Melanie Spanswick has blogged about many aspects of music, music education and piano playing; she has published over 800 articles on this blog – please feel free to browse the archives below. To read Melanie’s regular columns for Pianist Magazine and Piano Professional (published by EPTA), as well as articles for various music magazines, please click, here.
Pianists From The Past
Vera Franceschi: Melanie Spanswick
Sergei Rachmaninov: Robin Zebaida
Eleanor Sokoloff: Leon McCawley
Benno Moiseiwitsch: Daniel Grimwood
Teresa Carreño: Clara Rodriguez
Halina Czerny-Stefańska: Gareth Owen
Lamar Crowson: Julian Jacobson
Raoul von Koczalski: Yuki Negishi
Guest Post Series
Studying at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam: Yuki Negishi
The Thinking Pianist: David Jones
MicroJazz Refreshed: Christopher Norton
Border Tune by Christopher Norton
The Resilient Artist: Rachael Forsyth and Helen Sanderson-White
Montecatini International Piano Competition
Studying in Hong Kong and the USA: Rachel Cheung
Go Composer North America Summer Festival 2021: Sonya Knussen
Studying at a Japanese Music Conservatoire: Yuki Negishi
Beginning Jazz Piano: Tim Richards
Studying at a Music Conservatoire: Yuki Negishi
The Second Prokofiev Festival: Yulia Chaplina
Flipping Musical Misperceptions On Their Heads: Erica Sipes
My Work As A Composer: Wendy Edwards Beardall-Norton
Practice Tips for Exam Pieces: Christopher Norton
Amy Reynolds: 24 Steinways in Cardiff
Amy Boyes: Kindly speaking the truth
Niel du Preez: PianoArte Masterclasses
Roland Perrin: Real Ear Training
Lola Perrin: Avoiding Apocalyspe at all costs – an interview
Becky Flisher: A Grade 7 Journey
Eleonor Bindman: The Joy of Piano Duets
John Thwaites: The Primrose Piano Quartet record Brahms Piano Quartets
Rhonda Rizzo: How to Make a Professional Recording: 16 Tips
Rhonda Rizzo: The Waco Variations: writing about music
Sum Yee Chan: Sounds of Intent
David Alexander: Beethoven Piano Concerto Project
Christopher Norton: Teaching Improvisation to Groups Part 2
Dr. Wolf-Dieter Seiffert: “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit!”- Four Famous Composers at the Wiesn
Maggie Morrison: A Canadian Playlist
Christopher Norton: Teaching Improvisation to Groups
Jenni Pinnock: Composing: An underrated tool in teacher’s tookits
Clara Rodriguez: At the piano with Phyllis Sellick
Katharine May: Harpsichord basics
John Pitts: Indian Raggs for the Piano
Karen Marshall: Teaching the tricky intermediate stages
Lindsey Berwin: My journey as a composer
John McLachlan: Composing Piano Music
Mark Tanner: Mindfulness in Music: Notes on finding life’s rhythms
Kay Tucker: A New Exam for Stringbabies
Samantha Ward: The Inception and Development of PIANO WEEK
Nick van Bloss: Honest Insights and Some Forgotten Exercises
Geroge Bevan: Intervals – training or teaching?
