Tag Archives: piano lessons

The Biggest Piano Practice Mistakes You Don’t Realize

Today you are going to learn about the biggest piano practice mistakes you may not even realize you are making. Most pianists spend years practicing harder and harder and still do not get better. In almost every case, it comes down to one hidden mistake. Virtually all students make it, including intermediate and advanced players. If you have ever wondered why your playing seems stuck, this is likely the reason.

What Most Pianists Think Practice Is

Many pianists think practice means logging hours at the piano, playing pieces from beginning to end, and hoping consistency will come with time. Unfortunately, this kind of practice often reinforces problems instead of solving them. The biggest mistake is mindless repetition. Practicing by repeating rather than problem solving is the number one reason pianists fail to improve.

Why is this so damaging? Errors turn into habits. Awareness disappears. Tension creeps in. And enormous amounts of time are wasted. From a neuroscience standpoint, neural pathways do not know the difference between right and wrong. They only know what you repeat.

Why Starting at the Beginning Every Time Does Not Work

One of the hidden practice mistakes people often make is always starting from the beginning of a piece. It feels comfortable because it is the part you know best. You get the illusion of progress by playing what already sounds good. But this avoids confronting the weaknesses that give practice its value. The result is predictable. The beginning improves, the middle stays about the same, and the ending barely improves at all. You polish the opening until it is smooth, reach a difficult passage, and suddenly everything falls apart. Because it is not fun to play what sounds bad, you avoid the very sections you should be practicing. Your brain rewards familiarity, not progress. That is why this approach feels productive even when it is not.

The Fix: Practice Small Sections and Start Where It Is Hard

Instead of starting at the beginning, focus on what actually needs work. Sometimes that means starting from the hardest passage. If you have played the opening a hundred times and the rest is not improving, begin your practice right where the problems are and master even a tiny section completely.

Another Big Mistake: Practicing Too Fast

Practicing too fast is another major problem. If you cannot play a passage securely at a given tempo, practicing it fast only burns sloppiness and tension into your playing. It is tempting because it is exciting and you want to hear the piece at speed right now. But hoping it will magically clean itself up never works. Do not confuse tempo with mastery. Speed will come naturally once you have solidity and control. If you can play something slowly with security, you can gradually increase the tempo. Playing faster than you can play accurately destroys progress because you are reinforcing errors.

Why Bad Habits Are So Hard to Fix

Once tension and sloppy motions are ingrained, they become extremely difficult to eradicate. My wife Florence, who teaches flute, sees this all the time. Students trained from the beginning can develop a beautiful, relaxed sound. Students who come with years of tension often struggle to undo it. Your hands memorize motion patterns, correct or incorrect. That is why you must never allow sloppy, tense playing to become routine.

Slow Practice Works

If you play a passage too fast and think you can fix it by repeating it again and again, stop. Instead, take a very small section and practice it slowly and securely. At first, slow practice can feel harder because it exposes what you do not really know. But this is exactly what allows you to clean up imprecise finger patterns and achieve a beautiful sound.

Stop Avoiding Your Weaknesses

It’s easy to play through a piece while glossing over the parts that give you trouble. But avoiding weaknesses guarantees they will never improve. Isolating problem spots is uncomfortable, but it is essential if you want real progress. Many people have emotional resistance to this. Your ego would rather play the parts that sound good. But what really happens is your worst measures never improve, your tension builds, and the piece hits a progress wall.

Diagnose the Problem Before You Try to Fix It

To fix any problem, you must first diagnose it accurately. Often the first thing to check is fingering. Look carefully at what is written in your score. If the fingering does not work, explore alternatives. A great resource is IMSLP.org, which offers many editions of the same music with different fingerings. Sometimes a new fingering solves a problem instantly!

Another factor is motion. Practice just the leaps or just the difficult movements. Stop before the note you tend to miss and rehearse the motion itself. You can also use rhythmic practice to improve coordination. Coordination issues often come from the hands not being precisely together. Practice stopping just before both hands play to ensure exact alignment. Balance between the hands is another major issue. Do not be afraid to exaggerate the melody. Use arm weight to project a singing tone. You can always refine later, but first establish clarity and balance.

Always Put It Back in Context

After fixing a problem in isolation, always put it back into the musical context. Practice is not just about solving problems. It is about reintegrating them into the piece. Good practice is problem solving. Work on small sections. Analyze instead of rushing. Control instead of speed. Attack weaknesses directly. Even if you spend a lot of time on a very small amount of music, the benefits are enormous because solutions transfer to other sections.

A Simple 10 Minute Daily Practice Routine

For the first one or two minutes, warm up with something simple like scales. Keep shoulders relaxed, fingers rounded, and motions economical. Warm up thoughtfully, not mechanically.

For the next three to five minutes, identify one problem spot and isolate it. Solve it thoroughly, even if it feels difficult at first.

For the next few minutes, continue working on difficulties using slow practice or rhythmic variations.

In the final minute or two, reinforce your work with a clean, relaxed playthrough of just the section you fixed.

Practice With Intention, Not Just Repetition

Simply repeating a passage over and over does not guarantee improvement. Mindless repetition often reinforces mistakes. Practicing with intention means identifying the problem, isolating it, and working on it carefully until it is solved. Focus on one issue at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once. By practicing deliberately and thoughtfully, even small daily improvements will compound into dramatic progress.

What part of your pieces have you been avoiding? Leave a comment and I will help you diagnose it. I read your comments and take them seriously. I hope this helps you. Again, I am Robert Estrin. This is LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

Why the Moonlight Sonata Makes People Cry


Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Today I’m going to share five techniques for playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. I’m not talking about the furious last movement, but the beautiful, subtle first movement. There’s a lot more to this movement than you might think. Many people assume this movement is easy, but it is anything but easy to play well. By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a handle on how to approach it and really bring this movement to a high level.

1. Learn the Piece Securely

The first thing is simply to learn the movement adequately and securely. Practice in chords first so you really solidify your playing. Starting anywhere, you’ll see it’s just a bunch of broken chords. That’s one part of it, but the biggest challenge of this movement is being able to project the melody on top with your weak pinky finger while not letting the triplet eighth notes dominate the sound. You don’t want to hear the accompaniment louder than the melody or it loses everything.

2. Balance the Melody and Accompaniment

How do you get the right balance? A fantastic way to practice this, as I’ve shown before, is to play with different articulations within the same hand. This is difficult at first, but well worth the effort once you already have a good command of the music. If you’re still learning the notes and can’t yet play through it comfortably, wait on this technique. Once you have a solid performance, use it to take the piece to the next level. Try playing the triplets with a gentle finger staccato so your hand learns through articulation which notes to bring out. This is so effective because you can clearly feel the difference between short and long notes. The triplets are played short, the top line is played smoothly. That’s easier to quantify than just playing loud and soft, which are more relative. You’ll also develop a physical sense of how the triplets feel in relation to the weight of your arm, which leans toward the melody while the other fingers play lightly.

3. Feel the Pulse in 2, Not 4

Another issue is that many people play this movement too slowly. You might hear a slow tempo and think it’s in 4/4 time, but notice that it’s written in 2/2, not 4/4. That means the pulse is the half note, not the quarter note. If you think of the quarter note as the beat, the piece bogs down and loses its flow. When you feel the beat of the half notes, the movement becomes more relaxed and fluid. The tempo may actually be a bit faster, but it feels calmer because you’re thinking in broader beats.

4. Understand the Dotted Rhythm

There’s also the dotted rhythm to consider. It’s not what you might think. Because of the triplets, many assume the sixteenth notes fall between the last triplet and the next beat, but that’s not correct. A dotted rhythm is based on four subdivisions of the beat—three plus one. That means the sixteenth note comes in sooner and lasts a bit longer than you might expect. When played this way, the rhythm feels fuller and more serene. Instead of sounding mechanical, it has that relaxed, dreamy quality the music needs.

5. Crescendo to Subito Piano

The last point is one of Beethoven’s trademarks: the crescendo to subito piano, which means growing louder, then playing suddenly soft. This is not something to overlook. Beethoven really meant it! If you skip that or underplay it, the music loses impact. When you follow Beethoven’s instruction, it creates tremendous contrast and emotional depth. It’s so much more effective that way.

Bringing It All Together

These five techniques will help you unlock the depth and beauty of this beloved piece that will make people cry! The Moonlight Sonata moves people to tears not because it’s loud or flashy, but because of its delicate balance between simplicity and passion. I hope these tips help you discover new levels of expression in your performance. If you have additional insights, share them in the comments at LivingPianos.com—Your Online Piano Resource. Thanks for joining me.

The 3 Types of Memorization for Pianists

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Today we’re going to explore a fascinating subject: the three types of memorization. What you feel, what you hear, and what you see. These different aspects of memory work together to create a solid, reliable musical memory. This is known as multimodal memory, and to truly internalize a piece of music, you need to absorb it in all these different ways.

What You Feel: Motor or Muscle Memory

Let’s start with what you feel. This is sometimes called motor memory or muscle memory. Think about how we learn to walk. A toddler has to think about each step, but eventually walking becomes automatic. We take it for granted. The same is true at the piano. There’s a huge amount of physical information involved in playing even a single piece. Without motor memory, it would be almost impossible to execute all the notes, articulations, and rhythms. Motor memory is particularly helpful in moments when your mind might briefly wander. You may suddenly realize, mid-performance, that you’re playing without actively thinking about every note. That’s motor memory keeping things going. But you can’t rely on it completely. It isn’t enough on its own to ensure a secure performance, which is why other forms of memory are essential.

What You Hear: Aural Memory

The most important type of memory is what you hear. Active listening helps you develop a much deeper connection to the music. When you really hear the piece internally, you become aware of harmonic progressions, voicing, and melodic lines. Listening attentively allows you to avoid clashing harmonies and guides your musical interpretation. Listening is key to strengthening your overall memory of the music.

What You See: Visual Memory

Visual memory also plays a part, particularly when it comes to jumps and leaps on the keyboard. Sometimes you simply need to know where you’re going, and seeing the geography of the keyboard helps guide your hands accurately. Visual cues can also include your mental image of the score or your hands in motion.

Bringing It All Together: Intellectual Memory

So how do these three types of memory work together? They all contribute to what we can call intellectual memory. This is your conceptual understanding of the music—knowing how the harmonies are structured, how the phrases are shaped, what the rhythms are doing, and how the piece is built overall.

To test your intellectual memory, here’s a great exercise: Take your score and place it on the music rack. Without touching the keyboard, try playing the piece mentally. You can even play it on your lap. This is pure mental practice, and it’s incredibly effective. Brain scans have shown that mentally playing music activates the same areas of the brain as physically playing it. The only major difference is that you don’t have the benefit of tactile feedback. That “feel” of the keyboard isn’t there to guide you. Have you ever caught yourself in the middle of playing and suddenly realized you were playing on autopilot? That’s motor memory at work. But without the other types of memory, it’s not enough.

The Secret to Solid Memorization

By bringing together what you feel, what you hear, and what you see—and combining them into a deep intellectual understanding—you create a lasting, reliable musical memory. Best of all, this kind of memory stays with you even away from the piano. I hope this is helpful for you. Share your thoughts in the comments here at LivingPianos.com and on YouTube!

The Golden Rules for Perfect Chords on the Piano

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Have you ever heard someone play the piano and every chord just sounds beautiful? Whether they’re reading written music or improvising, the chords seem rich and perfectly balanced. Yet when you try to do the same, the chords might sound cluttered or harsh. Why is that? It turns out, the secret to beautiful-sounding chords lies in something deeply rooted in nature: the overtone series.

What Is the Overtone Series?

The overtone series is the natural phenomenon that gives sound its color and character. Any musical sound—whether from a piano, another instrument, or even a non-musical source—contains more than just its fundamental pitch. Overtones are additional pitches that naturally occur above the fundamental note. They’re what give sound its richness, just like how a color is often made up of many different shades. A pure sine wave with no overtones sounds flat, lifeless, and boring. When overtones are present, the sound becomes full and musical.

You can even observe overtones on the piano. By silently pressing a high C key (lifting the damper without making sound), and then firmly playing a lower C, the higher string will begin to vibrate sympathetically. This demonstrates that the higher C is part of the overtone series of the lower C.

The Pattern of Overtones

The overtone series begins with notes that are far apart and gradually get closer together. Starting from the fundamental tone, each successive overtone comes closer in pitch to the next. After a certain point, the overtones are separated only by half steps. This pattern is crucial because it explains why some chords sound better than others. When chords are constructed in a way that aligns with the spacing of the overtone series, they naturally sound pleasing to the ear.

Spacing Is Everything

Here’s where this becomes especially practical for piano players. Chords voiced with wide spacing between the bass and the upper notes tend to sound much better than chords that are clustered closely in the lower registers. For example, if you play a chord in the left hand using tightly packed notes, the result is often muddy and unpleasant. But if you space the bass note well below and place the rest of the chord in the right hand, the result is far more pleasing. This principle isn’t just for improvisation or modern styles. It has deep roots in Western classical music.

The Influence of Bach and Western Harmony

Western harmony, as we know it, evolved from vocal writing, particularly in the chorales of Johann Sebastian Bach. These chorales consistently show that the bass note (the lowest note) is spaced significantly below the upper voices. This spacing mirrors the overtone series and results in a resonant, clear sound. Even in simple tunes like “Happy Birthday,” when chords are voiced with space between the bass and the upper notes, the result is much more satisfying.

Beethoven and Beyond

This approach to chord voicing is not limited to Baroque music. Take, for example, the second movement of Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata. When the arpeggios in the left hand are reduced to block chords, you can see how Beethoven employs the same concept. The bass notes are separated from the other tones, allowing the chords to breathe. This is a continuation of the harmonic principles established through centuries of musical development, rooted in the overtone series.

Applying This to Your Playing

Whenever you play chord progressions, remember to space your chords so that the bass note stands apart from the upper notes. Let the right hand handle most of the chord tones, especially when supporting a melody. Whether you’re playing simple triads or complex harmonies, this approach creates a much more rewarding and musical sound. Compare this to playing everything close together in your left hand and it usually results in a cluttered mess. Giving your chords room to resonate in line with the overtone series is key to making your playing sound professional and beautiful.

A Universal Principle

This concept of voicing chords according to the overtone series isn’t limited to classical music. From Bach to Beethoven and into contemporary styles, it’s a universal principle of good voice leading and harmonic balance. By understanding and applying this natural spacing, you can dramatically improve the sound of your chords. I encourage classical players to study their scores and observe how often composers use this technique. It’s everywhere, once you start to notice it. Thanks for joining me. I’m Robert Estrin, and this is LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

4 Piano Exercises That Actually Work!

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. If you’ve watched my videos, you know I’m not a big fan of doing endless exercises. In fact, I often suggest turning your music into exercises. That approach can solve many problems while also solidifying the pieces you actually play. But today, we’re going to talk about four essential exercises that can elevate your piano playing. Anyone serious about playing the piano should include these four things in their practice routine. You’ll get tremendous benefits from them.

1. Scales

It’s not just about playing scales. It’s how you practice them that makes the real difference. Did you know that it’s much harder to lift fingers off the keys than to push them down? I’ve demonstrated this many times. Try it yourself. You’ll notice, especially with your fourth finger, that cleanly lifting it is more difficult than pressing it down. The best way to develop control is with slow practice, raising your fingers deliberately while keeping your hands relaxed. Use only your fingers, not your arms. Let the power come from the fingers themselves. As you practice slowly, keep your thumb tucked under in advance of when it needs to play. This is crucial for fluid thumb crossings. For example, in the right hand, the thumb should be tucked under the whole time except when it plays. This preparation avoids awkward movements when playing fast. The same principle applies in reverse for the left hand. Focus on raised, rounded fingers, with no up-and-down arm motion. You’ll start to feel strength and independence building in your fingers through this deliberate approach.

Interestingly, slow practice builds more muscular benefits than fast playing. Do four repetitions slowly at a tempo like 60 BPM, or whatever is comfortable for you. Once you’re confident, move on to two notes per beat, then four notes per beat. At faster speeds, lighten up and stay close to the keys to develop fluency. There’s no time to raise your fingers at that pace, so listen carefully for evenness and consistency. There are many ways to vary your scale practice, such as changing the phrasing, articulation, or dynamics. But before exploring those variations, it’s essential to first master the fundamentals. Learn all the major scales thoroughly and with intention.

2. Arpeggios

Arpeggios are just as important as scales, and they’re practiced in a similar manner. One complication with arpeggios is that thumb crossings are wider, so you might run into issues where your hands feel cramped or awkward. Just like with scales, tuck the thumb under in advance, but also incorporate a slight hand rotation. This lets you avoid raising your shoulders or adding unnecessary tension. Your right hand rotates slightly as the thumb passes under, and in the left hand, it’s the same idea in reverse. Always prepare the next note in advance.

You can also break down arpeggios into shorter groupings, which can help develop control and accuracy. There are many ways to approach this, and I’ve made plenty of videos on the subject. If you visit LivingPianos.com and type “arpeggios” in the search box, you’ll find a wealth of material to explore!

3. Developing the Wrist

Finger technique is only part of the story. Your wrists are also instrumental in piano technique, particularly for staccato, octaves, and chords. One of the best ways to train the wrist is with a simple exercise in thirds, using just the wrist for motion. It’s important to isolate the wrist from the arm. The arms are heavy and clumsy and simply can’t move fast enough. The goal is to identify and isolate wrist motion. In the exercise, your arms should not move up and down. Instead, let the arms guide your hands over the correct keys, and strike from above with a quick, sudden motion from the wrist. If this is new to you, you’ll feel it in your forearms. These are muscles you don’t typically use, so that’s a good sign. However, if you find yourself using the whole arm to generate motion, stop. That’s not the technique you’re going for.

This might seem like a simple exercise, but it’s all in the execution. Just go through this routine a few times a day and you’ll be amazed how much it helps with control and clarity in everything from staccato to dense chordal passages. When you see someone playing crisp staccato or powerful chords with ease, much of that control is coming from proper wrist technique. Take a piece like Beethoven’s “Waldstein” Sonata, which is filled with repeated chords. If you try to play that with your arms, you’ll tire out quickly and lose articulation. Wrist technique allows for speed and lightness, which are critical in such music.

4. Octaves

The final exercise is octaves. This builds directly on the wrist technique we’ve already explored. This uses the same wrist principle but adds the strength of the hand’s arch. Why is the arch important? Because it equalizes the power between the strong thumb and the weaker pinky. Without the arch, your thumb would dominate and the sound would be uneven.

Start with a metronome at 60. Strike from above with the wrist, preparing each octave position in advance. Be sure to keep your second finger curled. That maintains the structural integrity of the hand. Use the wrist to balance the pinky and thumb so both land evenly. If you don’t do this, you’ll get a heavy, uneven sound where the thumb overpowers everything. Relax your shoulders and focus all the motion in the wrist. Imagine bouncing a ball. The energy comes from a quick, natural release, not a forced push. If you try to play octaves with your arms, you’ll quickly hit a wall with speed and stamina. The wrist allows for quick, fluid motion and prevents fatigue. Do as many repetitions as you can while maintaining proper form. Over time, this will dramatically improve your endurance, clarity, and control with octaves.

These Are Four Essential Exercises

Spend just a few minutes on each of these every day and you’ll see real improvement in your playing. Learn all the major and minor scales and arpeggios, and take your time. There’s no rush. You have a lifetime to enjoy the piano and develop your artistry! Thanks for joining me here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

The One Piano Exercise That Can Transform Your Playing

Master Clementi’s Sonatina in C Major, Opus 36 No. 1 – (2nd Movement)

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Today we’re continuing our multi-part series on How to learn and play Clementi’s Sonatina in C Major, Opus 36, No. 1. This article focuses on the second movement, a lyrical contrast to the vibrant first and third movements. More than just learning the notes, we’ll explore how to elevate your performance to a high expressive level.

This is the second in a four-part series, which includes an in-depth look at each of the three movements, as well as a complete performance of the work.

A Stark Contrast from the First Movement

The second movement is a complete departure from the bright energy of the first. Where the first movement features crisp staccato, lively fingerwork, and dynamic contrasts, the second movement introduces a gentler, more introspective mood and tonal palette.

An important tip when performing this piece: between movements, don’t lift your hands from the keyboard. If you do, audiences may mistakenly think the piece has ended and applaud prematurely. The three movements together create a greater artistic impact than each one alone. So keep your hands on the keys, transition directly, and let the music flow seamlessly.

The Hidden Challenge of the Second Movement

Though slower and more lyrical, this movement is arguably the most difficult of the three. Why? Primarily because of the balance between the hands. Here’s the issue: high notes on the piano fade more quickly than low notes. On top of that, the left hand often plays two or three times more notes than the right. If you play both hands at equal volume, the melody in the right hand will be lost under the busier bass. To correct this, the left hand must be extremely light, almost feather-like. Keep your fingers close to the keys and use minimal effort. In contrast, the right hand melody requires more weight from the arm to sustain notes and create a singing line.

The Importance of Tempo

The movement is marked Andante, which means ‘a walking pace.’ It should feel relaxed but not drag. Playing it too slowly causes the melody to lose shape and energy. A slightly quicker tempo helps the melody connect more naturally, especially given the fading quality of the higher notes.

Breathing Life Into the Phrases

All the phrases in this movement — and in most lyrical classical music — need to rise and fall dynamically, just like the natural inflection of speech or breathing. Without this shaping, the music sounds robotic. Think of each phrase as a musical breath: a gentle swell followed by a natural relaxation. This gives your playing vitality and emotional impact. To achieve this, use your arm weight in the right hand and transfer it smoothly from note to note. Don’t try to calculate the volume of each finger. Instead, feel the line as a whole and let it breathe.

Simplifying the Trill

There is a trill early in the movement, and it’s a common stumbling block. Don’t feel compelled to play a large number of notes. Instead, simply play two notes for each triplet eighth in the left hand. This sounds elegant and musical without overcomplicating your technique. Later, if you gain confidence, you can embellish further by playing more notes. But keep it simple at first. Trills offer creative license. They don’t require a set number of notes. What matters is musicality and flow and to decide how many notes you will play.

Connecting Repeated Notes

A particularly challenging aspect of this movement is dealing with repeated notes, which are hard to play legato since the same key must fully release before being played again. To solve this, you must change fingers on repeated notes and lift previously played fingers high. For example, going from finger 5 to 4 on the same note, the 5th finger must lift high above the key before repeating the note. If the previous finger doesn’t lift sufficiently, the connection will be broken and sound detached. This technique allows you to create a smooth, singing line, which is crucial for expressive playing.

No Pedal Required

It’s possible — and preferable — to play this entire movement without using the pedal. This forces you to develop finger control and clarity. The pedal can easily muddy the texture and mask weaknesses in legato technique. By learning to control your phrasing and legato with your hands alone, you’ll develop a much more refined touch, and a deeper connection to the music.

Phrasing and Rhythmic Nuance

When you encounter dotted rhythms, be mindful of their precise placement. For instance, a sixteenth note following a dotted eighth should not fall exactly halfway between the beat. It should come slightly earlier. Getting this rhythmic placement correct adds grace and authenticity to your playing. Incorrect placement can make the phrase sound awkward or stiff.

Playing Repeated Notes in Thirds Smoothly

In one passage, you encounter repeated notes in thirds, making finger changes impossible. Instead, make sure you stay close to the keys and let the keys return fully between repetitions. This technique is subtle but essential. It allows you to maintain smoothness even when technical options are limited.

Shaping the Final Phrases

Toward the end of the movement, you’ll find phrases that taper off dynamically. Don’t rush these just because the measure “looks” shorter. Each measure takes the same amount of time, regardless of how many notes it contains. Also, don’t let the final notes stick out. Begin with enough sound on the longer notes so you can naturally decrescendo into the phrase ending. If the long note is too soft to start with, you won’t be able to taper off, and the last note will pop out unnaturally.

Thumb Repetition and Legato

At one point, you’ll have to play a sixth interval with the thumb on two consecutive notes. Since it’s impossible to connect a thumb to itself, don’t try to force a legato between those bottom notes. Instead, connect the top notes and let the bottom be slightly detached. That way, the melody still flows. This is a common technique in piano playing — connecting what you can, and releasing what you must, while maintaining the illusion of complete legato of all notes.

Dynamics: It’s About Tone, Not Volume

Even in soft passages, you can use generous arm weight to produce a full, projecting tone. Piano doesn’t mean lifeless or weak. If you’ve ever heard a flute or oboe solo marked piano in an orchestra, you know it still carries throughout the hall. The same applies to piano playing: dynamics are relative and expressive, not measured by a decibel meter. So don’t be afraid to use more sound than you think you need. A rich tone is essential to communicating the line, especially in a performance space.

Repeated Techniques Throughout the Movement

Throughout the movement, you’ll encounter repeated note patterns again. Apply the same techniques. Change fingers when possible, lift previously played fingers, and shape the phrase with rise and fall. Eventually, the first theme returns, giving the movement a sense of unity and closure.

Skills You Can Use Across Classical Music

This lyrical second movement offers a wonderful opportunity to develop your expressive playing and technical control. Everything you learn here applies not only to the other movements of this sonatina, but also to a wide range of classical repertoire — from other Clementi works to Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and beyond. The principles of balance, phrase shaping, and touch are universal. I hope you find these insights helpful in your own practice. I’m Robert Estrin and this is LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.