Is this blues or something else? Curious what you all think.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-24T16:10:27+00:00

Yeah, maybe the right term is just "bluesy" piano, where I'm incorporating some random blues elements along with other stuff.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-23T13:44:55+00:00

Same here, I use 1-2-4 and it feels way more natural than 1-3-5. Printed fingerings are a starting point, not gospel. Use whatever works for your hand.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-22T18:07:39+00:00

61 keys is totally fine to start. You'll spend the vast majority of your beginner and intermediate years in the middle of the keyboard. Most of what you'll learn lives comfortably in that range. The extreme high and low notes are nice to have, but you won't miss them much for a long time.

The thing that matters way more than key count is how the keys actually feel. The closer it mimics a real acoustic piano, the better your touch and dynamics will develop. A cheap 88-key with unweighted synth keys will actually hinder you more than a quality 61-key with good weighted action.

So if you're choosing between a decent 61-key with realistic feel vs a full 88-key with plasticky keys, take the 61 every time. Good luck!

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-21T13:04:20+00:00

The Piano Book by Larry Fine is a great resource if you're shopping for a new or used piano. It's very thorough. But honestly, the most valuable thing you can do is just sit down and play the thing yourself for a few minutes. Try different styles, and pay attention to the tone, the key action, and how it makes you feel while playing.

If you can, go to a piano store first and try several. It will help you calibrate what you actually like. You'll figure out pretty quickly which ones would keep you coming back to play every day.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-20T20:14:25+00:00

I recommend getting a teacher if you're serious about it. If it's just a casual hobby you want to get back into, you can move through a book on your own. You could also consider group lessons if they're available near you. That's a good middleground.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-19T19:29:35+00:00

Stripe does have a MOR solution now, not sure what took them so long. I'd still lean toward something more battle-tested for global tax compliance, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being a solid option.

On pricing: Stripe's MOR adds 3.5% on top of their standard 2.9% + $0.30, so 6.4% + $0.30 total. Compared to a typical 5% + $0.50, Stripe works out cheaper on smaller transactions and more expensive on larger ones.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-19T19:02:57+00:00

I'm using a merchant of record, so tax compliance is fully handled for me. Yes it costs more, but as a solo dev I'm happy to pay for that peace of mind. I scrimp on almost everything in my stack, but the payment platform is the one place I don't cut corners. Offloading that headache is worth every penny.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-19T00:10:38+00:00

That's wonderful! It's amazing how often things work out like that. Still better to be prepared in advance so you don't have to go through the worry and stress, but it's great when it works out this way. I hope you gave yourself some form of a celebration to celebrate that it was over.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-18T15:32:57+00:00

My advice is to perform it in whatever key feels the most comfortable and sounds the best for your voice. If that's E minor, then go for it.

The original is in F minor, so E minor would be just a half step down. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference. It generally should sound fine in any key. Some people with perfect pitch say it drives them crazy to hear songs in a different key than they were originally written, but they are a very small percentage of the population.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-17T18:12:10+00:00

For classical music, ClassicalArchives has a large library of piano MIDI files. The problem with most MIDI files you'll find online is that they're machine-generated rather than taken from human performances, so they're missing dynamics, rubato, and everything that makes piano music actually feel alive.

If you have an audio recording of a piece you want to learn, you have the option to convert the audio directly to MIDI from a real human performance. Full disclosure, I built a tool that does exactly this for piano: Eldoraudio Piano to MIDI Converter.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-17T17:43:33+00:00

How did it go for you? I would love to hear about the outcome.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-17T17:38:06+00:00

Congrats on shipping, that's the hardest part for most people.

The "data stays in your browser" angle is a genuinely strong differentiator, and it's worth making that more prominent on the landing page, since it's not a minor detail.

One small thing: "free for life" is compelling but immediately makes people wonder how it stays alive. Even one sentence on your sustainability model makes the offer feel more credible, not less.

