Tag Archives: piano lesson

Artful piano playing: Rising above the notes by “feeling,” singing, and “shaping” phrases

Posted on May 12, 2013 by

Burmguller’s “Sincerity,” Op. 100 is the perfect vehicle for spinning limpidly beautiful phrases. But how does the pianist go beyond what appears to be strings of 8th notes that can easily sound typed out. To avoid the ponderous, vertical approach … Continue reading →

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Learning a J.S Bach Sinfonia from the ground up (F Major, BWV 794)

Posted on April 30, 2013 by

On to three voice counterpoint, following a two-dimensional Bach Invention journey in the company of several piano students. So why not open the door to my private practice room for a layered learning sample a trois. I’m no different than … Continue reading →

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Piano Technique: Playing with bigger energies beyond the fingers

Posted on March 28, 2013 by

Practicing a programmatic miniature from Kabalevsy’s Op. 39 Children’s Pieces can draw on energies well beyond the fingers. “Funny Event” is a good example with its series of sound bursts on the first beat of each measure. If a student … Continue reading →

Posted in Kabalevsky, Kabalevsky Funny Event, Kabalevsky Op. 39 Children's pieces, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, Shirley Kirsten, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Piano lesson: Chopin B minor Waltz, Op. 69, no 2. (bouncing phrases back and forth)

Posted on March 14, 2013 by

Teaching affords the greatest opportunity to listen objectively to students serving up their menu of pieces. It allows ideas to spring forward and bounce back. Today, my Greek student resurrected his Chopin B Minor Waltz in preparation for a forthcoming … Continue reading →

Posted in Chopin Waltz in B minor Op. 69 No. 2, Frederic Chopin, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, piano blog, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lesson by Skype, Shirley Kirsten, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Piano Technique: When scale notes go off the radar screen

Posted on March 1, 2013 by

One of my Skype students is practicing the D Major scale in contrary motion. (Her thumbs at Middle D) We start slow triplets to 16ths, to 32nds (Legato/Staccato/Forte/piano) The snag occurs at the third and final octave out, where most … Continue reading →

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No Skimming the surface in piano warm-ups and a Chopin exchange with a sixth-grader

Posted on January 24, 2013 by

Lucy started piano about four years ago in El Cerrito, a short Bart ride from Berkeley, my current residence. A transfer student, she’d been immersed in Bastien primers and hand-outs of various patriotic pieces. Note-reading skills were minimal. Over time, … Continue reading →

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Learning a J.S. Bach Invention requires an understanding of right-side-up, upside down, inside out, and other relationships

Posted on December 31, 2012 by

Continue reading →

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Piano Technique: Perfecting Staccato–playing basketball and ping pong ball (Video)

Posted on October 18, 2012 by

A piano student in Greece uses mental imagery to improve his staccato playing Continue reading →

Posted in finger staccato, forearm staccato, piano, piano lessons, piano technique, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, skype piano lesson, Skype piano lesson to Greece, sports metaphors in piano teaching, staccato, word press, word press.com, wordpress.com, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chopin Mazurka in F Major, Op. 68 No. 3

Posted on September 28, 2012 by

Without a doubt, the patriotic spirit of a Polish Mazurka permeates the F major, Op. 68. The vitality of redundant dotted-eighth-sixteenth rhythms cajoles the player in musical directions. (Be sure to use a supple wrist–and shake out the rhythmic figures) … Continue reading →

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Rina, 5, practices “The Hunting Call” by Gurlitt

Posted on August 23, 2012 by

Rina grabbed an opportunity to sit at the “big” piano yesterday afternoon to practice Gurlitt’s “The Hunting Call.” A sparkling little piece, Gurlitt’s gem is the third in a sequence that I pulled from Faber’s Developing Artist series, Preparatory Piano … Continue reading →

Posted in Cornelius Gurlitt, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano teaching, teaching piano to children, The Hunting Call by Gurlitt, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment