A piano teacher can use the technique portion of a lesson to explore emotions or moods. The student can be instructed to play an arpeggio or scale in a tender way, or with "anger," "happiness," etc. I prefer this type of technique-framed mood exploration to an enlistment of Baroque, Classic or Romantic era repertoire for… Continue reading Piano Technique: Enlisting arpeggios to create mood shifts (Video)
Category: supple wrist in piano playing
Bonus post-concert Video Footage: Daniil Trifonov Interview, Fresno, California
In supplementary video footage, Trifonov discussed the role of "relaxation," and physical "freedom" in beautiful music-making. He reiterated a practicing modality where a pianist plays a composition in "seven different emotions." One of my adult students and her husband joined me during the post-recital interview that took place in the private Fresno State University music… Continue reading Bonus post-concert Video Footage: Daniil Trifonov Interview, Fresno, California
Piano Technique: Rina turns 5 and plays two-note Legato slurs (slow motion, soundless replays)
The Good News: Rina just celebrated her big FIFTH birthday, and bestowed a lovely portrait of herself draped in a smile over her precious piano. Thank You for the beautifully framed photo! *** OTHER: Today, technology failed me once again, but this time I outsmarted the devilish, on/off again iMac movie program. So what if… Continue reading Piano Technique: Rina turns 5 and plays two-note Legato slurs (slow motion, soundless replays)
When the piano teacher is absent between lessons, a You Tube video can fill in the gap (Fur Elise and chord voicing)
Lately, students have benefited from receiving supplemental video instruction during the interval between their weekly lessons. By videotaping parts of their sessions and uploading to You Tube, they can often make their daily practice time more efficient. Today, for example, I tilted my iMac so it focused on my piano, which is the Steinway upright… Continue reading When the piano teacher is absent between lessons, a You Tube video can fill in the gap (Fur Elise and chord voicing)
