Sometimes I’m asked by students which digital piano keyboard I recommend. For the most pianistic experience in terms playing, such as the key response and piano tonal color, I recommend the current models of Kawai digital pianos. I currently own the Kawai ES120
Category: Piano Lessons
Practice Time
The questions that often comes up from parents and students are “how often, and how for how long” should one practice between lessons. As I often remark to parents and older students, that practice is not the issue. It is when one does decide to practice, whether it is in an everyday disciplined routine, or…Continue reading Practice Time
Breathe
“Smile, breathe (3 times) and go slowly.” ― Zen master Thích Nhất Hạnh
Transitioning from classical piano to jazz piano
Many classically trained pianists are interested in learning jazz piano. Classical training will help physically but not a lot mentally. Your ability to play notes, chords, runs, etc, will all be very useful and put you ahead of the learning curve. That said, jazz is mentally a fundamentally different way of approaching music. Some classical people…Continue reading Transitioning from classical piano to jazz piano
Learning Jazz Piano: The Process
What skills are required to play jazz piano? What should you expect to learn from a jazz piano teacher? Improvisation: The element that defines jazz, improvisation is in large part about self-confidence, risk-taking, and the will to explore and experiment. But jazz piano improvisation also involves tools that can be studied both theoretically and practically:…Continue reading Learning Jazz Piano: The Process
Relaxed Playing
If you are not using the proper technique you will get sore. The entire playing mechanism which includes the wrists, forearms, elbows and the shoulders should be relaxed. It should never be tense. How do you relax while playing a difficult piece in mind,say a Liszt Etude? One answer to that would be a sigh.…Continue reading Relaxed Playing
Beethoven on dynamic markings
There is a story I read (can’t remember which book) where some famous pianist/composer sent Beethoven a letter asking him about dynamic markings for a piano piece. He received no answer so he wrote again and again a 3rd time. Finally Ludwig answered him scathingly with words to the effect of “Do you think I’m…Continue reading Beethoven on dynamic markings
Performance Anxiety
Different people respond differently to stress as we all know. Some thrive while others worry, deflate… One thing we all have in common however, is the we all need to breath to stay alive. As simple as it may sound, ‘don’t forget to breath’! You have probably heard it from lots of people. Here are…Continue reading Performance Anxiety
Sight Reading
Don’t look at your hands: keep your eyes on the music. If you have to look, glance with your eyes, but don’t move your head. Learn to look one beat ahead: quickly memorize each beat before you play it so that you can already be looking ahead while you are playing. As you get better,…Continue reading Sight Reading
Melody Phrasing For Piano
One of the goals during piano lessons is to discover and illuminate the hidden threads of musical structure in pieces. Adjustments are a matter of discovering the emotional content of each phrase, carefully shaping the dynamic while following the logical progression of a line—becoming aware of where it started and where it ended. Thus what…Continue reading Melody Phrasing For Piano