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The importance of Sight-singing, Ear-Training, and Theory in Piano Study

Theory and Ear-Training are indispensable ingredients of a well-rounded music education.

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Piano Lesson: An adult student continues her Beethoven “Fur Elise” learning process (Video)

These are excerpts from today's lesson where we covered: 1. Broken chord blocking; refreshing inversions of the Tonic as applied to practicing Fur Elise. 2. Voice balancing: fleshing out the treble (soprano) melody, on page 2 (F Major section) Using supple wrist and hand rotation; relaxation of arms. 3. C section--with repeated bass notes, alternating… Continue reading Piano Lesson: An adult student continues her Beethoven “Fur Elise” learning process (Video)

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Sight-reading is an appetizer to main course detailed practicing

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

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Sight-reading through two pieces: Putting myself in the hot seat! (Videos)

I vowed at some point to do a hands-on follow up to my sight-reading post, and tonight was my chosen time to brave the virgin territory of two compositions from "Anna Magdalena's Notebook," edited by Keith Snell. I randomly picked "Polonaise in G minor" BWV 119 (Anonymous) and another of the same form, BWV125 by… Continue reading Sight-reading through two pieces: Putting myself in the hot seat! (Videos)

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Piano Instruction: singing a melody to help shape it and then translate into physical motion (VIDEO)

In this videotaped example I explore the opening phrases of "Mazurka" by Maria Syzmanowska. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u13hfRsE_2U RELATED: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/piano-study-and-the-value-of-singing-against-a-cultural-backdrop-of-vocal-inhibition/

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Piano Instruction: Practicing the Schubert Impromptu in Gb, Op. 90 in Steps (4 videos)

It's obvious that I'm a novice at video editing now that I'm on my own, but I managed to put together 4 videos demonstrating a step-wise approach to practicing the Schubert Gb Major Impromptu. I parceled out voices beginning with the soprano (melody) and then continued to the bass and alto using blocking techniques. Fingering… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Practicing the Schubert Impromptu in Gb, Op. 90 in Steps (4 videos)