Category Archives: arioso7

Piano Technique: Focusing on Rotation in arpeggios, and building up a scale (Videos)

Posted on May 27, 2012 by

These are two supplementary videos that I created for adult students between lessons. As previously mentioned, they clarify and reinforce the content of our class, and map out ways to practice. I. ROTATION at the turnaround of a B minor … Continue reading →

Posted in adult piano students, arioso7, blog, blogger, blogging, blogging about piano, blogs about piano, Circle of Fifths, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano lessons, El Cerrito piano studio, finger staccato, fingering and phrasing at the piano, fingering and piano technique, Journey of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, keyboard technique, MTAC, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano practicing motivators, piano scales and arpeggios, piano study, piano teacher, piano technique, piano technique and the singing tone, piano warm-ups, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, playing legato at the piano, playing piano with expression, playing staccato at the piano, playing the piano, playing the piano with long nails, POWHOW, POWHOW instruction, POWHOW piano instruction, POWHOW.com, practicing scales and arpeggios, rotation in piano playing, rotation in piano practicing, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Burgmuller’s “The Return”–like a light opera, with interspersed drama (videos)

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

“The Return” from the composer’s Twenty-Five Progressive Pieces, Op. 100, is ear-catching. Like an Offenbach opera replete with an Overture, it delights in a set of lighthearted staccato chords that spill into a passionate MINOR sequenced interlude, setting the heart … Continue reading →

Posted in "The Return" by Burgmuller, arioso7, authors den, authorsden, blog, blogger, blogging, blogging about piano, blogs about piano, Burgmuller, Burgmuller's Op. 100 Twenty-Five Progressive Pieces, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano instruction, El Cerrito piano studio, forearm staccato, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, keyboard technique, learning piano, mindful piano practicing, mindful practicing, MTAC, music, music and heart, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessson, piano study, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing staccato, playing staccato at the piano, playing the piano, playing the piano with a singing tone, practicing difficult piano passages, Romantic era music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, video instruction, word press, word press.com, wordpress, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When sight-reading is not enough: Learning a new piano piece from the ground up so we can teach it to our students (Videos)

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

I’m reminded of a quote attributed to Sviatoslav Richter when asked how he approached a challenging new composition of virtuoso proportion: His reply– “I read a new piece and then start practicing the place that irritates me the most. After … Continue reading →

Posted in arioso7, blog, blogger, blogging, blogging about piano, California, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Felix Mendelssohn, Mendelssohn Children's Piece Op. 72 no. 1, music, music and heart, music and the breath, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, pianists, piano, piano addict, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessson, piano playing, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and the singing tone, piano studio, piano study, piano teacher, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano teaching repertoire, piano tutorial, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, Romantic era music, sight-reading and piano playing, Sviatoslav Richter, video instruction, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The very first lesson with a new Intermediate or advanced piano student: thinking creatively on your feet

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet a new adult piano student who had studied for a few years. Besides having this basic, preliminary information, I had no other tangible clues about her level of playing. The suspense … Continue reading →

Posted in arioso7, blogger, blogging, blogging about piano, blogs about piano, El Cerrito California, Franz Josef Haydn, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Minuet in D Major by Haydn, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano teacher, piano teaching, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing piano with expression, playing staccato, the first piano lesson with a new student, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just in time for Valentine’s Day: I meet my Blind Date Grand Piano in El Cerrito! (6 part video) and Coda

Posted on February 14, 2012 by

After a scenic Amtrak ride home from my Bay area teaching location, I won’t dare divulge the final chapter of a suspense-filled adventure that culminated in my meeting a blind date grand piano up close and personal. I’ll let the … Continue reading →

Posted in arioso7, Baldwin Hamilton grand piano, Baldwin Hamilton grand piano 1929, Baldwin piano, buying a used piano, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Greg Hood piano mover, Jerry Raz Bay area piano technician, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Julio Colombo El Cerrito neighbor, Paul Buscaino piano seller and technician, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano blog, Piano Street, piano technician, Piano World, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, word press.com, wordpress, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Scarlatti Toccata in D minor with rapid fire repeated notes: Melodic contouring, dusting the keys, and slow motion replay (VIDEOS)

