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

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

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 Arpeggio Exploring the curve at the very top of the figure with an energy boost… Continue reading Piano Technique: Focusing on Rotation in arpeggios, and building up a scale (Videos)

arioso 7, authors den, authorsden, blog, blogger, blogging, blogging about piano, blogs about piano, Classical era, classical music, classical period piano music, classissima, classissima.com, classisssima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano instruction, Facebook, How to practice Mozart Sonata in A Major K. 331, how to practice variation 2 Mozart Sonata in A Major K. 331, Journey of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, K. 331, keyboard technique, Mozart, MTAC, no. 11 K. 331, ornaments, 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, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and the singing tone, piano practicing, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Variation 2 Mozart Sonata in A Major K. 331, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Instruction: How to practice Variation 2, Mozart Sonata No. 11 in A, K. 331 (Videos)

The biggest challenge in this particular variation is the fast-paced tempo and ornament execution--not to mention the fleeting 4 against 3 relationship of treble 32nds above 16ths in the bass. But the latter, should not be a big concern considering how quickly everything spins by. In the video instruction I suggest a step-wise practicing routine… Continue reading Piano Instruction: How to practice Variation 2, Mozart Sonata No. 11 in A, K. 331 (Videos)

blog, blogger, blogging, blogging about piano, classissima, classissima.com, ear training, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, Facebook, Facebook friend, Fur Elise, Fur Elise by Beethoven, harmonic rhythm, How to practice Fur Elise, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, keyboard technique, learning piano, legato playing at the piano, Lillian Freundlich, Lillian Lefkofsky Freundlich, mental imagery, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, mindful practicing, molto cantabile, molto cantabilie, MTAC, MTAC.org, music, music and heart, music education, music teachers association, music teachers association of california, musical phrasing, musical phrasing and breathing, New York City, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, pianists, piano, piano addict, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano playing, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano playing and the singing tone, piano recital, piano restoration, Piano Street, piano student, piano study, piano teacher, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano virtuosos, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing piano with expression, playing the piano, playing the piano with a singing tone, practicing difficult piano passages, practicing piano with relaxation, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, Steinway M grand, Steinway M grand piano, teaching a piano student about melody, teaching an adult student, the ideal piano lesson, the vocal model for pianists, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Irina Morozova’s inspiring words flow through a lesson with an adult student (Beethoven’s Fur Elise-in-progress) Video

"From watching great pianists it is obvious that they incorporate quite different movements to achieve the same goals, because people do not play piano with fingers but rather with the mind and the ear. Again, it is the clear image of what kind of sound one wants to achieve, combined with the knowledge of how… Continue reading Irina Morozova’s inspiring words flow through a lesson with an adult student (Beethoven’s Fur Elise-in-progress) Video

arioso 7, blog, blogging, blogging about piano, blogs about piano, Classical era, classical music, classical period piano music, Classical sonatina, classissima, classissima.com, classisssima.com, Clementi Sonatina in C Op. 36 no. 1, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano instruction, fingering and phrasing at the piano, fingering and piano technique, Fresno CA, Fresno California, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, keyboard technique, MTAC, music and heart, music and the breath, musical phrasing, Muzio Clementi, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano blog, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano playing and the singing tone, piano practicing, piano teacher, piano technique, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, playing the piano with a singing tone, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Lesson: The challenge of playing a slow movement

I chose Muzio Clementi's popular Sonatina in C, Op. 36, No. 1 to flesh out the contrasting middle movement designated ANDANTE by the composer. It's definitely a challenge to play just 6 lines of music with beauty and finesse. As a start, the player is exposed to realizing rolling triplet 8th-notes in the left hand… Continue reading Piano Lesson: The challenge of playing a slow movement

"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

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

"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 afire. Extinguished by the revisit of Eb Major punctuations, the music drifts off by authentic… Continue reading Burgmuller’s “The Return”–like a light opera, with interspersed drama (videos)

keyboard technique, mind body connection, MTAC, music and heart, music teachers association of california, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano practicing, piano studio, piano teacher, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, technique, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Playing: How Anticipation can trip you up and what you can do about it. (Video)

