Category: pianoaddict.com

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Piano Technique: Practicing a difficult section in Beethoven’s Sonata Pathetique, Op. 13, movement 1 (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Some piano teachers prefer to improve a student's technique by selecting difficult passages from the mainstream piano literature rather than assign a load of scales, arpeggios and chords that journey around the Circle of Fifths. I still believe the best foundation upon which to build a solid understanding of the piano repertoire is by studying… Continue reading Piano Technique: Practicing a difficult section in Beethoven’s Sonata Pathetique, Op. 13, movement 1 (Video)

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Profile of a courageous adult piano student (with a video out-take)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I'm fortunate to be working with five adult students who love the piano and its repertoire. Their enthusiasm is at high volume--keeping the live wire connection between student and teacher bristling with energy. Regardless of busy work schedules, they still manage to connect with the piano often enough to make lessons worthwhile. I met Michael,… Continue reading Profile of a courageous adult piano student (with a video out-take)

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More on boosting the Left Hand in piano playing

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

In poring over my library of blogs, with October, 2010 as their anniversary date, I found this one from May, 2011, with an embedded video that explored more ways to weigh in with the Left Hand. https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/piano-technique-and-weight-control-bringing-out-and-balancing-voices-video-teacher-shirley-kirsten/ A recent comment by a visitor on the subject of Left Hand enhancement, enlivened the discussion and synched… Continue reading More on boosting the Left Hand in piano playing

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Piano Technique: Boosting the Left Hand (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I'm always in awe of pianists whose left hand is equal to the right hand in dexterity, expression, power and reliability. It's the switch hitter thing that's mind-boggling as it also applies to sports. Creaming a ball and sending it into the bleachers from either side of the plate is no small wonder. Mickey Mantle… Continue reading Piano Technique: Boosting the Left Hand (Video)

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Emotion and Meaning in Music with examples from Beethoven’s piano works (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

As I thumbed through a soft cover copy of Leonard B. Meyer's Emotion and Meaning in Music, a book required for an elective course I took at the City University of New York, I became thoroughly confused by the author's eclectic vocabulary of "absolute music," "theories of continuation," "tonal organization" and the rest. Yet, I… Continue reading Emotion and Meaning in Music with examples from Beethoven’s piano works (Videos)

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Revisiting Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata, movement 1, “quasi una fantasia,” and comparing You Tube performances

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGJ_4CS_c4M I continuously revisit compositions for a new perspective and in this endeavor, I usually check out You Tube performances of celebrated pianists. The "Moonlight Sonata," first movement is a piece that many students set their sights to play. On the surface the composition appears to be within musical and technical reach, but it's a… Continue reading Revisiting Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata, movement 1, “quasi una fantasia,” and comparing You Tube performances

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Rina, 4, brings a toy piano to her lesson; creates her own rhythm; and learns A and B; (7th week of instruction using Tales of a Musical Journey) 5 videos

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Rina surprised me by bringing her precious mini-purple plastic piano that played a salsa rhythm style piece with very fast notes. It was gratifying to watch her spontaneously point to the "big" and "little houses" on her tiny keyboard that comprise "neighborhoods" or "octaves" in Tales of a Musical Journey. This preceded her relaxation movements… Continue reading Rina, 4, brings a toy piano to her lesson; creates her own rhythm; and learns A and B; (7th week of instruction using Tales of a Musical Journey) 5 videos

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Piano Instruction: Going outside the method book track

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Method books on the commercial market have a certain lure because they attempt to conveniently package a set of step-by-step lesson goals through approximately six books that are divided into Lesson, Performance and Theory. A teacher can also choose Technique and Artistry to add to the mix. The basic program outlined in brochures includes branch-offs… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Going outside the method book track

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Piano Technique: “Hopping” in thirds (staccato)–excerpts from two lessons (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Ilyana, 8 and her sister Albertina, 12, explored "hopping" in consecutive thirds at their lessons. (Dozen a Day, Book I, no. 3) They enlisted a spring forward wrist, and tapered the end of a phrase with a swing out elbow motion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM3d3RYlUk8

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Piano Technique: Producing a beautiful singing tone using jello as an image

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

The following teaching video produced by Irina Gorin, confirmed my belief that a singing tone springs from the imagination along with a consciousness about the physical means to achieve it. On both accounts, Gorin succeeded in the company of a six-year old piano student. The transformation of his C scale from a vertical, poked out… Continue reading Piano Technique: Producing a beautiful singing tone using jello as an image