The Competition-Winning Piano Teaching Philosophies of Highly-Regarded Teachers
Highly regarded piano teachers produce exceptional, competition-winning students due in part to their clear, strategic teaching philosophies.
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The Question that Changed Everything
I started teaching piano when I was fairly young. I taught part-time during my undergraduate years, and by the time I finished my Ph.D., nearly fourteen years later, I had a full piano studio. But a decade of teaching left me with a dilemma. I thought I was a good piano teacher, but I had […]
Read MoreA Fresh Look at the Piano Sonata
A different way to look at sonata form: one that is especially useful to performers. This presentation singles out sonatas by Haydn and Mozart, and touches upon a Beethoven Sonatina. It also details a solid pedagogical approach to teaching students excellent ways to navigate this form, leading to better and more confident performances. This post […]
Read MoreEfficient Piano Practice
For efficient piano practice, start with the end result and work backward, and focus on what needs practice.
Read MoreMental Rehearsal
Photo credit: Stanford University We tend to think that piano playing is all about what you can do with your fingers, but so much of it has to do with what you can do with your mind: recognizing patterns, being able to see the forest and the trees at the same time, knowing what to […]
Read MoreBrahms Intermezzo in E Major, from Klavierstücke, Op. 116, No. 4
Brahms Intermezzo in E Major, from Klavierstücke, Op. 116, No. 4 contains some interesting elements that should be considered literally.
Read MoreBrahms Intermezzo Op. 117, No. 1: what’s up with the B-section?
Brahms Intermezzo Op. 117, No. 1: what’s up with the B-section? Octave displacement, rhythmic displacement. There’s your answer.
Read MoreChopin Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2: not a waltz
How to play the accompaniment in the the Chopin Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2, without making it sound like a waltz. Here are some strategies.
Read MoreChopin Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2: 8 against 3
How to learn the 8-against-3 polyrhythm in the Chopin Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2, measure 29: tear it down, and build it back up.
Read MoreRubato, and how to get there from “Gray Day”
I’m going to use “Gray Day” as a lesson in rubato by way of phrase goals and phrase shaping.
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