thoughts on piano teaching and beyond
Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a widespread problem. It affects musicians of any age, instrument, level of expertise, professional and amateur musicians alike. It can be a crippling experience for anyone who suffers, turning a performance into a nightmare.
Pianist and composer Frederick Viner feels, like many of us, that Beethoven's Für Elise is "just a tad…overplayed". In this video, he select some wonderful and intriguing alternatives, including some lesser-known composers and music, to suit the intermediate player and which offer teachers a chance to explore the wider repertoire of the piano with their… Continue reading 5 Pieces to Play Instead of Für Elise
If we understand how to adapt specific skills, to make them relevant to the repertoire we are currently working on, we can make the learning process less arduous and more rewarding, while also continuing to build on existing skills and develop new ones.
How everything that has stopped you playing like a Piano Legend so far... shouldn’t! Guest post by Mark Deeks I spend a lot of my life having conversations with people who have always wanted to play piano. You know the kind of people who say to you at parties, “I wish I could just sit… Continue reading NOT Another Piano Book
Pianist Cordelia Williams offers ideas and inspiration to help you get the most of your practising in limited time.
Piano teacher Alexandra Westcott explains how a decision to reorganise her teaching brought her greater fulfilment, self-esteem and job satisfaction.
In part a memoir, 'Note for Note' is a Pilgrim's Progress for the amateur pianist, and in it Howard charts the pleasures and the pitfalls, the breakthroughs and "lightbulb moments"
They say that goodbye is one of the hardest things to say, and saying goodbye to your piano teacher can be a difficult decision, especially if you have been taking lessons with that teacher for some time.
The world of the piano is huge and so much more is available to us if we allow it, even if we ‘know’ very little. All it takes is no judgement, and full permission to explore it.
The internet is full of articles promising to help you learn to play the piano Learn to play in just 4 weeks! Play piano in 10 easy steps 5 ways to become a great pianist And so on.... The British pianist James Rhodes entered this busy, lucrative market a few years ago with his book… Continue reading There’s no ‘Quick Fix’ to playing the piano
