All posts by Robert Estrin

The Band-Aid Approach to Practicing Music

You might not have heard of the band-aid approach to practicing music and that’s OK. It is an effective practice technique I came up with years ago and continue utilizing. It increases effectiveness to practicing and I share it with all my students.

When it comes to practicing, I strive for efficiency. I want to get as much done as I possibly can within the time I have. I wish I could practice all day long but my schedule rarely permits it – instead I have to find times to practice and make sure that I get as much benefit from it as I can in the time that I have.

There are many practice techniques available and there are dozens of problems musicians face in their playing and development. This technique is really designed to help you zero in on a specific problem you are having. As a musician, you will encounter specific problems in some areas of your music. This is where you will want to focus most of your energy.

So how do you use this technique? Start with a piece of music and play it through until you have a problem. Let’s say you missed a note. Now instead of starting from the begging of the piece and playing it over again, jump to right where the problem is. Keep working on your trouble section until you iron out the correction. Play it many times over and over again until you can play it effortlessly. Then go a measure or two before your trouble phrase and play it from there many times until it comes together nicely. Then, play the entire section or piece again. Basically, you are putting a bandage on the problem area and making sure it sticks!

I have found this technique incredibly helpful over the years. Please try it out and let me know if it works for you. Thanks again for joining me, Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

How to Approach Thirds on The Piano

Thirds on the piano can be very difficult. We only have five fingers on each hand so negotiating thirds can be a real challenge. As with other aspects of piano technique, fingering is critical. Here are some related resources for you:
How to Practice Scales & Arpeggios and Brilliant Piano Fingering Technique.

In this article and video, you will find some tips on how to approach thirds and some routines to add to your practice. Of course, thirds can be practiced endlessly. It’s said that Josef Lhévinne practiced the Double Thirds Etude by Chopin for ten years before performing it! His historic recording of the piece is a testament to this fact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XCj-j7TBTY

In the following tips, I utilize a D Major Scale played in thirds.

A great way to practice thirds (this example refers to the right hand) is to play the top notes legato and the bottom staccato; doing this will help to clarify the melody notes. You can make it a bit simpler for yourself by trying to play the top notes and leaving out the bottom notes. You can also try playing every other note on the bottom and then go through and play the notes you left out the first time.

All of these simple techniques will help you develop the muscle memory and strength to play thirds with precision. Try practicing with a metronome to keep consistency and remember that fingering is critical in playing thirds. Check out the videos links above for more fingering techniques.

Thanks again for joining me and keep those questions coming: Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

How to Read Music Symbols

This question comes from a viewer (Jay) who asks about deciphering different music symbols. If you’ve read a lot of music then you know there are a ton of symbols and there will undoubtedly be some you are not familiar with.

So how do you decipher these symbols? The first thing I would recommend is grabbing the free: Music Principles Resource on VirtualSheetMusic.com. This should provide a great resource for any symbols you might not be familiar with. There are plenty of other books and resources out there (both online and off) to help you in this process – but there is no substitute for working with a great teacher.

Another thing you can do is to follow along with your scores with recordings of the music. You will be able to pick up nuances which can clarify the meaning of the musical symbols.

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

Can You Put a Piano in a Basement?

I have several videos based on the subject of where to put your piano. But now I’m going to address specifically putting a piano in a basement. The issue is about the extremes of temperature and humidity the piano may be subjected to. This is a concern with pianos going anywhere. Pianos thrive in a stable environment of around 45-50% humidity. Minimal changes of temperature or humidity are ideal. It’s best to treat the room. Basements provide special challenges. The good news is that basements can be somewhat stable in terms of temperature because of the geothermal effect.

However, many basements can be extremely moist, and if you have any issues whatsoever with basements ever becoming wet, I would not put a piano down there under any circumstances. If it’s impossible to treat the room with dehumidifiers and possibly even humidifiers, the next best thing is a Damp-Chaser system which sits under the piano or behind the piano on uprights. They provide stability by either heating up rods to take out humidity or even adding humidity from a water tank. This is a possible solution if treating the room is not practical.

