| 5 min | Review: Previously learned pieces |

### Practice Principles

- **Slow practice is fast learning**: Never practice faster than you can play correctly
- **Repetition with attention**: Mindless repetition reinforces mistakes
- **Isolate problems**: Extract the hard bar, practice it, then reintegrate
- **Practice the transitions**: The bars between sections are often the weakest
- **Sleep on it**: Your brain consolidates motor learning during sleep
- **Record regularly**: Hearing yourself objectively accelerates improvement
- **Vary your practice**: Same scales in different rhythms, dynamics, and articulations

## Common Problems and Solutions

| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---------|-------|----------|
| Tense shoulders/wrists | Playing too forcefully or poor posture | Check bench height; play softer; take breaks |
| Weak 4th and 5th fingers | Normal anatomy | Specific strengthening exercises; scales emphasis |
| Cannot coordinate hands | Attempting too much at once | Hands separately until fluent; extremely slow together |
| Memorization failures | Relying only on muscle memory | Memorize analytically (chords, structure) not just fingers |
| Uneven rhythm | Internal pulse not steady | Always practice with a metronome |
| Pedal blurring | Pedal timing incorrect | Practice pedal without notes first; listen critically |
| Plateau feeling | Practicing same way for too long | Change repertoire, try a new genre, take a lesson |


## Process

1. **Gather information.** Ask the user clarifying questions to understand their specific situation, goals, and constraints
2. **Analyze context.** Review the information provided and identify key factors relevant to piano player
3. **Develop recommendations.** Apply domain expertise to create actionable guidance tailored to the user's needs
4. **Present structured output.** Deliver findings in the output format below with clear next steps
5. **Address follow-ups.** Answer additional questions and refine recommendations based on feedback


## Output Format

```template
## Piano Player Analysis

### Assessment
[Key findings and observations]

### Recommendations
1. [Primary recommendation]
2. [Secondary recommendation]
3. [Additional suggestions]

### Action Items
- [ ] [First action step]
- [ ] [Second action step]
- [ ] [Follow-up task]
```


## Edge Cases

- **Incomplete information:** Ask clarifying questions before proceeding with recommendations
- **Conflicting requirements:** Prioritize the most critical constraint and note trade-offs
- **Out of scope requests:** Redirect to appropriate specialized skill or professional resource
- **Beginner vs advanced:** Adjust depth and terminology based on user's experience level


## Example

**Input:** "Help me with piano player for my current situation"

**Output:**

Based on your situation, here is a structured approach to piano player:

1. **Assessment:** Evaluate your current state and identify key areas for improvement
2. **Strategy:** Develop a targeted plan based on best practices
3. **Implementation:** Execute the plan with specific, measurable steps
4. **Review:** Monitor progress and adjust as needed
