Piano Lessons- Music Theory Lessons

I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. One of the most essential techniques for any pianist is achieving a smooth, connected sound, particularly when dealing with repeated notes and chords. While it may seem straightforward at first, this is actually a tricky task due to the unique mechanics of the piano. On other instruments, creating legato in repeated notes can be relatively simple, but on the piano, it presents a great challenge. Let’s take a closer look at why this is and how you can improve your approach.

The Challenge of Repeated Notes

When playing repeated single notes on the piano, you have the ability to change fingers, which makes it easier to create a legato, or connected, sound. By alternating fingers, you can maintain a smooth flow of sound without it becoming choppy. This simple finger alternation technique allows you to play smoothly without the harshness that might come from using a single finger for every repeated note. However, this technique is impossible when you’re dealing with repeated chords.

Legato in Repeated Chords: A Bigger Challenge

Achieving legato in repeated chords is much more difficult because you don’t have the option to change fingers for each of the notes. This issue is especially evident in pieces like Chopin’s E minor Prelude, where repeated chords are a central feature of the piece.

Without proper technique, the sound of repeated chords can become disjointed and lack the smooth, flowing quality that you want. It’s tempting to rely on the sustain pedal to help connect the notes, but doing so can lead to a blurred sound and makes it impossible to use the pedal to enhance the melody line.

Pedal Use vs. Hand Legato

The key to achieving legato in repeated chords lies in your fingers, not just the pedal. While it’s common to use the sustain pedal to connect notes in situations like this, relying on it too much can compromise the clarity of the music. If you use the pedal without playing the chords legato, the sound can become muddy, especially in faster passages or when multiple chords are involved. Instead, the goal is to create smooth connections between the notes of each chord with your hands. This allows the pedal to serve as an expressive tool for shaping the melody, rather than simply connecting the notes of the chords.

When you focus on playing the repeated chords legato with your hands, you gain more control over the sound. The pedal can then be used to enhance the tonal quality of the meldoy and bring out the expressiveness of the piece, rather than relying on it to make up for a lack of hand legato.

The Art of Connecting Chords

To effectively play repeated chords legato, you need to keep your fingers right on the keys. Be sure to allow each of the keys to come all the way up without ever losing contact with the keys. Each note within the chord should be connected smoothly, which means avoiding any breaks between notes. This requires careful finger placement and awareness of how your fingers transition from one chord to the next.

When you master the art of hand legato in repeated chords, you can use the pedal more creatively to add warmth and expressiveness to the melody. The pedal should not be the sole means of just connecting the chords but rather a tool to elevate the music as a whole. With proper legato technique, the pedal becomes an extension of your playing, allowing you to shape the sound and add depth to your performance.

Applying Legato in Other Pieces

This technique is not limited to just one piece or one style of music. It’s essential in many classical works, such as Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata, where smooth, legato playing is needed to connect repeated chords in the left hand. In these cases, using the pedal to smooth over the notes can often lead to a less refined sound, as the pedal blurs the melody line.

When you focus on playing the left hand legato without relying on the pedal, the results are much clearer and more expressive. By combining legato with careful pedal use, you create a much more refined and musical sound.

Using Legato and Pedal Together

To sum up, when you’re playing repeated chords or notes, your primary focus should be on achieving legato with your hands. Don’t rely on the pedal to connect what your fingers can already make smooth. Once you have a solid legato foundation with your hands, the pedal can be used more effectively as a tool for musical expression, enhancing your sound without muddying the melody. By practicing this technique and focusing on hand legato, you’ll find that your piano playing becomes more fluid, expressive, and controlled.

I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. The Moonlight Sonata is one of Beethoven’s most famous works, and it’s easy to see why so many pianists love to play the first movement. But, is it really as easy as it sounds? While the third movement is obviously difficult, it’s the first movement that can sometimes catch pianists off guard. Let’s take a closer look at why this movement is deceptively challenging.

