Category: Romantic music

"Butterfly" by Grieg, classissima, classissima.com, Edvard Grieg, emotion in music, emotional meaning of music, Grieg Lyric Pieces, muscular memory, music, music and heart, music and the breath, musical inspiration, musical phrasing, musical phrasing and breathing, nature and music, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano repertoire, piano technique, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Romantic era music, Romantic music, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, Steinway M grand piano, Teach Street, teaching piano, technique, tempo rubato, The art of phrasing at the piano, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Technique: “Butterfly” by Grieg, a revisit (playing and exploring the rolling, rotational motion) videos

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I can see the butterfly in my mind's eye in its flight of fancy. But I wish it were as easy to play, as to imagine. Relaxation is the key word here, but not to the point that the 16th-notes become like glissandi--a faint gloss over the keys. First in slow practice tempo you would… Continue reading Piano Technique: “Butterfly” by Grieg, a revisit (playing and exploring the rolling, rotational motion) videos

Chopin Waltz Op. 64 no. 1, Cyprien Katsaris, Masterclass Media Foundation, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, music, music and heart, phrasing at the piano, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano masterclass, piano masterclasses, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano student, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano to children, The art of phrasing at the piano, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

A Little Dog Chasing its Tail: Cyprien Katsaris celebrates Chopin in this inspired Masterclass (Waltz, Op. 64 no. 1)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Cyprien Katsaris is a teacher's teacher and pianist's pianist. His prowess is on full display in a masterclass with a young girl who plays the Chopin Waltz, op. 64 no. 1. (Kudos to the Masterclass Media Foundation for adding this gem to its roster) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUqLjdy4cO4 Like Boris Berman, Katsaris has a unique talent for transforming… Continue reading A Little Dog Chasing its Tail: Cyprien Katsaris celebrates Chopin in this inspired Masterclass (Waltz, Op. 64 no. 1)

Chopin, Chopin Waltz in A minor, Chopin Waltz no. 19 in A Minor op. posthumous, Chopin Waltzes, classissima, classissima.com, mindful piano practicing, mindful practicing, molto cantabile, muscular memory, music, music and heart, music and the breath, musical cat, pedaling at the piano, phrasing at the piano, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano repertoire, piano student, piano teacher, piano teaching, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, piano tutorial, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Skype, skyped piano lessons, Skyping piano lessons, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, teaching a piano student about melody, teaching piano, teaching piano to adult students, technique, tempo rubato, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano pedaling, the art of piano playing, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

SKYPING Chopin: sculpting phrases with relaxed arms and supple wrists in the Waltz no. 19 in A minor, Op. Posthum. (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Aside from the prelude to this transmission having been launched by Aiden Cat, most of yesterday's lesson was noteworthy for its focus on phrasing the Chopin Waltz No. 19 in A minor, Op. Posthumous. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epBXjDqFVaA Between California and Australia A new Logitech camera provided an astonishing over the shoulder view of "Daniel" seated at his… Continue reading SKYPING Chopin: sculpting phrases with relaxed arms and supple wrists in the Waltz no. 19 in A minor, Op. Posthum. (Videos)

piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano student, piano teacher, piano teaching, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, sight-reading at the piano, sight-singing, sight-singing, sightreading at the piano, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano to children, word press, wordpress.com

Sight-reading is an appetizer to main course detailed practicing

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I've often met very skilled sight-readers who were not necessarily adept at playing their assigned pieces smoothly with good fingering and well shaped phrases. It's because they viewed the first "read through" as a primary goal. They had gotten so used to a superficial overview of a piece, that to go to the next step,… Continue reading Sight-reading is an appetizer to main course detailed practicing

Chopin Waltz in c# minor Op. 64 no.2, Chopin Waltzes, classissima, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, mindful practicing, muscular memory, musical phrasing, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano teacher, piano teaching, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, uk-piano-forums, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Rolling arm movements and videotaped slow motion replay of Chopin’s Waltz in C# minor, piu mosso section

