PIANO PRACTICE
A selection of articles and features on all aspects of practising the piano.
5 Tips on Stage Presentation Part 1
Stage presentation is an important topic. It is not just for those who perform regularly, it also concerns students preparing for exams, diplomas, or school concerts and festivals. In my latest article for Pianist Magazine newsletter, I offer the first of two articles on stage presentation. This article provides a few ideas for honing and…
5 tips to quell a sustaining pedal addiction
It’s a common tendency for students to rely too much on the sustaining (or right) pedal; whether aiming to create smooth legato lines or add resonance, the pedal can have an intoxicating effect. We use a little, and then before we know it, every bar is drenched! The article below is one I wrote for…
The Sustaining Pedal
I regularly write feature articles for Piano Professional Magazine published by EPTA (or the European Piano Teachers Association). The most recent comes from the Spring 2018 Issue. This is Issue 47, pages 20 – 21. It sheds some light on the sustaining pedal and I hope you find it of interest. The sustaining or damper…
Are you all Fingers and Thumbs?
My most recent article for Pianist Magazine’s e-newsletter focuses on the thumb. As always, my intention is to draw attention to an area of piano playing which may benefit from concentrated practice. I notice in my own teaching that students perpetually work to achieve and maintain finger strength, but then leave the poor old thumb…
Hand Flexibility: Piano Professional Article
I’ve written about hand flexibility before here on my blog. It’s an important topic for piano students and teachers. So, I thought I’d publish a more in-depth post on this subject. The following article was first published in the most recent edition of Piano Professional, which is the UK piano teachers magazine published by EPTA…
Favourable Fingering
This month’s topic for Pianist Magazine’s newsletter is a perennial favourite: fingering. Do you write your fingering into the score before you start learning your piece? Or do you let your fingers roam wherever they feel comfortable? Here are a few ideas which I hope might be useful. Fingering is a perpetual hot topic and…
5 Top Tips for Keeping Time
My column for the latest bi-monthly newsletter for Pianist Magazine offers tips and suggestions for how to keep a rhythmic pulse. Keeping time (or playing rhythmically) can be a challenge for many, and particularly for pianists, as they are often playing alone and therefore have the opportunity to change the tempo as often as they…
5 Top Tips for Piano Playing Progress in 2018
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR I hope 2018 is a peaceful, healthy and happy year for everyone, and I really value and appreciate your continued support and readership. A new year provides the ideal opportunity to work on personal development, whether that be on a spiritual, emotional or physical level. I’ll be paying more attention to…
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: Trinity College London Grade 5
Continuing with my series surveying piano exam repertoire, today’s post examines Trinity College London Grade 5. List A offers a diverse and well-chosen collection of pieces. It includes composers such as Richard Jones, Anton Diabelli, Moritz Vogel, and Dmitri Kabalevsky. Each candidate must prepare three exercises. These are played alongside scales and arpeggios. These exercises…
5 Top Tips for Hand Flexibility
I’ve written before about hand flexibility. A flexible hand can be the key to playing octaves or any intervals or chords requiring that ‘outstretched’ position. As with all piano topics discussed here, hand flexibility is open to personal interpretation. There are many ways to achieve a relaxed hand. For those with a larger hand, my…
Selecting & Practising Piano Exam Repertoire: ABRSM Grade 5
Today, I focus on ABRSM Grade 5. This continues my series examining effective exam programming. I will also share five tips for the suggested listed pieces. Some of my tips could be applied to similar repertoire. If you’ve already settled on your programme, you might be able to use some of the ideas mentioned here….
Practising Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor Op. Posth. by Frédéric Chopin
I wrote about practising this beautiful nocturne a few years ago. You can read the article by clicking here. It has become one of my most ‘viewed’ blog posts. This work is now especially popular and one reason is that it is on the current ABRSM Grade 7 syllabus (2017 – 2018). I rewrote the…