All posts by Robert Estrin

Should You Start Learning on an Inexpensive Instrument?

This is an incredibly common question for many people and especially parents with younger children who are thinking about getting them music lessons.

The short answer – no matter if it’s for you or your child – should be to get the best possible instrument you can (and afford) at the very beginning.

A lot of people might look at this as being counterintuitive. Why would you want to buy something expensive and then be burdened later on with trying to sell it? The truth is, sometimes if you don’t invest in a good instrument it could lead to frustration and eventually end up in your child giving up entirely.

It’s important to commit to music lessons. If you don’t feel entirely committed or sure about something then you should look elsewhere. Music is something that takes a lifetime to master and if you think that you or your child is ready to embark on that journey then you should go full steam ahead.

However, starting with a cheaper instrument and working your way up can be a great option. As long as the instrument you are starting with is good enough to be played and won’t impede your progress or learning you will be fine. With pianos it’s a good idea to start with a high quality upright and then eventually upgrade to a baby grand or full size grand when the time is right. Just remember that you will eventually have to progress past an upright piano because the action is not the same as a grand piano – it will never be as quick and won’t be able to perform more advanced selections of music.

If you get the best instrument you can afford you won’t be sorry. Not only will the person learning be happier and more successful but it will actually retain its value much more than a cheaper instrument. Search around and find the instrument that’s right for you or your child.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com

Piano Techniques: How to Handle Large Leaps in Music

One of the greatest challenges in piano playing is being accurate when dealing with large leaps around the keyboard. String players also have similar challenges when going from low notes to very high notes traveling across the fingerboard without any hesitation – and you will want to execute them successfully as well. While this definitely is a challenge for any musician, there are a few things you can incorporate into your practice to make these large leaps seem seamless.

For this example – if you watch the video above – I am demonstrating with the B-Minor Scherzo by Chopin. This piece has leaps all over the place so it’s a great piece to use.

The trick is to practice getting your hands in the correct position when making leaps. So the ideal thing to do is to play your music right up to the leap – and stop just before playing the notes after the leap. Playing your passage as you normally would up to tempo, and when it comes time to play the notes – stop! Analyze where your hands end up. If they didn’t go far enough, repeat the procedure and make adjustments, Likewise, if you overshoot the leap, you can refine the process until you are perfectly over the notes.

As you practice, wait a moment after the leap and play the new notes. As you continue practicing, shorten the time in which you stop and then play the last notes. Eventually, you will be able to play the passage without any perceptible pause even though you may be thinking it! Over time you will be able to play it seamlessly and your hands will naturally fall on the right notes effortlessly.

Thanks for joining me this week and I look forward to producing more of these piano technique videos in the near future. Robert Estrin (949) 244-3729 Robert@LivingPianos.com

Robert Estrin Performs Chopin B Minor Scherzo

How to Play Staccato on the Piano

The question today is: How do you play staccato on the piano? You may think of staccato as playing notes short. Indeed, in most contexts, that’s exactly how staccatos are played. However, staccato actually means to play detached, in contrast to legato which is played smoothly connected So if you have staccatos for example on slow notes (such as half notes), it might seem confusing at first for them to be marked staccato. In this case you would play detached but not necessarily short.

Many times staccato notes are found in faster music. Playing fast notes detached necessitates playing the notes short. In order to achieve a nice crisp staccato, you want to utilize the wrists. It’s really important to identify the wrists separate from the arms. The arms are too large and heavy to play fast and crisply. The wrists produce a completely different sound. The arms produce a heavy sound because the arms are large compared to moving only the hands from the wrists.

You’ve heard the expression, “It’s all in the wrist!” This is totally appropriate for successful execution of staccato in many contexts.

I hope you’ve found this information helpful! Robert Estrin – www.LivingPianos.com – Robert@LivingPianos.com

What are Parallel Chords? Piano Lessons

The complicated description of parallel chords is: A series of chords that consist of intervals which do not change as the chord moves. Let’s break this down and make it a little more digestible for the average piano student.

I was recently sent a question about parallel chords and I thought it would be an interesting subject for a video. Carol asks, “can you think of any pieces off the top of your head that utilize parallel chords?”.