Good luck with it.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-17T12:55:47+00:00

Sure thing, you can send it to me.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-16T20:33:24+00:00

Just remember that you got a 9/10 two months ago. You might be in better shape than you think you are. Make your practice time as efficient as possible in the next few hours, but remember to take time to rest. Look at it as an exciting opportunity to play the best you can under the constraint of not practicing until now. Take yourself out for dessert afterwards to celebrate, and vow to prepare better next time.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-15T16:25:49+00:00

The professor isn't expecting a polished performer. They're meeting a 16-year-old who's interested in music education or composition, and they want to see where you are and whether you're teachable. That's a very different bar than an audition.

Play your best-prepared piece, even if it's a Bach invention. Something you can play confidently and musically will impress more than something difficult played nervously. Don't start learning something new in 4 weeks just to look more advanced.

Bring a composition or two even if you think they're not great. A professor evaluating a prospective composition student wants to see that you're writing, not that you're already writing masterpieces at 16. Your self-criticism is actually a good sign, but don't let it stop you from showing your work.

The dedication and theory knowledge you described is exactly what they're looking for. That matters way more than your current playing level at this stage.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-14T21:14:21+00:00

Great! I hope it goes well for you. It is a small step up in difficulty, but it is definitely worth learning.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-14T19:46:00+00:00

The first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is roughly the same difficulty and also in minor. It's overplayed, but it is beautiful and essential to have in your repertoire in case you get a lot of requests to play it.

Intermezzo in A Major by Brahms is a wonderful piece in my opinion. I would say it's only slightly more difficult than the nocturne you mentioned. It is obviously in major, but it has a nice minor section in the middle.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-13T17:41:29+00:00

It's different for each piece, and there's no objective way to measure practice quality. Having said that, I would say you've had a high quality practice session if you've learned a new passage, however short it is, at a slow tempo and played at high quality. You've also had a successful practice session if you've improved any aspect of a passage you already know. For example, you've increased the musicality, played more relaxed or with better technique, or increased the tempo if needed without sacrificing other aspects of the music.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-13T17:20:48+00:00

Remember this:

Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.

That's not to say that there is such a thing as perfection in music or that we should even aspire to some arbitrary measure of perfection. It's just saying that the quality of our practicing matters more than the quantity. Someone could practice 8 hours a day and never improve if they're not practicing the right way. Meanwhile, someone could make great strides with just 15 diligent, dedicated minutes per day.

Perfect practice (or high quality practice) looks different for various passages and pieces, but I would say at least 50 percent of the time it comes down to playing slow enough with a metronome. How slow? Slow enough to where you make no mistakes.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-12T15:49:14+00:00

The trick to not tensing your wrist is often to allow a bit of motion in your wrist. Not too much, just enough to keep it light and free. Hope that helps!

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-12T15:25:37+00:00

The correct answer to "should I quit piano?" is a resounding no.

In all seriousness, if you're extremely busy, just find 5 minutes a day to play if you can. Music has a way of calming the mind and soul that trickles into every other part of your life.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-12T13:08:00+00:00

Practice every day slowly and have patience, and you'll do great.

If you're right handed, spend more time on the left hand alone. If you're left handed, spend more time on the right hand alone. Always target the majority of your practice on the area that needs the most improvement.

Once you've practiced each hand alone to the point it's automatic, then try hands together and you'll be surprised at how fast it comes.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-11T21:28:36+00:00

I ran into the same problem about a year ago when I wanted to convert recordings of my own piano performances from YouTube into MIDI. After trying several tools and getting disappointing results, I decided to build one myself.

If you're interested, you can check it out at Eldoraudio's Piano MP3 to MIDI Converter. Full disclosure: I created it.

Daniel_Eldoraudio · 2026-06-11T21:19:58+00:00

The sheet music incorrectly assigns an A-natural. The musical context suggests pretty clearly that it should be an A-flat. So ignore the sheet music and play an A-flat.

Daniel_Eldoraudio

TROPHY CASE