I’ve written on several occasions about piano performance diplomas and you can read my ‘Teaching Observations’ series, where those blog posts are housed, here. The ARSM piano performance diploma exam is not a new test, having been around for several years already, and it was originally intended to ‘bridge the gap’ between the Associated Board…
Tag: Piano Teacher
Teaching Observations: A few thoughts about piano competitions
I’m fortunate to enjoy most aspects of my work. I hesitate to say ‘job’ as being a musician is so much more than that. It’s most definitely a vocation. As expected with any type of work, some parts of my ‘job’ are more interesting than others. Adjudicating, or judging piano competitions, is a favourite element…
Teaching Observations: Prepping the Score
Today’s post is the last on my blog until the end of July, as I undertake an exciting trip to the Far East for my publisher Schott Music, giving piano workshops for teachers, public and private classes and lessons for both teachers and students, as well as talking about my books. But before I go,…
Preparing a new piano piece – Part 2
Today’s article featured in Pianist Magazine’s most recent newsletter. It focuses on basic practice suggestions and ideas for when learning a new piece. This article is part 2 of the process and you can read the Part 1, here. In my last article, Preparing A New Piece – 5 Tips Part 1, I offered several…
Reverse Learning
My latest article for Pianist Magazine’s newsletter, published in June, focuses on a seemingly counterproductive concept: ‘reverse learning’. But this can be a surprisingly useful tool, and I hope you might find it of interest. Chances are that when you start learning a piece, you open the score, and begin at bar one. When learning…
Finchcocks: A Piano Course with a Difference
Last Friday evening I disembarked from my train at Paddock Wood station in Kent (UK), and enjoyed a meandering car journey through what appeared to be a never-ending warren of country lanes. Eventually, we turned on to a long, narrow private road, which peregrinated around various fields before revealing, in the distance, a large, palatial…
Structured Piano Practice for Beginners: 10 Tips
Several readers have recently written requesting a post on structured practice ideas for beginners. I scrolled through my archives and realised that I hadn’t written anything on structured practice for this vast and significant group of piano students. In order to redress the balance, I hope you find the following of interest. 1. Beginners, particularly…
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…
New Piano Courses at Finchcocks
I’m very fortunate to love my work and one particularly enjoyable aspect is the opportunity to direct piano courses and workshops. I’m writing this post whilst relaxing in my accommodation in Shropshire. It’s just a few miles from the Welsh border where I’m working for two weeks at PIANO WEEK. It’s an international piano festival…
Harpsichord Essentials: Katharine May
Katharine May, who is a British harpsichordist and pianist, is my guest writer this week. I asked Katharine (pictured above) for some tips and guidance for those who fancy swapping the piano for the harpsichord. In this post she seeks to explain a few fundamentals. I have often been approached by pianists wishing to try…