Ornaments decorate a melodic line and add colour to it. Quick notes are typically added around a ‘central’ note. This adds beauty and variation. There are a variety of ways to interpret these ornaments. This includes trills, mordents, turns, and the like. Interpretation depends on the period of the work, the composer, and the character…
Tag: practising
To play Studies or not to play Studies – that is the question…
There has been much debate recently online as to whether technical exercises are important or not when learning to play the piano. These include comments here on my blog, as well as via my inbox, regarding the merits of playing and practising studies irrespective of the standard or level of the pianist. Many believe them…
10 Top Tips for Successful Piano Practice in 2014
As the year draws to a close, we tend naturally to reflect on the past twelve months, typically pondering various events, occasions and experiences. Although humans want and need to move forward, sometimes it’s also necessary to examine the past, searching for methods to improve and succeed in many areas of our lives. Certainly, professionally this can help…
Structuring Your Piano Practice
Structured practice for the more advanced pianist has been whirling around my inbox recently. I’ve written about it several times for beginners, but it does take on a different mantle for those who have clearly passed that stage. Piano practice has frequently been cited by pupils as the main reason for wanting to quit, after…
The Joys of the Parent Pupil.
The new term brings fresh challenges and new pupils for many teachers. One interesting group of prospective students is the ‘parent’ pupil. A parent will occasionally announce that they wish to start playing the piano alongside their child. There are many reasons for this; it may be that they want to keep an eye on…