Piano Lessons- Music Theory Lessons

This is a loaded question and it’s a topic that may cause controversy – especially among some piano teachers. There are different perspectives on this important subject. As always, I welcome everyone’s comments and suggestions when it comes to every topic we cover so please feel free to voice your opinion.

I also understand that some students can become frustrated by having to practice tedious exercises for hours and hours when they would much rather be playing music. But are these exercises in vain or is there a purpose to them?

Exercises are an important part of developing as a pianist. In many cases utilizing Hanon and Czerny can be a great way to develop strength in your playing. These exercises can help you develop pure technique without having to deal with nuanced expression, complex rhythms, melodies and countermelodies. By using Hanon or Czerny, you can learn exercises with lots of notes much much quicker than many piano pieces which can have additional elements of complexity not found in these exercises.

What about the relative value of learning exercises instead of learning music? A lot of times musical etudes – advanced ones such as Chopin or Moszkowski or student level etudes of Heller or Burgmuller – can provide the same benefit of strength building you get from Czerny or Hanon with the added benefit of providing pieces of music you can add to your repertoire.

There really is a balance you must reach when it comes to learning exercises versus learning music. In the early levels of studying the piano learning exercises provides a great way to develop strength. Hanon exercises can help you develop finger strength very quickly. The early exercises in the book are great for beginning pianist because you don’t have to deal with finger crossings or cumbersome musical challenges. It’s an easy and simple way to start playing the piano immediately developing strength in your fingers. Younger students can quickly master these exercises and prepare themselves for learning music.

Once you master all of your scales and arpeggios you can continue building strength simply by playing music. You will challenge yourself much more and develop your technique along with continuing to work on scales and arpeggios.

So yes, there are benefits to exercises, but you shouldn’t be relying on them as your only source of technical development. They provide a great foundation for building your technique but they are something you should augment with scales and arpeggios and substantial musical repertoire.

Many times you can actually create your own exercises by taking sections of music you have great difficulty with. Take these sections and generate patterns, bring out different voices, or create rhythmic variations to challenge yourself. Exercises come in all forms and sizes and you shouldn’t be afraid to create your own!

When you think about the most impressive feats of human creation – from the great pyramids to an incredibly intricate piece of art-work – it all starts one piece at a time. Meticulously building something while often tedious – can lead to incredible results. The same principle applies when learning music and developing your skills as a musician.

Being able to play a piece of music up to speed and have it flow seamlessly and almost without effort is something you will have to build up to; this is not something that just comes naturally for most people. The best way to achieve this type of sound and skill in your playing – no matter what instrument – is to practice slowly and often with a metronome.

I’ve covered this topic when it comes specifically to piano but I thought I would create a new video and article for all instruments – as some of them present unique challenges. For example, sometimes on a wind instrument it’s not practical to practice slowly – because the breathing will be in all different places. However, when you get to a particularly fast passage it’s a good idea to slow things down, so you can get the finger movements and tonguing in-synch with one-another. If you just play fast all the time there will be a lack of precision.

I guarantee you that any great musician – no matter what instrument – has practiced slowly and continues to reinforce with slow practice throughout their musical career. It is simply something that every great musician does. They might not practice an entire piece slowly – and you don’t necessarily have to either – but you must practice faster and more difficult passage under tempo to develop security in your playing.

Now there is one huge caveat to practicing slowly: you must do it with a metronome and you must incrementally increase your speed. First of all, you will not want to increase the speed at all until you have complete control over the passage you are working on; it should come off completely smooth and almost effortlessly. Only then will you want to increase the speed on your metronome and make sure that you only move it up one notch at a time. Building speed and precision at this pace will allow you to conquer the most difficult passages with ease – they will become almost effortless when you are done with them.

If you have doubts about this method, I have an exercise for you to try. Take an old piece you have had at performance level – one you haven’t played in quite some time. You might have some trouble areas at first, and that’s fine. Take any parts where you are a bit rusty and try playing them slowly – you don’t even need the metronome for this at first. You will find that if you practice these parts slowly it’s the best way to get the piece back into a high performance level. Some key areas may require working one notch at a time increasing speed with the metronome. However, you may find instant results just from the slow practice!

Slow practice is something I recommend to all my students and it really is something you should do on any instrument. While there are some instruments where slow practice isn’t always a practical, all of them will benefit from slow practice in faster sections. If slow practice is something you haven’t tried or avoided until now I highly recommend adding it to your routine; you will love the outcome, I promise!

Years ago we made a video about Extraneous Movements During a Musical Performance – discussing how some musicians make extreme movements and gyrations during performances and how it can be distracting for the audience, but not necessarily something the performer can control.

Today we are going to discuss noises that musicians make while performing music. This is a surprisingly more common problem than you may think and can actually negatively affect many aspects of live performances and even studio recordings.

What types of noises are we talking about? Sometimes it can be vocal noises. Other times I’ve seen musicians kicking their legs and stamping on the piano pedals without regard for how much extraneous noise it’s causing to their performance.

Involuntary noises are not that uncommon when musicians perform. But there are some cases when it becomes a distraction. Some great performers such as Rudolf Serkin and Glenn Gould made an incredible amount of noise during their performances; so much so that it caused issues during recording sessions.

So, how do these sounds happen in the first place, and is there any way to stop them? In some cases people just get used to “singing” along with what they are playing – although it certainly doesn’t sound like singing when they are doing it. Sometimes it can become a deeply ingrained habit that’s incredible difficult to break. Other times emotion might take control of the musician and they find themselves making exaggerated motions that cause noise. When they are on the level of someone like Glenn Gould it can be forgiven even though it’s not ideal. If you find yourself doing this during your practice you must make a concerted effort to stop or else it can become something beyond your control; it can become a permanent part of your performances.

In a large concert hall these things might not be much of an issue – it would be very difficult to hear any involuntary “singing” over the sound of the instruments and stamping of the feet or other motions that cause noise may not be noticed either. When it comes to performing in more intimate settings however, this can become a huge problem. Pay very close attention to some recordings and you might even notice a few “grunts” or other sounds coming from the artists that seep into the recording.

I remember many years ago I attended a solo piano concert with my father (for a pianist who will remain nameless) and there was so much sound from his vocalizations and foot stamping, that I remarked that the concert was more like a song and dance routine than a piano recital! As a child, it took great effort to stop myself from laughing! It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that no teacher ever stopped him as a child from developing these distracting habits.

If you find yourself doing this please make a concerted effort to reign it in and control yourself. If you have students who do this, call it to their attention whenever it happens so they stop making sounds that distract from the music. It might seem like a small problem, but it could potentially develop into something beyond your control and create a lot of distractions from the music.

Welcome to another part in a series of videos offering you tips for selected piano repertoire. Bach wrote many Minuets in beautiful Baroque style and this one in particular is a wonderful little piece for even elementary level players.

A minuet is a dance form in meter of three and because it’s a Baroque piece it has nice counterpoint. The goal of this piece is to showcase great clarity while retaining a bouncy and dance-like feel. The secret to achieving this is how you execute the phrasing – specifically, how you articulate the staccatos and how you negotiate the slurs.

Like in many other pieces, the technique is accomplished with the wrist. You will want to use certain wrist techniques to clarify the staccato notes contrasting with the slurred legato notes. This might sound simple but many times when first approaching this piece you may unwittingly use the arm in conjunction with the wrist producing a muddled sound.

For this piece, the first beat should have more emphasis than the second and third beats in keeping with the dance form. By coming down with the wrist for the first beat on the staccato notes, you can create a very dynamic sound. By using the arms you will produce a heavier tone that doesn’t sound nearly as bright and bouncy as it should.

The way I would recommend playing this is to bring your wrist down on the first note and then quickly lift it back up on the staccato notes. If you watch the video attached with this article you will see some great examples of this wrist movement. It’s very important to not rely upon the arm for the up and down motion; it must come from the wrist!

You should keep the same motion for each individual staccato note: down, up, down, up. And remember that it’s only the wrist being utilized in these notes; not the arm. If you have to, hold your arm still with your other hand at first and play the notes only using your wrist.

This is a very important topic that not only applies to school but applies to nearly every aspect of life. Learning to balance and manage your time is an absolute necessity to finding success and happiness in your life. I learned a long time ago through some personal struggles that sometimes it is necessary to give up things that are good for the pursuit of what is important. You can’t do everything.

As you get older you understand that there is a finite amount of time we all have on this earth and doing something meaningful with your life is vital. When it comes to school and planning your life at a younger age it can be difficult to determine what you really want. But if you have a general idea of where you want to go in life it can be much easier to enjoy an enriching life.

If you are in school now and you are interested in pursuing music as your main focus of study, you might not want to overload yourself with more advanced academic courses. On the surface it might seem important to have great grades in the hardest classes you can handle. But when it comes to studying music, particularly working towards a performance degree, practicing music is the most important thing in getting into a good music school. You will always need good grades but overloading yourself with advanced courses and neglecting your music studies will put you at a distinct disadvantage.

On the other hand, if you are pursuing music as a hobby and are pursuing another career, you probably should prioritize your academic studies ahead of your music practice. You can still enjoy musical activities no matter what career you choose.

You also have to look at yourself and understand the type of person you are and the personality traits you have. Do you like to be alone more and work by yourself? Maybe you enjoy scheduling yourself to the maximum diving into work and study without much social interactions. On the other hand, maybe you enjoy social activities, sports, being with family and other things that take you away from work or studying for large amounts of time. Don’t be afraid to balance your life according to your personality as opposed to forcing yourself into something you don’t enjoy. This will help you to find happiness in life.

The best thing you can do is be honest with yourself. Understand that you can’t do everything and having a focus in life is something that is very important to achieving a successful career and a happier life.

This might sound like a silly topic – and it kind of is – but this is a surprisingly common problem a lot of people encounter. Maybe there is a smell that develops over time but in most cases this is a problem with used pianos bought from a private seller.

Many things can contribute to a bad smelling piano. The most common occurrence is with cigarette smoke but there are many different things that can cause a piano to carry an unwanted odor. Situations vary, but you should be aware that smells can be very tricky to get rid of.

There really is no easy answer when it comes to smelly pianos. In all cases you will want to have the piano thoroughly cleaned – and this means removing the action. You will absolutely want to have a professional do this; you should never attempt to pull the action or touch fragile parts of the piano without the help of a technician.

Any piano you buy that has sat around for years could probably use a thorough cleaning – there is an incredible amount of dust that can accumulate over the years as well as some other interesting items. The next time you have your piano tuned you should ask your tuner what the strangest thing they ever found in a piano; you will probably be surprised with the answer!

Sometimes you might be able to mask a smell more than you can eradicate it. For example, when it comes to cigarette smoke, there is almost no way to completely get rid of the smell – it’s next to impossible! After thorough cleaning, one thing you can do to alleviate the problem – and this comes recommend from technicians – is to mask the smell with a perfume or something similar (many times it will be able to cancel out any lingering smells).

When you hear short notes – on almost any instrument – this is usually called staccato. We are going to be discussing two types of staccato notes – one is single staccato notes and the other is slurs which end in staccato notes such as two note slurs.

For the video example above, I chose the last movement of Mozart’s K331 Sonata in a major which ends with the famous Alla Turca movement. This is a great piece for staccato demonstration and if you have the chance you may enjoy following along with the video.

The most important technique in playing staccatos is using the wrist. If you rely on the arms the notes won’t snap like they should – it will sound limp. The arms are simply too big and ponderous to rely on for this technique. But how do you approach the staccatos with your wrist?

In the case of a single note, you will want to place your fingers over the keys and simply use your wrist to play the notes. You will want to move ONLY the wrist; do not involve your arms at all except to carefully place the hands over the right keys. By practicing this technique and relying on the wrist, you can develop incredibly speed and fluidity.

When it comes to slurs that end in staccatos, you will want to achieve this is one motion. In this particular piece there is a two note slur that ends in a staccato. For this example you will want to play down for the first note of the slur, and then up for the staccato. The video above provides an excellent example of this. It doesn’t matter how many notes are in the slur, you will always want to go down with the wrist on the first note then come up on the staccato note.

When you put this all together, you will notice a very big change in the sound of the music. Your short notes will have a nice crisp sound to them – they will delineate themselves from the slurred notes.

Now, staccato doesn’t always mean short. It technically means detached. There are examples of slower music where the notes aren’t short but are simply detached from each other. This is an entirely different technique I will cover in a future video but for today, the examples above will help you start playing staccato like a pro.

Many times we let fear get in the way of learning something new or pursuing a new hobby. As we get older we might tell ourselves that learning a new language or learning a new instrument is something we just can’t do. There are number of excuses people come up with: I’m too old, I can’t learn like I used to, I don’t have the time, it’s a dumb idea, or anything else we might set up as a roadblock to prevent us from doing something new. So let’s examine this concept and find out if there are any truths to these claims or are if we are just being our own worst enemy.

