Category Archives: the art of piano pedaling

Into the Hills with the Sound of Music –a Baldwin Acrosonic “acoustic” sings

Posted on March 5, 2013 by

The video attached to this writing validates the beauty of music-making on a well-maintained, though 1940s vintage era acoustic piano. Baldwin Acrosonics were the Cadillacs of the spinet and console variety pianos. They had a noticeable innovation compared to their … Continue reading →

Posted in Baldwin Acrosonic piano, Chopin, Chopin pedaling, Chopin Waltz in A minor no. 19, classissima, classissima.com, El Cerrito California, pedaling at the piano, phrasing at the piano, piano addict, piano blogging, piano blogs, piano instrruction, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessons in Berkeley California, piano lessons in El Cerrito California, piano studio, piano studio in El Cerrito, piano teachers, piano technique, piano technique and breathing, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, shirley kirsten pianist, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, Shirley Smth Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, slow piano practicing, studying piano, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano pedaling, The El Cerrito Hills, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube video, you tube.com, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 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 →

Posted in J. C. Bach Prelude in A Minor, J.C. Bach, Major minor and diminished chords, musical phrasing, musical phrasing and breathing, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano learning, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano pedagogy, piano playing, piano regulation, piano studio, piano studio in El Cerrito, piano study, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano tutorial, Piano World, piano world-wide, pianoaddict.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing pentascales, playing piano, playing the piano, playing the piano with a singing tone, POWHOW, POWHOW instruction, practicing piano, publishers marketplace, publishersmarketplace, repertoire for piano students, rolling forward wrist motions in piano playing, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Kirsten on POWHOW, shirley kirsten on POWHOW webcam piano class, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, studying piano, teaching piano, teaching piano to adults, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano pedaling, Theory, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press.com, wordpress, you tube video, yout tube, youtube.com | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Art of Piano Pedaling: Filming Fur Elise down below (Videos)

Posted on March 24, 2012 by

I decided to take a nose dive with my iMac desk top and place it way down by my feet because today an adult student continued her IN DEPTH study of legato pedaling. She was specifically practicing the C section … Continue reading →

Posted in legato pedaling, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano lessons, playing piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, teaching piano, the art of piano pedaling, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Piano Technique: The big hand/little hand controversy (Videos)

Posted on March 23, 2012 by

I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked the same question by either parents, or people I meet on Amtrak. It’s about “piano fingers,” “hand size,” and the best physiological fit for the keyboard. Next in line are queries … Continue reading →

Posted in alica delarrocha, Artur Rubinstein, Daniel Barenboim, pianists with big hands, pianists with little hands, Shirley Smith Kirsten, teaching piano, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano pedaling, the art of piano playing, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Bonus post-concert Video Footage: Daniil Trifonov Interview, Fresno, California

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Andreas Werz, classissima, classissima.com, Daniil Trifonov, Daniil Trifonov piano recital in Fresno California, Fresno State Recital Hall, Fresno State University, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Philip Lorenz Memorial Keyboard Concerts, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano blog, piano playing, Piano Street, Piano World, piano world-wide, practicing a piece in 7 different emotions, practicing piano with relaxation, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, supple wrist in piano playing, teaching piano to adults, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano pedaling, The Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv, whole body music listening, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Playing through Chopin’s B minor Waltz with its sighing motif (Video commentary)

Posted on February 2, 2012 by

Last night I sat myself down at my imperfectly regulated Steinway M grand and managed to sigh several times through torrents of phrases crafted by design and inspiration to tug at the heartstrings. And in the video below, I journeyed … Continue reading →

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Cyprien Katsaris Masterclass: Chopin’s Fantasie-Impromptu (Video)

Posted on December 8, 2011 by

More of the gift that keeps on giving: A wonderful approach using mental imagery and pinpointed practice techniques. Katsaris has the single-minded patience to work with the student on the physical aspects of playing that realize better phrasing and nuance. … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, blogs about piano, Chopin, Chopin Fantasie-Impromptu in C# minor, classissima.com, Cyprien Katsaris, Cyprien Katsaris Masterclass, Frederic Chopin, piano teaching, piano technique, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, teaching a piano student about melody, teaching piano, teaching piano to children, The art of phrasing at the piano, the art of piano pedaling, you tube, you tube video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment