5-Minute Piano Lessons

The proper priorities regarding chords and fakebooks can save time and improve your playing

Note: This essay is taken from my ebook concerning Advanced Chord and Fakebook Use. I felt it too important to limit it to that source.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of what I consider Advanced chord and fakebook usage, I want to urge you to keep your priorities straight as you study. These priorities are stated in this essay’s title, at least as I’ve found them in 40+ years of successful piano performance. I truly believe it will be very worth your time to consider my reasoning before you embark upon the study of the rest of this ebook. (more…)

The Fundamentals of Successful Practice are Simple to State

Successful practice at the piano requires two and only two things:

• Enough piano practice
• Correct piano practice (more…)

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…)

A Short Thanksgiving Day Essay for the Adult Piano Student

I wrote and posted the following short essay to my adult piano student blog on Thanksgiving, 2007. I’m reproducing it here because it can be a real antidote for the inevitable frustration that learning the piano brings to adult students.

I’ll leave it to you readers to give thanks for the greatest blessings in life: family, friends, health, love, etc. It did occur to me this Thanksgiving Day 2007 that we pianists have much to be thankful for in terms of music and our instrument. (more…)