Suite No. 1 is well-grounded in the key of G major, starting with an open tonic chord of G, the D a fifth above and… Continue reading Analyzing Bach’s Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1
Learning
Learning Chopin: Left Hand Comes First
Back in the 1990’s, I was attending a Master Class of Oxana Yablonskaya – a pianistic powerhouse and Juilliard teacher – and heard her say… Continue reading Learning Chopin: Left Hand Comes First
Urtext Editions: A Sound Investment
My very first Russian score of the Well-Tempered Klavier finally disintegrated beyond salvation, the yellowed pages losing corners, crumbling and separating as the binding glue… Continue reading Urtext Editions: A Sound Investment
Making the hardest parts easier: perspective, planning, practice.
When we learn a new piano piece, there is often a particular stretch which gives us the most trouble. It’s usually toward the end, one… Continue reading Making the hardest parts easier: perspective, planning, practice.
Score Analysis: Our Key to Understanding
How often do you take the time to look at your sheet music without playing the piece at the same time? To analyze it and… Continue reading Score Analysis: Our Key to Understanding
The Tyranny of the 5-finger Position
When I was completing my M.A. in Piano Pedagogy, one of the courses involved a broad survey of existing piano method books. To my dismay,… Continue reading The Tyranny of the 5-finger Position
How To (Really) Read Music
The other day I was playing through Chopin’s Impromtu Op. 29 #1, a piece I memorized and first performed about 20 years ago. The music… Continue reading How To (Really) Read Music
The Importance of Rests: Listening to Silence
How often do we pay attention to rests in our music? When beginning to learn about notation and rhythm, we naturally think of the notes… Continue reading The Importance of Rests: Listening to Silence
How to Avoid A Messy Score
How often does our music look like a mess, with dozens of pencil scribbles which are hard to pay attention to? Instead of marking up a… Continue reading How to Avoid A Messy Score
With Chopin, The Left Hand Always Comes First
With Chopin, always learn the left hand first. I heard Nina Svetlanova say that at a master class, and it is absolutely true. To fully… Continue reading With Chopin, The Left Hand Always Comes First