The first in an occasional series of interviews with piano teachers - and I am delighted to launch this new series with an interview with acclaimed pianist and teacher Philip Fowke. Philip Fowke What is your first memory of the piano? My first memory of the piano was when my parents bought an upright for… Continue reading At the Piano With……Philip Fowke
Category: Piano teaching
‘Sooner or later’ – Tempo Rubato & the art of stolen time
This post relates to my earlier article 'Curved Lines' - phrases and how to shape music I recently attended a masterclass for pianists, the theme of which was 'Sooner or Later?'; that is, how tempo (speed) and the placing of a note, or group of notes, can affect the mood, drama, colour and shape of… Continue reading ‘Sooner or later’ – Tempo Rubato & the art of stolen time
Aural Masterclass Part 2 – Cadences
Cadences are the punctuation marks in music (see my earlier post on Musical Punctuation Marks). Some cadences are very final (.) while others pause for only a moment (,). Some introduce the performer/listener to a new idea or section in the music (:), others leave the listener wanting more (....). Cadences can asks questions (?),… Continue reading Aural Masterclass Part 2 – Cadences
Musical Punctuation Marks
Imagine if you were listening to someone speak, perhaps reading out the news on television, or reading a poem to you. The speaker's voice sounds the same the entire time they are speaking, with no rise or fall in sound, no changes in rhythm or tempo (speed), and no indication that there are pauses, full… Continue reading Musical Punctuation Marks
Aural Masterclass Part 1 – Intervals
The first in an occasional series of posts to help students prepare for aural tests. Understanding intervals is an important aspect of playing and studying music, and this is why music exams test candidates on their knowledge of intervals. An interval is the distance between one note and another, and is always described as a… Continue reading Aural Masterclass Part 1 – Intervals
What the great composers teach us
We can learn a great deal from studying and learning music by the great composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Bartok, and even contemporary classical composers. Find out more here..... What the great composers teach us. (this post first appeared on my sister blog The Cross-Eyed Pianist)
Soft dough, warm oil – and no bones
At my recent piano lesson, I worked on Rachmaninov's Etude-Tableaux Opus 33 No. 2 in C. In order to practice the tricky arpeggiated left-hand accompaniment, which includes many awkward extensions of more than an octave, my teacher asked me to imagine that my arms had no bones in them, no fulcrum at the elbow, and… Continue reading Soft dough, warm oil – and no bones
Guest post: Playfulness in piano playing
by Penelope Roskell, pianist and Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance If we reflect on the language that we use in our teaching, we will probably notice that many of the words we use imply a rather serious, one might even say tedious view of life: practise… Continue reading Guest post: Playfulness in piano playing
Myths about piano lessons
Thinking about taking piano lessons, but worried you won't cut the mustard as a piano student? This helpful and informative article by Howard Richman dispels plenty of myths about piano lessons and piano teachers, offers sensible advice about how to approach lessons, whether a child or an adult, a beginner or a restarter, and has… Continue reading Myths about piano lessons
Reblogged: Scales – 6 reasons why you need to practice them
‘Now we will test your scales, C major hands together please’, the examiner smiles glancing at the student who is waiting with baited breath…… This is the usual scenario when pupils are faced with scales. Most pianists don’t like scales or scale practice. Some ask if they are really necessary. For me, they are the… Continue reading Reblogged: Scales – 6 reasons why you need to practice them
A Piano Teacher Writes... 