Anticipation and its adverse influence on piano playing affect nearly every pianist regardless of level. It's a form of mind-wandering where the player's focus shifts from the here and now to musical events that will take place measures, if not phrases or even pages away. As a metaphor, imagine eating lunch but thinking ahead to… Continue reading Piano Playing: How Anticipation can trip you up and what you can do about it. (Video)

keyboard technique, long distance piano teaching, mental imagery, mind body connection, MTAC, muscular memory, music, music and heart, music and the breath, music teachers associationo of California, music theory, music video, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, New York City, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pentachords, pentascales, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano technique, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, skyped piano lessons, Skyping piano lessons, slow piano practicing, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway studio upright, summer piano lessons, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano scales, teaching scales, technique, Theory, uk-piano-forums, video uploading, videotaped replay, virtual piano lessons, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Skyped Piano Lessons: Using video supplements as reinforcement (Video sent to an 8-year old student)

Today I Skyped a third piano lesson between California and Oregon, and learned that the student I was mentoring was not 10-years old as I had thought all along, but only 8! Dad told me she had 10 months of lessons altogether, wherein I became involved only weeks ago at the father's invitation. But the… Continue reading Skyped Piano Lessons: Using video supplements as reinforcement (Video sent to an 8-year old student)

Bay area, blog, blogger, blogging, California, Chopin, Chopin Waltz, Chopin Waltz in A minor, Creative Fresno, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Facebook, Fresno California, keyboard technique, long distance piano teaching, memorizing piano music, mind body connection, MTAC, muscular memory, music, music and heart, music and the breath, music teachers association of california, music video, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, New York, New York City, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, piano tutorial, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, skyped piano lessons, Skyping piano lessons, slow piano practicing, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, uk-piano-forums, video uploading, virtual piano lessons, virtual piano teaching, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Between California and Oregon: Skyping Chopin with an eight-year old student (Video of lesson in progress)

At the cue of a SKYPE musical trademark ring, I tapped the green-colored phone icon and brought an eight-year old, her dad, and a grand piano into view. A second virtual lesson beamed between California and Oregon officially began! Featured composition: Chopin's Waltz in A minor, no. 17, Op. Posthumous. This time I aimed my… Continue reading Between California and Oregon: Skyping Chopin with an eight-year old student (Video of lesson in progress)

blog, blogger, blogging, Classical era, classical music, Classical period sonata, Classical sonatina, classissima, classissima.com, Clementi Sonatina Op. 36, Clementi Sonatina Op. 36 no. 3, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno, Fresno California, keyboard technique, long distance piano teaching, mind body connection, MTAC, muscular memory, music and heart, music and the breath, music memorization, music teachers associationo of California, music theory, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, phrasing at the piano, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano tutorial, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, singing tone legato, slow piano practicing, sonatina, Teach Street, teaching piano, uk-piano-forums, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Instruction: Common student problems related to playing Clementi Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 3, Spiritoso (Video)

The student I'm currently teaching by Skype has received a number of supplemental videos from me that target problems universal to those learning Clementi Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 3. In this video, geared for teachers as well as students, I define areas in the first movement, Spiritoso, that need particular focus for improvement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_q_vUSLIDI As… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Common student problems related to playing Clementi Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 3, Spiritoso (Video)

authorsden, blog, blogger, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno California, Internet, keyboard technique, long distance piano teaching, mental imagery, mind body connection, MTAC, muscular memory, music and heart, music and the breath, music teachers association of california, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, playing piano, Schumann Arabesque, Schumann Arabesque Op. 18, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, Skyping piano lessons, teaching the Schumann Arabesque Op. 18, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

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

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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPqrQJccLQ4 Though the composition is in C Major, it has interludes in the minor, that are somber and impassioned.… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Schumann Arabesque, Op. 18-Using a supple wrist follow through motion, and parceling out voices (Video)