Category Archives: Internet

Piano Instruction: Schumann Arabesque, Op. 18-Using a supple wrist follow through motion, and parceling out voices (Video)

Posted on July 14, 2011 by

The Schumann Arabesque is a heartfelt character piece from the Romantic era. It requires the player to have a very supple wrist to realize the lilt of buoyant, legato dotted eighth/16th figures that permeate the music. Though the composition is … Continue reading →

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Piano Technique and Weight Control: Bringing out and balancing voices (Video) Teacher, Shirley Kirsten

Posted on May 29, 2011 by

When students do routine scales and arpeggios as warm-ups to their tour de force pieces, I like to spice things up a bit by playing around with voicing and weight control. (Yes, you heard me right) I’ll surprise them by … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, blogger, blogging, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno, Fresno California, Internet, keyboard technique, Major and minor scales, mind body connection, MTAC, muscular memory, music history, music teachers association of california, music theory, New York City, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano repertoire, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Robert Schumann, Romantic era music, Romantic music, scale fingerings, scales, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, sports, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano scales, video performances, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Piano Instruction: The Virtues of Slow Motion Practicing and Attentive Listening

Posted on May 20, 2011 by

It takes patience to approach a piece well behind tempo, tuning in to every nuance and turn of phrase. With ears alert and sensitive, the player tries to create a feeling state where he’s submerged in sound to the exclusion … Continue reading →

Posted in blog, blogger, blogging, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno, Internet, mental imagery, Mildred Portney Chase, mind body connection, music, music and heart, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, musical inspiration, New York, New York City, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano technique, piano warm-ups, Piano World, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, technique, uk-piano-forums | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Can Piano Lessons be Skyped?

Posted on May 18, 2011 by

The very title of this blog might send readers feverishly rushing off to other sites. I would have had the same fight/flight response before I heard from two happy Skyping students, one of whom was so pan-allergic that any semblance … Continue reading →

Posted in El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno California, Internet, music, music teachers association of california, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, piano tutorial, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, Skyping piano lessons, Teach Street, teaching piano, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Art of Phrasing at the Piano: Starting the process with Beginners (Videos)

Posted on April 10, 2011 by

For some unexplained reason, my earliest piano studies never included the art of phrasing. My primer teacher stressed naming notes, finding them, affixing correct fingering and counting out robotic beats. I knew nothing about feeling a melodic landscape; putting the … Continue reading →

Posted in "Just Being At the Piano", Baroque music, creative learning environment, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Faber Primer Piano Adventures, Facebook, Fresno California, fresno filmmakers alliance, harmonic analysis, Intermediate level piano repertoire, Internet, Keith Snell, keyboard technique, Lillian Freundlich, memoir, mind body connection, MTAC, MTAC Baroque Festival, music, music and heart, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, music theory, music video, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Nordiska, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano society, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway grand piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano to teenagers, technique, Theory, traditional piano teaching, Twenty five Progressive pieces by Burgmuller, video performances, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Piano Technique: Thumb Shifts in Playing Scales and Arpeggios (Video)

Posted on April 2, 2011 by

The great pianist, Josef Hofmann, imparted words of wisdom when he answered the following question posed by a student that related to the thumb and piano technique: “What is the matter with my scales? I cannot play them without a … Continue reading →

Posted in arpeggios, blog, blogger, blogging, California, Circle of Fifths, classissima, classissima.com, creative learning environment, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno, Fresno California, fresno filmmakers alliance, great pianists of the past, Internet, keyboard technique, Major and minor scales, mind body connection, MTAC, music teachers association of california, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano student, piano warm-ups, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Piano Teacher as Composer: Using my MOONBEAMS collection as an example (Video)

Posted on March 29, 2011 by

Why not give composing a try? I did. For the most part, you don’t need a degree in composition, but a Theory background helps things along with voice leading in the bass part and understanding the rules of notation. Above … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century music, blog, blogger, blogging, California, Circle of Fifths, classissima, classissima.com, Creative Fresno, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno, fresno filmmakers alliance, how to help children compose, Internet, keyboard technique, MTAC, music teachers association of california, Music Teachers Asssociation of California, music theory, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano society, Piano Street, piano students as composers, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, word press, wordpress.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments