Category: pianist

duet playing for piano, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano teaching, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Lessons: The Joy and Value of playing duets (Fritz, 8, shines in duo)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Most primer instructional materials and those beyond the elementary level integrate duet playing opportunities which are pivotal to pianistic development. They help reinforce a buoyant pulse, and imbue sensitivity to balance between primo (treble) and secondo parts. Naturally, dynamics, nuance and phrasing influence a finessed reading between partners, so the experience becomes one of artistic… Continue reading Piano Lessons: The Joy and Value of playing duets (Fritz, 8, shines in duo)

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Piano Lesson: Analyzing/playing Bach Invention in D minor, No. 4, BWV 775 in slow tempo (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

In J.S. Bach's Two-part Inventions both voices overlap and imitate each other creating counterpoint. The SUBJECT of no. 4 contains a d-minor Harmonic form scale whose 6th note, B flat does NOT continue in an upward motion to the leading tone, C# or 7th note, but instead, the C# is displaced down to the lower… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Analyzing/playing Bach Invention in D minor, No. 4, BWV 775 in slow tempo (Videos)

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Beethoven’s Fur Elise with orchestra? or without (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

During the night, I stumbled upon a piano solo with orchestra arrangement of "Fur Elise" that included a set of nuanced special effects. First, the pianist, nonchalantly flowed into the first theme to a stream applause, reminding me of the time I played this same piece without embellishment in the dining hall of Fig Garden… Continue reading Beethoven’s Fur Elise with orchestra? or without (Videos)

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The Art of Piano Pedaling: Filming Fur Elise down below (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I decided to take a nose dive with my iMac desk top and place it way down by my feet because today an adult student continued her IN DEPTH study of legato pedaling. She was specifically practicing the C section of Beethoven's "Fur Elise," that I coin, the "stormy" part. (It has the tremolo, and… Continue reading The Art of Piano Pedaling: Filming Fur Elise down below (Videos)

"Tales of a Musical Journey" by Irina Gorin, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Lesson: Rina 5, shuffles rhythms on the music rack and practices Minuet by Reinagle

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Rina has completed 6 months of piano study. During this time, Tales of a Musical Journey by Irina Gorin has nicely framed our collective learning process. (The singing tone is the underpinning of this instruction and how to produce it) In the first video, you will note our rhythm shuffling and clapping. Rina sets the… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Rina 5, shuffles rhythms on the music rack and practices Minuet by Reinagle

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Piano Technique: Here come the crossed hands in Mozart Sonata in A Major, K. 331 (Variation 4) Videos

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Breathe a sigh of relief if you've managed to brave the difficult parallel octaves in forte legato! (Variation 3) Mozart is not done. He challenges you in Variation 4 with left-hand-over-right maneuvers. So be ready to relax your wrists and arms. Otherwise, you're in for a bumpy ride. Count your blessings that Domenico Scarlatti had… Continue reading Piano Technique: Here come the crossed hands in Mozart Sonata in A Major, K. 331 (Variation 4) Videos

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Grammy award winner Murray Perahia shines at Zellerbach Hall! Encore, Schubert Impromptu Op. 90 in Eb in two “live” performances (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Murray Perahia, Poet of the Piano Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley is a regular stop for Murray Perahia, who happens to be my former classmate at the New York City High School of Performing Arts (The "FAME I wanna live forever school"). I've already reminisced about "P.A." and Murray's inspiring musical presence: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/murray-perahia-pianist-is-in-a-league-of-his-own-videos/ For those of… Continue reading Grammy award winner Murray Perahia shines at Zellerbach Hall! Encore, Schubert Impromptu Op. 90 in Eb in two “live” performances (Videos)

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Piano Technique: playing parallel octaves in LEGATO (Video and score attached) OPINIONS from 3 pianists

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

It just so happens that Mozart's Variation 3 of his Sonata in A Major, K. 331, presents the challenge of playing parallel octaves in LEGATO (smooth and connected) And to make the task even more complex, the composer uses the A minor tonality, with F# and G# inserted into the passage fleshing out the MELODIC… Continue reading Piano Technique: playing parallel octaves in LEGATO (Video and score attached) OPINIONS from 3 pianists

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Music Works: An El Cerrito Mom and Pop Charmer is worth a visit

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

A quaint music shop with decorative window dressing caught my eye during a walk from Del Norte Bart to a Mosier Avenue copy center. A red wooden treble clef, like the swirl of a barber shop icon, wooed me across the street for a closer look. My curiosity was rewarded by reams of ukeleles hanging… Continue reading Music Works: An El Cerrito Mom and Pop Charmer is worth a visit

Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano arpeggios, piano lesson, piano scales, piano teaching, piano technique, playing piano, practicing piano, rolling forward wrist motions in piano playing, Shirley Kirsten, teaching piano to adult students, teaching piano to adults, undulating wrist in piano playing

Piano Technique: An adult student works on rolling forward wrist motions in Two, Three, and Six-note groupings (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

This particular student has come a long way in the six years we've worked together, and as always been the case, I've probably learned more from her than in reverse. From my second piano, I can gaze over at my pupil sitting at the grand and grasp a whole body in-motion perspective of her playing.… Continue reading Piano Technique: An adult student works on rolling forward wrist motions in Two, Three, and Six-note groupings (Video)