Daniel Tong: The 1st Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Festival
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire
Sweet Dreams by P I Tchaikovsky
Étude in A minor by Louise Farrenc
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: Trinity Colllege London Grade 5
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: ABRSM Grade 5
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: Trinity College London Grade 4
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: ABRSM Grade 4
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: Trinity College London Grade 3
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: ABRSM Grade 3
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: Trinity College London Grade 2
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: ABRSM Grade 2
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: Trinity College London Grade 1
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: ABRSM Grade 1
The Piano: Performance and Technical Aspects
Tricky Corners: spot practice articles
Tricky Corners: Tension Breaks
Tricky Corners: Lateral Arm and Wrist Movement
Tricky Corners: Wrist Circles and Finger Articulation
Tricky Corners: Fourth and Fifth Finger in Chords
Tricky Corners: The Opening Phrase
Tricky Corners: Smooth Passagework
Tricky Corners: The Leaping Fifth Finger
General Piano Practice
5 Tips For Perfecting That Silence
Exploring the Sostenuto Pedal: 5 Tips
5 Tips to Help Develop the Fourth and Fifth Fingers
5 Vital Daily Practice Reminders
5 Tips for Secure Coordination and Quick Movement
5 Top Tips for Hand Coordination
5 Stage Presentation Tips Part 2
Five New Year Tips to Seriously Improve Your Piano Playing 2019
Basic Tips for Healthy Piano Playing
5 Tips to Create the Illusion of Legato
Structured Piano Practice for Beginners: 10 tips
How Loose are You? Piano Teaching in Asia
5 Tips on Stage Presentation Part 1
5 Tips to Quell a Sustaining Pedal Addiction
Are you all Fingers and Thumbs?
5 Top Tips for piano playing progress in 2018
5 Tips for Practising without the Piano
Approaches to Staccato Playing
5 Tips for the Perfect Practice Schedule
5 Tips to Instantly Improve a Performance
5 Top Tips to Aid Memorisation
Improve Your Sight-reading; 5 Top Tips
5 Tips To Improve Your Warm-Up Regime
10 Top Tips to Improve Your Practice Schedule in 2017
10 Tips to Pass Your Piano Exam
A few thoughts on the ‘Una Corda’
A few thoughts on selecting diploma repertoire
Selecting a piano diploma programme: 10 top tips
10 Tips to Seriously Improve Your Piano Playing in 2016
9 Top Tips for Practising Octaves (EPTA article)
A Few Thoughts On Demonstration
It’s All in The Preparation 4: 5 More Top Tips
It’s All in The Preparation 3: 5 More Top Tips
It’s All In The Preparation 2: 5 More Top Tips
It’s All In The Preparation: 5 Top Tips
5 Top Tips To Improve Wrist Staccato
5 Top Tips To Improve Finger Staccato
5 Practice Tips to Instantly Improve a Performance
10 Top Tips to help Resolve Tension
Resolving Tension in Piano Playing; EPTA Article for Piano Professional Magazine
Improving your scales: article for the Piano Professional Magazine: EPTA
15 Top Tips for Successful Sight-Reading
10 Top Tips for Effective Memorisation
Variations for Judith: Contemporary Piano Music
Orchids for Piano by Ed Hughes
Dance in Bulgarian Rhythm No. 4 by Béla Bartók
Some thoughts on practising during piano lessons
S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G! A few thoughts….
A Few Thoughts on Beethoven’s Für Elise
Top 20 reasons to play the piano
To play Studies or not to play Studies….that is the question!?
10 Top Tips for Successful Piano Practice in 2014
Some thoughts on chordal playing in the Scottish Legend by Amy Beach Op. 54 No.1
Rhythmic Precision in the First Movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in C minor Op.10 No.1
A few thoughts on Chopin’s Nocturne in C sharp minor Op. Posth.
Structuring your piano practice
Do pianists really need to play the entire piano repertoire?
‘There are no Fazioli artists, only ARTISTS who PLAY FAZIOLI’
Coaxing the fourth and fifth fingers into action!
10 reasons to fall in love with the piano! Happy Valentine’s Day
Tension, Czerny Studies and strong coffee….!
How much piano practice is enough?
To memorise or not? Happy 2013!
Espressivo…..a few tips to transform your piano playing
A helpful way to improve your piano fingering
The amazing piano with four pedals
How can amateur pianists become more professional in their approach to performing?
Maria Ines Aguirre and the Steinway Piano
Piano Duets for the summer holidays
Piano Duets – sociable, satisfying and sensuous?
How should I practice my scales?
