As technology makes sheet music increasingly accessible, becoming a real piano allrounder is just one click away. Start playing now with the sheet music platform OKTAV.
What do Lady Gaga, Elton John and Alicia Keys have in common? Apart from being famous for their music all of them are ridiculously good at the piano. They instantly mesmerize their audience when hitting the keys. And besides their own big pop songs they could easily play a decent bit of Chopin or improvise some very cool jazz. So: How do they do it?
Practice is just one half of the equation. You can become an allrounder on the piano by exposing yourself to the music out there. Master the swing of a samba and the beat of a tango, the heaving bass of a rock song or the lyrical swell of a musical theater-style ballad. Enter the OKTAV platform.
With access to thousands of piano arrangements, plus recommendations based on your skill and taste, OKTAV helps you find more musical joy – whatever kind of music makes you happy.
The most appealing aspect of OKTAV is the wide range of repertoire on offer, from the core classical canon to songs from the shows, pop music, film scores, jazz and contemporary “crossover” repertoire.
Frances Wilson – Crosseyedpianist
Here’s How You Become An Allrounder With OKTAV
Mastering the piano doesn’t come naturally. Or have you ever met one of those pianists who can play any song you name in any key standing up at the piano while carrying on a conversation with you about how they have done it all with classical music training only? Probably no. But most likely you can’t help thinking, “what a show off!” while at the same time begrudgingly admiring their talent.
Be assured: Everyone is able to become a piano allrounder (maybe without standing up at the piano) – if you manage to bring more variety into your musical practice – starting today.
1. It’s Tailored To Music You Like
OKTAV makes it your choice what you’d like to play. By selecting all of your favorite genres you put smart algorithms to work which present song and artist recommendations tailored to your needs. By diving into a collection of more than 20,000 arrangements explicitly for piano you’ll experience curated music discovery on a whole new level.
2. You Get What’s Right For Your Level
Making music is only fun when you play songs that challenge you but still are somewhat in the range of what you are capable of. This means your favourite songs shouldn’t be too easy or too hard. On OKTAV you’ll only get recommendations for your skill level.
Without any clutter left you can focus on the pure joy of playing songs you love based on sheet music that suits your skill level.
3. Join A Growing Community
OKTAV has a growing community of thousands of like-minded piano players. They come from all over the world ranging from moms and dads in the UK who return to the piano after taking lessons in their childhood, students getting started in Germany to teachers in the US. All of them have one thing in common: Endless curiosity to explore the best in music and find real joy in playing the piano.
4. Discover New Sheet Music Every Day
There’s a dedicated team behind OKTAV constantly selecting and providing new sheet music for you. It’s real people who are at the core of this sheet music platform – making this a joyful experience.
Our team comes from all walks of life sharing a passion for music. We curate playlists, hand-select Editor’s Picks, and constantly bring in new music for all genres and levels. So every time you log into OKTAV you’ll discover something new. And this eventually leads to you becoming the allrounder on the piano you want to be. And if you ever have the feeling that something is missing you can reach out to us with a guaranteed reply.
5. Expose Yourself To Music
You can’t possibly play a style of music you’ve never heard in your life! Exposure is a key element of becoming an allrounder.
If your parents always had the radio on the same station throughout your childhood, and never took you to a concert, you’re only going to know the kind of music that radio station played. But if your family were always switching the stations on the radio, bringing in different records, going to a variety of different concerts and shows, you’re going to have a much broader appreciation of music.
It’s the same when you practice and play the piano. If you want to expand your styles on the piano you have to play and listen them!
Every sheet music arrangement has curated audio and video samples. Most of the time including original performances and cover versions to give you a real sense of what a tune is about. Certain collections even include music you can play-along to with the sheet music provided – like Bella Ciao:
Don’t Forget Your Knowledge Of Music Theory
One thing is basic to whatever style of piano you play: knowing chords, keys and their relationship to one another. To become an allrounder on the piano like this requires a fundamental knowledge of music theory. It’s never too late to study music theory, and it’s quite a fascinating subject. If you’re learning the piano, you will absorb some music theory anyway – just take it a few steps further. It will make all styles of piano playing easier to grasp.
The Benefits Of Being An Allrounder
Mastering any instrument will bring you musical joy. This is magical as any musician can tell. Learning the piano is hard enough, so why not enjoy yourself with music you truly love. The biggest benefit of being an allrounder is simply that you can play it all. Depending on your mood you can easily switch between genres and styles which is exciting.
To become an all-rounder requires putting aside absolutely all music snobbery. A student of piano at a music university following a strict classical trajectory might become a very high-level expert in classical repertoire. They can perform pieces by the most renowned composers to absolute perfection, but they might not be able to play a simple pop song by ear. It’s very likely they wouldn’t want to either. The danger for them is becoming such an expert at one type of music that they exclude all others. But to each his own. We do need these dedicated musicians too. They just aren’t very likely to become good allrounders.
If you would like to become a good allrounder on the piano the best thing you can do is get a basic understanding of keys, chords, music theory, listen to the widest range of music you possibly can – and play it all. Fortunately, these days this is extremely easy to do, with everything being available on the internet.
Give OKTAV a try today and dive into a rich world of more than 20,000 arrangements available in all genres. It was built for piano players like you. Set sail and become the allrounder you always wanted to be! Try OKTAV Premium for free
