Blocking out the lush harmonic progressions of Bach's C Major Prelude is an important first step in learning it. A melodic line that sings through these sonorities, albeit, in waves of broken chords, is the composer's stroke of genius. The chord inversions are perfectly in place to flesh out a divinely "voiced" melody in the… Continue reading Practicing the Bach Prelude in C from the Well-Tempered Clavier, by a process of chord blocking (Video)
Category: JS Bach
A different view of Bach and the piano (Prelude in C) Video
On a whim, I decided to keep my Mac at a distance from the Steinway, walk over to the piano without being too conspicuous, and offhandedly play the Bach Prelude in C from the Well-Tempered Clavier. Since I hadn't yet mastered the editing side of iMovie, I figured a majestic lead into the playing would… Continue reading A different view of Bach and the piano (Prelude in C) Video
When piano playing soars to spiritual heights: The artistry of Cyprien Katsaris
Words fail me when trying to describe this performance of Cyprien Katsaris over You Tube. Stage setting: A majestic church with big resonance, and while the soundtrack is scratchy, what emanates from the piano makes the listener forget any mechanical distraction. The playing is so ethereal, one senses an immortality channeled through a mortal. So… Continue reading When piano playing soars to spiritual heights: The artistry of Cyprien Katsaris
Piano Instruction: J.S. Bach Invention no. 8 in F, BWV 779, using a spring forward wrist and hand rotation, Two Videos
I introduced my tutorial by playing a snatch from Edna-Mae Burnam's Dozen a Day, Book 1, no. 3 "Hopping." It was the springboard for the wrist motion I use when playing Invention 8 in F Major. I also enlist a hand rotation for a stream of 16ths in descending sequence, measures 4-6, and wherever else… Continue reading Piano Instruction: J.S. Bach Invention no. 8 in F, BWV 779, using a spring forward wrist and hand rotation, Two Videos
Playing through the entire Bach Fugue, BWV847 in C minor, fleshing out form as I go along (VIDEO)
The score is copied below the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be4YQ29gb1g http://www.teoria.com/articulos/analysis/BWV847/index.htm RELATED: Analysis of Fugue in C minor, BWV847: Subject, Counter-subject I and II, Exposition, Episodes (Development) Recap subject, etc. https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/piano-instruction-analysis-j-s-bach-fugue-in-c-minor-bwv847-videos/
Bach to Nature: A Paradise of Images Wedded to Music
A lake, ducks, geese, and Bach's Prelude no. 1 from the Well Tempered Clavier..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CitNt-sUbOE Backdrop: Oso De Oro Park in Fresno, California. Producers and photographers, Shirley Kirsten and Aviva Kirsten Capturing nature's flow with a hand held video camera. Oso de Oro Park http://fresnofloodcontrol.org/parks/Oso%20de%20Oro%20Park/oso_oro_park.html Sloan Johnson Oso de Oro Lake Park "Since opening in… Continue reading Bach to Nature: A Paradise of Images Wedded to Music
What can you do with a Performance-Piano Degree?
Face the music! Most new Conservatory grads with fancy Bachelor of Music, Performance-Piano Degrees bound in leather must improvise when catapulted into the competitive job market. With only a tiny space on the world stage reserved for budding soloists, many aspiring concert pianists will teach privately, wait tables, babysit, or become high school choir accompanists.… Continue reading What can you do with a Performance-Piano Degree?
A Performance I’ll Never Forget!
I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to provide keyboard music at a Fresno art supply store. It happened quite unexpectedly around the time I’d bumped into Ralph Cato, US Olympic Boxing Trainer at the neighboring Guitar Center. (“Cato, His Killer Keyboard and A Round of Piano Lessons”) Because I liked the establishment’s acoustical environment, I… Continue reading A Performance I’ll Never Forget!
The mapped out manuscript for Bach Invention No. 1 in C
Here's my hand-written analysis of the Bach Two Part Invention No. 1 in C that supplements the video. I've added more at: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/revisiting-j-s-bachs-invention-1-in-c-bwv-772-video/ The Main Idea or subject is bracketed, as well as an Inverted form of it. Key changes are also marked in the score. Recap: Instructional video, Bach Invention no.1 in C, BWV… Continue reading The mapped out manuscript for Bach Invention No. 1 in C
Piano Lesson: Step by step Diminished 7th arpeggio warm-up with a 10 yr. old student
I previously discussed diminished 7th chords and how they are constructed as an introduction to an actual warm-up routine. The missing ingredient was the student: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/piano-instruction-playing-diminished-7th-chords-and-arpeggios-video/ In this video, a ten year old pupil fills the bill, romping over the keyboard, joining in a scintillating choreography with her teacher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhazCUOzzdI Diminished 7th arpeggio sampled: G#… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Step by step Diminished 7th arpeggio warm-up with a 10 yr. old student