The Challenge of the First Movement

The first movement is slow and serene, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. At first glance, the melody seems simple, and the triplets in the accompaniment may seem easy enough, but achieving the right balance and sound requires some delicate control.

The key to playing this piece correctly is understanding how to balance the slow, singing melody with the faster triplets in the accompaniment. If you’re not careful, those triplets can easily overpower the melody, which can ruin the mood of the piece.

Quiet Triplets, Prominent Melody

A common mistake many pianists make is allowing the triplets to become too loud or intrusive. You want those triplets to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible, creating a gentle, flowing accompaniment. The melody, on the other hand, needs to be brought out clearly and distinctly. It’s easy to let the accompaniment drown out the melody. It’s important to keep your fingers close to the keys while playing the triplets to maintain a soft and delicate sound.

Creating the Mood

The magic of the first movement lies in the contrast between the melody and the accompaniment. The triplets should feel like a “babbling brook,” gently flowing in the background while the melody floats above it. If you allow the triplets to be too loud, the music can sound hurried, and the entire mood of the piece will feel rushed. The right balance makes the music feel timeless and serene, creating a powerful emotional experience for the listener.

Practice Techniques for Better Control

So how can you achieve this balance in your practice? One effective way is to practice using different articulations. By focusing on the distinction between the melody and accompaniment, you train your hand to separate these two elements.

Start by playing the melody with a more legato, connected sound and the accompaniment with short, gentle finger staccato. This might be difficult at first, especially if you’re not used to such an approach, but stick with it. Practicing slowly and carefully will help you build the control you need to create that perfect balance. Focus on playing the melody notes strongly, and allow the accompaniment to be light and detached.

The Importance of Voicing and Hand Position

By practicing this way, your hand learns to differentiate between the melody and the accompaniment. Once you’ve mastered this, it becomes much easier to delineate dynamics, the loud and soft balance between the parts, replacing the short and long approach. This method helps you refine your hand control and the voicing of different parts within the same hand, making it easier to achieve a more balanced sound.

Other Movements of the Sonata

While the first movement is technically difficult, it’s important to note that the other movements present their own challenges as well. The second movement, though it may seem simple on the surface, requires a deep understanding of musicality. Capturing the lightness, gracefulness, and subtle humor of this movement is no easy task.

And then, of course, the third movement is famously fast and powerful. The sheer speed and technical demands are obvious, but the other movements—musically and technically—are not necessarily easier. Voicing and phrasing in all three movements require attention to detail and careful practice.

The Moonlight Sonata is not a piece to be underestimated.

While the first movement’s slow, tranquil pace may seem simple, achieving the right balance between the melody and the accompaniment presents a great challenge. With practice, you’ll be able to master the subtleties and truly bring this beautiful piece to life.

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Hi, I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. How many of you clicked on this wondering, “What could possibly be the secret of music?” Well, the answer is unbelievably simple. Once you hear it, you’ll realize it’s something you already know deep down: the secret of music is listening. Not just hearing, but truly listening. This applies to everyone involved in music, whether you’re a performer, a composer, a producer, or just an audience member.

The Importance of Active Listening

You might be thinking, “How does listening make a difference?” Let’s consider an example. Have you ever attended a concert where the pianist was technically brilliant—perhaps someone who’s won competitions and can play some of the most difficult pieces in the repertoire? Yet, despite all that, you find yourself zoning out, struggling to focus. You wonder, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I concentrate on this amazing performance?”

Here’s the thing: It’s not you. The performer may be playing all the right notes, but if they aren’t actively listening, they’re not creating the experience for you as an audience member. A performer can go through the motions, their fingers knowing exactly where to go, but if they’re not tuned into the music, neither will the audience be. It’s all about listening—not just for the performer, but for the audience, too.

Listening in Different Roles

The same principle applies to other areas of music. Take someone who’s recording music, for instance. A sound engineer might know exactly how to place microphones to get a great sound. They might even mechanically do it the same way every time. But if they’re not actively listening, the sound might not come out the way they expect. They may be missing important factors like the acoustics of the room or the weather (yes, even the humidity can affect the sound!). It’s crucial to listen closely each and every time.

