Piano Technique

Mastering Piano Chord Playing: Techniques to Perform Like a Professional

2024-03-25T17:11:28+00:00

Playing chords on the piano is a foundational skill for any aspiring musician. From classical to jazz, pop to rock, chords are the building blocks of music, providing the harmonic framework upon which melodies and rhythms are built.Mastering technique is essential to playing chords like a professional. In this article, we'll explore four key techniques that will help you elevate your piano chord playing to a professional level.So read on to make sure your chordal techniques are up to par and ready to assist you with your pianistic expression!Hand ShapeThe first step to playing chords like a pro is to adopt [...]

Mastering Piano Chord Playing: Techniques to Perform Like a Professional2024-03-25T17:11:28+00:00

Mastering the Art of Pedal: Enhancing Your Piano Playing with Precision and Expression

2023-12-06T15:55:32+00:00

Mastering the Art of Pedal: The piano, with its magnificent resonance and versatility, is a captivating instrument capable of producing a wide array of tones and emotions. Central to unlocking the piano's expressive potential is the judicious use of the pedal. The piano pedal is an essential tool that can transform your playing from ordinary to extraordinary, adding depth, color, and richness to your music. In this article, we delve into the art of pedal technique, exploring its various types, applications, and the nuances that elevate your piano playing. Understanding the Pedals before we delve into the intricacies of pedal technique, [...]

Mastering the Art of Pedal: Enhancing Your Piano Playing with Precision and Expression2023-12-06T15:55:32+00:00

Playing Piano by Ear or by Sight – Which is Best?

2023-01-27T09:49:44+00:00

Playing the piano by ear or by sight - which is best? There are often disputes between musicians as to which of these two ways of playing music is best. The ear players see their way as best, and the note-reading players say, “no, our way is best!” So what would be the best way for you to learn to play the piano or an instrument? Let's look at playing from music sheets and not playing by ear. A significant advantage of playing by sight is being able to read music pieces from the score - even if you have [...]

Playing Piano by Ear or by Sight – Which is Best?2023-01-27T09:49:44+00:00

The Psychological, Emotional and Physical Benefits of Playing The Piano

2023-01-03T21:16:10+00:00

There are many benefits that come with playing an instrument, specifically the piano. Some are obvious and some you wouldn’t believe, each are just as unique and important in their own way. Here are just a few of the psychological, emotional and physical benefits of learning the piano that may inspire you to learn or to carry on lessons. Learning the piano is known to boost your cognitive and intellectual abilities which essentially makes you stronger in the parts of your brain which uses reasoning and math. This is because the same area (the parietal lobe) is activated when you integrate [...]

The Psychological, Emotional and Physical Benefits of Playing The Piano2023-01-03T21:16:10+00:00

Practising Piano Techniques – Part 2

2022-08-30T20:37:26+01:00

Hello again and welcome to part 2 of practising techniques! If you haven’t already checked out part 1, please do so as I shared some of the practising principles that I find super important. We covered the essence of concepts like searching, listening, identifying the problems and repetition. All of these concepts are somehow a core of practising any instrument. What I would like to further focus on is again both practical advice as well as a general concept. 5. Physical Awareness I find that physical awareness is often overlooked as a concept. Maybe more so with teaching children as they [...]

Practising Piano Techniques – Part 22022-08-30T20:37:26+01:00

Practising Piano Techniques Part 1 

2022-08-30T20:36:33+01:00

Practising is a highly sensitive topic. In my experience as a teacher and a performer - there are thousands of ways to do something on our instrument. Finding those shortcuts that make everything efficient and better,  with true clarity that can later turn into a method - proves to be a challenge. Let’s first examine a little bit what practising is. When we say “I have to practise “ - we already automated the action, I have to be by the piano (or any other instrument) and do some work. I find that some essential understanding of what work needs to [...]

Practising Piano Techniques Part 1 2022-08-30T20:36:33+01:00

Why Scales?

2022-03-30T13:30:40+01:00

Scales can be seen as a tedious task by many people who choose to study the piano but without them your technique and knowledge will never reach its full potential and no one wants to be held back! I get asked frequently by students ‘why do I have to play scales?’ ‘What do they even do that benefit me?’ I usually struggle to find one short answer when this happens because there’s a whole list of reasons I could dive into…. And I do. The main reason for practicing your scales is to build up your finger technique. If you take [...]

Why Scales?2022-03-30T13:30:40+01:00

Sound as a central part of music making – Part 2

2021-07-19T14:41:28+01:00

Dear pianists! In the previous article we have covered how to start developing your sense of sound and aware sound production. I also shared some practical tips that personally helped me and some of my colleagues. Please do consider this article inseparable to part one! Just to refresh the previous topic - practical tips included the following: recording yourself, mindfulness, visualisation, among many other advice. In part 2 I would like to focus on the physicality of piano playing - specifically in relation to sound production, more than any other correlation (articulation, stylistic approach, or technical issues... those topics will be [...]

Sound as a central part of music making – Part 22021-07-19T14:41:28+01:00

Playing faster slowly

2021-04-21T20:10:46+01:00

I hate running. Whenever I do it, it never feels natural and when I run, I feel ungraceful and run like a cow- it can move quickly but it just doesn't look coordinated. The only bit I like about running is the bit afterwards when I get to take a bath! But you know, running is something I always wished I was better at. So enter a great book called, "80/20 running". In it, the author explains that the majority of people who run are moving too fast. When we run at too high an intensity, the body does not have [...]

Playing faster slowly2021-04-21T20:10:46+01:00

How to resolve technical issues in playing the piano

2021-03-01T11:04:12+00:00

How to resolve technical issues in playing the piano First of all one has to realise that technical issues always have to do with muscles and movement of fingers, wrists, arms etc. A lot can be done with relaxation and of course the only way to really resolve technical issues is by one thing called practise practise practise. But one needs to understand how and what to practise in your piece to be able to conquer a passage or part of your piece which you are studying. There can be many technical issues in one piece. Here are but a few [...]

How to resolve technical issues in playing the piano2021-03-01T11:04:12+00:00

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