Piano and Music Videos

How to Play Trills on the Piano – Piano Lessons with Robert Estrin

I’ve had quite a few people recently asking me for tips on how to play trills on the piano. It’s no easy task – or is it? This video and article will provide a few tips and techniques you can use to help master trills. The first thing to do is make sure you play your trills with minimal arm weight. If you’ve watched some of my other technique videos you know that I emphasize arm weight as a very big component in tone production – especially when it comes to slower melodies. The challenge with trills is playing lightly, almost floating your hand above the keys to allow the notes to flow with minimal effort. The next thing in playing trills is keeping your fingers very close to the keys. Trills are played so fast that there is not a lot of time for movement, so it’s best to keep your fingers very close to the keys – so close you remain in contact with the keys! Another thing is to make sure your fingers are rounded. It’s nearly impossible to play fast with outstretched fingers; keeping them rounded will help improve speed dramatically allowing more than just one joint to execute the trill. These are some of the most important aspects when it comes to hand position. However, there is something fundamental about approaching trills. Even if it sounds like just a bunch of notes, you need to figure out exactly how many notes you are playing as if it’s written out. Learn trills like you would learn any other fast passage in your music working with the metronome increasing one notch at a time as you gain confidence. Another big question is how to know how many notes to play in a trill. One valuable technique that I use frequently is to play just one note of the trill. For example, if you are playing a trill and starting on the upper note, just play that upper note. You will get an idea of how fast you can play the trill by only playing one note of the trill first, either the top note or the bottom note – whichever one you are starting the trill on. This brings up an important subject in trills, what note does it start on? This could really be a subject for an entirely separate video but I am going to provide some basic information here. As trills are written, you will usually start on the auxiliary (the note above the written note of the trill; the next note in the scale of that key). For example, if you have a piece in C major and you have a D trill, you would start on E. Can you start a trill on the note written? For example, if it’s written as a D can you start on a D and move up to E? Yes; it depends on the context. There are different schools of thought on this but generally, I would say a trill is basically a long appoggiatura (a non-chord tone resolving into the harmony). So starting on the auxiliary generally makes musical sense. However, in different period styles and in shorter trills, use your judgment as to what sounds best and what you can execute with confidence. The last thing I want to address with trills is one of the biggest challenges; how to end them! If you don’t know exactly where you are it can be difficult to end them smoothly. The good news is there is a great practice technique for this. I always like to play the trill right up to the point before it ends, and then stop in a relaxed manner over the keys. Keep doing that until you have a good grasp on where you will be right before the last notes of the trill. Keep playing that passage over and over and eventually add the last notes of the trill. But don’t play them right away; pause in a relaxed manner before you play the last notes. At first, make the pause as long as you need it; eventually, make the duration of the pause smaller and smaller; until the pause is imperceptible to the listener but guides the ending of the trill for you!

What’s the Difference Between a Mordent and a Trill?

Mordents and trills look so similar on the page. You usually find these in Baroque era music of Handel, Bach, Scarlatti and other composers from that time. I want to show you one specific difference that’s very important. The beginning of the Sarabande movement of the 5th French Suite of Bach starts with a mordent. You can hear me play it without the mordent on the accompanying video first. Shortly after, there is a trill so you can discern the difference. You will hear it played first with no ornamentation. Mordents and trills differ from each other in two interesting ways. Bach wrote a mordent on the first note in the right hand which is a “B”. The secret to a mordent is you add the note below and then go back to the note that’s written so when you have a B you’re going to play B-A-B. So what’s different about trills? Right after that, you have a trill. Trills start on the upper note. Typically trills can have more than one or two notes and this is for freedom of expression. In fact, the whole Baroque era is noted by its ornamentation. And it isn’t just music. Take a look at the architecture and the art of that period. It’s noted for the filigree and all the beautiful fine detail. Ornamentation is an opportunity for the performer to add their own expressive element. That’s why if you listen to different performances of the same exact pieces of Bach, Handel, Telemann, and other Baroque composers, the ornamentation can be quite different. You can listen to how it sounds with the ornamentation. You have to watch the squiggly lines: the mordant has often has one less than trills and have a vertical line.