Structured piano practice in 5 simple steps
Sight-reading – 6 helpful hints
Piano exam success – 5 key points
Scales – 6 reasons why you need to practice them
Piano practice – how much should I do?
How long does it take to learn to play the piano?
General Music
A Master Class with Murray Perahia
A Master Class with Zoltán Kocsis
Historic Classes with Arthur Rubinstein
A Masterclass with Freddy Kempf
Masterclass with Alfred Brendel
Hamish Milne: reflective memories
A Happy Easter and master classes with Cyprien Katsaris
Masterclasses with Valentina Lisitsa
A masterclass with Jonathan Biss
The Montecatini Piano Festival
A visit to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
The World’s First Piano Recording
Beethoven Piano Concerto Project
A Lecture Recital with Mitsuko Uchida
The Piano at the BBC Proms 2018
A Tippett Day at the City Literary Institute
A master class with Murray Perahia
Josef and Rosina Lhévinne and the Russian School
A master class with Stephen Hough
A master class with Richard Goode
Guest Post: 11 ways to kick start your practice
Guest Post – A Young Pianist’s Journey
Yuja Wang’s master class debut
11 ways to kick start your practice routine; a guest post by GéNIA
The Mindful Pianist; a guest post by Mark Tanner
A master class with Cristina Ortiz
A Visit the the August Forster Piano Factory
So You Want To Organize A Piano Competition? Part III
So You Want To Organize A Piano Competition? Part II
Peregrine’s Piano Presents a Trip to the Schimmel Factory 2016
A masterclass with Jerome Lowenthal
New Pianofforte Magazine and Jaques Samuel Junior Piano Festival
So You Want To Organize A Piano Competition
The Piano at the BBC Proms 2015
New Steinway Spirio Piano and My Daily Telegraph Article
80th Anniversary Party at Jaques Samuel Pianos in London
A Trip to the Schimmel Piano Factory
Piano Showcase presented by Pianist Magazine and Schott Music
A Trip to the Schimmel Factory
A Fazioli Factory Visit in Sacile
It’s All About Piano! Festival 2014
An Exciting New Concert Series launched by Rhinegold Publishing
A visit to Holst’s Birthplace Museum
What musicians can learn from Andy Murray’s Wimbledon Victory
Guest interview with Morton Feldman Scholar
Some thoughts on the 2013 BBC Proms
Grandma Dingley on Kickstarter
The pianoforte in Jane Austen’s world
Guest post – Leeds Lieder Festival Plus
Conductor carries the Olympic torch
The healing powers of music; repairing brain damage
Can music really slow down the ageing process?
BBC Young Musician of the Year 2012; Woodwind Final
Performers
Celebrity Christmas Gala at Kings Place
Micro-Lectures with Boris Giltburg
Memories of Moscow: A Guest Post with Alicja Fiderkiewicz
Jamie’s Concerts with Noriko Ogawa
Words and Music with Lucy Parham and Friends
Artur Pizarro plays Rachmaninov at St. John’s Smith Square
The Grand Black and White Piano Party at the OSO Centre in Barnes
Piano Talk with Noriko Ogawa Part 2 – Charity Work
Piano Talk with Noriko Ogawa Part 1
Genuine Joyce Hatto recordings
Joyce Hatto – The greatest hoax in classical music?
