An academic recommends learning music by ear
One of my biggest gripes about piano teaching as a whole, is that students are almost always taught to read music before they learn to play by ear. That’s why I was thrilled to hear this interview with Rob Cutietta, Dean of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, Continue reading
Playing Chopin and Clementi on the Steinway (that lives in my Mac)
It’s a quandary. I need to make recordings for this site, and I’ve been trying to decide what to use: my Yamaha upright piano, or my keyboard-plus-virtual-Steinway setup.
The Steinway in question is the library of recorded samples from Garritan. I trigger them by playing my Roland FP7 keyboard and record my performance as a MIDI file using ProTools.
Here are two movements of a Clementi Sonatina I just recorded using the Garritan.
Allegro
[audio:http://doctorkeys.com/newblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Clementi-Allegro3.mp3|titles=Clementi-Allegro3]Andante
[audio:http://doctorkeys.com/newblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Clementi_Andante4.mp3|titles=Clementi_Andante4]You can hear the Chopin (a gorgeous mazurka) on this page. Continue reading
Big leaps made easy. (Video)
Whatever kind of music you play, you need to be able to re-position your hand on the keyboard quickly, accurately, and without losing control of dynamics. Here’s a strategy that can make a huge difference in your playing.
You’ll hear some pretty cool pieces in this lesson (parts of them, anyway), including music by Satie and Joplin. I especially enjoyed playing the Bartok at the end of the video.
Practicing again and it feels so good.
I’ve been playing the piano regularly for much of my life. But exactly how I spend my time at the piano continues to evolve. Continue reading
Deep Basic #4: Prepare.
This is the fourth in a series of posts on the core essentials of piano playing.
When I’m teaching, it often seems that every other word out of my mouth is about preparation. Though the specifics vary, the message always comes down to this:
Be ready for the next note well in advance, touching the key, with your body poised to get the sound you want. Continue reading
Deep Basic #2: Let gravity do the work.
This is the second in a series of posts on the core essentials of piano playing.
In a nutshell, technique refers to how you use your body to get the sounds you want from the piano. And the starting place for good technique is relaxation.
Now if you’re wondering how you can relax while doing something as complicated as playing the piano, the answer is simple: let the weight of your arm do the work. Don’t use your muscles to push keys down—let gravity do it for you.
Releasing arm weight into the keys:
• Keeps you pain- and injury-free.
• Helps you control dynamics (loudness and softness). Continue reading