7 October 2015 The Elements Of Teaching Piano: From Buying A Piano To Teaching Students

The Elements Of Teaching Piano: From Buying A Piano To Teaching Students

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Teaching piano involves a variety of things. Yes, it starts by knowing how to play the piano; a good teacher has to be good at playing. But a good piano doesn’t necessarily have to be a concert pianist. A good teacher must appreciate and enjoy the challenges of helping their students learn how to master the piano. They have to be able to give their students an appreciation and love of the instrument.The Elements Of Teaching Piano: From Buying A Piano To Teaching Students

In most cases, when a parent looks to find a piano teacher for their child, they have a few goals in mind. They rarely say “I would like my child to become a concert pianist”. Instead, they simply want to give their child the benefits of having a deeper appreciation for music, for the arts, and a way of relaxing after a long day of activities.

The most obvious place to start is with purchasing a piano. In order to give your students every advantage of loving to play and loving to learn, the quality they play on has to be top notch. Why do you play the piano you do? What qualities do you look for in a piano? Many students and their parents will look to you for guidance in selecting their own piano.

From there, every music teacher has a different approach to teaching, depending on the style and methods they learned with. To appreciate music, a student must learn a variety of things.

  • Keyboard and Fingering – simple exercises can help students learn keys and patterns. This is where scales become valuable. It helps a student learn majors and minors and how they sound when played together.
  • Music Reading – a good method book can help a student sight-read music. Care should be taken so a student doesn’t switch to memorization or playing by ear, and truly learns to read music.
  • Learning and Memorization – playing the piano well means practicing again and again. There is a skill to memorization; teachers can help them develop the skill and use it for concerts and recitals.
  • Music Theory – usually for more advanced students that are thinking of making music a career, theory can help develop an appreciation for developing their own music. It can help reinforce music and playing, things they should already love.

If you’re ready to inspire your kids for a lifetime love of music, introduce them to the art of piano playing today.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
3 October 2015 Should You Invest In A Concert Piano

Should You Invest In A Concert Piano

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What measures well over 7 feet long, weighs in at more than 1,100 pounds, and can take center stage in any room in your home?

Yes, a concert piano is not something you can easily ignore. But then again, why would you want to?Should You Invest In A Concert Piano

For some, they fall instantly in love when they sit down at a keyboard and begin to play. Music becomes their love. Piano becomes their passion. And playing becomes something that consumes who they are.

Yet for every person that falls in love with playing piano, few have the opportunity to turn it into a profession. A mere few hundred can list their profession as a concert pianist, making their money from playing the piano in a classical sense.

But that doesn’t have to stop you. There are many ways to bring piano into your life full time.

Move beyond concert piano, and you’ll find countless opportunities in the music world. Many of today’s most loved artists developed their love of music by playing the piano. You don’t have to be a superstar to play; many local bands start up and play regularly to keep local communities entertained.

Educational opportunities are also available. While piano is often taught in a one on one setting within a private home, as a child ages they can often bring in their love of music into a band or orchestra at school. And as they move from high school into college, they can take their love of music further and choose a career in music education. It’s a career choice that can have them working at all grade levels, including university, and can inspire them to work inside the home or through an educational institution.

Even entering the marketing world brings opportunity. Every jingle you hear in a commercial, every song you hear in the background of a movie or television show comes from somewhere. Music is what helps us create stories, and with technology advancing as rapidly as it is, the ability to use music in many different ways is growing right along side it.

Playing doesn’t have to be just for a career; coming home and playing a piano to relax can help relieve stress. Playing the piano is something you can do at 5 and at 105.

And as a person’s love for music to continue to grows, the concert piano becomes an even more valuable personal asset. When you walk into a room with a concert piano center stage, it commands attention. People take notice, whether they can play or not.

Would a concert piano be the perfect addition for your home?

Filed Under: Buying a Piano, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
23 September 2015 Do Even The Best Piano Players Practice?

Do Even The Best Piano Players Practice?

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There is a common assumption out there that once you get really good at something, you no longer have to practice. You become as good as you’ll get and the rest comes naturally.

Not true.Do Even The Best Piano Players Practice?

When you do something over and over again, you take on an effortless appearance. It seems as if you can do it without really trying at all. You have the skills. You have the knowledge. You know how to put all best efforts into practice. At that point you “get it”.

You’re one of the best. And you either have it or you don’t.

If you’ve always wanted to be a great piano player, chances are you’ve watched “the best” and marveled at their talent. It’s human nature to focus in on their talents, and look on in amazement at all they display.

But are you born with a talent for piano playing? Probably not.

Instead, what some people are born with is a desire to play the piano. So they buy a piano and start playing. They take lessons. They learn from the best. They improvise.

They practice.

Over and over again, many hours over the course of days, weeks, months.

If you ask someone who has a desire to play piano, they’ll probably have a belief that it takes “natural talent” to become an accomplished pianist. After all, they know just how difficult it is to play a quality tune.

But if you ask an accomplished pianist what it took to get to where they are today, you’ll very rarely hear “talent”. Instead you’ll hear “hard work”.

The more you play, the more you enjoy playing the piano. They more you play, the better you get. The more practice you put in, the more accomplished you will become.

Practice puts certain muscles into action. If you skip practice, those muscles slow down. They don’t operate at the same level as before. You miss the little things that once made you good.

Do even the best piano players in the world know this? You bet.

That’s why they practice every day.

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16 September 2015 Be More Creative By Piano Playing

Be More Creative By Piano Playing

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Ever watch a small child at play? They are constantly inventing new approaches, improvising how to fit things together, creatively weaving different realities into their actions. They can take a small box and make it into a rocket ship that will take them to the moon. They can build a structure out of blocks and have a time machine that whisks them away to faraway lands.Be More Creative By Piano Playing

We all are born with a creative streak deep inside of us. We all showcase that creativeness … for awhile. Then something comes along and teaches us to put our creative juices far away and learn how to live in the modern world.

Yes, our current approach to school doesn’t cater to the true creative. All you have to do is look at where funding cuts happen most – arts, music – to understand where the emphasis is being placed.

Our modern education system is built around rationalization and memorization. We want students who will be obedient, do as they are told, and become great at STEM subject matters. The problem is that line of thinking doesn’t cut it for 100 percent of our society.

This approach develops our rational mind, without allowing the creative mind to come out to play.

And when the two are out of balance, it impedes our creativity, success, happiness and overall fulfillment with life.

Which is why it’s important to develop both sides of your mind from an early age. Ideally we can do this in a variety of ways.

Start with language
We use language to learn, to share, to communicate, and to express our ideas. Language isn’t just our words, language is also found in music, in singing, in dancing, or even in expressing ourselves through art. Studying music theory and harmony helps develop different parts of your brain. So does playing and listening to pieces by great composers.

Experiment with music
Piano playing doesn’t have to mean the same old sounds over and over again. With piano comes melody, which means even simple pieces of music will quickly resonate with the listener. Experiment with a variety of different genres – jazz, classical, R&B, pop, even rock can all add to the depth of our character. And give you the ability of expanding your horizons and build your knowledge of different cultures.

Be creative forever
There is a great Gandhi quote that sums up great living.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Some skills you can learn early in life and keep expanding on until the day you die. Music is one of them. And playing the piano helps you bring in music theory at all levels. The more you practice, the better you become, the more challenge you seek, the more you discover … about yourself and about our world. Piano playing allows you to express your creative side. It can help you overcome challenges by putting your mind onto a different task. It can help you master not just playing the piano itself, but also how to connect different pieces of our world.

If you are looking for an activity that can help you awaken your creativity, something that can give you lifelong pleasure, look no further than the piano.

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8 September 2015 Does Left Handedness Impact Piano Playing?

Does Left Handedness Impact Piano Playing?

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If you look back to the greatest piano players of all time, it’s only natural to wonder which of them were left handed. It’s only natural that some of them were; after all, ten percent of the population is left handed.

Beethoven is rumored to have been left handed. So is Brahms. So is Rachmaninoff. Even Mozart’s music feels ambidextrous, as if it were written for both hands to have equal control.Does Left Handedness Impact Piano Playing?

Yet is there a difference when playing the piano whether you approach it from a left handed or right handed way?

As it turns out, lefties may have a certain advantage when it comes to learning how to play the piano.

While many instruments are clearly designed to be played right handed, pianos are no different. Most melody is played with the right hand. And if you look towards any written song, you’ll find that the right hand far outplays the left on average. Clearly music is written for the side of the brain that controls the right side.

All piano students must overcome resistance to having the two hands work separately yet together. Pianists must coordinate the activity of both brain hemispheres, since each is responsible for the use of a separate hand. Because lefties have to work harder to get the right hand in shape, they actually grow stronger at skill in the process.

Left and right handed piano players perform equally well when tested for their musicality skills. Left handedness does not seem to present and disadvantages. Over time, whether the pianist is left or right handed, the performance of the right hand always displays a greater evenness between the notes, and therefore a higher degree of motor skill and control than in the left. The more practice a person has, the better performance they will have.

