I usually focus on practice tips for my bi-monthly Pianist Magazine column (this article was published on Pianist’s website last month) but what we play is just as important as how we practice it. As a teacher, I’ve found that the ‘progression’ of piano music for a student is vital. I teach many younger students…
Tag: Piano Practice
Singing Ourselves in Time
The following article was first published on Pianist Magazine’s website a few months ago as part of my ongoing ‘5 top tips’ series. Singing. It can be a useful tool for pianists, or any instrumentalist, to help shape phrases, particularly when practising slower cantabile-style nocturnes, where it can encourage us to pay closer attention to…
Going backwards to move forwards
My article for last month’s Pianist Magazine explores this important practice idea. As a general rule, I’m a fan of piano exams or any type of ‘test’ which encourages a student’s progress. Most teachers are delighted when their student gets to grips with a piece or an aspect of their piano playing enabling them to…
Recordings as a useful practice tool: 5 Tips
This article was recently published on Pianist Magazine’s website. Many believe that we shouldn’t listen to recordings of our pieces before we learn to play them mainly because we run the risk of ‘copying’ the artists we are hearing. However, recordings can be of real value during the learning process. Here’s how you can use…
5 Tips To Help Finger Placement
This article was first published on Pianist Magazine’s website. An aspect of piano playing oft-forgotten by students is the importance of ‘placing’ the finger effectively on the key. This might sound unimportant, strange, or just plain daft! After all, we can all ‘play’ a note or depress a key with our fingers therefore it isn’t…
Teaching Observations: Shifty Shoulders
Earlier this week I had an appointment for my three-yearly mammogram. There’s nothing vaguely interesting about this event, but, for me, it’s a more stressful undertaking than for many because exactly fifteen years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was fortunate because the cancer was caught early and I’ve been able to make…
Piano Pedagogy Spotlight: An Interview with Frank Huang – Part 2
I’m continuing my series of interviews focusing on piano pedagogy featuring professors and faculty members of universities and music conservatoires around the world. This week’s guest writer and interviewee is American concert pianist and associate professor Frank Huang who works at Miami University based in Ohio, USA. In part two of this series, Frank answers…
Performing for Fun: 5 Tips
This article was published last month on Pianist Magazine’s website. Why should we perform? Many of us merely want to play the piano in private just for fun and most crucially, to ourselves. So when someone suggests a possible performance, whether in a formal or informal setting, we can feel terrified. What if we make…
Piano Pedagogy Spotlight: An Interview Series with Frank Huang – Part 1
I’m continuing my series of interviews focusing on piano pedagogy featuring professors and faculty members of universities and music conservatoires around the world. My latest guest writer is Frank Huang who is an American concert pianist and Associate Professor at Miami University which is based in Ohio, USA. Over a series of four posts, Frank…
Composer of the Month at TopMusic
2025 starts with a bang! During January, I’m ‘composer of the month’ at the TopMusic.co which is an educational organisation founded and run by Tim Topham, a music educator who I had the pleasure of meeting when I visited Australia last Summer. Earlier this week ten of my elementary piano pieces were published by TMS…
5 Top Tips for Developing Legato Octaves
My newsletter article for Pianist Magazine this month focuses on playing octaves smoothly. It follows on from the last article, which offered a few exercises to loosen the hand so that octaves feel comfortable to play. You can read the previous article here. My last ‘5 Tips’ article focused on keeping the hand relaxed as…
Piano Pedagogy Series: A interview with James Kirby – Part 5
I’m so enjoying highlighting the exceptional work of many wonderfully dedicated friends and colleagues, and am looking forward to developing this pedagogy series over the coming year. Today’s post is the final instalment of my interview with concert pianist and piano professor James Kirby. In this article, James talks about his love of educational work,…