Despite the imperfection of the media environment, there's intrinsic musical and pedagogical value in web-cam-driven piano lessons.
Tag: POWHOW
Knee-jerk technology brings the keyboard closer to an Online piano student
By reassigning a web cam to my knee, I was able to assist a student with a nagging measure.
Excerpts from a SKYPED Piano Lesson to Greece
In these video segments, the student is practicing Sonatina in C, OP. 36, No. 3, first and last movements: http://youtu.be/YiYWSGV72g4 http://youtu.be/jCa8lA11jrk These replays can be very helpful for the student, who is sent copies of his lesson-in-progress. *** http://youtu.be/G-rrgFN1ois http://youtu.be/s2CcWoFipaU
Online Piano Lessons by Webcam: Pros and Cons (Videos)
I'm not about to pitch web-cam driven piano instruction like a CD package promoter of Piano Playing in a Flash. Learning piano is not in the espresso lane. It takes time, patience, and practice. The question is, can a student gain as much from Online piano study vs. "live" in-person lessons. For decades I was… Continue reading Online Piano Lessons by Webcam: Pros and Cons (Videos)
Piano Technique: Focusing on Rotation in arpeggios, and building up a scale (Videos)
These are two supplementary videos that I created for adult students between lessons. As previously mentioned, they clarify and reinforce the content of our class, and map out ways to practice. I. ROTATION at the turnaround of a B minor Arpeggio Exploring the curve at the very top of the figure with an energy boost… Continue reading Piano Technique: Focusing on Rotation in arpeggios, and building up a scale (Videos)
Piano Technique: The dipping wrist, and how it defies convention (Videos)
One of my adult students echoed a belief that has resonated for generations in piano studios across the country, if not the world. The OLD school of thought was that you played piano with a rigid, arched hand, and if you slipped into a longer, relaxed curve, or dared to DIP your wrist below the… Continue reading Piano Technique: The dipping wrist, and how it defies convention (Videos)
Excerpts from my POWHOW TOP NOTCH TONE TUTORIAL! (webcam piano instruction)
Snatches from our first class! We're working on sculpting a beautiful musical line in a five-finger position. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvPMflpfDUA RELATED: http://www.powhow.com/classes/shirley-kirsten A POWER Piano POWHOW LAUNCH: https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/a-power-piano-powhow-launch-live-webcam-class-instruction/ AVOIDING PENCIL POINT PLAYING https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/piano-technique-avoiding-pencil-point-playing/
Piano Instruction: Practicing the “windy” chromatic scale of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”
After a stream of graceful arpeggiated triplets, a "windy" sounding, descending chromatic scale leads artfully back to the opening theme that concludes "Fur Elise." The traditional chromatic fingering I've inserted in the score corresponds to the 1/2-step sequence beginning on Bb: Black/white, Black/white Black/White/White etc. 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 2, 1 etc. Video Instruction… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Practicing the “windy” chromatic scale of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”
Piano Instruction: Pastorale in D Major, K. 415 by Domenico Scarlatti, a stepwise approach
The Pastorale in D, included in Margery Halford's Scarlatti, An Introduction to his Keyboard Works, poses significant musical challenges. In the technical realm, the composer has a tricky landscape of two-note legato figures as offbeats in the treble, and these are set against bass, dotted quarter rhythms. (This counterpoint is later inverted in the middle… Continue reading Piano Instruction: Pastorale in D Major, K. 415 by Domenico Scarlatti, a stepwise approach
Piano Technique: Practicing an E Major Arpeggio during a lesson-in-progress (Video with tips on creating a rolling contour)
This piano student will gain a lot by reviewing footage taken at her lesson. It provides a practicing framework that zeroes in on the physical/musical aspects of creating a contoured arpeggio. Here's video where I'm teaching Sakura, 13, who's studied piano with me for 3 years. We worked on rolling, relaxed arms, supple wrists, and… Continue reading Piano Technique: Practicing an E Major Arpeggio during a lesson-in-progress (Video with tips on creating a rolling contour)