The one that jumped out to me right away is Sarabande pour le Piano by Claude Debussy. While these chords are not exactly parallel chords, they are very close and have harmonic relevancy. In the video above I demonstrate the portion of the piece that utilizes parallel harmonies which is very close to parallel chords.

When I was a child I remember a piece called “Run Run” by Octavio Pinto that used a lot of parallel chords. I remember learning it as a kid and I’ve never forgotten it. It’s a great piece for beginning students as it sounds a lot more complicated than it really is. Although the hands alternate in the actual piece, they are just parallel chords!

Piano Questions: Do They Make Smaller Keyboards?

I’ve been enjoying and trying to read and listen to all of your “blog” contents on various subjects. I really enjoy them and am learning a great deal from them.

I’ve been offered a good quality 1988 Bösendorfer 225 piano with a good history from a reputable dealer, William Bruno Santos, in the Dallas area. Bruno generally deals in Steinways principally for non-profit institutional sales

This piano has a 15/16th Keyboard. I understand Bösendorfer only made “three” of these in their history.

I have smaller hands so I could probably play and enjoy this piano. My question is: Is this an “orphan” piano that I should shy away from and avoid, that would be hard to resell someday? Or is this “shorter” keyboard with “slightly smaller keys” just as suitable, and re-saleable, as any other piano?

I guess I might suggest a “Living Piano Video” explaining what a “15/16th Keyboard” actually is, for those who are not familiar with the term.

Thanks. I love your “Living Piano Videos”.

Gary

The subject of smaller keyboards is fascinating going back to the great 20th-century pianist Joseph Hoffman who had a special smaller keyboard made for him by Steinway. Charles Walter Piano Company is offering smaller keyboards on their pianos as well. Having small hands myself, it’s good to learn of yet another piano company that has offered smaller keyboards!

While the market for such an instrument would be small, with the wonder of the internet, I believe with the right marketing, it would be possible to connect with people who would appreciate an instrument of this sort.

I have not had the opportunity to play many Steingraeber pianos, but understand that these are top notch instruments in the European tradition of Bösendorfers and others.

Thank you for your kind words about the videos.

Are Music Skill Levels Important?

If you were a music student at one time or have a child studying music you might be familiar with the popular numerical grades for music students. In the past I’ve had parents from potential students contact me and reference the student’s grade level. What do these grade levels really mean and are they important for students and parents?

The truth is that on a whole these grades don’t really mean much. In certain contexts they can be beneficial but they aren’t some gold standard to adhere to when it comes to studying music. Grade levels can be arbitrary, they are not universal when it comes to institutions. For example, the MTAC (Music Teachers Association of California) provides grade levels for their teachers and students but these are not universal grades used by other institutions. In different countries they have different grading systems and even in different states within the USA there are different grading systems within different organizations.

So why do we even have these grading systems? They do provide a good use for competitions. Teachers are able to better place their students in competitions when they use the grading system because they will have a good idea of where they fit in and what level will give them the best chance to win. Grade levels can also help teachers identify repertoire for students quickly because they will have a good idea of their skill level when searching for a new piece. If you are part of a music teacher’s association they often publish lists of repertoire and the corresponding grade levels that go with them making the search for a new piece very easy.

Beyond grade levels, musical scores have such a deep and complex nature to them that a number can’t really justify whether it’s a good fit for a student or not. For example, have you ever heard a student play a slow Mozart movement well? It’s very unusual to have a student who can play with the poetry required to play one of these deceptively simple pieces correctly. Just because it’s easy to play the notes doesn’t make it easy to play the piece correctly. Grade levels really don’t take into account the individual characteristics of a student.

Different students excel in different skill sets and these grade levels are really only a rough guideline for a teacher to see how advanced a student is. Any good teacher will recognize the individual characteristics of their students and can probably help select a good piece for them by using both their knowledge of the student and their graded level.

This is a very important and deep topic and I’m sure everyone has their own opinion on it. We would love to hear your comments and suggestions for this video or any ideas you might have for future videos. Thanks again for joining us Info@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729