piano performance

Can You Become a Serious Pianist Without Becoming a Professional?

2026-10-04T08:22:50+01:00

Maybe learning piano has been on your bucket list for a while, and you are finally willing to take it seriously – does that mean you need to become a professional? There is a general assumption that being serious about a sport, profession or even hobby automatically means pursuing it professionally. As if there needs to be credibility in claiming, “I have started to take it seriously.” Many adult pianists have careers, families and other commitments but still want to become accomplished musicians. It is as though there are two unofficial boxes people can categorise you into: playing piano casually as [...]

Can You Become a Serious Pianist Without Becoming a Professional?2026-10-04T08:22:50+01:00

How to Build Confidence When Performing in Front of Others

2026-08-03T13:20:28+01:00

Recently many students have reflected, “I can play those pieces perfectly at home, but it's awful when I play in front of you.” As a piano teacher, I hear this almost every week. Students often leave the lesson feeling frustrated, believing that they have suddenly becoame a worse pianist simply because someone was listening. In reality, this experience is not a sign that you cannot play the piece. Instead, it is a completely natural part of learning to perform. The first step towards building confidence is to change how we interpret these moments. Rather than seeing them as failures, we should [...]

How to Build Confidence When Performing in Front of Others2026-08-03T13:20:28+01:00

How to Play Softer in Piano Playing

2026-06-29T06:58:57+01:00

Recently, many students have asked me the same question: “Why is it so difficult to play softly on an acoustic piano?” Interestingly, most of these students have spent years practising mainly on digital pianos. Their fingers are agile, their rhythm is stable, and they can produce clear sound quite easily. Yet when they sit at an acoustic piano — especially during lessons, examinations or performances — the sound suddenly becomes louder, harder and more tense than they expect. Soft Playing Is Not Weak Playing Playing softly is one of the most misunderstood skills in piano playing. Many people assume that softness [...]

How to Play Softer in Piano Playing2026-06-29T06:58:57+01:00

One Piano Many Roles in Ensemble Performance

2026-02-13T13:49:20+00:00

You may be familiar with the many styles of piano music, but the ways in which pianists perform extend far beyond style alone. The piano is one of the most versatile instruments, functioning equally convincingly as a solo voice, a collaborative partner in small ensembles, and a powerful presence within large ensembles and orchestras. Each performance context places different technical, musical, and collaborative demands on the pianist. Understanding ensemble size is therefore essential, not only for repertoire selection, but for developing the skills required to communicate, listen, and lead effectively in each setting. This article explores the main types of musical [...]

One Piano Many Roles in Ensemble Performance2026-02-13T13:49:20+00:00

Tips for Accompanying Singers or Other Instrumentalists

2025-05-29T14:02:59+01:00

Accompanying singers and instrumentalists is a vital skill for any serious pianist. It demands more than mere technical proficiency; it calls for attentive listening, sensitivity, and a strong sense of collaboration. A successful accompanist does not simply play alongside another musician — they support, enhance, and often subtly lead the performance without ever overshadowing their partner. In this article, we explore essential tips for pianists who aspire to accompany with confidence and artistry. 1. Understand Your Role First and foremost, recognise that as an accompanist, your role is to serve the music and support the soloist. Your task is to provide [...]

Tips for Accompanying Singers or Other Instrumentalists2025-05-29T14:02:59+01:00

Hearing the Unseen: How to Tell the Difference Between Pianists’ Interpretations of Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor

2025-02-14T12:54:42+00:00

Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor (1853) is one of the most enigmatic and monumental works in the piano repertoire. Its single-movement structure—spanning moments of relentless virtuosity, profound lyricism, and spiritual transcendence—challenges both pianist and listener. More than just a technical tour de force, the piece is an interpretive battlefield, a mirror reflecting each pianist’s artistic personality. While the notes remain the same, the experience of listening can be vastly different depending on the performer. To understand how interpretation shapes the sonata’s impact, we compare four legendary pianists—Vladimir Horowitz, Martha Argerich, Sviatoslav Richter, and Krystian Zimerman—who each take us on a [...]

Hearing the Unseen: How to Tell the Difference Between Pianists’ Interpretations of Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor2025-02-14T12:54:42+00:00

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

Choosing Repertoire for Performances

2022-04-14T08:31:11+01:00

Choosing Repertoire This is a very interesting topic that could dictate a lot on how we progress and how we discover our strengths and weaknesses. Many performers today have chosen to stick to performing works by one or just a few composers. This allows a complete dedication and sinking into the depths of a specific language and style. On the other hand, we have performers who like to discover as they play - as they grow as musicians, finding new pieces and challenging themselves by immersing themselves into the unknown. What I find interesting is how the repertoire we chose shapes [...]

Choosing Repertoire for Performances2022-04-14T08:31:11+01:00

First concert performance

2021-04-21T20:08:22+01:00

"His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy" Eminem - Lose Yourself So on Friday, I did my first live piano performance for the London piano institute live feed. And it was brilliant! There was a concert with 32 students in total playing a wonderful variety of singing, guitar, piano and other talents. What was great is that everyone was at different levels, some (like me) performing for the first time in the world of zoom, others a bit more experienced. When my teacher Stefan first asked me if I was OK to perform, my initial thought was (quite reasonably [...]

First concert performance2021-04-21T20:08:22+01:00

How to adapt to a different piano for each performance

2021-03-01T10:44:41+00:00

Having to adapt to a different piano at each performance can sometimes be quite a tricky exercise. There are basically two standard acoustic pianos, namely the upright piano and the grand piano. There is quite a significant difference between them, let alone having to play on any given piano except for the one you are used to playing on. The upright piano has vertical strings and is more seen as the ‘household’ piano used for training children or plainly for a practice instrument. The action is that of hammers hitting against the vertically strung strings within an upright wooden body. The [...]

How to adapt to a different piano for each performance2021-03-01T10:44:41+00:00
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