The most common usage for an augmented or diminished fifth is as part of a 7 chord. (Ex. C+7 = C, E, G#, Bb)

There is nothing wrong with playing Boogie Woogie, contrary to what Shemp of the Three Stooges may have said. Not only is it fun, it can really strengthen your left hand and arm.

You can get some interesting sounds when accompanying by moving a chord up and down, using the scale notes of the chord change you are playing in. For example, of you are in C for a bar, you could play one of these on each beat - Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7

Playing a jazz blues? Need a good, easy voicing for your right hand that will make even a beginner sound hip? Ok, in the key of C, use thumb on Bb, index or middle finger on E, pinky on A. Transpose to whatever key/ chord you need. Sounds too cool. That's a $100 tip and you just got it for free!

Trumpet player Clark Terry advocates learning improvisation through learning short motives and building from there.

So many beginning jazz improvisers have decent note choices but very poor rhythm. Sometimes, Clark Terry is known to play an entire blues chorus or more on one single pitch. He'll just play different rhythms with it. That's a great way to experiment with rhythm when soloing and really concentrate on it.

Pianist and composer Horace Silver puts learning improvisation very simply - learn the scales and chords and apply them to your instrument.

Pianist and saxophonist Jamey Abersold has the most commercially successful jazz improvisation method to date and even offers some free materials. His play-along CDs can be a lot of fun. They are typically just piano, bass, and drums. Piano is isolated in one channel and bass in the other so that you can turn the piano off to be the accompanist if you like. I've even performed live with his tapes as accompaniment before!

One place many beginning piano improvisers can improve is in their phrasing. It can be tempting to simply fill the solo chorus with notes. Listen to wind instruments and singers like Ella Fitzgerald who improvise. They have to phrase since they have to breathe!

If you are needing to transcribe or write some sheet music, most people find that Sibelius is a bit more user-friendly than Finale, although Finale is the publishing industry standard. Both have limited free versions that are good for basic notation, though. Or alternatively, make some staff paper (there are free online staff paper generators) and pick up a pencil!

You'll hear it time and time again, and for most people it does ring true - spice up your practice time to keep it interesting. Play some to learn, play some for fun. Pull out a piece you've already done just to play. Sightread something just to read it. Improvise or compose!

It is helpful to many musicians to move some part of their body to keep the beat. The most obvious candidate for a pianist is the left foot or toes.

Having trouble with the rhythm of a section of music? Try simply clapping it first. Get it drilled into your muscle memory and then you can add the notes. And remember, you can clap the rhythm of only one hand's part (ex. left hand staff) to simplify things when beginning!

Another way to learn the rhythm faster is to play the rhythm of one hand's part one one pitch. For example, you could play the rhythm of your right hand part with your middle finger of your right hand on middle C, repeating the C over and over.

Remember tempo markings as you practice and perform. Even if you are practicing at a slow speed, you'll know what you are shooting for.

Learning Italian expression markings will serve you well. You will run into many of them over and over, such as Adagio, Diminuendo, and Con Forza.

Some pianists and other musicians as well find it useful to use some physical system to keep track of how many times in a row you have played a passage correctly. You could make tally marks on a paper, move index cards from one stack to another, move coins or poker chips across (although these may scratch a piano), or use an abacus. That way, you'll be sure to know when you've reached your goal.

Creating a mood and telling a story are important parts of performing. Many composers will tell you how to accomplish this in varying degrees through their expression marks throughout the piece. For example, they may tell you what volume, speed, articulation, or style to play with.

In order to gauge if you are really telling the story or painting the picture you want to, you may try something: ask some family or friends listen to you play a piece and have them write down what moods, images, feelings, and/ or thoughts it evokes. This can clue you in on how to direct your playing.

You'll find that as you learn, practice, and explore the world of music that one skill will lead to and strengthen another. Your talents start to have a synergy that works together.

Playing at least some amount of modern music is a good idea as it helps you become a more well-rounded pianist and a more well-rounded musician. You don't have to focus on it, but playing in multiple styles strengthens your abilities. Even Ella Fitzgerald sang a classical riff now and then!

In playing modern music, you will find uses of polytonality. This means playing in two distinct keys at the same time.

Polychords are a cousin of polytonality. You will find them in music from the late impressionist period forward. A common example would be a C chord in the left hand and a D chord in the right hand.

Passing chords have been used since the Romantic Era of "classical" music. They are simply a chord that lies in between a beginning chord and en ending chord you arrive at. It is de-emphasized.

One modern use of passing chords in jazz, blues, and popular music, is to play a chord one half step away from the one you will arrive at. Sometimes, blues artists such as Little Jimmy King or Eric Clapton will increase this to a whole step.

Every interesting story must build some tension. Are you creating musical tension in your performance (not bodily tension). In classical music, you can do this by changing tempo, playing rubato in a section, gradually increasing OR decreasing your volume, changing your attack, use of pedal, and a number of other ways. Much of this will be directed by expression marks on the page.

In jazz or an improvasitory music, the number of ways to create tension are limitless. Some ways are through introducing dissonance, losing a strict meter, using a more harsh or hollow tone, accented articulation, loss of melodic content, suspended chords and tones, playing extreme pitches, either low or high, or straying from the form of the song.

In gospel music, as well as older styles of blues, it is common to "walk up" in tenths in the left hand from the I chord when changing the the IV chord.

A really nice blues-styled gospel voicing of a dominant 7 chord for the right hand is 7, 9, 5. On a C7 chord, that would be Bb below middle C, D on top of middle C, and G above middle C.

Regarding the gospel chord above; a great way to get into or begin the chord is to play the same chord up a whole step to begin with (C, E, A)!

You'll hear a lot of talk and emphasis on playing slowly. And with good reason. However, my piano teacher once gave me a tip that seemed to give my playing a boost. Every now and then, have a little fun and push yourself by trying some tempos that you might normally think of as somewhat out of reach. You may be surprised at what you are able to do! It can help break through a plateau in your playing ability.

Think you know chords and chord symbols? Try conquering "Figured Bass". This is a way of notating chord progressions that was commonly used in the baroque era. It can give you a very granular view of baroque harmony. Best way to practice? Grab a book of J.S. Bach's Chorales.

If you play any type of popular music, it would behoove you to learn the form of the "12 bar blues" and it's main variations intimately. The form is used in hundreds of Popular and Jazz songs and in every true Blues song.

Want to hear some really "Out There" ways of playing (or not playing, in the case of "4:33")the piano? Try exploring John Cage in the classical world, or Kenny Clarke in the jazz world.

Trying to think of ways to motivate you or your child to experience the joy and growth of playing the piano? Ask yourself this - What motivates you (or them) in general? Achievement? Competition? Opportunity for relaxation? Recognition? Try to find ways to achieve these rewards through piano playing.

Be willing to be flexible in the amount of practice your child does on a daily basis if necessary. Just make sure they are practicing as much per week as they need to and that is is not overly concentrated in just 2 or 3 days.

Playing piano gives you a wonderful opportunity to make a recording for friends and family. It can be an mp3, a CD, or even a tape. And it can be just one song, or multiple songs.

If you do decide to make a recording for friends and family, you may find that you have all of the technology to do so by using your computer and free software available online. If not, consider purchasing an inexpensive, unpowered condenser microphone for your computer (they can even be very small). Other alternatives include using a handheld recorder or even the video function on your point-and-shoot camera!

Here's a creative way for children of all ages to keep track of practice time if needed; put two glass jars on the piano. Fill one with small, uniform items, such as pennies, beads, or paperclips. Transfer one to the empty jar for every 10 minutes of practice. Count them up at the end of your session to see how close you are to your weekly goal!

Physical rewards for playing piano, such as a treat, "tv time", money, etc., may be successful in the short term to spark interest, but they will be unsuccessful over time in cultivating the non-material rewards needed to stay involved in music over the long term.