My students are very familiar with this chart, which sits on the chest of drawers next to the piano. A colleague of mine has it pinned on the door of her piano room, and I should think innumerable other music teachers and students have it somewhere to remind and inspire. Remember - regular practice WORKS!… Continue reading Should you be practising right now?
Category: Piano teaching
Practice like it’s a Chopin Nocturne….
Quite a few of my students are familiar with this instruction by now, and I hope that most, if not all of them who have been asked to practice in this way can explain why it is important and useful. The Nocturnes of Fryderyk Chopin are considered amongst the finest short works for piano ever… Continue reading Practice like it’s a Chopin Nocturne….
Guest post: 10 reasons to play the piano
by Melanie Spanswick I am always asked if the piano is worth learning. Is it possible to achieve anything? Is it a suitable hobby? Or something which children endure rather like maths at school! There are so many reasons why both adults and children benefit from the study of a musical instrument. I look at… Continue reading Guest post: 10 reasons to play the piano
How to Play….. Song of Twilight
This charming and haunting piece by Japanese composer Yoshinao Nakada blends eastern and western culture in musical form. A spacious right hand melody is hung over the steady, almost hypnotic pulse of left hand chords. Separate hands practice is crucial in this piece. You want to achieve a sense of the melody floating over the… Continue reading How to Play….. Song of Twilight
How to play……Allegro non Troppo
What a treat for the left hand this piece is! A moody "'cello" melody with plenty of scope for expressive shaping, with an agitated right hand figure of repeated chords, this piece is redolent of Chopin's Étude Opus 25 no. 7. Separate hands practice is crucial here - and not just in the early stages… Continue reading How to play……Allegro non Troppo
Listening and Hearing
If you can't sing it, you can't hear it. And that means we [the audience] can't hear it either." This is what my teacher said to me at my lesson last week. I was working on one of Chopin's Nocturnes, the Opus 62 no. 2, the last published in his lifetime. In bars 20-22 the… Continue reading Listening and Hearing
Penelope Roskell’s Advanced Piano Course
There are still places available on Penelope Roskell's Spring course (16th-18th March). Penelope is an inspiring and dedicated teacher, and the courses, which are open to all advanced pianists (Grade 8 - post-diploma), amateur, student or professional, offer a very supportive and stimulating learning environment. Taking place over three days, the March course will focus… Continue reading Penelope Roskell’s Advanced Piano Course
Why take a music exam?
When I was learning the piano as a child, I remember feeling that I was chained to an exam treadmill: every year I took another exam, and as soon as the exam was over and the results were in, I moved on to the next grade's syllabus. I did all this willingly, because it pleased… Continue reading Why take a music exam?
Guest post: Discovering New Repertoire
As a piano teacher based in Lichfield, one of the first things I ask a pupil when they start lessons is what would they like to play. Most look slightly embarrassed and the horribly predictable 'Moonlight Sonata', 'Für Elise' and 'The Entertainer' are volunteered as possible ideas. For most people learning an instrument, I reckon… Continue reading Guest post: Discovering New Repertoire
Making the most of your piano lessons
Make sure you get the most out of each and every lesson by following these simple points: Arrive on time for your lessons: get the most out of the time you have each week. Come prepared for your lessons: make sure you bring all your music, tutor book and practice notebook. Your teacher may have… Continue reading Making the most of your piano lessons
A Piano Teacher Writes... 