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 eras) Starting a composition is often taken for granted. Sometimes students will land on a… Continue reading Piano Practicing: Breathing into phrases and blocking out passages (Mozart Sonata, example)
Category: skyped piano lessons
The C Major Scale universe: metric and muscle memory; shaping and tapering
The C Major scale is more than meets the "I," if you're the one practicing it!
Excerpts from a SKYPED Piano Lesson to Greece
In these video segments, the student is practicing Sonatina in C, OP. 36, No. 3, first and last movements: http://youtu.be/YiYWSGV72g4 http://youtu.be/jCa8lA11jrk These replays can be very helpful for the student, who is sent copies of his lesson-in-progress. *** http://youtu.be/G-rrgFN1ois http://youtu.be/s2CcWoFipaU
Piano Instruction: Clementi Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 3 (parts 1 and 2) and a Skyped lesson-in-progress recorded by camcorder
Supplements to Skyped lessons come in two forms. I will either send an unlisted mid-week video to a long-distance learner as a brush-up, or I'll upload public videos that can be universally shared. Both help me crystallize how I will phrase a composition and teach it. The student, in an interactive role, feeds me ideas… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Clementi Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 3 (parts 1 and 2) and a Skyped lesson-in-progress recorded by camcorder
Online Piano Lessons by Webcam: Pros and Cons (Videos)
I'm not about to pitch web-cam driven piano instruction like a CD package promoter of Piano Playing in a Flash. Learning piano is not in the espresso lane. It takes time, patience, and practice. The question is, can a student gain as much from Online piano study vs. "live" in-person lessons. For decades I was… Continue reading Online Piano Lessons by Webcam: Pros and Cons (Videos)
The value of sending video supplements to students between piano lessons
Since I'm in the swing of You Tubing, it's not a stretch to whip up post-lesson videos to send to students for mid-week reinforcement. In this instance, one of my new SKYPE pupils will benefit from a video that carefully explores the singing tone, as well as arm, wrist, hand choreography, since these are fundamental… Continue reading The value of sending video supplements to students between piano lessons
Part Six Piano Instruction, Beethoven’s “Tempest” Sonata No. 17, Op. 31 No. 2 and all FIVE teaching segments preceding
In order from Part One to Six: I. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd-lC_JeNS0 II. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9VNsvfyNtE III. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntQ4fJ-Swlg IV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fargqHQiJfk V. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd52itE4aAQ VI. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwQzBpWJWqs LINKS: Part ONE: Beethoven Tempest Sonata in D minor https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/practicing-tips-for-beethovens-tempest-sonata-op-31-no-2-part-one-video/ Part TWO Instruction https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/piano-instuction-part-two-beethovens-tempest-sonata-hand-cross-over-with-tremolo-in-the-middle-voice/ Part THREE Instruction https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/piano-instruction-part-three-beethoven-tempest-sonata-in-d-minor-op-31-no-2/ Part FOUR Instruction https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/piano-instruction-part-four-beethovens-tempest-sonata-in-d-minor-op-31-no-2-measures-55-93/ Part FIVE Instruction https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/piano-instruction-part-five-beethovens-tempest-sonata-op-31-no-2-measures-93-to-158-development-recitative-submerged-pedal/ PART SIX, referenced in You Tube format http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwQzBpWJWqs
More and more “piano” students are going Digital. Is it a good idea?
It's sad but true that a glut of former piano buyers who would have considered piano lessons for their children at age 7 or so, have made the choice to invest in a DIGITAL. (known as a DP) Of further testimony to the culture's relatively new fixation on electronic piano technology, are the 35,000 plus… Continue reading More and more “piano” students are going Digital. Is it a good idea?
J.S. Bach Fugue/Piano Lesson in Progress, (BWV 847 in C minor) plus Aiden Cat begs for affection, feeling left out (Videos)
Claudia, 11, continued practicing Bach's Fugue in C minor, (Well-Tempered Clavier) following a break for the Baroque Festival. We had intensified study of the Prelude in preparation for this event. For today's lesson, our work encompassed the Fugue opening through measure 20. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W55yctLJcWw The manuscript below incorporates the theoretical mapping of Jose Rodriguez Alvira http://www.teoria.com/articulos/analysis/BWV847/index.htm… Continue reading J.S. Bach Fugue/Piano Lesson in Progress, (BWV 847 in C minor) plus Aiden Cat begs for affection, feeling left out (Videos)
A Skyped supplement to piano lessons (Video)
Here's an example of a Bay area student taking a Skyped piano lesson to supplement her regular weekly meetings with me. These work well, particularly if a pupil has to catch up from a vacation period absence, or needs reinforcement of technique, and/or an added revisit of a piece in progress. In this segment, the… Continue reading A Skyped supplement to piano lessons (Video)