Over the past few years, I have been preparing a flurry of students for their performance diploma exams. These so-called ‘final’ exams can be most beneficial, and provide their recipients with letters after their name allowing them to assume a high level of achievement. They can also provide appropriate motivation, a goal, and, most importantly,…
Tag: Piano Tuition
Preparing A New Piece – 5 Tips Part 3
Today’s post is the third and final instalment of a mini-series for Pianist Magazine’s Newsletter: how to approach and learn a new piece. I hope it is of interest. Read Part 1, here, and Part 2, here. In Part 1 and 2 we examined ‘how’ to start learning a new piece. In Part 3, we…
Improvisation by Design: Susan Staples Bell
My guest writer today is Texan piano teacher and composer, Susan Staples Bell. Susan has taught piano for over 30 years, in various locations all over the world during her husband’s 30-year US Navy career. Though she’s been a creative all her life, the development of the internet and social media has given her a…
Chord Playing and Improvising 4: Christopher Norton
This is the fourth article in renowned composer Christopher Norton’s series for my blog. In this post, he offers tips and suggestions for practising chords and improvisation, and the article includes a free download of ‘Positively Swinging’, a piece which hails from the fourth volume of Chris’ ever-popular piano series, Connections. Connections for Piano has…
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…
The Lightbulb Moment: Why Piano Lessons Could be the Perfect Gift for Adults – Jeni Warder
As we approach that time of year where gifts and ‘present lists’ for our nearest and dearest come into sharp focus, piano teacher and founder of Keys Piano School Jeni Warder offers some excellent reasons why the gift of music is the ultimate choice. In my house, December traditions don’t include hot chocolate and movie…
5 tips on preparing a new piano piece: Part 1
In the latest Pianist Magazine Newsletter, I focus on preparing a new piano piece. This is a three-part series. Part 1 looks at the periphery and early stages of preparing your piece. When learning a new piece, there are so many considerations. How will you start? Do you like to listen to several performances? Or…
Chord Playing and Improvising 3: Christopher Norton
I welcome back world-renowned composer Christopher Norton to my blog. Chris is contributing a series of guest articles, each one offering a free download of one of his piano pieces, as well as plenty of practice tips, suggestions and advice. ‘A Gentle Touch’, an early intermediate level piece, is number three in the series and…
5 Tips For Breath Control
My latest article for Pianist Magazine’s newsletter focuses on breath control. I hope you find it of interest. Breath control. It might be a topic more closely associated with singing than piano playing, but developing secure breath control can by a most helpful asset, especially for those who regularly perform. Once this useful skill has…
5 Tips for Perfecting That Silence
My latest Pianist Magazine newsletter article focuses on perfecting that silence! We sometimes forget the importance of observing rests, fermatas, or even creating dramatic pauses. Here are a few tips and reminders. Rests, as we know, indicate a place in the score where we literally stop playing. An actual rest is generally a specified length,…
Teaching Fast and Slow
Over the last few weeks I have been preparing for what will no doubt be the highlight of my year; directing the Piano Teachers’ Course at Chetham’s International Piano Summer School. This preparation has prompted a reflection on my own teaching, hence the subject of this blog post. There is often a general perception that…
PIANO WEEK: What happens on a piano course?
Piano courses are becoming increasingly popular and it’s not hard to see why. They afford students the opportunity to meet like-minded new friends, enjoy excellent tuition, fine food, and a mini ‘holiday’. If the course happens to be situated in a beautiful place, so much the better. For the last two weeks I have been…