The Life and Loves of Claude Debussy with Lucy Parham and Dominic West
The Wallcast interview series featuring great classical artists
Pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa dies aged 33
British female pianists; Emily Daymond
British female pianists; Katharine Goodson
British pianists; Mathilde Verne
British pianists; Adelina de Lara
British pianists; Helen Hopekirk
British female pianists; Fanny Davies
British female pianists; Annie Jessy Curwen
British female pianists; Arabella Goddard
An Interview with Vladimir Horowitz
Composers
Tha Anatomy of Melancholy: Marc Yeats
Celebrating 200 of Wagner via Liszt
New Beethoven work is premiered
Music Education, Festivals and Competition
MicroJazz Refreshed: the winners
Six Gift Ideas for Aspiring Young Musicians
2021 Online Global Piano Summit II
The London Youth Piano Competition 2022
The London College of Music Piano Exam Syllabus 2021 – 2024
Chetham’s International Piano Summer School 2021
The Key to Scales and Arpeggios: Weekend Competition
Weekend Competition: The Winners
Palm Court Waltz: Weekend Competition
Tokyo International Piano Association (TIPA)
Explorer Piano Duets: Weekend Competition
Why is My Piano Black and White? The Winners
Why is My Piano Black and White? A Weekend Competition
Weekend Competition: the winners
The Faber Music Easy Piano Anthology Competition
Pianists Corner: a piano resource with a difference
Faber Music Piano Soundtracks Anthology Winner
Faber Music Piano Soundtracks Anthology Competition
Master Classes with Nelita True
The Maze of Piano Methods Unpacked
A String of Pearls, a Competition and the Female Composer
Federico Colli and Fazioli at Eton College
Piano Master Classes with John O’Conor
Piano Workshops and Summer Adventures 2019
Touring in Singapore and Malaysia
Peaceful Piano Playlist: The Winners
Peaceful Piano Playlist: A Weekend Competition
10 Tips for Piano Exam Success
Preparing for your Piano Course; 5 Top Tips Part 2
Selecting the Piano Course for you; 5 Top Tips Part 1
10 Tips for Piano Exam Success
The Stars of the Albion Grand Prix 2019
A Weekend Competition! Choral and Vocal Sight-Singing by Nancy Litten
A Piano Course with a Difference
No Words Necessary Competition
At The Piano: a study series by G Henle Verlag
Faber Competition: the winners
PIANO WEEK: what happens on a piano course?
Cadenza Intermational Summer Music School
Weekend Competition: the winners
Weekend Competition: A Special Faber Competition
Lang Lang Music Theory Twitter Competition
Stars of the Albio Competition 2018
Learn to sight-read: the winner…
Learn to sight-read by E-Music Maestro: weekend competition
Stars of the Albion: 5th International Performing Arts Festival
Weekend Competition: Piano Gallery
Guest Post: Andreas Eggertsberger speaks out about Focal Dystonia
The Manchester Music Young Artists Programme 201i8
The London College of Music Piano Syllabus 2018 – 2020
Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide: the winner…
Piano Teacher’s Survival Guide: weekend competition
Attending a piano pedagogy conference
Sight-reading success with Paul Harris
Jukebox solos and duets: the winners…
Weekend Competition: Jukebox Solos and Duets
Weekend Competition: The Intermediate Pianist
Weekend competition: the winner….
Weekend competition and review; Improve your sight-reading! Teacher’s book
A few thoughts on piano teaching in Singapore and Malaysia
Holistic Day for Pianists: the winners
Weekend Competition: Holistic Day for Pianists
Weekend Competition: A Piece a Week
Easy concert pieces: the winners
Weekend Competition: Easy Concert Pieces
Chetham’s Summer School hosts Fifth Concerto Competition
Weekend Competition: At the movies
2017 Beethoven Junior Intercollegiate Piano Competition
Weekend competition: Piano Junior
Piano Playlist & My First Chopin: winners
Weekend competition: Piano Playlist & My First Chopin
Stars of the Albion Arts Competition & Festival
Weekend Competition; Piano Notes 2017/18
Manchester Music Festival Young Artists Program
New Year Competition: the winner
Overseas Masters Winter Piano Academy 2016
Around the Globe Piano Music Festival 2016
The Faber Music Piano Anthology; the winners…
The Faber Music Piano Anthology
A Year at a British Music Conservatoire by Lewis Kesterton
Weekend Competition: Safari by June Armstrong
The Value of Lectures & Masterclasses
Weekend Competition: Three Prizes
The Lang Lang Piano Method; winners…
Weekend Competition: The Lang Lang Piano Method
Why take part in an amateur piano competition? The Chicago Amateur Piano Competition
Double Bill Competition Winners
Weekend Competition Double Bill
A Master Class with Nikolai Lugansky
Rock & Pop Studies: the winner is…
Weekend Competition: Rock & Pop Studies
Weekend competition double bill…
Weekend competition: You can read music
Mindfulness and Jazzin’ About; winners…
Weekend competition: Mindfulness and Jazzin’ About
Jazz Piano Tutorials by Tim Richards
It’s never too late to learn to play; winners…
Weekend Competition: It’s never too late to learn to play…
Master classes at the Royal College of Music with Sir Andras Schiff
Friday Freebie: Stormy Ocean by Carol Matz
So You Want To Play The Piano? The winners….
