I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. In this second excerpt from my interview with Zsolt Bognár, I share the journey that led to the creation of Living Pianos—how a lifelong passion for performance, teaching, and technology came together in unexpected ways. If you’d like to hear the full story, be sure to watch the complete interview
here.

Zsolt Bognár:

So I’m curious to break this down in terms of how you perceive your musical balance. Being a pianist, making all these videos, producing and editing them. You teach over 30 students, and you’re selling pianos.

Robert Estrin:

Growing up I always had a lot of interests, but a real passion for music. My father, although he was professor of music at Hofstra University, he did the lion’s share of his teaching in a very large studio in the back of our home, where he had two grand pianos and theory classes and recitals.

“I was intimately involved with my father’s students, and many of them were incredibly accomplished, more so than I was.”

I’ve always had very small hands, and as a kid my hands were very weak and with spaghetti fingers, and even reaching an octave, even at the age of 13, was a struggle. So in terms of, you know, goals, I wasn’t like a child prodigy. But, you know, I always felt music would always be a part of my life. But I didn’t have any specific career ambitions. All I knew was I loved to perform. Performing has always been a passion of mine, and trying to figure out how to incorporate that into a life, into a career, of course, took many decades to figure out one path. And for many, many years,

it always seemed like there was an inverse proportional relationship between what was rewarding financially and what was artistically rewarding.

I started teaching in high school, assisting my father in his teaching, as my sister did before me, and she’s incidentally a pianist and a teacher right here in the Cleveland area, which we can get into as well. But I knew that I did not want to just teach, and yet, when I graduated from conservatory, what was the obvious thing? I had been teaching since high school, and my part-time job through college was teaching and accompanying. So that’s how I made my living initially. But I had so many other interests.

So I expanded into a recording studio, which I put in my lower level of my home, and I did music production and composing for film and video, and I just always was expanding and expanding and expanding for a long, long time. But it wasn’t ultimately gratifying.

“I tried to figure out what I could possibly do in order to further my performing, and that’s when I came up with Living Piano.”

I go from three distinct periods: the ultimate harpsichord, the earliest piano that really was catching on, and then the modern piano. And I performed that dozens of times all over the state of California. And that was a way that I was able to promote my performing while bringing something that’s more than just another concert. It’s something you could talk about. And I got written up in papers and blogs because it was something fresh and new in music and with the piano, which is really a challenge. And that’s really when I turned the corner.

“I actually started making piano videos in the late 90s.”

A company in Irvine called Digevent engaged me along with a guitar and drum show for Keyboard Kaleidoscope, and I did 50 shows. They were one-hour live internet shows, cutting edge for the time, that I did for a year every week. I did many different topics. And yet they didn’t take off. They ended up getting sold to another company, and they never could get traction with these live events. They engaged us to do these shows, but it was a pitifully small audience, and I think it was because most people didn’t have the high-speed internet to be able to enjoy it and to partake in such a thing. But by the early 2000s the internet was working for people, and broadband was now becoming more ubiquitous.

“I always loved to make videos anyway. So I just started making them, and I kind of went all in on it.”

First, I engaged a young man who was a friend of my daughter’s who had just graduated from film school—Chapman University—and he wanted to do a showcase of his talent. So he made a documentary of my Living Piano: Journey Through Time Historic Concert Experience. And from there, little by little, he started doing more and more for me with my website until he ended up being full-time.

“Living Piano, the show, grew into Living Pianos because I had always been selling pianos, from the time I graduated from conservatory, because of teaching.”

Students would call me for lessons, and the first question I’d ask is, “Do you have a piano?” And half the time they would say no. And I would tell them, honestly, you’re better off with a piano and no lessons than lessons and no piano. So that’s when I started, looking for pianos I could have refurbished and sell, and there was such a big demand for this that I just always had extra pianos in my home. We ended up with this big live-work loft with, dozens of pianos. And so that always grew.

