Getting the most from this great hobby!
We’re all familiar with the expression ‘muscle memory’ – yet what exactly is muscle memory? We pianists so often rely on this phenomenon that we should probably understand properly what it is don’t you think? The expression muscle memory is generally used in the context of piano playing when it seems that our fingers seem able...
"What exactly is Muscle Memory?"Continue reading
Once we have managed to diagnose a problem, it’s very important to be able to find a solution to it. Naturally, different problems need different solutions so in this article I’d like to explore one such solution that can help. This is part of my guide on how to practice piano effectively. Do you consciously...
"Fix technical problems with the in and out movement!"Continue reading
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. 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 would...
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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...
"Must you memorise your piano pieces"Continue reading
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...
"Can you teach yourself piano?"Continue reading
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 some ideas of how to quickly recognise the dots on the page in front...
"Converting dots into chords quickly and easily"Continue reading
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...
Clair de Lune is one of those iconic pieces that many of us decide to learn on piano before we’re really ready. Both the beginning and the ending sound deceptively simple. The middle section gets progressively more and more difficult and it can be awkward to control properly. It might take a very long time...
"Learning Debussy’s Clair de Lune"Continue reading