The Periods of Classical Music Part 1: Baroque Era

The Baroque era pretty much extends from around 1600 to the mid-1700s. What distinguishes this era of music from others? Baroque music, much like the art and architecture of the time, is very ornate. There are a lot of different textures and the music is very linear. The music often has several lines of music that intertwine. One of the paramount musical forms is the fugue – which has a subject and counter-subject that develop in an intricate fashion. It’s very important in Baroque music to not favor the top line of music as is typical in other periods of music. Baroque music is much more like a tapestry of sound – it should all blend together well. I perform an example of this in the video above with the fifth French Suite of Bach. Notice how even though there is a melody, I allow the other parts to have equal say. The other thing that is a vital component in Baroque music is keeping a steady beat. There is little give and take as in other period styles of music; you should be very clear and be able to hear the lines and allow the counterpoint to come through. You should also employ a minimal amount of pedal when it comes to the piano. When you are playing with other instruments, articulation is vital to getting a clear sound and style. Another thing to keep in mind with Baroque music is the ornamentation involved. You might notice a bunch of ornamentation markings sprinkled around Baroque scores and there are countless ways to interpret these. Ornamentation includes things like trills, mordants, turns and other techniques that are used to embellish your music beyond what’s written on the page.

What Are The BEST Trill Fingers?

I’ve talked before about how trills must be measured. You have to know exactly how many notes you’re playing in a trill. Even though when you listen to a trill it sounds like a free form explosion of notes going back and forth, trills have to be measured so you know exactly how many notes you play. Otherwise, ending a trill is impossible because you’re leaving it to chance whether you end up on the right note or not! You don’t always get to choose your trill fingers. There are some instances, for example in Bach Fugues, where you must trill with four and five. These are the worst fingers to trill with! Try to avoid four and five as trill fingers. A lot of people think three and two are the best trill fingers. And indeed, three and two are pretty strong trill fingers. But the best trill fingers are actually three and one! Three and one are the strongest fingers. Your thumb is the strongest finger and the third finger is probably your second strongest finger. Three and one are terrific for trills. Four and two could work nicely as well. There are a lot of different possibilities. Three and one are great when you have that possibility. Three and two are good too. It depends where you’re coming from and where you’re going in your score to determine what the right fingering is. Not only that but if you have other lines within the same hand, sometimes as I said, in contrapuntal writing in fugues particularly, you might not have much of a choice as to which fingers to use for trills. I’m going to give you one final trill fingering tip.
I’m going to show you something that’s really interesting and it ties right in with the idea of measuring your trills. If you measure your trills, you might want to try alternating three, one, three, two. By using those fingers, you actually reduce the load of the trill to three fingers so none of the fingers have to work quite as hard. Not only that but it helps you to measure your trills. Even if you don’t end up using three, one, three, two as trill fingerings, it will help you to make sure that you’re playing the right number of notes in your trills, which is the most important thing! You never want to think of trills as something abstract from music. Just imagine that every single note is written out and play it as it’s written in the score. If you’re figuring out your own trills, find something you can play reliably. Don’t worry about trying to make the fastest trill. What’s important is that it’s musical, repeatable, and dependable. If you can use three and one, or at least three and two, you’re going to be way ahead of the game.

