Category Archives: piano lessons

Beyond Leon Fleisher’s riveting words about pianists and vocal modeling

Posted on August 9, 2017 by

Pianist, Leon Fleisher has given us his notable artistry over decades, while his insights about practicing and teaching have been invaluable for a vast community of mentors and students. In his latest interview that coincided with the release of a … Continue reading →

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A Happy Day for a 9-yr. old piano student playing on her first recital

Posted on May 6, 2017 by

Maeve, aka “Liz” was welcomed into the universe of music sharing in the beautiful Oakland Hills of California. What better backdrop, cloaked in nature, as breezes wafted through branches, shaking out leaves in graceful patterns. The images, extracted from the … Continue reading →

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Phrasing at the Piano: Direction and Destination

Posted on October 17, 2016 by

Often I query my students about the “destination” and “direction” of phrases within a particular composition. Naturally, my questions are a reflection of a need to clarify what arrivals are significant in the transit of notes. Part of this exploration … Continue reading →

Posted in Chopin, Frederic Chopin, phrasing at the piano, piano, piano blog, piano blogging, piano instruction, piano lessons, Shirley Kirsten | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Piano Technique: Creating an illusion of legato

Posted on October 11, 2016 by

It’s a challenge to play scales, arpeggios, and passages lifted out of the mainstream Classical piano repertoire with a well-shaped and nicely spaced legato. (smooth and connected playing) But it can be more daunting to navigate particular sections of masterworks … Continue reading →

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Phrase variation and imagination

Posted on October 4, 2016 by

During a lesson today beamed to Scotland, my student presented an invaluable opportunity to explore phrase variants in Burgmuller’s “Tarentelle,” Op. 100, No. 20, with particular attention to imaginatively rendered mood shifts. This charming character piece has an abundance of … Continue reading →

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The Ingredients of beautiful phrasing

Posted on September 20, 2016 by

In the course of three piano lessons, spacing, shaping, voicing/balance, grouping, harmonic rhythm analysis, relaxed breathing, singing tone and pulse, etc. were resonating interdependently through beautiful phrases. And with the introduction of two minor scales as a springboard to the … Continue reading →

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A 9-year-old piano student devises a plan to improve her practicing

Posted on September 15, 2016 by

Into her seventh month of music study, Liz has more clearly defined her approach to practicing various pieces by devising a well-written outline of phrase-loving reminders. And though her vocabulary is an understandable offshoot of her teacher’s, with its emphasis … Continue reading →

Posted in piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano teaching, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments