What was seemingly a straightforward search and destroy mission surrounding a clicking note, mushroomed suddenly into a PSTD level catastrophe. Pianists, so viscerally tied to their beloved musical partners, can be catapulted over the edge when something unexpected occurs. In fact two post-clicking note repair events had transpired that threatened my mental health. 1) After… Continue reading Piano Maintenance: 48 hours of pain and anguish!
Tag: Word Press
The mystery of NOTE CLICKING B is solved!
Here's a snatch of the bug that invaded Steinway M (1917) as long desired, drought-relieving rains encapsulated the piano for days. (Were weather changes the cause of an uninvited guest seeking sanctuary between hammers, in finite action spaces?) http://youtu.be/CbJkWOrgO5s Israel Stein, RPT/EMT, in "high tech" detective mode, responded pronto, and tenaciously scoped out the uninvited… Continue reading The mystery of NOTE CLICKING B is solved!
Piano Technique: Practicing 4 varieties of detached notes
This evening Big Mike, whose hands are impressively large, finessed various types of staccato. He proved that elasticity is more influential than finger length (and related) in producing clearly articulated notes in diverse colors. We started with a B minor (Natural form scale) enlisting a forearm FORTE staccato, then continued to a soft range, still… Continue reading Piano Technique: Practicing 4 varieties of detached notes
A Piano Gym Workout in Staccato before J.S. BACH
The Piano Fitness Club was in full swing as a well-prepared adult student and I romped through C# minor scales (3 forms) and B Major Arpeggios. Shaping detached notes in piano to forte dynamic ranges was the focus of a quick-paced hour. The B-Major arpeggio, rendered in sprightly 10ths, was remediated in articulated paired sub-groups… Continue reading A Piano Gym Workout in Staccato before J.S. BACH
Never say never to a finger-trapping passage (Mozart Rondo: Allegro K. 545)-Video
While we all experience head on collisions with tricky measures despite our best efforts to avoid repeated catastrophes, (through careful, methodical practicing) there comes a time, to let go, and give the whole undertaking a rest. In my case, it was at least a year before I revisited the last part of Mozart's Rondo: Allegro,… Continue reading Never say never to a finger-trapping passage (Mozart Rondo: Allegro K. 545)-Video
Piano Technique in the PLAY-ground: Thumb to thumb swings and more
The playground can be the best music teacher. Thumb swinging, for example, to smooth out shifts through scales, is practiced by an adult student. (She had initially lost her "feel" for spacing between long and short tunnels, through which her thumb passed). A blocking approach preceded the swing routine that carefully marked out groups of… Continue reading Piano Technique in the PLAY-ground: Thumb to thumb swings and more
Playing J.S. Bach: Sing, Shape, and Phrase—it’s not rocket science
Having been submerged for 48 hours in mega-science minded theories of playing the piano, I managed to E-merge as the piano teacher I knew before the deluge--refusing to believe that my fingers are throwing hammers at the strings, or obeying the irrefutable laws of Physics. Notwithstanding what Emanuel Ax, and Cedarville University *ProfessorJohn Mortensen are… Continue reading Playing J.S. Bach: Sing, Shape, and Phrase—it’s not rocket science
Shame on WQXR F.M. for shining a spotlight on Kids’ dislike of Bach’s music
I can't fathom why a historically great NYC-based Classical music station like WQXR F.M. would choose to feature a big-splash juvenile ONLINE thumbs down to a J.S. Bach masterwork! http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/three-nyc-kids-give-bach-big-thumbs-down/ My published comment criticized the posting: "This is a waste of space considering that WQXR has been a fountain of great music for decades. I… Continue reading Shame on WQXR F.M. for shining a spotlight on Kids’ dislike of Bach’s music
My new Overhead webcam view adds fingering clarity and choreography
A You Tube glimpse of Bach Scholar's set-up for piano lessons by Skype clarified the right overhead keyboard view. Instead of enlisting a clip-on cam that provided an abridged and inverted view of the the keys, I secured a horizontal Alzo mount for my Targus 60" tripod, that gives a perfect planet keyboard panorama. THE… Continue reading My new Overhead webcam view adds fingering clarity and choreography
Facebook puts Menahem Pressler center stage, practicing “with love.”
An encore tribute to Maestro Pressler caught my eye on FB's Art of Piano Pedagogy forum. Deborah Rambo Sinn, a fine musician and teacher in her own right posted "My violinist's interview" with the octogenarian plus ten. It was the perfect supplement to a 2012 blog that I'd dedicated to Menahem that resonates into the… Continue reading Facebook puts Menahem Pressler center stage, practicing “with love.”
Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten) 