Brilliant Piano Finger Technique – Piano Lessons

When I was growing up, I would listen to some of the great pianists such as Horowitz and Rubinstein. I would also listen to some of the pianists from the early 20th century such as Hoffman, Rachmaninoff, and Joseph Levine. I was always so impressed with the pristine finger work. It almost would sound like a string of jewels because of the evenness of the notes, and I always wondered how to achieve that sound. So today’s show is about how to achieve brilliant finger work. I’m going to regress a little bit more. When I first started studying the piano with my father Morton Estrin, he showed me how to practice scales with raised fingers and often times my students ask me, “Why do I have to raise my fingers?” Let me show you what I’m talking about. With slow scale practice, it’s important for strength to raise the fingers. You may wonder why you would ever want to play that way because obviously when you play quickly, you don’t have time to raise your fingers. The secret to getting the evenness in your scale work and fast finger passages is the release of notes. For example, if you were to put your hand on a flat surface and just try to lift one finger, some of them are pretty hard to lift. Lift your fourth finger with your hands on a flat surface, and it’s very hard. It’s actually the release of notes that takes more strength than the pushing down of notes! So to strengthen and then to release is the reason for practicing slowly with raised fingers so you’ll practice the release of each note and that will lead to the pristine beauty you can get in fast finger work. That is one of the secrets for achieving beautiful clarity in your playing. There are many others that I will discuss in future videos in terms of hand position and other practicing techniques. For now, I suggest that you practice very strongly. Practice your scales and your arpeggios slowly with raised fingers then work up gradually faster. As you get faster, your fingers, by necessity, must be closer and closer to the keys until you can play quickly but still have the pristine evenness, so each note is exactly the same length because the raising of fingers accomplishes the release of each previous note.

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. How many of you have played that famous C major sonata of Mozart, or always wanted to play it? If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. We’re going to take a complete deep dive into how to learn and master this ubiquitous Mozart sonata, starting right from the beginning.

A Section-by-Section Approach

We’re going to start at the very beginning and work through the piece section by section. By the end of this video series, you’ll be able to truly master this wonderful sonata. Have your score ready. There’s a link in the description so you can follow along with the music, and I’ll be here to guide you every step of the way. As we go, I’ll explain sonata allegro form so you can understand the structure, but more importantly, learn how to execute it cleanly and get that sparkle you’ve always wanted in this piece.

Exposition

Sonata form begins with the exposition, where the main themes are introduced. The opening theme is in C major, and from there the music moves into the second subject. It’s helpful to slow down here and focus on just this section so everything is completely clear before moving on.

How to Learn a Piece Like This

How do you actually learn something like this? I always recommend reading through the entire movement a couple of times first, just to get acquainted and understand the overall shape of the music. Then get right down to work in very small sections. You can learn four measures at a time, or even just two. Many people think learning two measures at a time will take forever, but it’s exactly the opposite. The smaller the section, the longer and more productive your practice sessions will be. You won’t feel overwhelmed, and you can really digest the score. Two measures at a time is more than enough to make solid progress.

Learn the Right Hand First

At the very beginning, take just the right hand. Follow all the markings in the score, including the notes, rhythm, phrasing, expression, and fingering. If you’re using an Urtext edition, you’ll notice it contains only what Mozart wrote, which means there may be no fingering included. In that case, you may want to reference another edition that includes fingering, such as editions available from Virtual Sheet Music or IMSLP.

Learn just the first two measures with the right hand. This won’t take long. Play it several times until it’s memorized, checking back and forth with the score. Once it feels comfortable, increase the speed.

Then Learn the Left Hand

Next, learn the left hand. Because it’s built on broken chords, start by learning the chords as solid blocks. This helps you understand the underlying harmony and naturally leads to good fingering. Memorize those chords first, then break them up and play them as written.

You may find that using pedal creates a beautiful sound. While Mozart’s piano didn’t have a modern sustain pedal, it did have a knee lever that served a similar function. Still, too much pedal can blur the texture. Instead, you can use what I call a phantom pedal by holding the first note of each chord. It’s not essential, but it produces a lovely effect.

Once the left hand is secure, make sure the right hand is still correct. Check all the details. For example, notice the slur in the second measure and be sure to shape it properly. You never save time by learning something incorrectly, even if it seems minor.

