Category Archives: playing the piano

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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The C Major Scale universe: metric and muscle memory; shaping and tapering

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

The C Major scale is more than meets the “I,” if you’re the one practicing it! Continue reading →

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Playing Bach on the piano: pedal or no pedal

Posted on December 10, 2012 by

Decisions, decisions about whether to pedal through Bach’s ethereal Prelude no. 1 in C Major,
BWV 846 (The Well-Tempered Clavier) Continue reading →

Posted in Andras Schiff, Bach Prelude in C BWV 846, Elaine Comparone, Harpsichord Unlimited, Harpsichord.org, piano, playing Bach with pedal, playing Bach without pedal, playing the piano, The Well Tempered Clavier, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Using piano repertoire as a springboard for a theory lesson: Major, minor and Diminished Chords (Videos)

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

One of my adult students is working on the gorgeous J.C. Bach Prelude in A minor which has a second page full of “Major,” “Minor” and “Diminished” chords. The sonorities progress in sequences, but they also have a secondary dominant … Continue reading →

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Piano Technique: Focusing on Rotation in arpeggios, and building up a scale (Videos)

Posted on May 27, 2012 by

These are two supplementary videos that I created for adult students between lessons. As previously mentioned, they clarify and reinforce the content of our class, and map out ways to practice. I. ROTATION at the turnaround of a B minor … Continue reading →

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Growing piano technique in baby steps: Rina, 5, advances to hands together five-finger positions (adding in 10ths)

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

Rina may not know the words “pentascales” and “tenths,” but she has the intelligence to notice when her fingers move up and down together, playing the same notes an “octave” apart. With a sound knowledge of the music alphabet in … Continue reading →

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Teaching piano to Rina, 5, with a supplementary video for mom that outlines our lesson plan and goals

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

Rina’s mother attends her daughter’s lessons, takes notes, and receives a follow-up assignment. Today, I sent her a video that summarized what we had accomplished yesterday along with a goal-setting outline. *** The child has been working on her legato … Continue reading →

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