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…
Tag: Piano Technique
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…
Honest Insights and Some Forgotten Exercises: Nick Van Bloss
British concert pianist Nick van Bloss has written the third guest post in my new series. In his post, Nick examines the forgotten exercises by German composer Louis Plaidy. I was fascinated to see Melanie’s recent post about the teaching of Rosina Lhévinne, particularly the accounts and anecdotes of her teaching by the late John…
Polishing Your Piano Technique: Jackdaws Course 2018
If you fancy a relaxing weekend in the most beautiful English country setting, with scrumptious home cooked food, you will love the courses held at Jackdaws Music Educational Trust. There is plenty of opportunity to hone your piano skills whilst meeting new like-minded friends. Situated in Somerset, near Frome, this music course venue is exceptional….
A Young Pianist’s Journey: Amy Reynolds
Today’s blog is a guest post written by my student Amy Reynolds. Amy came to study with me a year ago, and together we’ve enjoyed quite a journey. Here, in her own words, she explains how we went about obtaining her dream, which was to study the piano at a British music conservatoire. After hours…
Hand Flexibility
Hands. They are fairly crucial for pianists. Many will refer to the fingers as being the most significant ‘tools’ in a pianist’s tool box. And there’s no doubt, without fingers, playing is rather tricky. But, over the past few months, I’ve been working with a group of students and we have routinely discussed hands; hand…
A weekend at Jackdaws Music Education Trust
Tucked away down a country lane, just a few miles from Frome in Somerset (in the South West of the UK) is a music centre which has inspired generations of singers and instrumentalists. For many years, Jackdaws Music Education Trust has been providing weekend courses, educational events and performances for appreciative audiences and students. The…
5 Top Tips to Improve Finger Staccato
One aspect of playing I have written little about is touch and articulation, specifically staccato. This past term, several of my students have taken advanced graded ABRSM exams requiring many scales, the majority of which must be played legato or smoothly, and staccato or short or detached, as indicated on the score by dotes above or…
Resolving Tension in Piano Playing: Article for EPTA’s Piano Professional
Most of us know that too much tension can ruin piano playing. Reducing this tension usually requires time and lots of work. There are many ways to address the uncomfortable, tight feeling. This feeling often accompanies a fixed and tense disposition at the piano. The following article was originally written for the Piano Professional Magazine, an…
Faber Music launches the Lang Lang Piano Academy
Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang has already become a legend in the world of Classical music. He has many fans in the West, but he’s also developed a colossal following in the Far East, which has directly increased the Chinese appetite for Western classical music and more specifically, the demand for piano lessons. More than…
Absolute Articulation
I have spent much of the last month adjudicating at various amateur music festivals around the country. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable job; I get to visit all different parts of the UK, and also hear a wide variety of piano playing. Standards vary of course, from young, inexperienced beginners to incredibly accomplished performers. Whilst it’s…
Comfortable Piano Playing
Piano technique is by no means an easy element to teach and it’s even more tricky to learn and assimilate properly. Few tutors teach it successfully, whether this is because they know little about it or possibly because they find it difficult to relay to pupils (it is!). A good tutor must be able to break…