PIANO PRACTICE
A selection of articles and features on all aspects of practising the piano.
Warm-ups
A couple of days ago, I was discussing ‘warm-ups’ with a colleague. We talked for well over an hour, not all about warming up admittedly, but it is possible to chat about this subject endlessly. After all, everybody’s regime is different. If you’re just starting to learn the piano, or any instrument for that matter,…
Perfect Hand Positions
If you read my post on Perfect Piano Posture, you will now know how to find the best playing position at the piano, or at least you’ll know what to be aware of when you’re sitting at the instrument. Today, I will take a look at what constitutes the perfect hand position. This is just…
Perfect Piano Posture
Some of the most important elements in piano playing are acquired during the first few lessons. These elements often remain with us for life which is why it is crucial to start in the correct way. Bad habits are indeed very difficult to eradicate. It’s much better not to start at all than to do…
Coaxing the fourth and fifth fingers into action
‘My little finger just won’t work on its own’ How often have I heard this phrase from disgruntled piano students? Too often is the answer. Pupils invariably spend so much time focusing on and looking at the music on the desk, that they forget all about posture and technique. One of the major technical obstacles…
The Piano Education Project: Vlog 27
Today’s video-blog focuses on note learning and the note patterns on the stave.
Tension, Czerny Studies and strong coffee…!
Tension is a huge problem in piano playing and although it often starts in the early stage of learning, if not corrected, it can develop into full blown repetitive strain injury or tendonitis. There are so many musicians with this awful condition and once established, it is difficult to eradicate. Much of my time as…
How much piano practice is enough?
This is an almost impossible question to answer, isn’t it? And it’s a topic affecting all pianists whether they are beginners or advanced players, young or old, professionals or amateurs. The crux of the matter is this; all pianists need to practice. But how much is enough? What is considered a reasonable amount of work per…
To memorise or not?
I recently read an interesting article in the New York Times written by Anthony Tommasini regarding memorisation. It refers to a new French movie called ‘Amour’ which features French pianist, Alexandre Tharaud who appears in a dramatic scene performing a Beethoven Bagatelle (Op.126) for his retired former music teacher. The drama of the moment is…
Practical tips for your music exam
December is upon us and the music exam period is now in full swing. Many may have already taken their practical exams, but for those who have yet to endure these worthwhile tests, here are a few ideas which might just help your preparation. I tend to focus on piano playing on my blog but…
Espressivo: tips to transform your piano playing
Expressive or ‘musical’ playing is a crucial element in successful music making. This may seem like an obvious statement but, surprisingly, it’s frequently side-lined in piano playing because there are so many other elements that demand attention. When I talk about playing ‘musically’, I am referring to the way a work is performed. This is quite different from playing the correct notes…
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…
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….