Tag Archives: piano lessons

Tips for Playing Beethoven’s Fur Elise

Beethoven’s Fur Elise is one of the most recognizable pieces of music in history. Many people play this piece and certain mistakes are very common. I will give you some pointers how to approach this little gem of Beethoven.

The beginning is not the problem for most people; it’s the middle section. Most people will tend to slow down dramatically when they reach the middle section because there are much faster notes. So how do you fix this problem?

Beethoven actually marked the piece with a Con Moto tempo (which means in motion). It’s not marked Allegro (or fast). The best thing to do is approach the piece with a more relaxed tempo, so that the change in the middle section will not be so daunting.

In the video presentation above I provide an excellent tempo to start with so that the middle section will be much more manageable. If you have an opportunity to watch the video it may be helpful for you.

Another common mistake for a lot of people is the timing. The piece is written in 3/8 time but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people playing the wrong number of notes! You absolutely have to count when it comes to performing this piece.

While you may encounter other problems when it comes to Fur Elise these suggestions should put you on the right track.

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

How to End a Piece of Music

This is a very overlooked topic for many pianists. Ending a piece correctly is extremely important and is crucial to a great performance. While there is no one solution to the challenge, I will provide some tips on how to make your endings memorable.

For the example in the video above I use the Chopin Prelude in E Minor. The ending of this piece has three chords. It’s a simple ending but it can be a very powerful one with the right technique. You’ll want the music to linger in the air even after the sound has stopped.

The trick is to release the hands and pedals very slowly at the same time. This way if you have any issues with damper regulation on the piano the effects are minimized. You don’t want certain notes sticking out and being louder than others and you certainly don’t want an abrupt ending.

Many students will end a piece very abruptly and then take their hands and slap them down on their lap and act like it’s a relief to be done playing! Nothing sucks the mood out a room more than someone displaying negative emotions onstage.

When you hear great performances in concert halls there might be a few seconds of absolute silence after a piece. It’s a powerful tool to let the music and the emotion seep into your music. Sometimes music will actually end with fermata on the double bar even when there is no music. What is the composer telling you in a situation like this? They are visually representing what we have discussed here – letting you know that even though the music has stopped, the mood should linger in the air for a few moments. In this case it’s an actual part of the piece.

Another mistake that some people make is to rely completely on the pedal at the end of a piece. On a well regulated piano it might sound OK but taking your hands off the keyboard early will make the audience think the piece has ended – even if it technically hasn’t. This is true for changing movements as well. If you keep your hands on the keyboard it will let the audience know that there is more to come.

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

How to Play Chords on the Piano Part 2: Fast Chords

Welcome to the second part in my two part series of How to Play Chords on the Piano. Last time we covered How to Play Slow Chords, today I will discuss how to play fast chords.

With slow chords I emphasized the use of the arms. In order to get better clarity and tone out of your slow chords – whether loud or soft – the technique lies in the arms. This is not the case with faster chords.

The secret to playing fast chords is the wrist. There are moments when you simply can’t move your arms fast enough – this is where learning proper wrist technique can be very helpful. I actually produced an entire video called; It’s all in the Wrist which demonstrates more advanced techniques for this method.

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

How to Prepare for a Piano Exam

This has been a common question for me; many students have asked me what I would recommend helping them prepare for upcoming piano exams. I remember my days in music conservatory preparing for piano exams in preparation for recitals. In case you aren’t familiar, piano exams consist of sitting in front of a jury who generally spot check the music. This can be a daunting process!

The tests consist mostly of being asked to play certain selections from your current recital program. You may be stopped abruptly in the middle of your playing. This can happen throughout the exam and become very disconcerting if you don’t know what to expect. You might feel that they think you are playing badly but this is just part of the procedure and there is nothing to worry about.

But how do you prepare for this? The best thing to do is to practice like you would for a recital. While you might only be playing certain selections from your music, you should be prepared to play the entire program since it’s impossible to predict what they will ask for, just like any audition.

An essential practice technique is practicing without the pedal – this can be incredibly beneficial because you will hear more detail so your hands and fingers zero in on corrections quickly. You should also practice with the metronome and also combine these two techniques. These are essential piano practice techniques that will solidify your playing.

More than any physical technique, you will want to live with the music inside you. Play the music mentally away from the piano. Making yourself play the music away from the piano will better prepare you when you actually play on the piano. In order to play the piece in your head without even moving your fingers or looking at the keyboard, you have to be incredibly familiar with the score. It can be very reassuring to get the music mastered on this level. No matter who you are or how well you are prepared, mishaps can happen to the best concert pianists. In the event of a mistake, you must recover quickly and keep the music flowing. Knowing your scores enables you to keep the flow of the music going no matter what happens.

You may learn your scores so well that you literally play them in your sleep! When you sit at the piano you will want the music to come out of you with minimal effort. However, you will not want to play your music on autopilot. You should constantly stay focused on what you are doing and where you are in the piece instead of relying on tactile memory.

When preparing for an exam or a recital, performing a practice run through in front of family or friends is absolutely essential. If the first time you perform your music it is in a high-pressure situation, you will be at a distinct disadvantage. Try working with your colleagues testing each other through mock piano juries! Have them stop and start you abruptly – have them even critique you in a stone-faced manner. These techniques will benefit you when the time comes for your actual exam.

Remember that auditions are not necessarily satisfying musical experiences. The judges may have listened to dozens of students before you even show up. They may be tired and hungry. They are simply getting a job done. Their demeanor doesn’t necessarily reflect upon you. Remember that they are not there for the same reasons you are – they are simply there to test.

Prepare the best you can and test yourself with informal performances and mock auditions and you should do just fine on your piano exam. Thanks for joining me, Robert Estrin – Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

What are Pentatonic Scales? Music Theory Lessons

Welcome to my ongoing series of music theory lessons. Today we will be covering Pentatonic scales.

“Penta” means five, and as such these scales all have 5 notes in them. Major and minor scales contain 8 notes and chromatic scales contain 12; so 5 notes is quite a difference from other scales. As far as the intervals for pentatonic scales go, you can form one in any key by using the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th note of that major scale.

It’s actually great that we are using a piano keyboard as an example because the black keys on the piano actually form a pentatonic scale all on their own starting on G-flat. You might have noticed that if you play just the black keys on a piano, they tend to sound good together. That’s because it’s literally impossible to play a wrong note using just the black keys!

What’s really great about pentatonic scales is that all the notes sound really good together. I’m not kidding when I say you can play the black keys and make nearly anything sound good. Even someone who has never played the piano before can play just the black keys and create something that sounds pretty nice. If you’ve never improvised before this is a great place to start learning; just start playing the black keys and make something up. If you have a friend, try playing together just using the black keys; you will be pleasantly surprised at how good it can sound!

That’s really about all there is to know about pentatonic scales. I hope you enjoyed this exploration and look forward to next week’s video when we cover more music theory topics.

Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729

How to Play Portato (Portamento) on the Piano?

Portato (commonly referred to as Portamento) is somewhere between legato and staccato. Legato means to play notes connected while staccato means to play them detached, sometimes even short in faster music. Portato would fall in-between these two styles of play. Generally, the notes are played long but slightly detached. Portato is not an exact science so knowing how to play is determined by what style of music you’re playing, the tempo, as well as the context of the particular passage.

In the video above I use an example of the second movement of the Mozart K330 Sonata in C-major – which incidentally starts with three notes that are portamento. You can watch the video to gain insights.

The piano is unique from other instruments because repeating the same note, they will be detached unless you utilize the pedal. Every note has a damper which ends the sound of a note when the key is released (unless you have the pedal down which raises the dampers).

On wind instruments, the tongue is used to delineate each note of a phrase unless it is slurred. String instruments also have different bowings to achieve the proper phrasing.

There are several techniques for playing portato on the piano. One approach is to brush the keys with your fingers. However, since key tops vary from piano to piano, this can be unreliable since ivory keys feel different from plastic key tops. Also, the moisture level in your hand will change the resistance you feel on the keys.

Here is a technique you may find helpful for achieving slightly detached repeated notes. It involves lifting previously played fingers high to allow as much legato as possible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KdWG-zIFY4

You can always detach the notes more since this technique gives you total control of the length of notes. It can also be utilized for passages of different notes. You must practice without the sustain pedal to achieve the phrasing desired. Later, using the pedal can add color to your playing.

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