Piano Lessons- Music Theory Lessons

This is a great question and one that is becoming more and more relevant every day. Many of us simply search Google or YouTube to solve everyday problems; so why not do the same for piano lessons? Now it might seem like I have a vested interest in this subject, yet, you may be surprised at my perspective.

Someone came into the store recently and they were playing all sorts of repertoire – some of it extremely advanced. To my surprise, he had never taken any formal piano lessons; he couldn’t even read music at all. He had learned to play some complex pieces by simply watching his player piano at home and copying how it played!

I have also met people who have learned to play piano repertoire in a very similar way watching YouTube videos of people playing. They watch some videos where the player will film the keys as they play an entire piece. Some determined viewers will watch videos and simply copy what they see on the screen bit by bit. Surprisingly, this system can work. But is it really a substitute for piano lessons?

While this type of learning can help you learn a piece, it’s only one component in learning to play the piano. There is really no substitute for a great teacher and the wisdom they can impart. Learning to play the piano is a lot more than simply copying which keys are pushed down. More than that, being able to read and comprehend music can offer much greater efficiency in fully digesting a piece since you can access specific parts of the piece instantly instead of having to watch through sections finding what you need.

Even with private lessons, you won’t become a fine pianist by just taking lessons. You will need to practice, to listen to music, to see live performances, to live and breath it. It has to be an integral part of your life.

So can you learn to play the piano on Youtube? That’s really open to debate but you can certainly learn a lot by watching videos and practicing along with them. If you use YouTube videos in conjunction with other resources, you will benefit greatly.

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

Can You Learn to Play Piano from YouTube?

This is a great question and one that is becoming more and more relevant every day. Many of us simply search Google or YouTube to solve everyday problems; so why not do the same for piano lessons? Now it might seem like I have a vested interest in th

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

Johann Sebastian Bach did very little traveling in his life. Despite him having a wide range of music that spans many cultures, he never actually traveled to France or very much outside of Germany.

The Bach French Suites are based upon music Bach heard in concerts of musicians traveling from France. Bach was known for being able to imitate nearly any style of music and compose music that would be considered some of the best for each particular style.

The French Suites are based upon dance forms and while people might not have been dancing to his performances at the time, they do have a certain flavor and style that imitates popular dance music from the time.

In this series we are going to cover the 5th French Suite in its entirety. Today we will be dealing with the first movement, Allemande. I want you to notice that I don’t use the sustain pedal – I’m playing everything with only the fingers. Why is this? There is a good case for this since Bach played mostly on the clavichord, harpsichord, and organ and had very limited experience with early pianos which had no sustain pedals anyway. As a result, it’s not necessary to utilize the sustain pedal while playing Bach’s music.

Pay special attention to the counterpoint (VIDEO: What is Counterpoint?) and how the lines intertwine with one another. Also intrinsic to the style is the ornamentation which is indicated with various markings in the score. (VIDEO: How to Play Ornamentation).

You may notice that in all the French Suites the music is in A – A, B – B form. Meaning that you have a section that repeats and then a second section that also repeats. All the movements in the French Suites have a similar structure. The second section tends to be a bit longer than the first section but sometimes they are about the same length.

There is no phrasing or dynamics written into the music. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t include any dynamics or phrasing, it means that it’s up to you how to approach the music. You must decide how to delineate the notes deciding how the notes are attached or detached and how to bring out the separate lines of music dynamically.

For example, in this particular piece, I play the 8th notes staccato, which allows for delineating the lines. Without doing this it’s hard to tell which line is which – they all blend together! You should also embellish the music with the free use of ornamentation. For example, in the beginning of the piece I include some trills to liven up the music; without it, the lines sound a little dull. Everything about the Baroque era has ornamentation. It’s a product of the time and is evident in the music, art, architecture and even the clothing style.

Thanks again for joining me and make sure to be on the lookout for the other parts in this series on Bach’s 5th French Suite.

How to Play Bach’s French Suites – (Part 1) Allemande

Johann Sebastian Bach did very little traveling in his life. Despite him having a wide range of music that spans many cultures, he never actually traveled to France or very much outside of Germany. The Bach French Suites are based upon music Bach hea

Here is a performance of the spectacular Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodie #6. I just performed this at the 90th birthday celebration for the great pianist, Madam Ruth Slenczynska, the last living student of Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Read more about Madam Slenczynska

The Last Living Student of Sergei Rachmaninoff

Here is a performance of the spectacular Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodie #6. I just performed this at the 90th birthday celebration for the great pianist, Madam Ruth Slenczynska, the last living student of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Read more about Madam Slenczy

You have probably heard this piece and you may have played it yourself at some point. Musette comes from a group of pieces dedicated to Bach’s second wife Anna Magdalena and they offer a great selection of music accessible to pianists on almost all levels. This is a great piece for students as it allows them to showcase their skills in very colorful and fun music without taking a long time to learn and master.

It is important to note that Bach did not write any phrasing or dynamics into these pieces, so nearly every copy you will come across will be slightly different. For this lesson, I will be using Bach’s Musette from Virtual Sheet Music.

Personally, I like to emulate the sound of a Harpsichord (which is one instrument Bach would possibly have played the piece on) by emphasizing the fortes and the pianos going from louder sounds to quieter sounds abruptly. The harpsichord could not go from loud to soft with touch alone, so you would have to alternate the keyboards or adjust stops like on an organ in order to adjust volume. Interestingly, you can reverse the dynamics and discover other satisfying performance possibilities!