Put the Hands Together

The hardest part of piano playing is putting the hands together. Once each hand is securely memorized, slow the tempo way down and try playing hands together from memory. And check your work. Make sure, for example, that the C in the right hand releases exactly when the E plays at the quarter rest at the end of the second measure. Be fastidious with the details, because you will spend ten times longer fixing anything you didn’t pay attention to initially. If you’ve ever learned something wrong, you know how hard it is to eradicate it. Don’t be in a rush to get it halfway there or even 95 percent there, because that last 5 percent will take far longer than learning the whole thing correctly in the first place. Get it right from the start by breaking it down carefully.

Trills Without Stress

In the fourth measure, there is a trill. Trills must be measured, but they don’t have to be fancy. A simple trill using steady 16th notes is perfectly effective. You can always embellish later if you want, but first learn a clean, basic trill so you can move forward confidently.

This same principle applies throughout the movement. Don’t get stuck trying to execute elaborate ornamentation. Learn the movement first. Mozart gives you artistic license with trills, and simplicity can be just as beautiful.

Scale Passages and Technique

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. You hear concert pianists playing trills that sound jewel-like, and you might wonder: how can you achieve this in your own playing? Today, I’m going to share three simple techniques that can make a big difference in how your trills sound and feel.

1. Use Rounded Fingers

One of the easiest ways to improve your trills is to play with rounded fingers. If you try to execute trills with flat fingers, you’ll quickly notice how difficult it becomes. That’s because flat fingers limit you to using only one joint. By rounding your fingers, you engage all the joints, which provides more control and flexibility. This one change alone can dramatically improve your trills.

2. Measure Your Trills

This tip is essential: measure your trills. Trills might sound like a flurry of random notes, but I guarantee you that the trills you admire are carefully measured. Knowing exactly how many notes you’re playing in a trill allows you to execute them cleanly and land on the correct ending note.

Take, for example, the famous C major Mozart Sonata, K. 545. At the end of the exposition—and again at the end of the movement—there’s a trill that must resolve cleanly. How is that accomplished? By counting out the notes in advance. The good news is you don’t need to play a lot of notes. You can even play 16th notes and still have a beautiful trill. The key is consistency and precision. Remember, trills are a form of expressive license. As long as you’re playing the correct notes, you have flexibility in how many you use. Just make sure it’s intentional and measured.

3. Choose the Right Fingers

The fingering you use for trills makes a huge difference. One common fingering is 3-2, which is strong and reliable. But if you want the strongest possible combination, try using fingers 3 and 1. That pairing provides excellent strength and control. Of course, depending on the passage, you might not always have the luxury of choosing your ideal fingering. Sometimes you’ll need to use 2-4, which is less optimal, and in some rare cases, 5-4, which is the most difficult trill fingering. Five and four are both weak fingers, and trilling with them takes a lot of practice. You might find yourself using 5-4 in contrapuntal music, like a Bach fugue, where other fingers are needed for notes in a lower voice. If possible, stick with 3-1 or 3-2. Some pianists even alternate between the two during longer trills. Try them out and see what works best for you.

Bonus Tip: Lighten Up

Here’s one last little tip: lighten up when playing trills. If you try to use arm weight, you’ll find it incredibly difficult to sustain a clean trill. Instead, feel as though you’re hovering lightly over the keys. Let your fingers do all the work, and you’ll find that your trills become more fluid and effortless.

Let me know how these tips work for you in the comments here at LivingPianos.com and on YouTube. Thanks so much for joining me, and to all you subscribers out there. Let’s keep the discussion alive!

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the Piano Performance Museum in Hunter, New York, right in the heart of the beautiful Catskill Mountains. This incredible place is filled with historic keyboard instruments, from harpsichords and clavichords to early pianos that composers like Mozart, Clementi, and Chopin would have known. In this video, I take you on a tour through music history, playing many of these remarkable instruments. Some even have a personal connection to my own family, which made the experience all the more special. It’s an unforgettable journey through the evolution of the piano, and I’m excited to share it with you!

