Why Does a Pianist Like Certain Styles?
Understanding one’s preferences regarding art is always difficult
I’ve boiled it down like this. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Musicians’
“Sycopation” Basics for Pianists
An easy, but highly interesting timing “trick” every pianist should understand and master
Few words seem more mysterious than “syncopation.” Most piano students are given syncopated pieces at some point When these are presented, however, the pianist too often just plays what the composer or arranger has written. They can hear the interesting sounds and fascinating timing but don’t really understand how that sound and timing is produced. They are just following orders, so to speak. I’d like to explain syncopation in the way my adult students, both live and online, have found useful and successful. Funny thing, it has always been my observation that the adult who understands what they play does a better job at it than the adult who only follows orders. (more…)
Enjoying Playing and Practicing Piano
Some piano students make emotional trouble for themselves
Instead of focusing on the sheer enjoyment of making music which they love, they wonder if they are “doing it properly.” Similar concerns are too common as well. Such folks have been indoctrinated, often at a young age, that there is a right way and wrong way to make music. I’d say something different – that there is a way that makes the listener happy and a way that does not. By “listener” I include the pianist him/herself. (more…)
Scale Practice for the Amateur Pianist, Part One
Practicing Piano Scales is Most Worthwhile when Done Smartly
I don’t know why I was surprised when the site’s “analytics” (the statistics that tell me each week what folks have been interested in reading) told me that the “big draw” recently was practicing scales – something I only rarely assign to my piano students. This interest makes sense, however, considering that music teachers have been pushing scale practice for centuries. This is sad to me, because more time and attention is wasted on lousy and inefficient scale practice by aspiring hobbyist pianists than almost anything, other than lousy and inefficient practice routines in general. I’d like to set the record straight on this topic and hopefully save you readers time and frustration.
Evaluate YOUR Piano Lessons – Part Two
Those Who Have Had Piano Lessons Before Will Find This Interesting
The essays in this series provide my personal viewpoints. I’m going to repeat my reasoning for this at the beginning of each essay in the the series.
My experience as a piano teacher has brought me into contact with many folks who have had past piano lessons. Too often, such lessons were NOT a joy and too often the piano student ended up blaming themselves for this unpleasantness. Such piano students often do not take further piano training, even though they still want to play the piano. Even when they do, they bring much “baggage” to their new piano lessons which hinders their progress. I hope to change some minds and thus help more people learn to play piano for their own enjoyment and that of others. (more…)
Evaluate YOUR Piano Lessons – Part Four
Those Who Have Had Piano Lessons Before Will Find This Interesting
The essays in this series provide my personal viewpoints. I’m going to repeat my reasoning for this at the beginning of each essay in the the series.
My experience as a piano teacher has brought me into contact with many folks who have had past piano lessons. Too often, such lessons were NOT a joy and too often the piano student ended up blaming themselves for this unpleasantness. Such piano students often do not take further piano training, even though they still want to play the piano. Even when they do, they bring much “baggage” to their new piano lessons which hinders their progress. I hope to change some minds and thus help more people learn to play piano for their own enjoyment and that of others.. (more…)
Piano Methods that Work Poorly – Part Four
Too many piano students do poorly due to ineffective piano teaching
Previous essays have explained why many current methods are really “snakeoil” methods which promise much but deliver next to no piano skill. I also spend time discussing how this approach to learning to play piano was made attractive by the years of grinding, boring, and frustrating “teaching” on the part of piano teachers who turned making music into drudgery. Many folks have a stereotype of the piano teacher as a little old lady forcing kids to play endless scales while they’d prefer to be elsewhere, anywhere on a Saturday morning. Very unfortunately, this stereotype is fairly accurate. This essay explains why learning the piano doesn’t have to be this way.
“Satan’s Ticker” – the Metronome
Many Piano Students Hate Them but Used Properly Metronomes are Great Tools
The metronome, that thing that sits on many pianos, is the subject of a love/hate relationship for many piano students. Most adults who took piano lessons in their youth likely had some experiences with the metronome, often bad experiences. In this essay, I hope to offer advice that will make the metronome your favorite tool for improving both your piano practice and piano performance. (more…)
Time and Piano Practice – Part One
Some Piano Students Make Little Progress and Spend Lots Time Not Making It
“I’m spending lots of time at piano practicing but not seeing much improvement in my piano playing,” is a VERY common concern for piano students and pianists in general. Unfortunately, too many of these good folks come up with the following erroneous conclusions:
A Tip for Every Amateur Pianist from Robert Schumann
The Famous Composer/Teacher Speaks Wisdom for Modern Musicians
“Strive to play easy pieces well and beautifully. It is better than to render difficult pieces only indifferently well.” (more…)
How to Stop the Negative “Self-Talk”
Pianists – Amateur and Pro – Limit Their Enjoyment with Negativity
Brain researchers are discovering which parts of our brains do what when musicians do what they do best. An article from my local newspaper discusses brain research into how musicians improvise music. Here’s the key point, taken from the last half of the article: (more…)
First Things First When Choosing a Piano
How to not buy the wrong instrument for YOUR needs and interests
Allow me to start with a definition from the American Heritage Dictionary:
“Tool” …#3: Anything used in the performance of an operation; an instrument
Some would think it blasphemy to refer to a sacred object such as the piano as a mere “tool.” (more…)
Piano Methods that Work Poorly – Part Four
Too many piano students do poorly due to ineffective piano teaching
Previous essays have explained why many current methods are really “snakeoil” methods which promise much but deliver next to no piano skill. I also spend time discussing how this approach to learning to play piano was made attractive by the years of grinding, boring, and frustrating “teaching” on the part of piano teachers who turned making music into drudgery. Many folks have a stereotype of the piano teacher as a little old lady forcing kids to play endless scales while they’d prefer to be elsewhere, anywhere on a Saturday morning. Very unfortunately, this stereotype is fairly accurate. This essay explains why learning the piano doesn’t have to be this way. (more…)
Four Basic Guidelines to Chord Use
You Must not Only KNOW Your Chords but also What to DO with Them
Lots of piano teachers, both live and online, explain which notes make up which chords. This is fine and necessary but it’s only the first step -you must also know what to DO with these chords. Additionally, many of these “piano teachers” are basically professional players who shows you ways to use chords that are, frankly, just too hard for the amateur player. The pro makes it look easy, even tell you it is, although it’s not. There’s a need, then, for some basic things most every pianist can do successfully. (more…)
Using Chords at the Piano – Part Two
The Basics of Chord Use for the Piano Student
Once a piano student knows how to form chords using their formulas and can figure out which notes go with which symbols, the next question is how to use those chords at the piano. You have several choices to make. I wish I could tell you exactly WHAT choices to make, but each piece of piano music demands different skills. I can tell you a few things for sure. (more…)
The Goal of ALL Adult Piano Students – Part One
Understanding the Truth about Your Piano Playing Goals Leads to Piano Success
After 20+ years of piano teaching and over 2000 piano students, I don’t hesitate to say that the common goal of ALL these adult students is “to play the piano well.” Now, different students define the word “well” differently, but all have some idea in mind and, strangely enough, there is more similarity than difference in their definitions. (more…)
