I’ve written about scales and arpeggios before here on my blog, but the following article was penned for the Piano Professional Magazine (Issue 34: Spring 2014), published by the European Piano Teachers Association or EPTA, which is designed for piano teachers. I write a regular feature article on technique for this very informative publication. Hopefully this article contains some useful…
Tag: Scales
How should I practice my scales?
The music exam season is virtually upon us and so the inevitable question of scale practice arises. Whether you are taking Grade 1 or Grade 8, you will need to practice your scales regularly. There is always a strong temptation to just play them through quickly moving on to more interesting parts of your exam. Try not to do…
Piano exam success: 9 key points
Several of my piano teacher friends and colleagues have recently asked me to suggest ways in which pupils can improve their chances of achieving good marks in their forthcoming piano exams. I examined for the ABRSM (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) for 5 years both in the UK and abroad, so…
Scales & Arpeggios – love them or hate them? 6 reasons why you need to practice them.
‘Now for the scales and arpeggios, C major hands together please’, the examiner smiles glancing at the student who is waiting with bated breath… This is a typical scenario when pupils are faced with scales and arpeggios in an examination. Most pianists don’t like scales or scale practice. Some ask if they are really necessary….