Fresh Ears, Every Time

Whether you’re a performer, a producer, an engineer, or an audience member, the key to creating and experiencing great music is fresh ears. As a performer, when you sit down to play a piece you’ve practiced a million times, really listen. It can be surprising how much you may have missed before. You’ve probably had the experience of playing a piece in front of an audience or even just for friends, and suddenly it feels different—better, maybe even more exciting. That’s because you’re listening more intently, and in that moment, you’re hearing it with fresh ears.

This is why it’s so important to focus on listening during your practice. If you do, you’ll carry that same level of attention into your performances. When you listen actively, you’re able to create something that’s engaging and compelling to everyone within earshot. This is the secret to music at any level.

So, how many of you have already discovered this secret in your own playing? I’d love to hear about it! Leave your comments at LivingPianos.com and on YouTube!

Hi, I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. We’ve all been there. You’ve spent countless hours working on a piece of music, perfecting every detail. You’re excited to share it with others, but when it’s time to perform, you look out and see people fidgeting. Maybe they’re even on their phones. It’s a frustrating experience, and you might start thinking that the answer is to play louder—after all, that should grab their attention, right?

Why Playing Louder Isn’t the Answer

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who just isn’t really listening? You raise your voice, trying to get their attention, but what happens? They shut down. The louder you get, the less they’re engaged. Music works the same way.

Imagine, instead, that you start speaking more gently and slowly. All of a sudden, the other person’s curiosity is piqued. They want to know what you’re going to say next. Music, too, has a similar effect when you use soft moments to pull your listeners in.

The Power of Quietness in Music

Let me show you what I mean. Think of a piece like the middle section of the B-flat minor Nocturne. When played softly, the contrast of those delicate moments really draws the listener in. You’re waiting for what happens next, and it keeps you engaged. The surprise comes when the volume shifts, and you’re left wanting more.

The Secret to Capturing Attention

The key here is to embrace the softer moments in your playing. It’s in these moments that you can truly express yourself, and it’s through quiet playing that you can communicate with depth. When you play gently, it creates a sense of intimacy and draws people closer to you. It’s the same principle as when someone whispers to you—you lean in because you’re curious and interested in what they have to say.

When someone shouts, however, it has the opposite effect. It’s jarring and off-putting. The same principle applies to music. If you want people to listen, use the quiet moments to captivate them.

A Lesson in Life and Music

This isn’t just a lesson for your music; it’s a lesson for life as well. When you’re trying to communicate something important, speaking softly can make all the difference. People are much more likely to listen if you speak gently and thoughtfully rather than raising your voice.

Take advantage of these soft moments in your music to connect with your audience. It’s where your true expression lies, and it’s the most effective way to keep them coming back for more.

Welcome to LivingPianos.com—I’m Robert Estrin. Music, like life itself, must constantly change. You might be thinking that your music is perfectly fine just the way it is, but today I want to share a profound idea with you—one that has deep implications for both your music and your life.

The Concept of Fractals and Music

Have you ever seen a fractal image? These images are fascinating because no matter how much you zoom in or zoom out, you keep seeing the same repeating patterns. Your music works the same way. When you zoom in on your music—be it a performance, a phrase, or even a single note—you find that the expression you bring to the music is the same at every level.

Let’s take an example: you might play a piece of music and think you’ve mastered it, but when you play it again, it never sounds the same. That’s because, like life, your music evolves with you. Each time you play a piece, you bring something new to the table. You’ve lived more, experienced more, and that subtly changes how you approach your music. Your music reflects that evolution.

Your Music as a Reflection of Life

On a larger scale, your music is an expression of everything you’ve played up until this moment. The way you approach the piano, the choices you make, and the emotions you convey—it all encapsulates your entire experience. For example, when you perform a concert, the program itself is an expression of your feelings toward music and the piano. Each piece in the program tells its own story, and even within each piece, the phrases and notes are also expressions of your unique perspective.