So let’s get this out of the way right at the beginning, The answer to the question of whether or not an adult can learn a new instrument is yes, you can learn a new instrument! Unless you are physically or mentally compromised you can learn to play an instrument, even if you have limited or no musical experience in the past. However, for some people learning a new instrument is going to be easier than for others.

If you have no experience whatsoever with music or playing an instrument it is still possible to learn but it’s going to be a much greater challenge. If you are up for it and it’s your calling, then you should continue to pursue it. Don’t let age get in the way of your dreams. You just have to have realistic expectations. It’s not to say it’s impossible, but becoming a virtuoso musician as an adult with no prior experience is going to be extremely difficult. Is it impossible? It depends upon the person and the level of commitment. Can you learn to play and enjoy it as a hobby? Absolutely!

Music is a language and if you’ve never been exposed to it before it would be like learning a new language. It’s going to take time and it’s going to be something that’s a little harder to learn as you grow older.

The good news is that if you have a foundation in music it’s going to be much easier to learn a new instrument or a second instrument even as an adult. The fundamentals of music are the same from instrument to instrument and while the keys, strings, and methods of performing are different, the foundation of the language stays the same. If you are looking to start playing a second instrument it’s going to be much easier for you – especially if you already know how to play the piano.

Do not stop yourself from pursuing something you want to do. If you think it would make you a happier person, then you should not get in the way of trying something new. I have many people who contact me and say that they are learning the piano as an adult and that my videos as well as others have helped them to progress to a level they are very happy with and are thrilled to be playing music!

There are 3 fundamental ways of thinking and being while performing music. These thought processes are not just in performing, but in life itself. They are:

– Linear
– Random
– Cyclical

Linear thinking is typical of Western thought. In fact it is expressed best in scientific method in which chains of facts and observations are strung together methodically forming theories. Most of us think linearly most of the time because we think with words which by their nature force you to think from one point to the next forming a line of thought.

Eastern thinking is sometimes exemplified by meditation which can be described as pure thought. Westerners think of it as clearing the mind since you have to stop the internal dialog. Yet just because you are not forming words in your head doesn’t mean there is no awareness or thought. You are still taking in the world, but you are not trying to define it. This is a random thought process of all thoughts merged into a kind of oneness.

Before I explain how all of this relates to musical performance, I want to bring up the third type of thought. Unlike the two preceding types of thought, cyclical thinking is generally destructive. By its nature it goes nowhere and is akin to a feedback loop. Like a sound system in which the microphone picks up the sound of the speakers and quickly escalates into a loud noise, sometimes thought patterns can cycle through creating an escalation of negative emotions. An extreme example of this is compulsive obsessive disorder in which a person may irrationally keep repeating an action over and over again beyond any logical reason. Another common example of cyclical thinking is insomnia in which you may lie in bed thinking about how you need to go to sleep and just when you start to fall asleep, again you think about how you need to fall asleep repeating the cycle.

So now how this relates to musical performance is this:

Linear thinking is absolutely necessary in the successful performance of music. After all, you must get from point A to point B and so on. A great performance of an etude for example may be one in which everything is perfectly planned out and executed with confidence having achieved consistent results through every section of a piece again and again. However, a perfectly planned performance can sometimes lack in spontaneity.

Random thinking can at best be electrifying keeping the audience on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next. The performer doesn’t rely completely on planned skill sets of getting from one note to the next in a perfectly planned way, but allows himself to create something new at that moment. It is necessary to have some sense of where you are in the piece or you could take a wrong turn or try something in a performance that you aren’t capable of playing!

Cyclical thinking during a performance can be a nightmare. After preparing for weeks or months for a concert, some unfortunate event happens perhaps from a momentary distraction or finger slip, and from that point on you start thinking about the possibility of it happening again. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy as each mistake leads to the next.

So in a successful performance you must forgive yourself for not being perfect if something unfortunate happens and keep a sense of enjoyment in the moment so you avoid the possibility of getting into a negative cycle of thought which can ruin a performance. Ideally, you have a blend of linear and random thinking so that you let the spontaneous, playful spirit inside you carry on while the linear part of your mind keeps things in order and allows you to express yourself freely while maintaining excellent control.