5-Minute Piano Lessons

Creativity is sometimes inhibited by reading and obeying sheet music

I had a big and unhappy realization this week during teaching. An adult student had to be encouraged to do something other than what was specified by their sheet music (poorly written sheet music, I would hasten to add) and my sole child student asked me, “Aren’t these pedaling marks sorta an option?” Now my child is a very precocious 10 year old but I would have thought my adult student wouldn’t feel compelled to simply follow orders. Turns out I had it backwards.

My “realization” was:

Many piano student work hard to get good at
“Monkey-See-Monkey-Do” music reading. (more…)

Understanding More About Your Hands Will Improve Your Music Making

It’s your HANDS that play the piano. Music and the love for it and the desire to play the piano all live inside YOU, the awareness, but it’s the fingers that push the piano keys and all the desire in the world won’t get them to doing that properly without proper training. (more…)

The Piano Student’s Left Hand is a Constant Source of Frustration

Pianists left hands are harder to read and harder to play than their right hands and anything that helps would be welcome. Here’s what I have found to work during my adult piano lessons. (more…)