Just as music changes with you, life is also a journey of constant evolution. You may think you have life all figured out, but as you know, life is always changing. We are never static. Every moment—every second of your life—is an expression of who you are, and it’s always evolving.

The Need for Change

This brings us back to the main idea: your music, like your life, must change. It can never stay the same, and if it does, it loses its depth and meaning. Just like a conversation, your music can never be exactly the same twice. If you try to recreate an experience, it will never feel genuine. Each time you approach a piece of music, it’s a new experience, a new opportunity to express yourself in a way that reflects who you are at that moment.

Embracing Evolution

By embracing change in both your music and your life, you allow for true expression. Whether it’s the way you approach a piece of music or how you navigate your daily life, evolution is key. The beauty of both music and life is that they are never stagnant. You can’t imitate what you’ve done before and expect it to have the same meaning. Embrace the changes as they come, and you’ll find new depth and meaning in both your playing and your existence.

I’d love to hear from you!

Welcome to LivingPianos.com—I’m Robert Estrin. Achieving a lyrical, singing quality at the piano is a goal many pianists strive for. Whether you’re playing a beautiful melody or trying to add more expression to your performance, understanding how to create a smooth, flowing sound is key. Today, I’m going to share some techniques that will help you make your music sing—techniques that go beyond just hitting the right notes at the right time. Let’s explore how you can bring your melodies to life with the piano.

The Technique of Fluidity in Melodic Music

When playing a piece with a beautiful melody, like in many movements of Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood, there’s a natural inclination to focus on the notes themselves. However, simply playing the notes without considering their connection to each other can make the music sound mechanical and stiff. To truly make your melody “sing,” it’s important to approach it with the same attention to phrasing that a singer would.

Imagine a singer performing a melody. A singer doesn’t just hit each note precisely; they allow larger intervals or leaps between notes to flow together smoothly. Did you know that a true slur has all the notes between the slur? This technique of slurring, is what makes the music sound continuous and organic. While the piano lacks the ability to physically slur notes the way a wind instrument or the human voice can, you can still achieve a similar effect through careful control of your playing.

Understanding Slurring

In musical terms, a “slur” means connecting two or more notes in a smooth, uninterrupted manner, without a break in between. This is a natural technique on wind instruments or for singers, who can transition between notes seamlessly. On the piano, however, each note is played distinctly, with no natural connection between them.

To simulate this effect, the secret is taking more time with the larger intervals in your phrases. For example, when you have a leap from one note to another, try to make the transition feel fluid, as if the notes are gliding into each other, instead of playing them like separate, isolated events. This extra time isn’t about stretching the rhythm, but allowing the interval to “slur” just enough to give the music a sense of fluidity.

How Mechanical Playing Can Sound Lifeless

If you play a melody with no consideration for the slurs, and instead treat each note as isolated events, the music can sound stiff and lifeless. You might find yourself hitting each note like you’re pressing a button on a machine, without any connection between them. When you play mechanically, it removes the natural flow, making the music sound more like a series of disconnected notes rather than a continuous line.

To avoid this, think of the intervals in your melody as opportunities to let the music breathe. When you reach a larger leap, think of it like a singer would—allow the notes to blend together, and give them a little extra time. This subtle adjustment will make the music feel more alive and engaging.

Bringing Your Music to Life

Once you start adding more time to the larger intervals, you’ll notice a dramatic difference. The phrase will feel more like a flowing conversation or like a singer gracefully moving from one note to the next. This is what gives the piano the illusion of a “singing” line, even though the instrument itself lacks the ability to physically blend notes together like a voice or wind instrument.

By connecting notes in a more natural, flowing way, you’ll start to hear the music in a new light. The transition from one note to another will sound less mechanical and more expressive. You’ll be creating the illusion of a continuous, singing line, which is the ultimate goal when making your music sound more lyrical.

