Category Archives: pentachords

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

Posted on July 22, 2011 by

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in 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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Music Theory and Piano Study: It doesn’t have to be drudgery

Posted on March 26, 2011 by

Music Theory doesn’t have to be drudgery If I turn the clock back to my early days as a piano student, I can say without a doubt that I absolutely HATED “Music Theory” or anything remotely related to it. And … Continue reading →

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More trills, but bucolic and serene: Scarlatti’s d minor “pastorale” K. 9 (VIDEO)

Posted on February 27, 2011 by

Domenico Scarlatti Sonata K. 9 in d minor (the “pastorale”) The trills in K. 9 are far different than those permeating Scarlatti’s sonata K. 159 in C Major. The latter has a robust horn call opening with a lavish assortment … Continue reading →

Posted in Baroque trills, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Elaine Comparone, essercizi, Facebook, Frederic Chopin, Fresno, Fresno California, Juilliard, keyboard technique, memoir, mind body connection, music, music and heart, music appreciation classes, music history, Music Teachers Asssociation of California, my space, New York, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pentachords, performance anxiety, piano, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano scales, piano society, Piano Street, piano student, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, scales, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, Steinway studio upright, talkclassical.com, teaching scales, the natural minor scale, trills, uk-piano-forums, video performances, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Adult piano students say and do the darndest things.

Posted on February 24, 2011 by

I remember Art Linkletter’s show, “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” which made me think of a few adult piano students and their hauntingly memorable words. Yesterday, for example, I was forewarned by a 70-year old pupil, that I should expect … Continue reading →

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The Big Baroque Festival!

Posted on February 20, 2011 by

I cleared most of my Saturday morning lessons so I could be on time for a special rehearsal at Fresno State. I took no chances given the steady rain these past few days that caused dangerously deep puddles along Shaw … Continue reading →

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Domenico Scarlatti Sonata in A, K. 113–in leaps and bounds

Posted on February 18, 2011 by

I can always use an extra pair of hands to navigate the Baroque composer’s technically challenging sonata It’s a real workout playing Domenico Scarlatti’s essercizi or sonatas. The impossible leaps, crossed hands, trills and syncopation that permeate the composer’s music … Continue reading →

Posted in arpeggios, Baroque music, California, camera tricks, classical music, counterpoint, Creative Fresno, Domenico Scarlatti, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, five finger positions, Fresno, Fresno California, harpsichord, humor, keyboard technique, mind body connection, MTAC, music, music and heart, music teachers association of california, Music Teachers Asssociation of California, musicology, my space, New York, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Northwest Fresno, Oberlin Conservatory, ornaments, pentachords, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano lesson, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano student, piano teacher, piano technique, piano tutorial, piano warm-ups, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Rondo form, talkclassical.com, technique, uk-piano-forums, video performances, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Why Play Scales?

Posted on February 8, 2011 by

Scale practicing examples: *** The Backdrop: As a young piano student living in New York City, I remember my reluctance to prepare a mandatory scale each week for my lesson. In fact my first teacher had so many students, she … Continue reading →

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