Chopin and his love of opera

Don't be deceived by the title of a you tube produced documentary that was perhaps devised to draw a wider audience of viewers. Chopin and the Women Behind his Music explores in depth, the composer's tie to the opera, and how the vocal model permeates his compositions, whether they be in fast or slow tempo.…

The Big Piano Move!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV-I8xmQP5Y&feature=y http://youtu.be/zV-I8xmQP5Y Here she is on DISPLAY playing Chopin http://youtu.be/E9aZ9pVpPNk and Beethoven: http://youtu.be/hAB1_7jkJb8 *** Thank You once again to McCrea's AA Piano Moving http://www.mcpianomove.com LINK: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/a-piano-teachers-hodgepodge-life-with-its-ups-and-downs/

A Piano Teacher’s Hodgepodge Life with its ups and downs!

Today I was greeted by a rare Piano Ped. Forum Facebook post that celebrated a positive private teaching day. Teacher C. reported that all students had arrived on time for lessons, paid their fees pronto, and actually practiced. Bravo! Reams of peers LIKED the morsel of good tidings, except for one who JOKINGLY remarked, "Thanks…

Piano Study: Tempo shifts from Childhood to Adulthood

Turning back the clock to my early years as a piano student, I regarded ANDANTE as the slowest tempo marking in the musical universe. So did all my friends who foot dragged their pedal and stumbled through the doldrums of any piece that had the "A" for power down the pace and lower volume while…

Celebrating my 1000th Blog with BACH!

Enough blabber, Bach says it best. What a wondrous ongoing musical journey with so many kind and attentive readers. Thanks for all your support, comments and feedback. Onward! SK (Arioso7) http://youtu.be/yte9ugmpXyk http://youtu.be/UIOewMxAUZQ http://youtu.be/k1g1tr2a-WA http://youtu.be/TGE6MriJZ-Y http://youtu.be/jR2Frx5GKss

Piano Technique: Staying CONNECTED while playing staccato

I've picked the B Major Scale with 5 sharps distributed through double and triple black note sequence, to demonstrate wrist, forearm, and finger staccato. In these forays through detached notes, I emphasize how to stay "in touch" and not lose a basic connection to threads of notes. Many ingredients contribute to the creation of a…

Piano Instruction: C Major Scale Mapping

Most students think of C Major as the easiest scale around the BLOCK. But in fact, it's not nearly as patterned or symmetrical as the double and triple black note content scales, B, F# and C# Major (Or their equivalent in FLATS, Db, Gb and Cb) With the ebony laden ones, you can easily place…

Piano Technique Tips: Leaning toward the piano in contrary motion

One of my wise colleagues tipped me off about moving toward the piano when playing scales and arpeggios in contrary motion. After trying it, I integrated the leaning forward motion into my own practicing and naturally, it trickled down to my students in the lesson environment. Here's a demonstration using the E minor arpeggio in…

Adoption in the old piano universe

Today's good deed was my hands on effort to place a gorgeous sounding old upright in a deserving home. And judging by the attention this Emerson vintage piano eventually received after I played it for well past an hour at a Berkeley thrift store, there may be hope that an old veteran like this, can…

Piano Technique: How to organize and practice a Major scale in 6ths

I chose the Ab Major scale as my springboard for this demonstration. Its KEY SIGNATURE has the mnemonic BEAD (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) I recommend practicing the scale hands alone at first in its Root position to clarify fingering. Then by playing up the scale in the Right Hand to the sixth note, we land…