Take that Trouble Spot Out of the Box
In a perfect world we would all be perfectly prepared to tackle a piece before we ever attempted to learn it. Spoiler alert! The world is rarely perfect and neither…
Using Block Towers In Piano Practice
I love teaching intermediate students who have come back to piano after some time away or who are mostly self-taught. They are all passionate about music. Most read well, can…
Graceful? Simple? Dramatic? Crafting an Effective Ending
I discuss beginnings with my students often. Does the piece open into an ongoing plot like a certain Star Wars film? Must they imagine and set the atmosphere, then let…
Solfeggietto Crash and Burn
Students love to play Solfeggietto. They love the cascading patterns and how it feels to pass the patterns in waves from one hand to the other. They love how it…
Metronome Fail Fix and Yes, It’s Backwards
Have you ever known someone who just couldn’t play with a metronome no matter the tempo? Sorry. That's definitely a DUH question. It's a frustrating problem to have no matter…
When Being a Contrary Pianist is a Good Thing
Do you have contrary elementary level students? I do. I encourage them. It’s not what you think. Contrary motion at the piano trains the ear to perceive 2 voices moving…
Does Metronome Practice Work for Everyone?
I love to answer readers’ questions! A few years back, I wrote an article for Grand Piano Passion, When Your Piano Teacher Doesn’t Fit. Recently a reader reached out through them…
Baroque Dolphins vs. Sharks
My 7 year old student, Gini, grinned at me as she neared the end of Dolphins Play Everyday. She suddenly played a huge handful of low bass keys and wiggled…