The harpsichord played all at one volume level-no soft or loud. So when an instrument was invented that played both soft and loud it was appropriately named the “pianoforte” (which means “soft-loud”-later the name was shorted to just “piano”).

Most instruments are not solo instruments in the sense that they require an accompanianist, but not so with the piano. It can play alone as well as with combos, orchestras, or whatever. It’s unique sound qualities make it the first choice in musical instruments for millions of folks the world over.

Because of that fact, multitudes of people around the world have purchased pianos and continue to purchase pianos in hopes of mastering the “musical monster with 88 ivory teeth”. Some of the dominant manufacturers are Steinway, Yamaha, Baldwin, Kawaii, Bosendorfer and many others. Pianos come in various shapes and sizes, including:

Grand Pianos:

Parlor Grand. Size 4′5″ to 5′5″

Baby Grand. Size 5′0″ to 6′5″

Medium Studio Grand. Size 5′6″ to 6′5″

Semi-Concert Grand. Size 6′6″ to 8′0″.

Concert Grand. Most concert grands are 9′ in length

Upright Pianos:

Spinet. Size 35″ to 39″ tall.

Console. 40″ to 44″ tall.

Studio: 45″ to 47″ tall.

Professional. 48″ to 52″ tall.

Every since the invention of the piano, parents have signed their children up for piano lessons in hope they would become the next Mozart, or a least be able to entertain family and friends. But for every 100 kids that start piano lessons, probably less than 20% or so actually continue with the lessons long enough to play decently. Still, it is a good education in music, and certainly good for developing self-discipline and focus.

To really master piano playing, a beginning student must gradually learn many different disciplines and aspects of music including:

*Sight-reading sheet music (or the score of a classical piece);
*Fingering of scale passages and chord formations; *Keyboard chords, from major chords to minor chords to augmented chords to diminished chords to 7th chords and more;
*Music theory, including major scales, minor scales, whole-tone and chromatic scales, and the “church modes”, plus some specialty scales such as the Mediterranean scale, the blues scale, and so on;
*Key orientation including knowledge of the tonic note or tonic tone, triads, arpeggios, the concept of key (key of C, key of Eb, key of F#, etc.)
*Intervals including unisons, inversions, chords-both primary and secondary:
*Figured bass, chord symbols;
*Dynamics and dynamic markings such as sforzando, presto, largo, allegro, etc,
*Many other aspects including pedaling, body position, ear-training, music appreciation, a study of the great composers such as Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, etc., interpretation, arranging, and a host of related subjects in the harmony and music theory areas.

This often involves years of learning at home with a teacher ( sometimes supplemented by online music lessons) and numerous music books, chord charts, fingering diagrams and musical scores. Meanwhile the student learns to play songs and classical pieces galore that contribute to the warmth of the home and the enjoyment of the family.

And if the student fails to become another Brubeck or Garner, he or she has still benefited tremendously in terms of music education, appreciation, the ability to concentrate, and many other qualities that flow out of having taken piano lessons. Plus he or she has brought the sound of music into their parent’s home, and hopefully will continue with it when they form their own family.

Although today’s economy is in a slump and many people believe a recession is on the way, there is still a strong demand for music to brighten our mood. Of course, savvy buyers continue to look for great bargains when they purchase their pianos, which is where the new website, http://www.bobspianosforless.com comes in.

Online sites are increasing in popularity, since consumers are always looking for the best deal in today’s economy. Customers that visit this new site find low prices on grand, baby grand, upright and digital pianos from famous makers of quality instruments such as Steinway, Baldwin, Knabe, Bosendorfer, and Bechstein.  In addition to pianos, Bob’s Pianos also features organs by Hammond, Leslie and others. Electronic keyboard are available from top manufacturers including Casio, Ensoniq, Korg, Kurzweil, Roland and Yamaha, making this site an attractive one to those looking for a great deal.

Today many consumers are no longer willing to pay the high prices that high end pianos used to command, although discounted high end pianos still have quite a market. For this reason, many consumers are finding this new site to be an excellent place to purchase the piano they want for prices that truly are affordable, even in today’s economy.

In addition to pianos and organs, Bob’s Pianos also offers for piano and organ parts, piano rolls, and more. Bob’s Pianos for Less is a site that is specifically devoted to keyboard instruments, and it is partnered up with eBay to offer customers an easy way to find great deals.

To find out more about the excellent prices available for quality keyboards, visit http://www.bobspianosforless.com for more information.