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Development of Piano Technique all bundled into one collection

Instead of pumping out Hanon and Czerny exercises to build so-called finger dexterity, try Burgmuller's Op. 100, Twenty-five Progressive Pieces. Here's a sample of the challenges posed by the composer in each of these showcased Romantic era tableaux: Harmony of the Angels: 1) Arpeggios, or broken chord patterns: for smooth execution and curvaceous lines. If… Continue reading Development of Piano Technique all bundled into one collection

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Teaching Gillock’s delightfully appealing, Later Elementary Level music: “The Glass Slipper” (Video)

I have no reservation about the immense teaching value of William Gillock's music from elementary through advanced levels. And while the titles in the first few volumes appeal to children, the pieces can be universally enjoyed by piano students of all ages. In this spirit, I picked out "The Glass Slipper" from Accents on Gillock,… Continue reading Teaching Gillock’s delightfully appealing, Later Elementary Level music: “The Glass Slipper” (Video)

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The Formative Years of Piano Study and the basic building-blocks of learning (Videos)

Just as a child needs a wholesome diet from birth through adolescence to insure healthy growth and development, a beginning piano student requires the equivalent in musical nourishment. Cocoa Puff pieces that squeeze out whole grain servings of the classics will not in the long term cut the cake. (And I don't rule out compositions… Continue reading The Formative Years of Piano Study and the basic building-blocks of learning (Videos)

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A long distance Chopin Nocturne Makeover that might help others

It's amazing that at 3 a.m. in the morning, I'd be fussing around with the Chopin Nocturne in E minor (Op. 72, No. 1) that I'd previously embedded in a blog about revisiting old repertoire. Either my kind neighbors love classical music, or they've managed to double pack their ears with spongy stopples. (These can… Continue reading A long distance Chopin Nocturne Makeover that might help others

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The Piano Repertoire: Does making fingering/hand adjustments constitute a “swindle?”

Seymour Bernstein, author of With Your Own Two Hands, remarked that "Chopin wrote out an outline for an intended method of teaching piano. And when he died he left it to Charles Alkan who never finished it. Wouldn't you think that Chopin would stress at the beginning that everything depends upon a deep emotional involvement… Continue reading The Piano Repertoire: Does making fingering/hand adjustments constitute a “swindle?”

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Stimulating the imagination: choosing piano repertoire that embraces childhood themes (Video)

I was awakened this morning to an inspired Facebook post that featured a six-year old captivated by a delightful piece that amounted to a "playground" of light-hearted chords with engaging harmonies. The piano teacher, Irina Gorin played snippets of Samuel Maykapar's "In the Garden" that seemed to share character kinship with Kabalevksy's Op. 39, Children's… Continue reading Stimulating the imagination: choosing piano repertoire that embraces childhood themes (Video)

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Piano Lessons: After a long summer break, where to begin? (Videos)

The first lesson with a student who took the whole summer off for one reason or another is a challenge. I repeatedly ask myself should we pick up where we left off and drag out the last sonatina that became time worn well before its time or start a completely new musical project. One student… Continue reading Piano Lessons: After a long summer break, where to begin? (Videos)

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The Ideal Piano Lesson as the main course

If I could devise a recipe for an ideal piano lesson, it would contain the following ingredients: A 15-minute warm-up including a scale (one or two plus octaves in parallel and contrary motion) played legato and staccato--adding 3rds, 10ths, and 6ths depending on student level, with an additional assortment of arpeggios. For a Beginner, practicing… Continue reading The Ideal Piano Lesson as the main course

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Aiden cat, joins Claudia, 8, and Teacher Shirley Kirsten at the piano bench for “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (Video)

Claudia is an enthusiastic 8-year old piano student who was eager to learn "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins. In fact, in just one week after practicing the piece very diligently, she was ready to play the duet with me. At first we tried a slower tempo, but during our second reading we had notched it up… Continue reading Aiden cat, joins Claudia, 8, and Teacher Shirley Kirsten at the piano bench for “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (Video)

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How long should a piano student stay with a piece?

As a teacher, I've often pondered this question, concluding that there are varying answers which depend on the advancement and motivation of individual students. Certainly no fixed formula addresses the length of time a pupil needs to fully realize his potential when practicing a given composition. By way of example, I have an adult student,… Continue reading How long should a piano student stay with a piece?