If you’re still hedging about whether to purchase my ebook or not, here are two testimonials:

Mr. Yeoh’s book is delightful! I found the information straight forward and understandable. 12 easy lessons is just what it means!! Included are also bits of music Trivia and a dash of humor. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in beginning their journey to learn the piano. Looking forward to the next book!

LEARN TO PLAY THE PIANO IN 12 LESSONS is a must have ebook in any adult beginning musician’s library. If you don’t have it and are trying to learn to play the piano this is an excellent resource, I highly recommend it. I have my copy and I LOVE it.

Leisa Seals
Tucson, AZ
USA

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Yay! This book is wonderful! I’ve played piano since I was a kid, (not much at all in the last 20 years tho) but just seeing this and looking through the lessons, you’ve really captured the heart and soul of the instrument. This is a great primer, and will certainly give you a jump-start on formal lessons. It will also let you know if the piano is or isn’t the right instrument for you.

As for me… it’s inspired me to get back to the keyboard and brush up on my skills; but more importantly has reminded me of that instrument that I get so much joy from by playing.

Heather Cone
Dayton, OH
USA

If you look at my sidebar, you’ll see that my ebook is now only $16.99—a very affordable price. So don’t hesitate—order your copy now!

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The humble progress bar has certainly come a long way since the days of Windows 3.1. Here’s one I created using Fake Progress Bar (sorry you won’t be able to see the animation here)

Wikipedia defines a progress bar as

a component in a graphical user interface used to convey the progress of a task, such as a download or file transfer. Often, the graphic is accompanied by a textual representation of the progress in a percent format.

Here’s a simple progress bar in the current bright green Vista style. I personally like this little bit of eye-candy, which is much much better than the ugly one found in Avira’s AntiVir (the designers they employ must really be Windows 3.1 diehards. Even so, they’ve managed to make it even worse than 3.1’s progress bars.) If Avira could just change their progress bars to a more Vista-like appearance, I’d be sold.

I personally dislike the throbber created by Apple. It gives me the impression of a chicken running around with its head cut off. Fortunately, I’ve only seen it being used in fast-loading applets. This is guaranteed to give me a headache and moreover it doesn’t display the progress in percentage format.

If you believe you’ve spotted a cool looking progress bar in an app, please drop me a line or comment. Here’s to progress!

___________________________________________________________________________

If you’re looking for online games then check out diggygames.com. They’ve got games you can play online or you can download free games from their site. Free games certainly beat buying games for your Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii.

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Here in Malaysia the main provider of broadband to the masses is TM Net, which offers its Streamyx (or Screamyx, to its unhappy users) broadband packages to users like myself. I started off with the 512KBps package in 2004, and upgraded to the 1 MBps package shortly thereafter. Yes I know, this is what people in other countries call a “fast dialup.” To me it’s really like third-class broadband, but at least it’s broadband.

Streamyx’ service and speed have gone down the tubes since last year. Slow access to international websites is one of the most frequent complaints. The main problem is the monopoly TM Net holds over broadband in this country. From what I’ve read, other broadband service providers here have to piggy-back on TM Net’s network of cables and whatever in order to serve consumers. So that means they have to pass on these charges to us. That gives TM Net an edge in pricing and availability. And that sucks.

I’m sick of their fluctuating speeds. It’s normal one week, and then slow the next. They have mentioned time and again about rolling out high-speed broadband, but it’s always only talk. Our neighbor to the south aka Singapore has had high-speed broadband for ages, up to 10 MBps (visit the Singtel website and see for yourself). Singapore’s broadband penetration for consumers is a staggering 99.9%, whereas in Malaysia it’s around 21%. Read all about it here. Can’t blame people for not signing up if the service and speed is so bloody awful.

These people responsible need to be given several good kicks in their arses to improve the broadband service. I tell you, I’d ditch Streamyx without a thought if Singtel were able to offer their broadband services here.

Here endeth my rant.

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I’ve been using AntiVir for a long time, since version 8.X.X.XXX. I was using AVG 7.5 before that, but when AVG 8 came out, I found it hopelessly bloated and there were conflicts with a few other programs. Moreover, it wouldn’t install or uninstall properly. Needless to say, it was a pain in the tush. I’m so glad I switched to Avira AntiVir, which is faster, has a better detection rate, and I’ve never had trouble with updates and installs.

Let me get the cons out of the way first. Avira for me, has a very dated (and ugly) interface. Here’s the scanning window:

The main Control Center window doesn’t look much better either:

The worst thing is that these windows can’t be resized, they are fixed. You’d think that they would go for a more Vista-like interface with version 9.0.0.386 (just released) but no luck there.

Alright, now that I’ve got the cons out of the way, here are the pros of Avira AntiVir Personal:

• The program is easy to install and configure. If you have an older version installed, it will ask your permission to uninstall it, perform a reboot, and install the newer version.
• Scanning is pretty fast and again, configurable.
• Same for the updates, no problems here.
• Low system resource usage—about 20MB for my system (Pentium 4 with 3GB of RAM).
• Avira can be configured to resist tempering or termination by rogue programs. This provides an extra layer of security for the user.
• It’s free.