The key is practice. The rest seems to fall into place.

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26 August 2015 7 Benefits To Playing The Piano

7 Benefits To Playing The Piano

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Plato said it best:

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”

What would the world be like without music?7 Benefits To Playing The Piano

Luckily, we can easily bring music into our lives at any point in time. And no matter how young or old you are, there are many benefits to learning how to play the piano at any age.

Increases your memory capacity – research continually shows that learning to play an instrument changes both the shape and the power of the brain. Music is being used in therapy to improve cognitive skills. And  and motor skills in children from a very young age.

Refines time management and organizational skills – good practicing skills won’t just make you a better piano player, they’ll make you a more organized person as well. A good musician quickly picks up that quality practice is more valuable than quantity. And by organizing and using different challenges in each session, music talent can increase rapidly.

Boosts team skills – playing the piano isn’t an individual activity, it can be used in many ways. Lessons are important to give more skills to an individual – how to interact with an instructor and take advice, how to join in with others to create harmony and melody, and how to be both active and a participant in the music playing process.

Betters your math skills – reading music requires counting notes and rhythms, which helps put math skills together in your brain. Studies continually show that students that play an instrument are better prepared in math and achieve higher grades overall.

Improves reading and comprehension – while reading music helps you become better at math, it also helps your reading and comprehension skills. Reading music involves reading and comprehension of both the black and white notes on a page, recognizing the note, translating it to your finger tips in order to create the note on the piano.

Improves your concentration – playing a piece of music requires you to focus on things like pitch, rhythm, tempo, notes, and quality of sound. You must concentrate not only what you’re playing and the sound you are producing, but also be able to listen to all other sounds around you in order to play in harmony with the rest of the group.

It relieves stress – a piano is there for you to play any time you choose. You can play any type of music, and play it with any kind of emotion you choose. It’s a great way of relieving stress, and has been used in all kinds of therapies in treating autism, depression and other cognitive disorders.

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22 August 2015 Inspiring Musicians That Play Piano

Inspiring Musicians That Play Piano

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Want to get your kids excited about playing piano? Why not give them incentive by sharing with them the names of some of their favorite musicians that are piano players?

Kids love to emulate their heroes. Yet in some cases, they don’t make the connection with where they are now to how they started. A gentle nudge by showing them possibilities may be just what they need to take interest in something with so many benefits.Inspiring Musicians That Play Piano

Elton John
One of the most beloved musicals, one your kids probably sing a song from on a regular basis, is The Lion King. And while Elton John’s music career spans decades, with over 30 albums to his credit, it’s probably the easiest to use to excite your kids about music. Elton John has been a legend in the music world, and will continue to be for generations. What kid couldn’t get excited about playing something as magical as the Circle Of Life?

Jerry Lee Lewis
While Jerry Lee Lewis may not be a well known name with your kids, not only is today’s music influenced by his music, they probably have heard one of his largest hits “Great Balls Of Fire”. Lewis was an early pioneer in rock and roll, and he invented a style of piano playing that is still distinctive by today’s standards. While many criticized him in the 50s and 60s for his wild behavior, few can argue today that he is a major influence in the music world.

Josh Groban
The Polar Express – every Christmas season brings this storyline to life. You can’t think of the movie without automatically humming Believe. And while it will make Josh Groban’s name and voice recognizable for generations to come, Groban has a wide variety of classical sounds that people of all ages have come to love.

Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys became the best selling new artist and the best selling R&B artist of 2001, selling more than 12 million copies of her debut album. That set her on a course for not only a music career, but also as a songwriter, record producer and an actress.

Lady Gaga
Chances are your kids know Lady Gaga well, and may even be one of her “little monsters”. She took the music scene by storm with hits like Just Dance and Poker Face, and she continues to be in the media’s eye by making statements in her out-of-this-world outfits. If there is anyone that can inspire your kids into wanting to play the piano, Lady Gaga has it all.

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15 August 2015 How Important Are Foot Pedals On A Piano?

How Important Are Foot Pedals On A Piano?

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When you invest in a piano, you understand quality is important. Notes must play to the best of their ability. The piano must be tuned for proper playing. Sound is important.

But what about the foot pedals on a piano? How important are they? Will a beginner use them anyway?

It’s easy to forget the foot pedals as you make your way through the checklist before you buy. Yet each were created for specific purposes.How Important Are Foot Pedals On A Piano?

The modern foot pedal configuration has been in use since the late nineteenth century with three foot pedals in place: sustain (damper pedal), sostenuto, and una corda (soft pedal).

The una corda was the first mechanism invented to modify the piano’s sound. This function is used by depressing the left pedal on modern pianos. The soft pedal modifies timbre and color of the tone, not just the volume.

The sustaining pedal is the right pedal on the modern piano. The pedal raises all the dampers off the strings so they keep vibrating after a key on the keyboard has been released. It allows the notes to resonate and mix together.

The sostenuto pedal allows pianists to sustain selected notes while keeping other notes unaffected.

With an acoustic piano, pedals are conveniently placed and attached to the frame located centrally underneath the piano. The framework attached to the grand piano often had a symbolic shape of a lyre, and it still carries the name “pedal lyre” today.

With a digital piano, pedals may or may not come standard with your setup. If you look at the back of your synthesizer or digital piano, you may notice input devices labeled “CTRL1 and CTRL2” or “SOSTENUTO” or “DAMPER”. These inputs are for the foot pedals and will enable you to change the timbre and expressiveness of the piano in much the same manner as on an acoustic piano.

If you are purchasing a used piano, it’s important to ensure the pedals function correctly, and provide you with the ability they were intended to perform. If not, it can signify problems with the piano.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
8 August 2015 Taking Up The Piano At Any Age Can Be Beneficial For Your Brain

Taking Up The Piano At Any Age Can Be Beneficial For Your Brain

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As a parent, we want to expose our children to the right activities. We want to set them up for success with everything they do. We want to expand their knowledge, try a little of everything, then help them make the right selections to carry with them for the rest of their lives.

The power of a music background is obvious almost from the moment you hear of it. We’ve all heard of theories like The Mozart Effect. Yet pushing a child into something that may be a little different from the norm can sometimes be difficult. If “the gang” is all hanging out on the soccer field, what motivation does a child have for sitting in front of a piano?Taking Up The Piano At Any Age Can Be Beneficial For Your Brain

Yet piano playing isn’t just for kids; that’s what extends its power throughout a person’s life. The more scientific research is performed, the more is discovered about the benefits it can have from childhood through old age.

Health benefits are numerous and include things like:

  • auditory improvement
  • increased cognitive skills
  • improved coordination

The therapeutic value in not only included in playing the piano, it can be equally as valuable to listen to piano music.

  • It has a pacifying affect which helps reduce stress
  • It can maintain a level of mental engagement
  • It can improve language skills, including listening, reading, verbal fluency and memory

And as an afterschool activity, it can give your child the extra stamina they need to do even better in school. Piano playing has been shown to increase test scores, improve SAT scores, even help with both reading and math related technical skills. Yes, music majors are often highest in their class when it comes to moving into pre-med related studies.

Its not just a passive exercise, it is an interactive experience.

For all of these reasons, playing the piano provides a wealth of benefits, no matter what age each member is in your family. It all starts with owning a piano, and having it available to play and practice at any time. Take some time today to visit and find the perfect instrument for you.

Filed Under: Piano Lessons, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
18 July 2015 Guide Your Child Prodigy Into Collaborative Piano

Guide Your Child Prodigy Into Collaborative Piano

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Some kids are just different than others. They sit down to play the piano, and the rest, as they say, is history.

You don’t have to beg to get them to practice; you have to limit the time they sit at the piano. You don’t have to plead with them to rehearse for a concert; they are creating their own music in heavy anticipation of the upcoming event.Guide Your Child Prodigy Into Collaborative Piano

Yet as your child approaches his or her high school and college years, you may start wondering what’s next. Sure, they want to follow their dreams of going into the music field, but is there really a future in playing the piano?

Enter collaborative piano. Collaborative piano, once called piano accompanying, is a term used to describe a relationship with a pianist and one or more instrumentalists, singers, dancers, or other artists to complete a project. Piano accompanying applied a subservience relationship where the pianist worked for other partners. A collaborative pianist works together with other team members on an equal basis.

That process isn’t taught through hands-on piano lessons alone. Instead, it’s a process taught through years of training – both through hands-on piano playing and through curricula designed to create a successful musician.

Schools today have moved towards teaching collaborative piano:

New England Conservatory, The Boston Conservatory, Longy School of Music,  Juilliard to name but a few. The goal is to give a pianist the skills and the opportunity to ensure they are knowledgeable, flexible and sensitive as a collaborator, able to work in many situations. This is what opens up opportunities for life.

Do you or your child have any experience with a collaborative piano program?

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