thoughts on piano teaching and beyond
There are certain habits of piano practice which are ingrained in us from an early age and which have become a form of “piano dogma”. As a young piano student we may accept these practices without question, trusting in our teacher’s seniority and assertion that these activities are “good for you”, that they will make you “a better pianist”.
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.
Many piano students view scales as tedious, mindless exercises, a painful part of practice time, with no value or relevance to "real" piano playing. In fact, scales are incredibly important and useful, and students need to understand this from the very start of their study of scales and other technical exercises (broken chords and arpeggios).… Continue reading What’s the point of scales?
‘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... 