I had the pleasure of attending a special BBC Radio 3 gala concert on Monday night. It was held at Hoddinott Hall which forms part of the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, Wales, and was in aid of Children in Need. The concert also marked the climax of the Radio 3 Piano Season and in order to celebrate this…
Month: October 2012
The Piano Education Project: Vlog 18
‘Vlog’ number 18 in my series examines fingering and note patterns.
Helpful tips to improve your piano fingering
Fingering is a crucial element in piano playing and, surprisingly, it’s often overlooked even at advanced levels. Fingering is necessary because it helps a pianist remember which one of their four fingers or thumb (in each hand) is required to play a particular note or notes. It is a really useful skill to cultivate as…
The Piano Education Project: Vlog 17
Video blog number 17 focuses on the importance of playing both hands together from the start.
Memorising Tips
I had some interesting responses to the post I wrote a few days ago dealing with memorisation, which you can read here. It was suggested that I should also focus on what happens when memory fails, that is, a memory slip! Therefore, here are my thoughts on this incredibly stressful event in any pianist’s life….
Introducing Stringbabies®: Kay Tucker
My guest writer today is ‘cellist Kay Tucker who is the founder of Stringbabies®. Stringbabies® students learn to sing and play simple songs based around the tuning and technical progression on their instruments. At the same time they learn a notation system based around shapes which progresses very naturally into conventional notation. An important part…
The Piano Education Project: Vlog 16
Video blog number 16 focuses on note learning.
Memorising your piano pieces
‘Who developed the concept of playing from memory?’ This question is often the one asked by many piano pupils, conservatoire students, and professionals. Memorising a work, or playing without the score, certainly puts extra strain on an artist. Every note must be meticulously rehearsed and learned to the point of distraction. In some cases, might…
The Piano Education Project: Vlog 15
‘Vlog’ 15 discusses movement at the piano.
The Music Adjudicator
I’ve just returned from the British and International Federation of Festivals Conference which was held in Bristol over the weekend. Music Festivals are mini amateur competitions held all around the UK (there are many abroad, too), and they play an important role in the British music scene. Consisting of numerous instrumental, vocal and chamber music…
The Piano Education Project: Vlog 14
This video blog (vlog 14) discusses piano progress.