Oh yes, I almost forgot—after each update Avira puts up a nag screen, asking you to upgrade to the Premium or paid version. If you don’t want to see this screen (who does?) follow these steps to disable it. This applies to Vista Ultimate and the new Avira 9.0.0.386:

1. Start-> Run. Type secpol.msc to open the Local Security Policy window.
2. Click on Software Restriction Policy-> Additional Rules.
3. Right-click Additional Rules-> New path rule.
4. Click Browse and navigate to c:\Program files\Avira\Antivir Desktop and select avnotify.exe. Set the security level to Disallowed-> Apply-> OK. You won’t see the nag screen again during future updates.

Download Avira Antivir Personal 9.0.0.386 here.

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The above picture is that of master piano technician Ulrich Gerhartz. He trained at Steinway’s Hamburg factory and is now Steinway’s director of concert and artist services. He is the lifeline when it comes to tuning and maintaining the Steinway grand pianos used by the cream of classical pianists. His mobile has the numbers of every top piano player on the planet. Pianists he has worked with include Alfred Brendel, Lang Lang, Mitsuko Uchida, Evgeny Kissin, Imogen Cooper, Murray Perahia, Maria João Pires, Joanna MacGregor, Richard Goode, Nelson Goerner, Wayne Marshall and Barry Douglas. Not bad, I say.

I was intrigued while reading his interview in The Guardian (UK) website. Simply because not only is piano tuning an art, it’s a science. And a serious one at that. His job is to make the instrument be in as tip-top condition as possible, so that when a maestro plays on it, it feels like music from heaven. Just have a read from these interview excerpts:

With one hand, Gerhartz has isolated a particular hammer. With the other, he is brushing a clear liquid on to its green felt coating. "There was one note here, an F sharp, that wasn’t bright enough," he says. "So I used a mixture of collodium and ether to bring the note out. You apply it right on the nose of the hammer and it stretches the felt, so it makes it slightly harder and gives it a bit more tension." This gives the note more attack and brightness – but the process is not yet finished. From his array of little instruments balanced on the strip of wood above the keyboard, Gerhartz chooses a small screwdriver-shaped device, attached to what looks like a hypodermic dart, and starts pricking the felt of the F sharp hammer nose once, twice, several times.

And another:

Preparing a concert grand for performance is quite a task. Every note has to pull its weight, every hammer, every string, every key. This is why, when Gerhartz gets under the bonnet of a piano, he might not come up for air for an hour and a half. There is regulating, voicing and balancing between bass and treble to do. His fingers trickle neurotically up and down the keyboard playing chromatic scales. Anyone else would be doing this to hone technique. But Gerhartz is hunting for bum notes. When he finds something, he takes a stick of chalk – which has its own smart golden holder – and deftly marks the wood above the offending key.

I was very impressed because Gerhartz was surprisingly nonchalant about sharing some of his secrets in this interview. And also the fact that the piano is probably one of the most complicated musical instruments ever invented. Many people think that just because it sounds when played, then “it’s alright.” This is utter bollocks. OK, I’m no Brendel, or Ashkenazy, or Elton John. But when I play on a wretched piano, it’s absolutely hell on earth for me. Which is why digital pianos like the Yamaha Clavinovas are a godsend (yes, I embrace technology with open arms). I can’t afford to own a Yamaha CFSIII or Steinway Model D (about £100,000) but with the sampled concert grand sound in my Clavinova, I can close my eyes and pretend that I’m playing on one.

Listen to this wonderful conversation

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

where Gerhartz talks to Classic FM’s Bob Jones about his 23 years of experience preparing pianos for some of the world’s greatest performers.

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Wikipedia defines a metronome as

…any device that produces a regulated aural, visual or tactile pulse to establish a steady tempo in the performance of music. It is a useful practice tool for musicians that dates back to the early 19th century. The mechanical metronome was invented by Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel in Amsterdam in 1812. Johann Mälzel copied several of Winkel’s construction ideas and received the patent for the portable metronome in 1816. Ludwig van Beethoven was the first notable composer to indicate specific metronome markings in his music, in 1817.

Musicians use the metronome during practicing in order to attain a constant tempo (or speed). Tempo is measured in beats per minute, or BPM. Metronomes can be set to any tempo the performer chooses, usually between 40 to 208 BPM. Mechanical metronomes have been around the longest, but they do have some shortcomings:

1. They aren’t particularly accurate at the extreme ends of slow and fast tempos, due to their mechanical makeup.
2. They need the performer to periodically wind it up, just like a mechanical clock.
3. They are sensitive to extremes of temperature, and also to humidity.
4. For some strange reason, even if you take very good care of it, mechanical metronomes just fail to tick properly after some time. In other words, the ticking becomes uneven and inaccurate.

I’ve owned a couple of mechanical metronomes before, a long time ago. When electronic metronomes saw the light of day, I was one of the first to acquire one, a Wittner Taktell, which was powered by a 9V battery and had a flashing red light. Then later on, in 2000 I think, I happened to see the Korg KDM-1 at a music store here, and it impressed me with its loud sound (students sometimes complained to me that they couldn’t hear the Taktell’s sound over their own playing). Moreover, the KDM-1 had its own volume control, which was a definite plus. It also had an earphone jack, though I wouldn’t recommend you use it for blasting the ticking sound directly into your eardrums. It could last about 70 hours, powered by only a 9V battery.

When Korg announced the successor to the KDM-1, known simply as the KDM-2, I was ecstatic. It was like a KDM-1 on steroids, being just slightly wider and 40 grams heavier. Here’s the plethora of features it possesses (taken from the Korg website):

• Korg’s original, cylindrical resonator speaker provides powerful sound, now with even more volume and improved tone.
• An LED provides visual confirmation of the tempo, a convenient feature for practicing with the metronome muted.
• Newly added beat variations range from basic to sophisticated rhythms like son clave and rumba clave
• A total of 19 beat patterns cover your practicing needs in numerous musical styles.
• Tap Tempo function makes it easy to set the tempo.
• An audible Reference tone in a range of C4 to B4 is available, allowing you to tune your instrument.
• An encoder-type TEMPO/CALIB dial and switch provide direct access to the desired setting or function.
• A large LCD screen makes settings easy to see.
• Original and compact style.
• Long battery life, with approximately 120 hours of continuous use.

The KDM-1 had served me well for quite a few years without any trouble, so I sold it off to a student of mine and bought the KDM-2, which was a steal at $35 USD. This concludes my metronome odyssey. Needless to say, I await the KDM-3 with baited breath! 

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Eagle-eyed readers of my blog would have noticed the shameless promo of my ebook in the sidebar (You don’t see it? Take another look—now) That’s the advantage of having a blog, isn’t it; I can do whatever I want. Anyway, back to the topic…

We’ve all been affected by the global economic crisis (aka recession) in one way or another (unless you’re Bill Gates, or Donald Trump, or…I digress). Of course we can look at it with a dismal attitude, but what I’ve noticed in the adverts in the newspapers especially, is that there have been lots of bargains galore springing up all over the place—a good by-product of these uncertain times, yes? Likewise with my ebook. I’m making it even more affordable to own a copy of Learn to Play the Piano in 12 Lessons, by slashing the price to a ridiculous $16.99. That’s more than 30% off the normal price of $24.99! So now my ebook is only €13, or £12, or $26 Australian Dollars, or RM63, etc.

If you’re thinking you don’t have what it takes to learn the piano by yourself, download my free ebook, 10 Myths about learning the Piano.

And here are the FAQ’s from my website, reproduced here for your reading convenience:

What prompted you to write this eBook?

The one thing that triggered this was that my perception of the world had changed. There are so many things you can learn on your own nowadays. For instance, you can learn how to cook Italian food, how to troubleshoot and repair a computer, learn a language—the list goes on and on. So why not add learning to play the piano to this list? Of course, there are still some things that you can’t and shouldn’t learn on your own. I hope no one’s going to come up with a book called "Learn how to fly a plane (by yourself) in 12 lessons."

Who are you aiming this eBook for?

Anyone from 15 to 92. I wrote this eBook for the complete novice, and for people who lead busy lives but still wanted to learn the piano on their own. This eBook is also for people who have a piano stashed somewhere in their home, with nobody playing on it. Why not be the first one to do so?

Do I actually need to have a piano before starting your eBook?

Not really (don’t be surprised). If you have access to a piano, fine. If not, consider acquiring a portable keyboard. Nowadays, many manufacturers make pretty reliable portables with a good piano sound. You won’t go wrong with companies like Yamaha, Roland, Kawai, Korg, etc. An added advantage of portables is that they always stay in tune!

Can I really learn the piano without a teacher?

Yes, you can! But as I’ve stated in my eBook, don’t presume that you’ll turn into a modern-day Mozart after going through my eBook. You won’t. My eBook is a primer, if you will, to whet your interest and to get you started on the road to becoming a good pianist. This takes time, practice, and patience.

Wouldn’t I benefit from a teacher?

Yes, you would. But remember, there are many people who lead busy and hectic lives. Sometimes school, work and/or family have to take priority and sadly, piano lessons don’t seem to be high-priority anymore. That’s why I came up with the idea for this eBook.

What benefits would I gain after going through your eBook?

Several. One: you’ll see how easy and enjoyable it is to learn the piano, even on your own. Two: your family and friends will be amazed when they hear you playing out simple and popular tunes after a while, not only from my eBook, but from the thousands of books available. Last but not least: being able to play the piano is one of the best GIFTS that you can give yourself. Nevertheless, you should spend some time each day nurturing this gift; if you do that, this will be a very enjoyable hobby for you and it will bring pleasure to you and your loved ones for many years to come.

Where do I go after completing your eBook?

I’m planning a second eBook, which will continue where the first one left off. Of course, it takes time to plan, write, test, etc. So the second eBook will probably be out sometime in 2009. If you’d like to be notified, please fill in the Contact Me form and subscribe to my newsletter.

Can I offer suggestions for your eBook?

Of course! I welcome suggestions and criticisms. Just go to the Contact Me link, or email me if you prefer. I will try my best to answer your queries as soon as I can.

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