I’m Robert Estrin. Welcome to LivingPianos.com. Today I want to share something truly exciting with you—something I use every day in my own musical life. If you’ve seen my videos, you’ve probably noticed I often read music on my iPad. So what’s my go-to source for digital sheet music?

Virtual Sheet Music: The Original Innovator

I’ve been using Virtual Sheet Music for years. They were pioneers in the industry, dating all the way back to the 1990s. In fact, they were the first company to offer a truly viable alternative to printed sheet music. Over the years, the platform has continued to improve—but now, they’ve taken things to an entirely new level.

A Vast Library with Incredible Features

At first glance, Virtual Sheet Music already impresses with its extensive library and beautifully formatted sheet music. It’s incredibly easy to find what you’re looking for. But there’s much more under the hood. For almost any piece you find, you can not only view the music but also listen to it. Many titles include audio playback, and some even come with video tutorials and additional educational resources. The depth of available material varies depending on the piece, but what’s offered is always substantial.

Tools to Practice Smarter

Virtual Sheet Music offers some powerful playback tools. You can:

Adjust the playback speed

Loop specific sections to focus on tricky passages

Really dig into the music and absorb it fully

These features make it a phenomenal practice tool, not just for listening, but for learning.

Search and Explore with Ease

Let’s say you search for Flight of the Bumblebee. You’ll be amazed at how many different arrangements are available! From standard solo versions to unexpected combinations—piccolo and tuba, anyone? The flexibility is just mind-blowing.

Customize Your Own Arrangements

Here’s where things get really exciting. Suppose you want to arrange a piece for a custom ensemble. With just a few clicks, you can:

Choose your instruments

Instantly transpose the piece into any key

Make edits and tailor the arrangement to your needs

Export and print it—all without needing to learn a complex notation program

It’s that intuitive!

Play It Your Way

Once you’ve customized your music, you can:

Adjust the tempo

Choose your instruments

Playback your personalized arrangement in real time

It’s like having a full arranging and playback studio built right into your music viewer.

AI Assistant: Your Musical Companion

One of the newest features is the built-in AI assistant. It’s like having a knowledgeable teacher sitting right next to you.

Type in a question like “How do I practice scales on the piano?” and you’ll get a full, detailed regimen tailored to your needs. Want to learn about a specific composer or piece? Just ask! For example, you can inquire about Massenet or the origin of Meditation, and get instant, accurate answers.

You can even ask about the key of a piece or music theory topics like chord structure or transposition.

A Powerful Metronome Built In

Let’s not forget the built-in metronome. It’s one of the best online metronomes I’ve ever seen. It has precise settings that progress correctly: 72, 76, 80… perfect for gradually increasing your tempo. It’s straightforward, yet powerful.

Accompaniment and More

Need an accompanist? No problem. Choose a piece with accompaniment, then:

Start playback

Loop a section

Practice hands separately or together

You also get access to music theory tutorials, from note reading to more advanced topics like seventh chords and inversions. Whether you’re brushing up on basics or diving into deeper study, the resources are all there.

A Membership That Pays for Itself

I’ve been a member for years, and I can tell you—it’s worth it. Sure, there are other places to get sheet music online, but nothing compares to the ease of use and flexibility that Virtual Sheet Music offers.

Best of all? Around 99% of the music I use is included for free with membership. Some recently copyrighted material may have a small fee, but even then, you’ll get a generous discount.

Bonus Features for Performers

If you’re using an iPad (like I do), you can turn pages with a foot pedal. But Virtual Sheet Music goes even further: you can actually set it to turn pages with a tilt of your head—right to go forward, left to go back! It’s incredibly useful for live performances or smooth practice sessions.

The Bottom Line

Virtual Sheet Music is perfect for anyone serious about their music. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or performer, you’ll find this platform brings all the music you love right to your fingertips.

I’m thrilled to share this with you, and I hope you give it a try. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help!

Welcome to LivingPianos.com! I’m Robert Estrin. If you’ve ever wondered how professional pianists seem to sit down and play entire pieces from memory, the good news is: it’s not all inborn talent. Sure, it can seem like a natural ability at first, but there are practical techniques you can learn to make memorizing music a whole lot easier. In this article, I’ll walk you through the key strategies that will help you remember pieces, so you’ll always have music at the ready whenever you want to play.

1. Play Through Your Music Regularly

This might seem obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing: consistency is key. If you don’t play your pieces regularly, it’s no surprise that you might forget them. Just like any skill, memory improves the more you practice it. Set aside time to revisit your pieces, even when you’re not performing them. The more frequently you engage with your music, the more likely it will stick.

2. Understand the Structure with Music Theory

One of the most powerful tools for memorization is understanding music theory. Without this, you’re left trying to remember a series of random notes with no clear structure. But once you grasp the underlying structure of a piece—such as its key signatures, chords, progressions, and patterns—it becomes much easier to commit the music to memory. When you know the theory behind the music, you begin to see connections between the notes and understand why certain sections of the piece work together. This deepens your memory and allows you to anticipate what comes next, which makes playing from memory much more natural.

3. Learn the Music Correctly from the Start

It’s crucial to start off on the right foot. If you initially learn a piece incorrectly, you’re setting yourself up for difficulty later on. This means learning the music in manageable chunks, paying attention to dynamics, articulation, and phrasing from the start. And if you’re unsure how to go about this, I’ve shared plenty of videos on my channel about effective practice techniques for memorization.

When I was at the Manhattan School of Music, my fellow students would often ask how I managed to memorize music so easily. The answer? My father, Morton Estrin, taught me memorization techniques from my very first lesson. So yes, there is a system that works for everyone—no matter your age or experience.

4. Slow Practice: Reinforce Your Memory

Slow practice is a game-changer for reinforcing your memory. When you practice slowly, you have time to really internalize the score. Even if you think you’ve learned a piece, it’s easy to drift away from the score if you’re not referencing it. Slow practice forces you to pay attention to every note and detail, helping you avoid those little memory gaps later on. I personally use this technique with all of the music I play. When I practice slowly—often without the pedal—I can take a closer look at the score and discover new nuances that I might have missed in faster practice sessions. It’s amazing how many subtle details you can uncover, even in pieces you’ve known for years!

5. Mental Practice: Play Through the Music in Your Mind

Another highly effective method for retaining music is mental practice. This means thinking through the piece when you’re away from the piano. Picture yourself playing it in your mind: hear the notes, the phrasing, and the dynamics. This type of practice is incredibly powerful because it helps solidify your memory without actually being at the keyboard. You’ve probably experienced this yourself—sometimes you find yourself mentally “playing” a piece while you’re doing something else. That’s not just idle thinking; it’s actually a form of practice. The more you can “hear” and “see” the music in your mind, the stronger your memory will be.

6. Holistic Practices: Take Care of Your Body and Mind

Finally, don’t forget about the importance of overall well-being. Your brain is an organ, and just like the rest of your body, it requires proper care. Regular physical activity improves blood flow to the brain, which in turn helps with memory. And let’s not forget the importance of a good night’s sleep—without it, your memory won’t function at its best. A balanced diet also plays a role in maintaining optimal brain function. When you take care of your body, your brain is in a better position to retain and recall information. So, make sure to prioritize exercise, sleep, and a healthy diet if you want to improve your memorization abilities.

Master Memorization and Play Without Limits!

By incorporating these techniques into your practice routine, you’ll be able to memorize your pieces more easily and confidently. With a little time and consistency, you’ll find that you can play from memory anytime you want—without frustration. If you’re looking for more tips to take your piano playing to the next level, check out the link below!

Welcome to LivingPianos.com! I’m Robert Estrin. Today, we’re diving into the most deceptive chord in music: the augmented sixth chord. Now, if you’re like many people, you might have heard of it but don’t really know why it’s so special or, frankly, so tricky. So, let’s break it down in a way that makes it easy to understand and maybe even a bit fun!

What Exactly is an Augmented Sixth Chord?

At its core, the augmented sixth chord sounds like a dominant seventh chord. But here’s the twist—it’s not built on the fifth scale degree (like a normal dominant seventh). Instead, it’s built on the flatted sixth scale degree. Confused yet? No worries; we’re going to go step-by-step to clear it up.

Building the Augmented Sixth

Let’s start with a basic major scale:

• In C major, the notes are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C.
• The sixth note of the scale is A, but for the augmented sixth chord, we lower it a half-step to A-flat.

Now, you start building the chord in the typical way stacking thirds, A-flat, C, E-flat. But for the top note, instead of the 7th, G-flat, you add the augmented sixth. So, you end up with this: A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp!

That interval between A-flat and F-sharp is what makes this chord augmented—it’s the same note on the piano as the 7th of a dominant chord, G-flat, but it’s written as an augmented sixth, F-sharp, so it resolves differently, which really has an unexpected sound.

The Resolution: Where It Gets Sneaky

Normally, you would expect a dominant seventh chord to resolve to the tonic (a V-I progression). But when you play an augmented sixth chord, it deceptively resolves to a key you didn’t see coming! For example, let’s go back to that C major scale. When you play the augmented sixth chord (A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp), it doesn’t resolve to a D-flat chord like you would expect since A-flat is the V of D-flat. (Dominant 7th chords are V7 chords that resolve to I.) Instead, it resolves outward to an entirely different key, C major or minor!. It’s this surprise resolution that gives the augmented sixth its sneaky, deceptive character.

Three Varieties of the Augmented Sixth Chord

Now, here’s the fun part—there are actually three different varieties of the augmented sixth chord, each with its own little twist. Let’s take a look at them:

1. The German Sixth

The German sixth is the most commonly heard form of the augmented sixth chord. It’s made up of the following notes: A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp. It has that dominant seventh sound, but again, instead of resolving to the tonic, it resolves outward, usually to C major or minor chord with G on the bottom, the second inversion of the tonic chord. It has a fresh, unexpected sound!

2. The French Sixth

The French sixth is similar to the German sixth but with a slight twist. Instead of using the perfect fifth interval (as in the German sixth), it replaces it with an augmented fourth. This creates a different flavor, almost like a little bit of spice added to the chord. So instead of A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp, it’s A-flat, C, D, F-sharp.

This chord can resolve to either the C major chord with G on the bottom, or to a G dominant 7th chord, G, B, D, F.

3. The Italian Sixth

The Italian sixth is a simpler version, where you omit the fifth note of the chord (E-flat) and you double the third, C. This is done to provide better resolution. So this chord can also resolve to C major or minor chord in second inversion (with the G on the bottom), but also can resolve to a G dominant 7th, G, B, D, F. It still gives you that dominant seventh sound, but without the problematic parallel fifths which composers avoid in music.

The augmented sixth chord is so interesting because it’s not just a chord—it’s a way of tricking your ear. You expect it to resolve in one direction, but it surprises you by resolving somewhere else. This chord has been used in classical and modern music to create tension, surprise, and harmonic color. Once you understand how it works, you’ll start hearing it in all kinds of music, from Bach to Chopin, and even in film scores. It’s one of those “ah-ha” moments in music theory!

Wrapping It UpTo recap, the augmented sixth chord is a deceptive chord that sounds like a dominant seventh chord but is built on the flatted sixth scale degree of a scale. It has three main varieties—German, French, and Italian—each with their own distinct flavor and resolution. They’re a great tool for composers to add some unexpected drama to a piece, and now you’ll know exactly why they sound so unique!

For another deceptive chord, check these out: