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Welcome to our ongoing series covering Bach’s French Suites. Last time we covered the Allemande section of the 5th French Suite in G major. Today we will be covering the 2nd movement, the Courante, which is a very difficult movement.

The biggest thing I recommend is playing the eighth notes staccato and the sixteenth notes legato. Not only does this add more energy to the piece but it actually allows you to play the notes a bit slower – when you play the staccato short it gives the impression of a faster tempo than what you are actually playing!

This is actually a trick I learned from listening to Vladimir Horowitz many years ago. He would play notes so cleanly and detached that it sounded faster than everyone else. If you put a metronome to his music though you would realize that this wasn’t always the case.

So why is this technique so effective. One of the reasons is because it brings out the difference between the lines. With the sixteenth notes being legato they are distinctly different from the staccato eighth notes.

The biggest thing to mastering this piece – like any other – is effective practice. When it comes to this piece in particular you will want to practice it very slowly. During your slow practice you will want to exaggerate the difference between legato and staccato; so when you speed up the piece the difference will still be there.

You should really go through the whole piece like this and have the patience to practice it with the metronome. You should gradually bring the piece up to speed but only after you can absolutely master it at a certain speed before increasing it. It’s important to play it cleanly and relaxed. Do not make the mistake of increasing the speed before you are ready.

When it comes to ornamentation I like to use it to enhance certain sections of the piece. In the fourth measure, there is an f sharp and I like to add a trill to it. You will notice if you listen that I always measure the trill; your trill must always be measured. While it might seem like free expression, you will always want it to fit properly within the music and the tempo and it must be measured.

Piano Lessons: How to Play Bach’s French Suites – Part 2

Welcome to our ongoing series covering Bach’s French Suites. Last time we covered the Allemande section of the 5th French Suite in G major. Today we will be covering the 2nd movement, the Courante, which is a very difficult movement. The biggest th

This question comes from a viewer and while this is a very specific example, the solution is something that will help you with a wide range of music. The problem with negotiating this example is that from measure 21 to measure 40, there are a lot of fast notes in the left hand that needs to be played quietly. This can be a huge challenge because it’s extremely difficult playing fast and light on the piano. So how do you overcome this challenge?

Utilizing the weight of the arms and the position of your fingers right above the keys is the way to play this section with fluidity. For this specific piece, there are a lot of broken chords in the left hand and I have a suggestion for you on how to practice this effectively. Start with the first two notes of the section and play them together. They are written separately but for now, play them together. You want to achieve the same level of volume with your pinky and your thumb. This is a great challenge because the thumb is so much stronger than your pinky, but you must achieve a balance in the sound between the two notes. Once you have them equal in volume go ahead and break those notes ever so slightly like playing the bottom note as a grace note. Once you feel comfortable with this, add another note and continue adding notes in this manner.

Every time you start a new group of notes you should approach it as a separate passage. Prepare yourself mentally for each section and practice each section individually. Don’t consider this one long passage of notes. Instead, break it down into digestible chunks you can play in a relaxed manner. Then work on connecting these groups of notes.

This lesson really boils down to keeping your body and arms at the proper position to achieve power with the correct hand positions and finger patterns. These are all lessons I’ve taught in the past that are relevant to so many pieces of music.

If you have any more questions please contact me directly: Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Piano Lessons for the 3rd Movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata

This question comes from a viewer and while this is a very specific example, the solution is something that will help you with a wide range of music. The problem with negotiating this example is that from measure 21 to measure 40, there are a lot of

The soft pedal is something that every pianist must learn to utilize effectively. While it’s commonly referred to as the “soft pedal” its actual name is the una corda pedal. Today we are going to discuss when and how to use the soft pedal effectively in your music.

Una Corda actually translates to “one string”. On older pianos, there used to be two strings for each of the notes. By pressing the una corda pedal you would move the hammers over so they would only strike one of the strings. New pianos are a bit different as they have three strings for each note for most notes of the piano. So, when you press the soft pedal it will move the hammers over and they won’t strike the strings in the middle of the hammers, so it produces a mellower tone.

True una corda or soft-pedals only exist on grand pianos. An upright – even with a third pedal on the left – does not truly simulate the effect of an una corda pedal. You can see this because when you depress a true una corda pedal, the keys of the piano will shift slightly to the right. On upright pianos, the soft pedal does different things, but typically it brings the hammers closer to the strings changing the touch, not the tone.

In the video above I demonstrate the effect of the una corda pedal by playing the Chopin movement from Schumann’s Carnival. I provide an example with and without the una corda pedal. You will notice that not only is the music softer but the tone is a different color.

When used properly, the soft pedal is an extraordinarily expressive device that can add new color and depth to your music. So when do you use it?

In the example I play from the video, the same theme is played twice in a row. When I repeat the theme and use the soft pedal it creates a new and different sound. It’s a really beautiful way to highlight certain sections of your music.

But using the soft pedal really is not that simple. While the example above is a good spot to utilize the soft pedal, its effect won’t be the same on every piano. This is because not all soft-pedals are the same. Every piano will have a different response when using the soft pedal. Some pianos might not produce much of an effect at all while others will produce a very dramatic change in tone. It’s very important to get to know the effects of your soft pedal whether you are playing your piano at home or performing on another piano. Room acoustics, audience noise, and many other factors can determine whether or not the soft pedal is appropriate. Many times I have performed on pianos that were a bit too bright and border on having a harsh tone. When faced with this problem I might use the soft pedal a great deal to sweeten the tone and produce a better sound out of the instrument. Sometimes you might encounter a piano that is too mellow and you might want to use the soft pedal very sparingly.

