thoughts on piano teaching and beyond
Routine or “autopilot” practising can kill one’s enjoyment and productivity at the piano. Practice can become strained or monotonous because it’s too often primarily directed by a preconceived idea and too exclusively goal- or result-oriented. This can lead to frustration and a feeling that you are not progressing as rapidly as you would like to.… Continue reading Creative approaches to practising
Those fortunate enough to have studied with acclaimed pianist, teacher and writer Graham Fitch will be very familiar with his intelligent, insightful, inspiring and highly accessible approach to piano playing. The internet allowed Graham to share his expertise and knowledge initially via his very popular and readable blog 'Practising the Piano'. This was followed by… Continue reading Practising the Piano Online Academy goes live
A couple of useful new resources for pianists, teachers and the parents of piano students which have come my way recently. The first, Piano Exercises, is a DVD by Mikael Pettersson, a Swedish concert pianist based in the UK. The exercises were created by Mikael to help pianists develop their technique to play without tension… Continue reading New resources for pianists, piano teachers and parents
The 'Wolfie' piano app (named after who else but Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) offers students and teachers an interactive and supportive learning tool using up-to-the-minute score-reading software plus a whole host of other features. Developed by music tech company Tonara, who first launched an interactive score-reading app back in 2011, the team behind Wolfie appreciate that… Continue reading Wolfie makes piano practise made fun
The desire for perfection surrounds us in our modern society. "Getting it right" and "being perfect" are inculcated in children from the moment they enter the formal school system, where they are continually assessed and tested, where correct answers are rewarded with stickers and other symbols of approval and mistakes are regarded are "wrong". Many… Continue reading You don’t have to be perfect to be amazing
We know that practising hands separately in the earliest stages of learning a piece is very important - and goes on being important even when the music is well known. It is often worth returning to separate hands practise to make sure certain sections are secure or to highlight particular aspects of a section, such… Continue reading A helping hand
One of my students, Harrison, arrived for his lesson last week and confessed he had not had much time to practise. He told me he had "loads of homework!" and extra-curricular activities every day after school, apart from Thursday, the day of his piano lesson ("this is my only day off!" he sighed). In addition… Continue reading Less is More
Encouraging piano students to practice can be the bane of the piano teacher's life and teachers regular seek new ways to encourage students to practice creatively, thoughtfully and intelligently. The practice notebook is usually the means by which the teacher records what he or she would like student to focus on in the intervening days… Continue reading A new kind of practice notebook
See this table of practice times: 1 60-minute Practice per Week = 2 Months Progress in 12 Months 1 30-minute Practice per Day = 6 Months Progress in 12 Months 1 45-minute Practice per Day = 12 Months Progress in 12 Months 1 60-minute Practice per Day = 15 Months Progress in 12 Months 1… Continue reading Are you practising enough?
Saturday nights are all about the X-Factor, aren't they? The tv talent show which, after weeks of auditions, boot camps and live performances is now reaching its finale. I expect you know the format: each singer receives comments (often harsh) from four “celebrity” judges, who then vote the act in or out. Usually, it's pretty… Continue reading Putting the X-Factor into practising
A Piano Teacher Writes... 