The Piano Performance Museum is nestled in this small mountain village, and provides a walk through piano history featuring instruments from the harpsichord through to the modern piano. There were some remarkable surprises in store for me and you can get a glimpse of this fascinating place by watching the accompanying video.

The first that hit me were the very first two instruments you see upon entering: a 2-manual Taskin French model harpsichord and a Stein fortepiano. These instruments are incredibly familiar to me since they are the same instruments I toured with in my Living Piano: Journey Through Time: Historic Concert Experience! These are the only replicas on the floor. The dozens of other early pianos (going back centuries) are all original instruments. What makes this museum so special is that almost all of the pianos are in good playing condition, and if you are a pianist, you are welcome to play them! This really aligns with my Living Piano show where I always invited the audience up to the stage to play the instruments after the performances.

What was an incredible shock was that on the adjacent wall at the entrance was a huge showcase with hundreds of intricate miniature pianos with a sign, The Diane Estrin Miniature Piano Collection”. I had no idea that my aunt had this incredible collection and bequeathed them to the museum. My Aunt Diane studied piano at Juilliard as well as with my father.

Aside from a collection of dozens of pianos going through piano history from square grands, to straight strung pianos, magnificent art-case uprights and grands, through to modern concert grands; the museum also houses a performance hall and a movie theater with regular live events featuring period piano performances. They also host piano concerts at other venues throughout the region.

So, if you are ever going to be in the area, call ahead and make a reservation to visit the Piano Performance Museum. It is a unique experience that will heighten your appreciation of the development of the instrument we know and love, the piano.

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Have you ever watched a musician perform and thought, “Wow, they must have been born with it—they probably never even have to practice”? It can seem that way, especially when you encounter people who go out of their way to make it look effortless. But let’s take a closer look at whether that’s really the case.

The Illusion of Effortlessness

There’s a trend among some musicians—especially young, gifted ones—to downplay how much they practice. It’s almost as if claiming not to practice is a badge of honor, a way to prove just how naturally talented they are. But the truth is usually very different.

I was recently listening to a podcast featuring the phenomenal pianist Evgeny Kissin. Someone asked him how much he practiced as a child. His answer? Not much at first. He could pick things up quickly and get by. But as he matured and tackled more demanding repertoire, the reality set in that he had to practice, and a lot. I had the privilege of hearing Kissin perform a solo recital in Cleveland recently, and believe me, this man puts in the work.

The “I Don’t Need to Practice” Attitude

Back in New York, my wife Florence, a flutist, would often perform with orchestras and ensembles. At rehearsals, music would be passed out, and some players would just leave the music on the stand when rehearsal ended. “Oh, I don’t need this,” they’d say casually. The implication was: this is so easy, I don’t even need to practice.

Florence, on the other hand, would always take the music home. Practicing gave her the comfort and confidence to enjoy the performance, rather than teeter on the edge. Ironically, a lot of those same students probably slipped into the library later, found the same music, and practiced intensely—just in private. So why pretend? Maybe it’s to psych others out, to make it seem like they’re on another level. But the truth always comes out.

A Personal Story: Smoke and Mirrors

Years ago, I attended an in-home concert in San Diego featuring a very accomplished young pianist. He played a phenomenal recital—virtuosic, musical, the whole package. Later, in conversation, he casually remarked that he didn’t really need to practice much. He claimed he could read through most music and learn it that way. Then, he asked to see an extremely difficult transcription that someone had, and began to read through it. He acted like he’d never seen it before. He read through it impressively. He said he enters such a deep state of concentration when he reads that he internalizes the music instantly. Then, to our amazement, he put the score away and played it from memory.

I was stunned. It made me question everything I thought I knew about learning music. But the next day, curiosity got the better of me. I visited his website—and there it was. That exact piece was already listed in his repertoire! It had clearly been practiced and prepared well before this so-called sight-reading miracle. The day after, it mysteriously disappeared from the site. But not fast enough—I’d seen the truth. Later, I found out from people who knew him well: yes, he practiced, and a lot. Hours and hours every day.

