Getting the most from this great hobby!
I’m sure that like me, many classically trained pianists also really enjoy other kinds of music. However, we don’t often really learn to play this type of music as we’re very busy keeping up with our classical pieces. However, there are ways of approaching popular music for the classically trained pianist that can make it...
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What do I mean by supplement slow piano practice? One thing I have discovered since coming back to piano is that there are literally hundreds of different ways to practice effectively. Unfortunately, all too often the only advice that gets shared on many social media sites is ‘slow it right down’. I don’t think anybody...
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I was recently asked how to play piano duets with yourself. Of course, as well as playing piano duets with yourself, you can also create great recordings to share on social media of both parts together! To do this, you’ll need to be familiar with how to record your own piano playing. You can find...
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To Hanon, or not to Hanon – that is the question! Do Hanon exercises provide the biggest bang for your buck? The traditional approach Some insist that Technical Exercises like Hanon are vital whereas others even go as far as to say they are most likely dangerous. To make things worse, proponents of both sides...
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I participate in a few online groups that bring amateur pianists together on places such as Facebook and Reddit. One question that is constantly raised is around whether or not it’s necessary to memorise your piano pieces. I quite often read the debates with a little smile on my face. You’ll see every opinion from...
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Can you teach yourself piano? Lots of people for a variety of reasons try it. However, is this even possible? Horowitz famously said that the piano is the easiest instrument to play in the beginning and the hardest to master in the end. Equally famously, Richter was self-taught until his twenties – and even afterwards his...
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There is lots of debate as to a whether or not a classical pianist can learn on a digital piano. Many say you really need an acoustic – even though often they have never played on a digital. However, I think this is the wrong question to ask. Rather, we need to ask ‘what piano...
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Working out which fingers to use on piano is a very necessary skill for pianists at all levels. Many of us rely predominantly on fingerings given in the music we buy. However, these don’t necessarily always work well – especially if you have smaller hands. Therefore, we need to understand the Art of Piano Fingering. I’m...
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This article is part of my guide on how to practice piano more effectively. This is the second post discussing how to get better at recognising chords whilst playing piano. The first covered some ideas of how to get familiar with recognising them in terms of actual notes played at the piano. This post introduces...
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Whilst this might seem to be a theoretical things, mastering chords is actually key to practising piano more effectively. Being able to quickly recognise chords will dramatically improve your sight reading and memorising – and that’s just for starters. It also improves your general appreciation of theory and harmony … almost by osmosis … and...
