Ok girls and boys, it’s football season and in this grand tradition let’s do a little cheering!

Give me a D!
Give me an E!
Give me an E!
Give me a V!
Give me an A!

What’s that spell???
DEEVA!!!
What’s that spell???
DEEVA!!!
What’s that spell???
DEEVA!!!

Beside’s being football season, it is also back to school season and with that comes the inevitable whining from students, parents, siblings, and an occasional neighbor or family pet about why students have to practice technique. If I hear the old line about learning all you need to know about technique from pieces one more time, I might just… I don’t really know what I’ll do but it’ll be something! So, to head off at the proverbial pass the need to ‘do something’, I’ve invented DEEVA (you have to think phonetically here people)

What do we need?
To be able to play the piano fluently and pleasurably we need the abilities within DEEVA
Deal successfully with changing patterns
Easily & purposefully move around the keyboard
Extend comfortable playing time
Voice & balance musical parts
Appropriately choose and craft a tone and color for any dynamic level or tempo

What do we use?
To cement a strong technical foundation we conquer the challenges within PASTE
Progressions (cadences)
Arpeggios/broken chords & octaves
Scales (5 finger patterns)
Toolbox of appropriate gestures
Etudes, exercises, and studies

How do we use them? VVVVVVoom!
Vary rhythm patterns
Vary pitch patterns
Vary location/key
Vary articulations
Vary dynamics
Vary voicings and balance

So, get out there, be a DEEVA, and Score, Score, Score! (sorry everybody, just couldn’t resist:)

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