F!n3 arts?

Fine art refers to arts that are concerned with a limited number of VISUAL and PERFORMING ART FORMS, including painting, sculpture, dance, theatre, architecture and printmaking.
Then what about MUSIC?? YES!!! Music is a form of performing art, so it is part of fine arts too.
MUSIC, is an art form in which the medium is SOUND.
Common elements of music are PITCH (which governs Melody and Harmony) , RHYTHM (you know what is this), and DYNAMICS (this is the control in loudness or softness of the music).
The word 'PERFORMANCE' refers to one's physical expression of music.

Let's further into the KLAVIER ( this is in German, it means the PIANO )

I started playing the Piano as young as the age of 7 ( not very young hah? compared to my students there ). First, I was introduced to the Treble Clef.

Then, Bass Clef.

Then, slowly, when I'm in Grade 5, they introduced the Alto Clef & Tenor Clef to me.
The Alto Clef is used for the VIOLA.
The Tenor Clef, for the Bassoon, & other instruments.

Study carefully the Alto Clef & Tenor Clef.
They are different only because of the position on the stave.

However, the KLAVIER only uses The Treble & Bass Clefs.

Now, let's look at the parts of a Klavier.

How does a Klavier produce sound [music!!=)] ?
by striking steel strings with felt hammers.
The hammers immediately rebound allowing the strings to continue vibrating at their resonant frequency (this is physics!!). These vibrations are transmitted through a bridge ( not my friend, the one in Hawaii, Bridge!! haha) to a soundboard that amplifies them.

These are the steel strings, I'm sure you've seen these in the Grand Piano, if not, then in Tom & Jerry, haha!! When Tom chases Jerry=P

The keyboard :


The pedals :

Piano pedals, from left to right:

The Una Corda :
The words Una corda mean ONE string.
When you step on the una corda pedal, the whole keyboard shift to the right (a bit), so that the hammers hit only one of the three strings for each note. The effect is to soften the note as well as to change the tone.

The Sostenuto :
On many upright pianos, it is called the 'practice' or celeste pedal. This drops a piece of felt between the hammers and strings, greatly muting the sounds.

The Damper :
Since it is the most frequently used, it is placed as the rightmost pedal in the group. It lifts the dampers from all keys, sustaining all played notes, and altering the overall tone.


Types Of Klavier

Grand Piano

Upright Piano

Digital / Electric Piano


My story...
As I said, I started playing Klavier at 7. That time, I was called the beginner, then slowly moved on to Level 1 then Level 2.
One year later, Grade 1, then on & on until Grade 8. {there is no grade 9=)}
I need to learn both practical & theory. ( I lurv Practical but I hate theories )

When I'm in Grade 8, I was 17 years old, last year lah.
When you finished one Grade, you need to sit for exams, one for Practical & one for Theory, either internally or externally. Internal exam is conducted by the music school you go to, & the certificate is given out under the school's name. The exam fee is far far more cheaper than the exam fees for external exam.
External Practical exams are conducted by a foreign examiner from England, usually. They come to Malaysia 2 times a year, if I'm not mistaken. Because I sat for the exams mostly in Spring.
The fees are very expensive, imagine, my Grade 8 Practical exam fees were RM400+.
You go into a small room, play your exam pieces ( 3 songs ), then Aural exam (students will be asked questions, including listening, singing, & general knowledge in music), within 30 minutes, you're released. Woah, I always got tension when I sit for the exams, although the time is just so short. I always fall sick during exam period too. What a pity!!
This does not include the exam fees for Theory, Theory, it was RM300+.
The certificates are given under the British Board called
The Associated Board Of The Royal School Of Music (ABRSM).

The school fees & exam fees increased from one Grade to another.

Now, I'm planning to further into Diploma level for my Piano studies. It will take me at least one year to complete the course, then, exam AGAIN!!! Arghh!! For Diploma, I need to pay RM250 per month, there're only 4 hours lessons per month. Isn't it expensive? I hope, that next time when I work, I can be highly paid, or else, I CAN'T SURVIVE!!!!


The Klavier is my Major Instrument. My minor is Viola, pronounced as ("vee-oh-la") , it is also called the Alto too. In German, Bratsche.I started taking up Viola at the age of 15, my holiday course, then I continue till now. The paths are the same, from Grade 1 - Grade 8, I'm now only preparing for Grade 5, I can skip Grades because I had already passed my Grade 8 in another instrument. Don't need to do theory anymore for viola, yipppeee!!

Viola, is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the string family, between the Violin and the Cello. The casual observer may mistake the viola for the violin because of their similarity in size, closeness in pitch range (the viola is a perfect fifth below the violin), and identical playing position. However, the viola's timbre sets it apart: its rich, dark-toned sonority is more full-bodied than the violin's. The viola's mellow voice is frequently used for playing inner harmonies, and it does not enjoy the wide solo repertoire or fame of the violin. This instrument, is seldom played in solo, it often needs accompaniment by the piano or other instruments. However, it is a very important instrument in the Orchestra.

I've posted about my viola before.
Click on the link below to know more about my knowledge in viola.
VIOLA