Category Archives: piano student

Student: “I get so nervous when I play for you!” The Teacher responds!

Posted on March 18, 2017 by

As mentors, we can easily recall our student days when well-practiced pieces tanked upon arrival at our piano teacher’s home. Even ascending the staircase to the threshold of the apartment, our heart rate quickened, and we felt cold, clammy and … Continue reading →

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Piano Practicing: Breathing into phrases and blocking out passages (Mozart Sonata, example)

Posted on July 20, 2013 by

I’ve picked the first two pages of Mozart’s Sonata in Bb Major, K. 281, last movement, Rondeau, Allegro to explore breathing and blocking techniques in the learning process. (These principles can be applied to practicing music from a variety of … Continue reading →

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“Flamenco” by Gillock is a winner! (Intermediate Level piano repertoire)

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

Over the years, Gillock’s music has sparked the enthusiasm of piano students who sometimes need a kick start piece to lift them out of a rut. “Flamenco” can be such a game changer! For Fritz, age 9, who’s infatuated with … Continue reading →

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Piano Technique: A Bouncy Scale workout with forward arm rolls and supple wrist motions–Enjoy the romp! (Videos)

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

Scales can be a great workout routine if you let your arms loose, dip your pliant wrists and go with the flow. And it’s a great cardio. (No treadmill or weights required) Just apply principles of balance and buoyancy. Here … Continue reading →

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Piano lesson-in-progress: Shaping a solo for the right hand in Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” ( a “vocal” transition) Videos

Posted on April 21, 2012 by

Marie, an adult student practiced measures 32-40 of “Fur Elise,” enlisting the model of a singer who shapes and nuances phrases with meticulous breath control. While pianists are not operatic performers, they must imagine that their arms, wrists and fingers … Continue reading →

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Learning a new piano piece quickly and thoroughly (Videos)

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

I challenged myself to quickly learn the shortest Scarlatti sonata on record (K. 431 in G) and share the principles of developing this piece to a level of fluidity with interested students. Perhaps it would help them navigate a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Domenico Scarlatti, how to learn a new piano piece, learning a new piano piece, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano student, piano teacher, playing piano, Scarlatti sonata in G K. 431, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, teaching piano, video instruction, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video, yout tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quality spot-practicing by an adult student: Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” (Video)

Posted on April 14, 2012 by

Marie, a motivated adult student, revisited piano studies after a decades-long hiatus. When she resumed lessons about 6 years ago, she made “Fur Elise” her goal-setting piece. Following long-term scale and arpeggio exposure accompanied by a detailed focus on minuets, … Continue reading →

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