Category Archives: piano lessons

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 →

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Piano Technique: Different Strokes for Different Folks

Posted on August 23, 2016 by

I’ve heard myself say a thousand times over, that each individual piano student deserves a custom designed plan of study. In essence, there’s no instructional METHOD fixed in perpetuity that will fit every musical traveler. In fact, with a diversity … Continue reading →

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The Piano Primer transition to early repertoire selection

Posted on July 12, 2016 by

Creative music mentors know innately that NO Primer Package with its sequence of red, blue, and purple levels, A, B, C etc. will meet the needs of most piano students. That’s because each pupil is an individual with unique talents, … Continue reading →

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The earliest steps in piano learning

Posted on April 5, 2016 by

The earliest dip into piano study includes many ingredients some of which are overlooked or minimized. When mentoring a young child of 6 or 7, or a beginning adult student, sensitivity to tone/touch seems very basic to making music, yet … Continue reading →

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When Upbeats have a new meaning and importance

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

For most piano students, an upbeat is considered a lighter springboard to a more predominant DOWN-beat, as if the UP in music should always be taken LIGHTLY. (except in Jazz framings where syncopations are characteristic of the genre.) *** We … Continue reading →

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The “upper arm roll” and undulating wrist in piano playing

Posted on March 5, 2016 by

Many piano teachers call the same physical approach to various passages by a different name. I find myself in harmony with author, teacher, composer, Seymour Bernstein when he demonstrates the “upper arm roll” in Part 4 of his recorded series, … Continue reading →

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