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We’ve Got Rhythm
Takadimi is a rhythm solfege that I have been using in my studio for a few years, and it’s time for an update. It works. Like magic. I use it with all my students. Some of Takadimi’s benefits: it explains beat subdivisions in a way that is easy to understand, from my youngest to oldest students…
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Musical Memory
I was working with a student as they prepared for our upcoming studio recital. Their memory was coming together, but the piece had several sections that repeated, and the student was trying to solidify the complete structure of the piece in their memory. It was tricky to keep the order of the sections straight. And…
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How Does It All Add Up?
I’ve been meaning to write about some of the things that were going on in the studio near the end of this season. We were so busy finishing the year, that there hasn’t been much time for writing. One thing I did was to run a five-week contest. Students earned points for their scores in…
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How to Cheat at Piano
There’s been a lot going on in the studio lately. Everyone (including me!) is preparing for something – group performance class, music festival, exams. The music is mostly ready to go, except for: the place where the memory always breaks down the place where the left hand plays the pattern upside down the place where…
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“Oh, I always have trouble there.”
At last week’s lessons I heard that comment at least once every day. The solution: a pencil. The problems have been little things like the name of a note with several ledger lines or the fingering needed to get through a tricky passage. It only took a few moments at the lesson to figure things out.…
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That was easy
I’m sure you’re familiar with Staples’ “that was easy” button. I just got one, and it sits on top of the piano. My students just played beautifully at a recital on the weekend, and now they are all ready for some wonderful new pieces. As we look over the new music, I point out the…
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Should You Be Practicing Right Now?
This pretty much sums up my views on when and for how long. Thanks Joshua Wells at Oddquartet.com
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31 Days to Better Practising
Now that the piano season, school, and fall sports have launched, I’m hoping you are settling into a good practise routine. When you’re busy you have to be focussed when you practise your instrument. Chris Foley is a pianist, teacher, vocal coach, and the author of The Collaborative Piano Blog. His blog is one of…
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Slow and Steady Wins the Race
I tell my students that you can’t cram piano. Skills like sight reading, memorizing, and developing technique must be worked on every day so the ability is in place when it really counts. Cut corners in your practising and you won’t be able to deliver under the pressure of performance. Last week I found myself…
