Your trusted resource for piano inspiration, education, and reviews.
At Pianist's Compass, we're here to guide pianists of all levels - from beginners taking their first steps to experienced musicians seeking fresh insights.
Kawai’s CA501 digital piano is a step above the entry-level of the flagship Concert Artist series. At almost $1000 more than the cheaper CA401, it’s an expensive step. In this review, I’ll determine if the CA501 lives up to the Concert Artist name and is worth the extra investment.
The circle of fifths is like a Swiss army knife for music theory; this simple tool unlocks a world of musical knowledge. Despite its potential, the circle of fifths is often ignored or presumed to be some complex puzzle that’s more hassle than it’s worth. Fortunately, that...
Playing piano at any level is a lot of fun, and it’s usually fun for the people you share your musical gift and enthusiasm with, too. But, sometimes, you need a quiet space for your music, and sometimes, your audience (willing or not) needs some quiet time. The solution is some great...
As a beginner, jazz music often sounds like a different language, like the musicians have notes that the rest of us don’t. But it’s not as scary as it first seems; like other genres, we can play jazz music using common patterns and progressions.
There are jazz standards that every pianist should know for various reasons. In addition to being fantastic tunes, they each help you explore and understand different elements of music, such as rhythm, harmony, and melody. These tunes will teach you more than any theory book and provide enough...
Arranger keyboards are the solo performers’ best friend, replacing the need for a live band with advanced accompaniments, vast sound libraries, and even built-in vocal effects.
Major and minor chords are the backbone of western music. Understanding basic major and minor triads will set you on your way to playing hundreds of your favorite songs. In this article, I’ll discuss everything a beginner needs to know about major and minor chords (we’ll stick to basic...
Casio’s flagship Celviano series includes gorgeous digital pianos, but many are too expensive for the average student. The AP-S200 is Casio’s new entry-level model, bringing Celviano quality to a more affordable instrument for the first time.
The piano can be a little intimidating for beginners; with lots of keys that look the same, it might seem difficult to distinguish one note from another. But there are simple repeating patterns that help us make sense of it all, and I’m going to talk you through them.
I’m a massive fan of Kawai digital pianos, and the ES series has long been a great source of value for money. Kawai is stretching that value for money even further with the release of the ES60, the most affordable model so far. In this review, I’ll discuss whether or not the new ES60...