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I demonstrate a swing or roll of the arms to realize the circular flow of the piu mosso section of Chopin's Waltz in C# minor, Op. 64, no 2. At the end, I add slow motion frames. Needless to say a state of relaxation is desirable to achieve Oneness with the piano. Mindful practicing and… Continue reading Rolling arm movements and videotaped slow motion replay of Chopin’s Waltz in C# minor, piu mosso section

blog, blogger, blogging, Chopin Waltz, Chopin Waltz in A minor, Chopin Waltz in A minor no. 10 Op. posthumous, phrasing at the piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano repertoire, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, piano tutorial, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, whole body listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Technique: Spot Practicing a nagging E Major Arpeggio in Chopin’s Waltz No. 19 in A minor, Measures 21-24 (video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Two of my students are studying this Waltz in A minor No. 19, and both have difficulty navigating the E Major Arpeggio, measures 21-24 with its eventual resolution to the A minor tonic. I don't believe playing this arpeggio smoothly has anything to do with hand size or physical stature of either student. One is… Continue reading Piano Technique: Spot Practicing a nagging E Major Arpeggio in Chopin’s Waltz No. 19 in A minor, Measures 21-24 (video)

blog, blogger, blogging, Chopin, Chopin Prelude in B minor op. 28, Chopin Preludes, Chopin Preludes Op. 28, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Lesson: Chopin Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 (Video) and playing through

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

This is a very funereal composition, with a sighing if not sobbing right hand motif that permeates the musical mosaic. The left hand has a cello line that provides the solo melodic thread in the course of the Prelude, though a few brief measures in the right hand should be fleshed out. I highlight these… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Chopin Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 (Video) and playing through

"Of Foreign Lands and Peoples" by Schumann, California, classissima, classissima.com, Creative Fresno, creative learning environment, Fresno, Fresno California, mind body connection, MTAC, muscular memory, music and heart, music teachers association of california, music video, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano society, Piano Street, piano studio, piano teacher, piano tutorial, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Robert Schumann, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Schumann, Schumann Kinderszenen, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, Steinway and Sons, Steinway grand piano, Steinway M grand piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, uk-piano-forums, videotaped replay, whole body music listening, word press, you tube, you tube video

Piano Practicing: Re-doing and Refining

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Studying piano, playing through the great piano literature, requires revisiting, re-doing and refining our work. This undertaking should not carry a value judgment that what preceded was poor or inadequate. Those adjectives do not belong to the process of learning. After all, we do not fault babies for crawling before walking because we realize it's… Continue reading Piano Practicing: Re-doing and Refining

blog, blogger, blogging, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, Fresno, Fresno California, Internet, keyboard technique, Major and minor scales, mind body connection, MTAC, muscular memory, music history, music teachers association of california, music theory, New York City, New York City High School of Performing Arts, Oberlin, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano practicing, piano repertoire, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, piano technique, Piano World, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Robert Schumann, Romantic era music, Romantic music, scale fingerings, scales, self-analysis, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, sports, Steinway M grand piano, Steinway piano, talkclassical.com, Teach Street, teaching piano, teaching piano scales, video performances, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Technique and Weight Control: Bringing out and balancing voices (Video) Teacher, Shirley Kirsten

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCck4ZFNeQI When students do routine scales and arpeggios as warm-ups to their tour de force pieces, I like to spice things up a bit by playing around with voicing and weight control. (Yes, you heard me right) I'll surprise them by asking for the Left hand notes to be fleshed out, while the Right ones… Continue reading Piano Technique and Weight Control: Bringing out and balancing voices (Video) Teacher, Shirley Kirsten

authorsden, blog, blogger, blogging, California, Chopin, Chopin Waltz in A minor, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito, El Cerrito California, El Cerrito piano studio, flexible tempo, Fresno California, harmonic analysis, keyboard technique, MTAC, music, music and heart, music teachers association of california, New York City High School of Performing Arts, New York University, Oberlin Conservatory, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano repertoire, Piano Street, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teaching repertoire, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, publishersmarketplace.com, Romantic era music, Romantic music, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, teaching piano scales, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Instruction: Using the wrist to taper phrases

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I've always believed that it's not enough to rely on fingers, or finger action alone, to play the piano expressively. For me, enlisting the wrist, and rolling into notes, especially those that are shaped down at the conclusion of phrases are recommended. In the attached video, I compare the progression of shorter notes to a… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Using the wrist to taper phrases