Weekend Competition: So You Want To Play The Piano?
A master class with Sir Andras Schiff
The Lang Lang Piano Method: The winners are…
Weekend Competition: The Lang Lang Piano Method
The Harpsichord: guest post by Katharine May
Choral and Vocal Warm-Ups: The winners…
Weekend Competition: Choral and Vocal Warm-Ups
The Graded Piano Player: The winners…
Weekend Competition: The Graded Piano Player
Musica Noca Stars of the Albion Competition
A Master Class with Emanuel Ax
The Piano Bench Mag: 2016 Edition
A Master Class with Andrei Gavrilov
Guest Post: Maintaining Concentration in Piano Playing
Jazzin’ At Christmas; the winners are…
Weekend Competition; Jazzin’ At Christmas
Christmas Cool Piano Duets; the winner is…
Weekend Competition; Christmas Piano Duets
On My Travels – the winner is…
Friday Competition and Workshop by Pamela Wedgwood
A masterclass with Leon Fleisher
Weekend Competition – Get Set! Piano
A Friday Freebie: Dolphins by Carol Matz
5 Reasons to Take a Piano Course
Piano by ear: back by popular demand!
Weekend Competition: Piano by Ear
Improve Your Theory! 3. 4. & 5: The Winners…
Friday Competition Improve Your Theory! Grades 3, 4, & 5
Improve Your Theory: The Winners
Friday Competition: Improve Your Theory!
Great Piano Composers of the Classical Era: Out Now
Great Composers of the Classical Era: Pianist Magazine
New Sight-Reading Academy Launch
Cui International Music Festival 2015
Variations for Judith; And the Winner is…?
Variations for Judith; Win a Signed Copy
Ten Very Easy Piano Pieces for Beginners
EPTA Yamaha Day with Nils Franke and Universal Edition
Piano Notes published by Rhinegold
Overseas Winter Piano Academy 2014
The Piano Bench Mag: And the Winner Is?
Faber Music launches the Lang Lang Piano Academy
A few thoughts on Practical Musicianship and Keyboard Harmony
International Piano Master Classes with Angela Hewitt
2014 Dublin International Piano Festival and Summer Academy
A Chance to win the Pianist Magazine’s New Piano Techniques App
Andrei Gavrilov gives master classes in the UK
6 ways to introduce music making to babies and small children
Are you ever too young or too old to learn to play?
Guest post – Are you all fingers and thumbs? Come to the Summer School for Pianists
Appreciating your piano teacher!
Some thoughts on the Van Cliburn 2013 Competition
Young stars of Vladimir Spivakov’s International Foundation Concert
6 reasons why selecting a good piano teacher is vital…
Meet the orchestra; Let’s get children inspired to play orchestral instruments
Music education in Hong Kong – what the UK needs to know….
Learning to cope with performance nerves
Music Festivals….how important are they?
The 2012 Overseas-Malaysian Winter Piano Academy
Winner’s recital at the 6th Jaques Samuel Junior Department Piano Festival 2012
Practical tips for your music exam
Guest post – Introducing Stringbabies
Music lessons apparently make you a better listener
Why is Grade 5 Theory so important?