There really are countless ways you can approach this music and that’s why they are such great pieces for students. It allows them to see dynamics and experiment on their own to produce a great performance. You have a lot of creative license on what you can do with this piece.

Before you can experiment with phrasing however you really should be able to play this piece cleanly and precisely. The very beginning features two completely different techniques in each hand: the left hand has staccatos which should be played with the wrist and the right hand has legato notes which are played with a steady hand. It is vital that the hands are played precisely together which can be challenging with the sixteenth notes. I recommend breaking down these sixteenth notes and getting your hand and fingers over exactly the right keys in advance of playing them. You can start and stop methodically in your practice making sure the hands play exactly together. It should sound very clean and precise. Without precision, the music can end up sounding sloppy and lose the sparkle of the sound.

It can be very challenging to jump from one section to another. So practicing getting over the exact positions will help you achieve a satisfying performance. Practice playing the first section and then placing your hands over the next section without playing it. Instead, just place your hands in the next position and get ready to play the notes. When your hands are in the exact position, play the next small section. Take your time and keep going back and forth shortening the break you take between sections. Keep going until you can play in a fluid manner. It’s good to imagine a break between sections even when there is no rhythmically perceptible space allowing you to prepare for each section in advance of playing them. Even if they are incredibly small pauses, they allow you to mentally and physically prepare yourself for each section.

Thanks again for joining me and if you have any questions about this piece or any others please contact me directly: Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Free Piano Lessons – Tips for Bach’s Musette

You have probably heard this piece and you may have played it yourself at some point. Musette comes from a group of pieces dedicated to Bach’s second wife Anna Magdalena and they offer a great selection of music accessible to pianists on almost all

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

This is kind of an odd topic because I’m sure many of you have experienced both extremes in performance. Sometimes you will see someone who barely moves at all during a performance and looks robotic. Other times you might see someone who is very demonstrative and animated in their movements. So is there a right or wrong way to move during a musical performance? How much attention should you give this subject?

Sometimes this can actually be part of the act and can bring people into the performance. Lang Lang is a pianist who is extremely demonstrative during his performances and he will often motion and smile to the audience while he is playing. You get the sense he is enjoying his performance and for many people that draws them in making his performances more engaging. He is also very good at giving the audience cues as to when the exciting parts are coming and when they should be feeling certain emotions. Some people might scoff at this technique and think that eliciting emotions in this manner from the audience might be a superficial way of maintaining their attention. But it works well for him and isn’t necessarily a gimmick; it can be considered an integral part of his performance.

Sometimes motion can actually be a detriment to the artist. Some musicians let themselves go too much and actually affect their performance in negative ways. Glenn Gould, for example, would sometimes even create sounds while playing so they had to place a screen between him and the microphones during recording sessions. If they didn’t, the noises would be captured in the recording. In a concert hall you probably wouldn’t hear these sounds but in recordings, it could become distracting.

So how does this happen? At some point, a performer develops mannerisms while playing and their teacher never stopped it! They continued to play this way and eventually, it developed into something beyond their control. An extreme example of demonstrative playing is Keith Jarrett. He stands up and gyrates around the piano during performances! People seem to love or hate it – it gets a reaction.

Motion in performance elicits some sort of reaction from your audience. The bigger the motions the more polarized the reactions will be. Is this something you should control during your playing? It’s really up to you. While I’m sure you don’t want people being overly critical of your motions and find them distracting, but you don’t people to feel you are lifeless if you sit completely still either. It’s a delicate balance and you must decide what’s right for you.

I’m very interested in your opinions on this topic. Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

Extraneous Movements During a Musical Performance

This is kind of an odd topic because I’m sure many of you have experienced both extremes in performance. Sometimes you will see someone who barely moves at all during a performance and looks robotic. Other times you might see someone who is very de

This is a very good question and it can be different from person to person. However, there are some general guidelines that apply to all of us that can be helpful to everyone.

Personally, I like to start memorizing music early in the day while my mind is fresh. After I get up in the morning and have a nice meal, I like to warm up and refresh the music I worked on the day before. After that, I will delve right into memorizing music.

This is not to say that this is the only time to memorize music. In fact, studies have shown that if you memorize things right before you go to sleep you will retain more information. Your mind will assimilate what you’ve memorized as you sleep!

This is not to say that either method is correct or incorrect because one size does not fit all. Some people might have their minds working best in the evening while others will be scattered and unfocused later in the day. Personally, I can work late into the night as easily as early in the day, but starting early allows me to assimilate more.

This brings us to the subject of how much you can attempt to memorize during the course of a day. You really can’t overload yourself with too much information at once. For example, if you were moving your household if you attempted to take all the boxes and furniture at once without stopping you would become completely exhausted and probably wouldn’t finish the job. However, if you were to take your time and take frequent breaks in between you would be much more capable and productive. The same thing is true for your mental work. Learning to pace yourself and work a little bit at a time is much more beneficial to you than trying to cram it all into one session. I recommend working a bit on your memorization and then taking a break by doing something completely different. Keep coming back to it throughout your practice and you will be amazed at how much more you are able to retain over time.

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

When is the Best Time of Day to Memorize Your Music?

This is a very good question and it can be different from person to person. However, there are some general guidelines that apply to all of us that can be helpful to everyone. Personally, I like to start memorizing music early in the day while my min