To recap, the ideal environment is to put the piano in a room that is stable in regards to temperature and humidity. If you’re in a room that is not particularly stable, try to treat the room. And lastly, if you can’t do either of those, at least get a Damp-Chaser System. Once again, I hope this has been helpful and thank you for joining us! Robert Estrin at LivingPianos.com

What is a Sonata?

The Sonata is one of the most enduring musical forms of all time. I am not talking about the single movement Baroque sonatas of a composer like Scarlatti, but the Classical era form of Mozart, Haydn and later with Beethoven and still later the great Romantic composers like Schumann, Brahms and beyond. So what is so special about this form?

First, the sonata is a multi-movement work. I am discussing the form commonly referred to as Sonata-Allegro form which is usually the first movement of a sonata which is generally fast (Allegro). This form is not only pervasive in sonatas, but in symphonies, concertos, string quartets, piano trios, and many other musical compositions. So, what is it?

In its simplest description, it is kind of an A – B – A form, in which music is presented, new material is offered, and the original music returns. But that isn’t quite accurate. It’s more of an A – B – C form with some added structure. Here is, in a nutshell, the Sonata form:

A. Exposition

– Theme 1. in the tonic key (the key of the piece)

– Theme 2. in the dominant key (the key starting on the 5th note of the key of the piece).

– The Exposition Repeats-

B. Development: This is a free development of both themes

C. Recapitulation

– Theme 1. in the tonic key (the key of the piece)

– Theme 2. in the tonic key (so the movement ends in the key it started in!)

It is remarkable how many pieces of music adhere to this form to one extent or another. It’s not as if there was some book, “How to Write a Sonata” that everyone read! It’s just that this structure is incredibly enduring for musical exploration. It is actually the exceptions to these rules that make pieces stand out! In fact the example of the famous C major Sonata of Mozart K.545 that I utilize doesn’t follow the rules quite right. It doesn’t have the first theme in the recapitulation! It does have a statement of the first theme in the sub-dominant (the 4th note of the major key) at the end of the development and the recapitulation starts right in with the 2nd subject (second theme).

There are so many great compositions that are structured this way that you will be astounded once you start analyzing pieces you know.

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

The Difference Between New York and Hamburg Steinways

People often ask me what the difference is between New York and Hamburg made Steinway pianos. Researching this online may offer some perspective but really the choice between the two may be more a matter of personal preference than anything else. That being said, there are some key differences between the two manufacturers of Steinway pianos that may interest you.

The history of the Steinway family is pretty fascinating and for a detailed description, I would suggest viewing their official story on their website. The family was actually a group of German immigrants who came to New York. They began piano manufacturing in New York and later opened a factory in Hamburg, Germany. Both of these factories have been producing pianos for over a hundred years.

Overall, the pianos coming out of each factory are incredibly similar. Both factories produce nearly all the same models today; which is not something they have always done. For most of the 20th century, New York Steinway was producing the model L while Hamburg was producing the model O. Both of the pianos are the same size, 5-foot 10 1/2-inches, but they have different scale designs. Earlier in the 20th century, New York Steinway was also producing Model O’s but they then switched to the L. Recently the L model was discontinued and now they only produce the Model O in both factories. Recently New York Steinway started producing the model A (6-foot 2-inch) which was only built in Germany, however, it was built in New York early in the 20th century. (There was also a model termed the “stretch A” which measured 6-foot 4-inches.) The model C (7’ 6” in size) is only built in Hamburg Germany even today.

One of the biggest difference between the two different factories is the actions. New York makes their own actions while Hamburg utilizes Renner (an esteemed German action manufacturer). The New York Steinways have unique design elements only available on the Steinway made actions including the Accelerated Action.

Another difference between the two factories is that Hamburg Steinway’s tend to have slightly thicker soundboards than their New York counterparts. This means that the Hamburg Steinway’s are a little bit more subdued and it takes a bit more effort to get a larger sound out of them (depending upon voicing).

Ultimately the difference between New York and Hamburg Steinways comes down to the individual piano.

Some people appreciate the higher degree of refinement of German Steinways direct from the factory. However, with the proper preparation, these differences may not be so great. This means that American Steinway technicians play a very important role in each dealer getting the pianos to play on the highest possible level.

I hope this sheds some light on the similarities and differences between New York and Hamburg Steinway pianos.

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