What Is Good Pianist in Classical Music
Reader Discretion is advised Who’s your favourite pianist? A very common question amongst piano afficionados, wouldn’t you say? When you ask this question to someone, they will mention some of the normal names that come up in the everyday pianistic lists: to all those...
The Slingshot Effect On The Piano
The Slingshot Effect On The Piano, Or How To Increase The Tempo Of Your Piece When Nothing Works. Do you know what is the most common thing students and pianists want to achieve with their pieces? Is it to make them softer? To make them more convincing, perhaps? Well,...
What Is a Piano Student?
Reader discretion is advised. Q: Is a piano student someone who wants to learn the tuba? A: No. Q: Is a piano student someone who wants to learn to paint? A: No. Q: Is a piano student someone who wants to learn to play the piano? A: Yes. ...
The Metronome Effect
The metronome is this lovely machine that keeps the tempo for you boldly without allowing you to deviate from it. as a matter of fact, we all owe to have one, so if you can afford a proper old-fashioned one, just buy an electric one. However, as you know, music is not...
Online Piano Lessons Setup
Reader discretion is advised. I feel ashamed. I feel sad and I feel the worst possible piano teacher on Earth — Not that I am not, but that’s another story. This online lessons charade has taken me by storm — I feel I am currently at my most pompous and...
Online Piano Lessons: Thoughts and Challenges
Reader discretion is advised I hate online piano lessons, both as a teacher, but also as a pedagogue. There’s no way you will learn the piano properly with online lessons. Period. And if you eventually reach a certain level of pianism, imagine what you could have done...
What Is Forte and How Loud It Is
In this article we talk about what is forte in music. Then, after defining forte we shall attempt to describe how loud forte should really be. ❦ Asking what is forte in music, is like asking what is sweet in baking. Being a pianist, and not a baker, if someone was...
Student From a Former Teacher Etiquette
Warning: Reader Discretion Advised: So, the phone rung one day, and you heard the following words from the other end of the line: “Hello! I’m Mrs Soen-So and I’m calling to enquire about piano lessons!” “Oh, hi! Yes, of course. How may I help you?” “Well, my...
The Primary Quality of a Piano Teacher
Hm… what should be the primary quality, the most needed, the most desired quality, that would make a piano teacher fulfil their teaching duties to the fullest? Could it that the teacher should be kind and accepting of the student’s individual pianistic customs? Could...
Mezzo-Staccato and Non-Legato: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
One question that pianists ask every so often is the following: Does mezzo-staccato simply means non-legato? My answer derives from my provenance as a student of the English Piano School—a pianistic school that (surprisingly to many) exists, and to my mind has one...