If you've always wanted to play traditional Indian classical music ("raags" or "ragas") on piano but have no idea how to start, look no further than composer John Pitts' new book Indian Raags for Piano Made Easy. This neat volume is a spin-off from John's popular and acclaimed How To Play Indian Sitar Raags on… Continue reading Indian Raags for piano – made easy
Category: Repertoire
LCM piano grade handbooks 2018-2020
I was delighted to act as a consultant in the selection of piano pieces for the new London College of Music (LCM) piano syllabus and I was impressed with the breadth and variety of music under consideration. When I received copies of the new handbooks, I was pleased to see some of the pieces I… Continue reading LCM piano grade handbooks 2018-2020
Spectrum 5 – 15 contemporary pieces for solo piano
The wonderful range, originality and variety of pieces prove that contemporary classical music is not "plinky plonky", atonal, inaccessible or lacking in melody, and as such as Spectrum series is the best introduction I know to encourage young students in particular to explore contemporary music.
Mindfulness – the piano collection
I showed this new book from Faber Music to one of my teenage students and she exclaimed "Wow! That's so cool!". She told me she liked the design, the selection of pieces and above all the illustrations which one can choose to colour in between practise sessions. Mindfulness, a simple practice of meditation which encourages… Continue reading Mindfulness – the piano collection
The Adventures of Ivan – piano pieces to delight young and old
The Adventures of Ivan is a suite of eight characterful piano miniatures by Aram Khatchaturian (1903-78), the titles of which suggest a narrative or snapshots in the life of a young boy called Ivan. Perhaps best known for his concertos and scores for the ballets Spartacus and Gayaneh (which includes the brilliant 'Sabre Dance'), he… Continue reading The Adventures of Ivan – piano pieces to delight young and old
New books for pianists from Trinity College London
It's good to see Trinity College London extending its publishing programme to include more books for pianists, including collections of pieces from beginner to advanced level, and a compilation of piano exercises, selected from past exam syllabuses, all of which offer excellent resources for teachers and students alike. Raise the Bar is a new series… Continue reading New books for pianists from Trinity College London
Encore – your favourite ABRSM piano exam pieces
There are numerous anthologies of piano pieces which sit comfortably alongside the exam syllabuses, many of which are published by the ABRSM. Encore is a new compilation, in four volumes covering Grades 1 to 8, of over 70 favourite exam pieces from timeless classics to contemporary classical music and popular songs and show tunes or… Continue reading Encore – your favourite ABRSM piano exam pieces
What Are Piano Lessons For?
This is a very personal manifesto about the purpose of piano lessons. You may not agree. You may disagree vehemently. But what you (as a piano teacher or as a parent of a piano student or as a piano student) believe piano lessons are for will affect your level of satisfaction with the piano lessons… Continue reading What Are Piano Lessons For?
Guest post: You Can Teach Jazz
by Elena Cobb I am very grateful to all who took part in the lively discussions on the Facebook piano teachers forums, made suggestions and offered their opinions on this highly interesting and often controversial topic. Special thank you to Snake Davis (UK), Kay Alexander (Canada), Elissa Milne (Australia), Rami Bar-Niv (Israel), Tom Lydon, the editor of the Music Teacher… Continue reading Guest post: You Can Teach Jazz
Making the music 3-D
This week Eli, one of my students who has been learning with me for about 4 years, offered a wonderfully simple, yet insightful description of how we play musically, and ways in which we attempt to "tell the story" or "paint the picture" in music. He called it "making the music 3-D". It came up… Continue reading Making the music 3-D
A Piano Teacher Writes... 