Everyone Has to Practice!

So let’s put this myth to rest once and for all. No one becomes a high-level player without serious practice. The idea that some people are just so naturally gifted that they don’t need to put in the work? It’s a fairy tale, often spread by people who want to seem superhuman.

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Some of the greatest composers in history left behind an astonishing legacy, even though they lived remarkably short lives. You may know all these names, but chances are, you didn’t realize how young some of them were when they died. Let’s take a closer look at seven remarkable composers who, despite their short lives, made lasting contributions to music.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Of course, we have to start with Mozart. Born in 1756 and passing away in 1791 at the age of only 35, Mozart left behind more than 600 works—an extraordinary output that includes operas, symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and more. Just for piano alone, he wrote 28 sonatas and 27 concertos, along with fantasies and variations. His influence on Western music cannot be overstated.

Franz Schubert

Another prolific composer with an even shorter life was Franz Schubert. He lived from 1797 to 1828, dying at just 31 years old. Yet he composed over 1,500 works! That includes around 600 Lieder—beautiful songs for voice and piano—as well as symphonies, chamber music, and 21 piano sonatas. Only 11 of those sonatas are considered fully complete, but what a treasure trove of music he gave us in such a short time. Schubert was truly a master of melody.

Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn, born in 1809 and gone by 1847, lived to the age of 38. His output? Over 750 works. Symphonies, concertos, chamber works, solo piano pieces, oratorios, and much more. He had a remarkable gift for lyrical beauty and classical structure, balancing innovation with tradition. His music continues to be cherished around the world.

Frédéric Chopin

Chopin lived from 1810 to 1849 and died at age 39. His legacy is immense, especially for pianists. Of his 230 or so compositions, the vast majority are for solo piano—etudes, nocturnes, waltzes, polonaises, preludes, and more. He also composed two piano concertos, some works for cello and piano, and a handful of beautiful songs. His approach to the piano changed how the instrument was written for—and how it was understood.

Georges Bizet

Best known for Carmen, Georges Bizet lived from 1838 to 1875 and died at just 36. While Carmen became his most iconic work, he also wrote other operas, orchestral music like the L’Arlésienne suites, and a fantastic Symphony in C Major, which he composed as a teenager. His output wasn’t vast, but it was remarkably high in quality.

Alexander Scriabin

Scriabin was the oldest composer on this list, living to 43. He was born in 1872 and died in 1915, but he certainly belongs in this group. With around 200 works—mostly piano and orchestral works—he was one of music’s great visionaries. He wrote ten piano sonatas, many preludes, etudes, and orchestral works. Scriabin was an early experimenter with multimedia, imagining music integrated with color and light. He even had ideas for a “smell organ”—an instrument designed to emit fragrances as part of a multi-sensory performance. His early music was evocative of Chopin with a Russian flair, but later works ventured into the world of atonality and mysticism.

George Gershwin

And finally, George Gershwin. Born in 1898 and gone by 1937, he lived only 38 years but gave us an unforgettable blend of classical music and jazz. With about 500 works—including Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, the opera Porgy and Bess, and three delightful piano preludes as well as a piano concerto—Gershwin’s music helped define an era and continues to influence composers and musicians today.

Imagine If They Had Lived Longer…

It’s astonishing to think what these composers might have created had they lived even a decade or two longer. Mozart, for instance, was just starting to explore deeper, more complex musical ideas in his final years—ideas that Beethoven later developed even further. The same could be said for all of these composers. Their innovations and craftsmanship shaped the very course of music history.

If you’re thinking of other short-lived composers, certainly earlier figures like Giovanni Battista Pergolesi or Henry Purcell come to mind. But the focus here has been on some of the most popular and influential composers—those whose music continues to touch lives today. And now that you know how young they were, their accomplishments are all the more extraordinary. Share your thoughts in the comments here at LivingPianos.com and on YouTube.