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, read more…
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/piano-blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Clementi-Allegro3.mp3|titles=Clementi-Allegro3]Andante
[audio:http://doctorkeys.com/piano-blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Clementi_Andante4.mp3|titles=Clementi_Andante4]You can hear the Chopin (a gorgeous mazurka) on this page. read more…
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.
Music for what ails you.
My session got off to a good start today, but when it came time to let go of the practicing and play for pure pleasure, it seemed there was nothing I really wanted to do.
I thought about the music I’ve been playing recently, and also how much fun I’ve been having improvising, and none of it seemed appealing. I was feeling a bit down, actually (post-vacation blues, perhaps), and the fact that I had no appetite for playing didn’t help. read more…
Really listening (and its rewards)
I keep a journal about my playing and practicing. This is from today’s entry.
I spent some time with the well-known Sonatina in G. (Probably not by Beethoven, as it turns out.) One of my students is playing it and I want her to hear how beautiful this little piece can sound.
It took me a while to get caught up in the music and enjoy it, and for a while, I thought I never would. But as I listened more and more closely and found little things to do that pleased me, I perked up. read more…
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. read more…
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. read more…
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). read more…
Deep Basic #1: Find your way with music.
This is the first in a series of posts on the core essentials of piano playing.
Don’t fall into the trap of expecting your approach to the piano to look like anyone else’s.
This applies to (among other things) what kind of music you like to play, your level of commitment, whether you enjoy creating your own music, whether you like to play alone or with others—even why you choose to play in the first place.
Now I’m not suggesting that you ignore what other musicians are doing. Far from it. Learn from players who inspire you—a teacher, perhaps, or a friend, or your favorite recording artist. No one masters a language (for that’s what music is) in all its nuances, without imitating good speakers.
But understand that your role models have created musical lifestyles based on their own likes and strengths. They have found, or are finding, their way of being with the piano.
Find yours.
Deep Basic #3: Grow your ear.
This is the third in a series of posts on the core essentials of piano playing.
Just as artists are trained to draw what they see, savvy musicians practice playing what they hear.
But maybe you’re thinking, “Yes, it would be nice to be able to play by ear, but I can read. The notes I want to play are right there on the page. I think I’ll pass on this.”
I understand. Most of us, from our first piano lesson on, were taught to rely on our eyes (and musical notation) rather than on our ears. It’s what we know. And often, teachers not only don’t help their students learn to play by ear, they actively discourage it.
But the thing is, music is sound, so the more you’re able to put your ear in charge of your playing, the more at home you’ll feel at the piano. read more…