Subtlety is Key

While the idea of adding time to the larger intervals is essential, it’s crucial to do so with subtlety. If you overemphasize this technique, it can start to sound unnatural or overly mannered. The key is to enhance the fluidity of the music without drawing attention to the technique itself. If the listener notices that you’re doing something special, it can detract from the overall effect. The goal is to make the music feel as if it’s singing, without making the technique too obvious.

Using the Pedal for Support

In addition to controlling the length of your notes, you can also use the pedal to support your slurs. Using the sustain pedal can help create a sense of connectedness between the notes, adding resonance and fluidity to your melody. Just be careful not to overuse the pedal, as too much sustain can make the sound muddy. Instead, use it selectively to enhance the swelling effect of your slurs and create a more natural, organic sound.

Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Opus 27 no 2, is one of the most famous piano pieces of all time. While many people are intimately familiar with the first movement, which is slow and contemplative, the three movements as a set offer a wide range of expression, creating a true musical journey!

This performance was done at Treelawn Music Hall in the Waterloo Arts District in Cleveland, just up the street from Living Pianos showrooms. It was performed on a rebuilt 1951 Steinway model D 9-foot concert grand, which was acquired from Living Pianos and has been featured in concerts by world-class jazz artists such as Fred Hersch and Bill Charlap.

Welcome to LivingPianos.com—I’m Robert Estrin. Have you ever wondered why certain intervals in music are called “perfect”? What makes them perfect, and why do they hold such a special place in music theory? The answers lie in the unique characteristics of perfect intervals and how they relate to other types of intervals. Let’s break it down in a simple and digestable way.

Two Categories of Intervals

First, it’s important to understand that there are two main categories of intervals in music: perfect intervals and major intervals. While there are more types of intervals, these two categories help you understand the foundation of music theory. Perfect intervals include the prime (unison), fourth, fifth, and octave. Major intervals include the second, third, sixth, and seventh.

What Makes Intervals “Perfect”?

The term “perfect” in perfect intervals comes from their unique ability to maintain their quality even when inverted. For example, the prime (also known as a unison) occurs when two notes are the same, like two middle Cs. It doesn’t matter if one of them is altered slightly with an accidental (a sharp or flat), the relationship between the two notes is still a prime.

Perfect intervals—prime, fourth, fifth, and octave—have a special property: when inverted, they remain perfect. For example, if you take a fifth and invert it, you get a fourth, and it’s still perfect. This is a fundamental difference between perfect intervals and other intervals, which I’ll explain shortly.

Major Intervals and Their Inversion

Now, let’s move on to major intervals. When you take a major third (for example, from C to E in C major) and invert it, you end up with a minor sixth (from E to C in this case). This is a crucial point: major intervals become minor when inverted, and vice versa.

What makes a major interval distinct is that it’s built on the notes of a major scale. So, in the C major scale, the second, third, sixth, and seventh notes of the scale are are all major intervals.

Inversion and the Change in Interval Quality

Inversion plays a big role in how intervals are perceived. As I mentioned earlier, when you invert a major interval, it turns into a minor interval. But what happens when you invert other types of intervals?

Augmented intervals (which are made by enlaring a perfect or major interval by a half step) become diminished intervals when inverted.
Diminished intervals (which are made by decreasing a perfect or minor interval by a half step) become augmented intervals when inverted.

It’s this inversion rule that sets the behavior of intervals apart and gives us a structured way to think about intervals in music.

Why Does This Matter?

Understanding these interval relationships can truly open up a deeper understanding of music. When you start to grasp how intervals change through inversion and how perfect intervals maintain their quality, it brings a sense of clarity and even enlightenment to your music.

A Quick Recap

Perfect intervals (prime, fourth, fifth, octave) remain perfect when inverted.
Major intervals (second, third, sixth, seventh) become minor when inverted.
Augmented intervals become diminished when inverted and vice versa.

It’s a lot to take in at first, but when you explore these concepts yourself, you’ll start to see how they impact the way music is structured.

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