Tag: playing the piano with a singing tone

Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, pianist, piano, piano arpeggios, piano lesson, piano scales, piano teaching, piano technique, playing piano, practicing piano, rolling forward wrist motions in piano playing, Shirley Kirsten, teaching piano to adult students, teaching piano to adults, undulating wrist in piano playing

Piano Technique: An adult student works on rolling forward wrist motions in Two, Three, and Six-note groupings (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

This particular student has come a long way in the six years we've worked together, and as always been the case, I've probably learned more from her than in reverse. From my second piano, I can gaze over at my pupil sitting at the grand and grasp a whole body in-motion perspective of her playing.… Continue reading Piano Technique: An adult student works on rolling forward wrist motions in Two, Three, and Six-note groupings (Video)

"Tales of a Musical Journey" by Irina Gorin, Aiden Cat, feline, Irina Gorin, pianist, piano, piano addict, piano blog, piano blogs, piano instruction, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano lessson, piano pedagogy, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano student, piano studio, piano teacher, piano teachers, piano teaching, piano teaching repertoire, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, shirley s kirsten, Shirley Smith Kirsten, shirley smith kirsten blog, The Russian singing tone school of piano teaching, you tube, you tube video

If this is the Russian Singing Tone School of Piano Teaching, then it’s a Winner! (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Irina Gorin, a teaching emissary of the Russian pianistic tradition that's produced Richter, Gilels, Ashkenazy and Lugansky to name a few, brings her pedagogical efforts glowingly down to the level of a 4-year old. And it's delightful to watch. Certainly, more entertaining than my cat's bungled keyboard performance last night. Irina would agree that Aiden… Continue reading If this is the Russian Singing Tone School of Piano Teaching, then it’s a Winner! (Videos)

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

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

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 in baby steps through this intensely emotional landscape pinpointing how I could flesh out the… Continue reading Playing through Chopin’s B minor Waltz with its sighing motif (Video commentary)

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The Chopin Bb minor Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 1, and arm/hand rotation/phrasing (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Chopin's Bb minor Nocturne (Night Piece) requires a player to use a full arm rotation to fluidly play the arpeggios in the left hand that span over an octave. These broken chords which fill a large space by their expansion, create a Romantic underpinning for the molto cantabile heart-rending melody in the treble. If the… Continue reading The Chopin Bb minor Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 1, and arm/hand rotation/phrasing (Video)

"Tales of a Musical Journey" by Irina Gorin, mental imagery, mind body connection, mindful piano practicing, mindful practicing, music and the breath, phrasing at the piano, pianist, piano, piano instruction, piano instructor, piano lesson, piano lessons, piano playing and breathing, piano playing and phrasing, piano playing and relaxation, piano practicing, piano student, piano teaching, piano technique, pianoaddict.com, Pianostreet.com, pianoworld, pianoworld.com, playing piano, producing a singing tone legato at the piano, Shirley Kirsten, Shirley Kirsten blog, Shirley Smith Kirsten, slow mindful practicing, whole body listening, whole body music listening, word press, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Piano Lesson: Working with Rina, age 4, on the supple wrist, singing tone approach to individual notes (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Today was Rina's 11th piano lesson. To date we've identified and played the seven notes of the musical alphabet using fingers, 2, 3, and 4 of each hand in various registers. Our follow-up practice focused on how to produce a singing tone in non legato (dropping individual notes one finger at a time) without yet… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Working with Rina, age 4, on the supple wrist, singing tone approach to individual notes (Video)

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Piano Technique: Avoiding pencil point playing

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

One of the biggest challenges for piano students of all levels is to produce a lovely singing tone. And the most significant physical impediment to molto cantabile (very singable) playing is having a taut wrist. Without its being supple or flexible, the descent of the finger onto the key is the equivalent of landing stiffly… Continue reading Piano Technique: Avoiding pencil point playing

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Piano Lesson: Playing into “putty” to acquire a singing tone legato–An 8-year old gets deep in the keys (Video)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

I decided to explore a variation of Irina Gorin's "jello" image to teach an 8-year old how to produce a deep, resonant singing tone. She'd been studying piano with me for two years and relished the opportunity to plunge her tiny fingers into a wad of putty that I had acquired at the Dollar store.… Continue reading Piano Lesson: Playing into “putty” to acquire a singing tone legato–An 8-year old gets deep in the keys (Video)