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

Here’s my anti-anxiety solution to playing those demanding, rapid-fire repeated notes in Scarlatti’s D minor Toccata. First, being a technology nerd, I never dreamed I could master a slow motion replay on iMac’s iMovie, but through trial and error, I … Continue reading →

Posted in arioso7, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, musical phrasing and breathing, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, phrasing at the piano, pianist, pianists, piano, piano addict, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessson, piano pedagogy, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano repertoire, piano student, piano teacher, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano technique, piano tutorial, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing repeated notes on the piano, Scarlatti, Scarlatti Sonatas, Scarlatti Toccata in d minor k. 141, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Killer advice from Seymour Bernstein for the Killer mid-section, Chopin Nocturne in F, Op. 15 no. 1 (Videos)

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

Two areas are explored in the first video based on the content of Seymour Bernstein’s communications. 1) Wrist motions in the Right Hand (measures 25 and on) The following exercise, recommended by Seymour was very helpful: “First, at measure 25 … Continue reading →

Posted in arioso7, Chopin, Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No. 1, Chopin Nocturnes, Frederic Chopin, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano teaching, playing piano, rotation in piano playing, Seymour Bernstein, Seymour Bernstein composer, Seymour Bernstein pianist, Seymour Bernstein With Your Own Two Hands, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, whole body listening, whole body music listening, With your own Two Hands by Seymour Bernstein, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Long Lost Concert Program turns up on a dusty grand piano

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

One of the fringe benefits of tidying up a piano room filled with unsorted piles of music and the rest, is finding a gold mine of goodies that have been missing for months, if not years. Have you ever experienced … Continue reading →

Posted in arioso7, Bach D minor piano concerto, Beethoven Violin Concerto, Berkshire Music Festival, Boston Symphony, Boston Symphony Orchestra, chamber ensemble, Charles Munch, classissima, classissima.com, Isaac Stern, James Stagliano, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Lenox, Lukas Foss, Massachusetts, memoir, Merrywood Music Camp, pianist, piano, Pierre Monteux, playing the piano, playing the violin, Ruth Hurwitz, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Tanglewood, Tanglewood Music Festival, violin, violinist, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Accept where you are in your piano studies, know your limitations, but still strive to improve (VIDEO)

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

This is my credo or philosophy that allows for imperfection without self-punishment. Yet students of all levels tend to invalidate their own performances despite growth spurts springing from dedicated practicing. Many have done all the layered learning steps, but have … Continue reading →

Posted in "When do I Play my Best" by Seymour Bernstein, arioso7, authorsden, blog, blogger, blogging, blogs about piano, Chopin, Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No. 1, Chopin Nocturnes, Chopin Piano Concerto in E minor, classissima, classissima.com, Frederic Chopin, how to review an old piano piece, how to review an old piece, Irina Morozova, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, pianists, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, Seymour Bernstein, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, With your own Two Hands by Seymour Bernstein, You and the Piano Seymour Bernstein, You and the PIano Seymour Bernstein on You Tube, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A dreaded, Killer Middle Section of a Chopin Nocturne and How to deal with it. (F Major, Op. 15, No.1) VIDEOS

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

The way I handle fear is to meet it head on, working through my dreaded moments. It’s the same for a killer section of music that’s marked con fuoco, “with a combination of force and speed.” The metronome marking is … Continue reading →

Posted in arioso7, authors den, Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No. 1, Chopin Nocturnes, classissima, classissima.com, Frederic Chopin, harmonic analysis, harmonic rhythm, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Livia Rev, Livia Rev plays Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No.1, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, MTAC, music and heart, music appreciation classes, music theory, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, musical phrasing and breathing, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pedaling at the piano, phrasing at the piano, pianist, pianists, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing and phrasing, piano practicing, piano repertoire, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, piano technique and the singing tone, piano tutorial, piano tutorial Chopin Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No. 1, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Poland, practicing difficult piano passages, practicing piano passages with rhythms, practicing the left hand at the piano, reviewing piano pieces in the repertoire, Romantic era music, Romantic era piano repertoire, Romantic music, Seymour Bernstein, Seymour Bernstein With Your Own Two Hands, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, teaching piano, teaching piano to adult students, teaching piano to adults, teaching piano to children, teaching piano to teenagers, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments