23 January 2017 Practice Sight Reading Piano Music

Practice Sight Reading Piano Music

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The definition of sight reading is:

To read or perform without previous preparation or study

In reality, we all sight read every day. Pick up a new book and read it for the first time. That’s sight reading. It’s easy for us because we understand the English language so well.Practice Sight Reading Piano Music

But what happens if you pick up a book in French (providing you’re not also fluent in French)? The concept of sight reading is a little trickier. But if you study French for a bit, you can pick out some words you know. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

The same happens with music.

If you’re not a musician, understanding music may seem like a foreign language. That’s because it is. You might not understand where the notes lie on the staff, or the difference between bass and treble clef. But if you study it for a while, it becomes easier.

Mastery comes with practice. You don’t stick with the easy things; you expand and add more difficult concepts to your skill set all the time.

You can do that easily by training online. If you want new material, update your training materials so they don’t become stale. Look for sites online that have graduated exercises so that you don’t become bored at too easy of a level.

You can do that by purchasing method books. There are many books designed specifically for sight reading. They each take you through the practice methodically where each exercise builds on the one before. As it builds, it adds something new each time.

You can change it up every day. What makes you a successful sight reader is keeping it fresh every day. Read and play the music once. Then move to another song. Don’t jump beyond your skill level, yet focus in on things that will make you grow.

Be sure to look at the music all the way through before you play it for the first time. Not things like key signature, changes in clefs, and the dynamics of the piece. Look for chords and determine where they are. Also note the trickiest part of the piece – a series of sixteenth notes, for instance – and determine the speed you’ll need to play at to accomplish it all.

Then play, from beginning to end. Don’t stop if you make a mistake. Just keep playing. You’ll get better and better at it each time you try.

Filed Under: Piano Music, Piano Playing Tagged With:
6 January 2017 What’s Your Piano Playing Role?

What’s Your Piano Playing Role?

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Every day, we assign ourselves different roles in what we do. We may label ourselves by who we are – accountant, doctor, lawyer – or a role we play – mother, sister, daughter. We also set ourselves up for failure by action words we’ve assigned ourselves over time. Ever been told (or considered yourself) a slow learner or a bad performer? Are you unmusical or someone who can’t sit still for normal practice routines?

What’s Your Piano Playing Role?We receive labels throughout our lives. They start in our own families from a very early age. They often are introduced to new areas before we ever begin. If you tell a piano teacher before the first class that your child is highly disorganized and a slow learner, the labeling has already begun. And in most cases, these labels are self-fulfilling at best.

It takes practice to release ourselves from labeling. It takes changing things up and looking at everything you do in a slightly different manner. Here are some strategies you can use:

Paint a new picture
Put a child in an environment where they can thrive and build confidence along the way. If they aren’t good at performing in public, ease into it slowly. Allow them to play duets to have a friendly set of hands alongside them. Create a low pressure situation – one with family only.

Let them see their abilities differently
Change up how you approach new things. If someone is classified as a slow learner, introduce things in more chunkable ways. Instead of introducing new pieces, give sections to learn instead. This way a child can accomplish things at a much quicker pace, and develop more confidence early on.

Model behavior
Children often become bored with certain aspects of playing. Acknowledge it, but also demonstrate and show them how experience can pay off. Show them how slowing practice sessions can help them achieve greater proficiency, making it more enjoyable to play when their focus is on the details.

Accumulate special moments
Students will achieve different results over time. In some cases, it’s easy to forget all you achieve. Build up processes and help students see all they have achieved. It can help motivate them to put in more effort on more difficult tasks, knowing the results are more than possible.

Have you categorized the way you play? Have you labeled your child or your student in specific ways? How can you change them at your next practice session?

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30 December 2016 What Piano Teaching Method Is The Best?

What Piano Teaching Method Is The Best?

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Heading online today can give you a world of information at your fingertips. It can also leave you confused.

If you’ve been searching for a piano teacher, you might have noticed some teachers listing their preferred methods of teaching. But what does it mean? And is one better than the other?What Piano Teaching Method Is The Best?

Over the history of piano playing, piano pedagogy has changed dramatically over time. During the earliest periods, only wealthy families could afford keyboard instruments and instruction from a neighbor or teacher. Students were often taught to curl their fingers like holding a small ball. Now we know it’s more important to teach with fingers curved naturally, softly rounded.

Other aspects have changed and developed as well. The following methods are some of the most common teaching methods you’ll find as you search for the right instructor.

Suzuki Method
The late Japanese violinist Shin’ichi Suzuki created the Suzuki method, which is one of the most popular methods, especially with small children. Suzuki believed that everyone could learn music in similar fashion to how we learn language. It’s all about learning from your environment. If the pedagogical steps are small enough and instruments are scaled down to a child’s size, through positive and encouraging environment, a child would naturally perform at very high levels. Primary criticism is that Suzuki focuses on memorization and group playing, with poor sight reading ability overall. Many believe Suzuki is good during early curriculum with developing other styles as you move forward.

Bastien Piano Basics
The Bastien Piano Basics is made up of five levels of learning – primer through a more challenging level four. They are filled with colorful illustrations and fun themes. Each level is correlated with theory and technique built into the same lesson. Critics say that emphasis through this method focuses on position playing which results in students lacking sight reading skills. Learners often focus in on music that adheres to the position of the piece as opposed to more challenging music.

The Music Tree
Frances Clark and Louise Goss created the Music Tree which emphasizes sight reading, rhythm, theory and interrupted reading. This means a higher recognition of distances between notes, helping prepare students for more real world music playing capabilities. It also helps students read music faster, which can help them develop higher musicality skills overall.

While these are just a few of the many different teaching methods out there today, it’s important to remember that teaching is fluid. As a player learns, it’s important to adjust to ensure a rich education overall.

What piano playing method do you prefer?

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With:
23 December 2016 Playing The Piano: Moving Beyond Bad Habits

Playing The Piano: Moving Beyond Bad Habits

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What stops a lot of people from continuing with the piano? Bad habits.

Bad habits can make creating music a difficult task. And when the joy begins to fade, piano playing follows suit.Playing The Piano: Moving Beyond Bad Habits

From early on in a beginning piano players routine, stuttering can be a problem. Stuttering is caused by stop and go practice in which a student stops playing when they reach a section they don’t play well, replaying it again and again when there is a mistake. If you make a mistake, always continue through to the end. Don’t stop and correct it. Instead, make a mental note of where the mistake was, and when you are through, go back and work on the troubled section. Stopping in the middle cuts out the rhythm of the tune. It stops your focus and concentration, putting it on the mistake rather than on the melody. It puts too much emphasis on the problem rather than the joy of the music.

Poor tone quality is another common problem. During practice, no one is listening so tone doesn’t matter. Tone can quickly degrade without having to correct it for those around them. And if they ignore it in practice, it’s more difficult to correct down the road. Good tone cannot be produced by a poor or untuned piano; the first step is to have a high quality piano in which to practice on. If they learn to practice with high quality sound, they will quickly recognize when a piano performance isn’t up to par. It’s also important to record proper piano tone from time to time, so that the player can get a good feel for problem areas, sound quality, and the difference between the two.

Still another bad habit is playing at the wrong speed. Music is created with a certain tempo in mind. The right speed is determined by many factors, including the difficulty of the piece, the condition of the piano, technical ability, what the audience is expecting, etc. If a person tries to play a piece that is too difficult for their ability, they may end up with many mistakes, or be timid and play it too slow for enjoyment. Perform a piece too quickly and it removes the performance factor of the music. The key is in practicing to perfection, and understanding your connection to the music. If you learn to think of presentation first, you’ll have a better performance overall.

The worst thing about bad playing habits is the time they take for correction. Nothing accelerates your learning curve more than developing good habits over bad. If you give yourself every advantage from the beginning, you’re more likely to enjoy the process every step of the way. Get the best equipment, ask for help, and have fun making music.

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17 December 2016 Need A Gift? How About A Piano App

Need A Gift? How About A Piano App

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There’s a new way of learning to play the piano. It isn’t with flash cards or manual metronomes or hand clapping to learn notes and rhythms. Instead, you can learn all that and more through an app.

Kids of all ages are using their smart devices for many different things. An iPad or tablet is no longer optional, in many cases, they are used for everything in our daily lives. From reading the news, to finding a recipe for dinner, to planning your next vacation, most of us can’t imagine not having smart technology easily within reach.Need A Gift? How About A Piano App

So it comes as no surprise that piano apps are also growing in popularity. Piano apps held do everything from learning music in a fun way, to understanding complex music theory, to helping you write and compose your own melody. All of which can not only make you a better piano player, but can also help you love music that much more.

What apps should you consider?

Melody Cats

These fun apps help kids and adults learn how to read notes and rhythm. They have three apps available: Treble Cat and Bass Cat that are designed to help you identify notes in the treble and bass clefs, and Rhythm Cat which is designed to help you read the most commonly used rhythms.

Midi Sheet Music

This app gives you the ability to see your music in an entirely new way. It allows you to display your sheet music from MIDI music files. You can print it or save it as PNG or PDF files. Display the note letters next to each note, or display them in different colors to be more effective in learning how to play. This app will have you playing better in no time.

JoyTunes

JoyTunes has created three apps that allow learners to enjoy the learning process more while keeping teachers informed of progress. Piano Dust Buster is a great starting point for kids just starting to learn. Piano Maestro provides an in depth educational tool to further your music education. Simply Piano helps learn the basics, from sight reading to playing with both hands.

What piano apps have you found useful?

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15 November 2016 Can You Turn Your Love For Piano Playing Into A Career?

Can You Turn Your Love For Piano Playing Into A Career?

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Even as small children, we’re constantly thinking about our children’s futures. What will give them opportunities to be happy and healthy throughout their lives?

That’s why we push them to be better readers, take higher level classes, go out for sports, and apply to the colleges with the highest ratings. We do it because we want the best for them.

Whether you have one, two, or three children, you probably learned very quickly that no two are the same. One excels in sports while another has an analytical brain. One favors math while another favors humanities. It would be a very dull world if they were all the same.Can You Turn Your Love For Piano Playing Into A Career?

Yet we push kids into things that follow current trends – STEM classes that are all science and math based, thinking it offers the most career opportunities. But is that so?

What if your child excels at music? What if they have an ear for composition? Is there a future in playing the piano? If a child really loves music, loves playing the piano, there are many ways to further that and turn it into viable career choices.

Start with the typical. When we think of turning a love for piano playing into a career, the typical jobs come to mind. Playing in an orchestra. Giving piano lessons. Becoming a concert pianist. And they are all viable options. If your child loves the piano, any of these can be pursued for both part time and full time opportunities.

But it’s not the only option.

For many businesses, music is an integral part of the job. Movies wouldn’t be nearly as good without music. Even commercials have a common jingle behind the words. Composers create original music, and arrangers take existing music and put it together by instrument, and to work for particular needs and desires.

How about a music journalist? Between magazines, trade publications, online journals, websites, blogs and review sites, there is a world of opportunity for people to let their musical talents shine. In some cases, an investigative nature is needed, diving into learning the ins and outs of the business. And in some cases people can turn their love into viable business options – piano lessons via YouTube for instance – in any manner they choose. With today’s changing technology, anything can be possible.

Another growing field is music therapy. Using many methods – singing, playing an instrument, rhythm movement or even composing – can help a patient’s treatment. And because we are just now discovering the benefits this brings to many areas of healthcare, it’s expected to be an increasing field for many years to come.

You can also combine technology and music into one career with things like sound engineers. Technology and music often meet in the mixing room, where people monitor the editing equipment and make sure all recordings are produced as they should.

Still think there are no viable career options if your child pursues music?

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7 November 2016 Why Play The Piano In Today’s World

Why Play The Piano In Today’s World

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The world is moving at warp speed. Not exactly news to anyone. Yet how is it affecting the activities we fill our lives with?

Children of today are moving away from humanities and arts curricula, in favor of STEM based programs which are highly analytical by nature. While logical thinking may be driving our technologically growing world, it’s the creatives that add complexity to society. Literature, languages, arts and music all help create a culture that brings us together in many ways.Why Play The Piano In Today’s World

Sitting through a musical performance or listening to a book talk will stimulate the brain in ways a quick-paced sporting event or video game can never do. And while that may sound like old-world philosophy trying to hold onto our past, the evidence is entirely science based.

Widely publicized findings show listening to music – especially complex music like classical, jazz, or ragtime – actually increases our cognitive capabilities.

The National Association for Music Education has studies that prove music training not only makes us smarter, but it also makes us happier and more social as well.

Still, other organizations show music programs can help us understand our emotions better, helping us deal with everyday relationships in a more interactive and conducive way.

And in general, music makes us smarter. It raises IQ and test scores. It helps the part of the brain that retains information for the long term.

By making piano lessons a part of your regular routine, you’ll not only give your brain the power-boosting benefits of music, but it will also help you reduce stress, improve your mood, enhance your immune system, and prevent future diseases as well.

The benefits of learning piano are endless.

Whether you’re a child or an adult who’s always wanted to learn, if you’re reading this, you’re a prime candidate for piano lessons. Science shows us that culture isn’t something that’s nice; it’s something that’s required for future development as human beings.

Is it time to bring piano lessons into your world?

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3 November 2016 4 Tips For Healthy Piano Competition

4 Tips For Healthy Piano Competition

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There are mixed emotions on piano competitions. On the one hand, it allows a pianist to show her skills. On the other, it has the potential of squashing her creativity and lessen her love and desire to play for the sake of playing.4 Tips For Healthy Piano Competition

And a lot of it depends on the desires of the pianist. If a young musician has the desire to turn piano playing into a career, friendly competition can make them better.

Goals
Setting the right parameters is important for both fun and reward. Why are you interested in competing? What do you hope to gain? Signing up for a piano competition because it’s the natural progression won’t deliver the maximum reward. However, if a student wants critiques, wants to learn more about their ability, and wants to step outside of their comfort zone and be challenged in the process, it might be the perfect step.

Learn From The Competition
When you’re competing against others, it’s important to take a look at who you’re up against. Local competitions are different than regional or even international events. Each offers their own rewards and benefits. While we all join to win, if you make this your primary goal, feelings will undoubtedly get hurt. But if you join as a way of improving your skills and learning from those around you, you will succeed every time.

Your Reference Point
A 13 year old entering for the first time will perform at different levels than a 17 year old that has competed for several years. While competitions may be about final results, each person should approach it with improving from within. Setting small goals that allow you to attain certain results will help improve your skill. Note where you are at the beginning of the process and how much you achieve through practice and performance. What did you accomplish? What could you do better? This is how you move forward and better your musical knowledge.

Just Do It
Every musician has doubts about moving forward at some point. This is when it’s important to keep the end goal in mind. Keep telling yourself you can until you do.

Do you perform in piano competitions?

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28 October 2016 The Future Of Piano

The Future Of Piano

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“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents” ~ Ludwig van Beethoven

There was never a time when music wasn’t a part of the human condition. We clapped. We hummed. We sang. We swayed to the rhythm long before the invention of modern day instruments.The Future Of Piano

Yet no matter what instrument we play or genre we prefer, music changes us. It comforts us like a best friend. It teaches us. It sets our world on fire.

“Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words” ~ Robert G. Ingersoll

Like everything, music changes. Instruments change. The piano changes. Many distractions get in the way. So how does the piano adapt?

Through technology? We’re raising technology literate children for a new world. Of course, they don’t want to go back to days of old. They have an open slate, and it can challenge them in many ways. Why fight it? Why not adopt it into our everyday lives?

“Every child in our country should learn how to sing, and how to play upon at least on a musical instrument.  Among these the piano is perhaps the most practical for musical cultural purposes.  Nothing should crowd out the opportunity for self-expression which can come to those who can play the piano with some degree of mastery”  ~ Walter Damrosch

Music is the language of the world for many reasons. No matter what language you speak, music is there. And all music is created through one of seven notes. There may be different names, but all tones remain the same. And in every language, music is there at the deepest level of heart and soul.

“I had never before thought of how awful the relationship must be between the musician and his instrument. He has to fill it, this instrument, with the breath of life, his own. He has to make it do what he wants it to do. And a piano is just a piano. It’s made out of so much wood and wires and little hammers and big ones, and ivory. While there’s only so much you can do with it, the only way to find this out is to try; to try and make it do everything.” ~ James Baldwin

Music is there to guide you every step of your life. What else has that power? It can improve your performance in school, provide stress relief during every period of your life, provide recovery from major health conditions. You can stand on the sidelines and listen, or you can jump in and participate in a big way.

“Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.” ~ Tom Lehrer

Is the piano a part of your lifestyle?

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9 October 2016 The Ergonomics Of Piano Playing

The Ergonomics Of Piano Playing

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When most people think of the term ergonomics, they think of their computer placement on their desks.

In reality, ergonomics refers to the efficiency of a work environment, which is why many people automatically assume the working position of hands on a keyboard, typing away long hours every day. But compare your hands on a keyboard to hands on a piano.The Ergonomics Of Piano Playing

Not much different, right?

Ergonomics brings good posture while maintaining a well balanced spine.

Ergonomics refers to the normal position of joints being maintained throughout the movement process.

Ergonomics means the elimination of cramped or twisted positions, which can damage nerves and muscles.

Ergonomics means avoiding staying in one position for too long.

All of that comes into play when you’re sitting in front of a computer. All of that comes into play when you’re sitting at a keyboard.

To effectively play the piano, a pianist must operate as a machine, connecting with the keyboard in such a way that it bring no tension to the body. The fingers. The arms. The shoulders. The body.

Proper training isn’t just about creating music, it also comes from how you play. A good teacher understands it’s not just the music that is generated, it’s the process along the way.

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