http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuAWQM4qK44 This is a fun romp through the keys of F# Major and minor with some diminished 7th and Dominant 7th arpeggios cruising across the keyboard in legato, followed by detached, "ping pong ball" rendered staccato. Parallel and contrary motion scales/arpeggios are a pianist's preliminary gymnastics. They're great for the warm-up phase of each practice… Continue reading Piano Gym routines with my 10 year old student
Category: ping pong balls
How to practice a G Major scale as a follow-up to C with an adult student example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXx3SEW81ps The last instructional video covered the C Major scale in depth, and identified symmetries between the hands, when practicing beyond the one octave level. https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/how-to-practice-a-parallel-motion-c-major-scale-and-by-example-g-d-a-e/ I pointed to the bridge of the C Major scale as the crossover into the next octave. The fingerings at this junction were mirrors for B, C, an D:… Continue reading How to practice a G Major scale as a follow-up to C with an adult student example
From Chords to Gym and Back: You Tube Video
This video tells all. It was one of my hair brained ideas to embed a trip to Bally's Gym in my piano tutorial on the subject of playing blocks of robust chords using upper body weight transfer -- energy streaming down the arms, through supple wrists into the fingers. Naturally, warming up on the Gravitron… Continue reading From Chords to Gym and Back: You Tube Video
Scales and Arpeggios with videotaped replay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji_7tJyJ9JQ I often think of piano technique as in the same league as sports. Why not? I practically grew up in the bleachers at Ebbets Field watching the Brooklyn Bums battle their adversaries. And not to forget that I was a tomboy who copied everything my big brother did. I even tried to break the… Continue reading Scales and Arpeggios with videotaped replay
A Piano Teacher’s Worst Nightmare!
In a routine Yahoo e mail search for a Kawai USA technician I had spoken with a year ago, I stumbled upon a document that I had drafted out of sheer desperation. It related to the decline of my sustain pedal which had been mercilessly pounded by a student who had serious impulse control problems.… Continue reading A Piano Teacher’s Worst Nightmare!