Dalcroze Eurhythmics – a creative way to study music
The Kodály method – a useful way to study music?
The Suzuki Method – an effective way to study an instrument?
Help, I can’t sing! Aural Tests
Do music examiners account for nerves?
Performance Anxiety – 5 top tips
Teaching Young Children about Musical Instruments
Music Festivals – A Platform for your Child
Light Relief!
Happy Christmas! And a trip down memory lane…
Articles relating to the Author
Snapchats Duets & Trios: New Recordings by Christopher Norton
Happy New Year: 10 Years Blogging
Lost in Thought: Practice Tips
An Angel’s Footsteps: A Birthday Gift
Chetham’s International Summer School Piano Teacher’s Course 2021
Pianist Magazine’s New Online Piano Courses
Chakra Suite for Clarinet and Piano
Jackdaws Piano Courses 2020/2021
Quarantine or Paradise: an interview with GéNIA
Simply Driven: 5 Virtuoso Pieces
Piano Workshops in Newcastle and York
A Piano Course in Frome & Chamber Music in Tokyo
A New Year and a New You. The Art of Manifesting
Publications: books and compositions
Play it again workshop in Frankfurt
International Women’s Day: the pianist as composer
Workshop at Millers Music and Tommy’s Piano Corner
No Words Necessary: 12 Original Pieces
A Piano Day at Ackerman’s Music Shop
New Piano Courses at Finchcocks
The 70th Hong Kong Schools Music Festival
Best Piano Resource Nomination
A few thoughts on publishing houses: a tour of Oxford University Press
Workshop for the Performing Arts Festival in Singapore
Polishing your piano technique: Jackdaws course 2018
Play it again: PIANO Review and Launch
A Student’s Memories: Patricia Carroll (1932 – 2017)
A Second Weekend at Jackdaws Music Education Trust
Meet the Judges: Live streamed event from Chicago
Happy Christmas 2015: A trip down memory lane
So You Want To Play The Piano? 2015 Publication
Judging the Chicago Amateur Piano Competition 2016
The Classical Conversation Series
A Weekend at Jackdaws Music Education Trust
Piano Course at Jackdaws Music Education Trust
Bilingual Master Classes in Germany
Piano Bench Mag Feature Article and Interview
Carnival of the Animals for Two Pianos
Improvisation on a Bach Chorale for Two Pianos by Busoni
Second Anniversary of the Classical Conversations Series
My First Article for Pianist Magazine – Get your copy here!
BBC Radio Three Counties Interview
It’s all about piano! Piano festival at the French Institute
My life as a guest entertainer
Reviews
Miniatures for Piano by Robert Bruce
Murray McLachlan plays Sonata No. 5 by John McLeod
Review in Pianofforte Magazine for Faber Music
Mastering the piano series by Lang Lang for Faber Music
Piano Bench Mag Celebrating it’s First Anniversary
Simultaneous Learning: The Definitive Guide by Paul Harris
Charles Owen’s Recital for Rhinegold LIVE
Andrew Litton at Rhinegold LIVE
Rhinegold LIVE Concert Series opens in style
The Art of Piano Fingering by Rami Bar-Niv
Alicia’s Gift; the Concert of the Novel
The Magic Link – a book review
‘Divine Fire’ at the Radcliffe Centre in Buckingham
Hungarian Dances at The Musical Museum
The Yellow Lounge with Valentina Lisitsa in Paris
Royal Overseas League 2013 Final
A life in music…Ruth Nye and the Arrau Heritage
It’s all about the piano – a piano festival with a difference
In Harmony Lambeth Winter Concert
A Walk Through the End of Time and The Woman’s Orchestra at Auschwitz
BBC Radio 3 Piano Gala for Children in Need
Melanie Spanswick 