It’s important to remember that the soft pedal is not something you can simply write into your music and play at the same point on every piano. This pedal is something you should employ at times when a tonal change is suitable. As you grow and progress as a pianist you will find yourself using the soft pedal when it’s appropriate and being able to make these judgment calls for yourself.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

When to Use the Soft Pedal on the Piano

The soft pedal is something that every pianist must learn to utilize effectively. While it’s commonly referred to as the “soft pedal” its actual name is the una corda pedal. Today we are going to discuss when and how to use the soft pedal effec

You’ve probably seen this in a lot of Chopin and Liszt compositions. Instead of having measured notes, there are a ton of very tiny notes that on the surface might not make much sense at first. You’ll have ridiculous combinations like 11 notes against 6 – which simply can’t be divisible in any precise way. So how do you play these passages and what do they mean?

In the video example above I use the beginning of the B-flat minor Nocturne of Chopin. Right at the start of the piece (the second statement of the theme) has a section just like I’ve described above. There are a whole bunch of notes (11 against 6) that are not divisible. So how do you play these passages?

The best way to practice these sections is to try to find the closest measured way you can play it. The first thing you should do is divide it out as close as it mathematically can work. If you play it as measured as possible – trying to find places where you can put in the extra notes – you will start to get a better feel for the passage. You might notice that playing these passages measured will result in a passable sound but it’s not exactly accurate and it may not sound very fluid. When played correctly, these unmeasured cadenzas are almost like improvisations and that’s the feel and sound you want to achieve.

The next step after you’ve broken these passages into a measured approach is to loosen it up a bit. Get used to playing these cadenzas measured and from there you can start to break them up and make the sound a bit more fluid. The final product doesn’t have to be mathematically perfect; the goal is to create a musical feel. The left hand should maintain the pulse and the right hand should be able to play with freedom – like an improvisation. Keep working on this until you get a result that sounds natural.

If you have any more questions about this topic or any topic at all, please contact me directly. Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729.

How to Play Unmeasured Cadenzas on The Piano (Chopin, Liszt)

You’ve probably seen this in a lot of Chopin and Liszt compositions. Instead of having measured notes, there are a ton of very tiny notes that on the surface might not make much sense at first. You’ll have ridiculous combinations like 11 notes ag

Welcome back to the third part in our series on The Art of Pedaling on the Piano. In our first lessons we discussed the essential techniques of pedaling and in our second lessons we talked about using the pedal to color your music. This week we will be discussing specialty uses of the pedal.

For our video example we used a selection in the 1st movement of the Pathetique Sonata of Beethoven. The movement starts off with forte pianos for certain chords. I’ve seen pianists approach these chords in a number of different ways. One I recommend is to push the pedal down before you play the notes – creating a booming sound before you let go of the pedal and let the chord sound forte. Another technique involves quickly letting go of the pedal on the point of attack and then quickly putting it back down. Either one of these techniques will work just fine but you don’t have to limit yourself to only these two.

You can feel free to experiment with your pedaling in situations like this to see what type of sounds you can create. If you listen to a number of different artist recordings of the same piece you will notice striking differences between them. Each pianist has their own unique style and take on their music; as you should have one of your own. Keep experimenting and having fun with your music.

Thanks again, I’m Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

The Art of Pedaling Part 3 – Special Uses for the Pedal

Welcome back to the third part in our series on The Art of Pedaling on the Piano. In our first lessons we discussed the essential techniques of pedaling and in our second lessons we talked about using the pedal to color your music. This week we will

Welcome back to our multi part series on the art of pedaling on the piano. Last time in part one we talked about the damper pedal and clearing the pedal on the downbeat of new harmonies. This week we are going to be covering some nuances of pedaling.

For this example, I use the Beethoven Pathetique Sonata. In the example, I demonstrate playing the piece without the pedal. When it comes to performing the piece you will want to use the pedal, but you should learn all your music without the use of the pedal first so you can hear the connection of notes that good fingering provides. This helps you to understand where to apply the pedal in your music as well as avoiding the bad habit of using the pedal as a crutch to connect notes in difficult passages.

Another way to enhance your music with the pedal is like what we talked about in the first video. This is achieved by putting the pedal down as soon as the harmonies change. Sometimes you might want the clarity of the notes to shine through in certain passages,. In these instances it’s a good idea to not hold down the pedal for the entire beat like we did in the first video. Instead, we will be using touches on the melody and for the passages that you can’t connect with my fingers alone.

This might give you an idea as to why pedal markings are not written into the score most of the time. If you tried to write down everything I was doing in the example video above it would create chaos on the page! Many other factors from the acoustics of the room, to the quality of the piano, to the size of pianist’s hands all factor into when to use the pedal.

The best thing you can do is to practice without the pedal and learn your music completely that way. After you feel confident playing the piece without the pedal, slowly go through and add the pedal where you think you need it – either to connect difficult passages or to enhance the harmonies or melodies of your music.

Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

The Art of Pedaling on the Piano – Part 2

Welcome back to our multi part series on the art of pedaling on the piano. Last time in part one we talked about the damper pedal and clearing the pedal on the downbeat of new harmonies. This week we are going to be covering some nuances of pedaling.