Education Articles - Play Piano - Avoid the 7 Most Common Piano Practice Errors - Amazines.com Article Search Engine

Education Articles - Play Piano - Avoid the 7 Most Common Piano Practice Errors - Amazines.com Article Search Engine

Let's go over the seven most common practice errors and the secrets to unlock flawless and effortless practice progress:

As a piano teacher or student are we not hearing these daily?

1. I just want to learn to play a piece – I do not have time for boring scales or theory

2. Metronome practice? You must be kidding!

3. The most important thing is to get the notes right

4. If you practice and make a mistake, just keep trying, eventually you will get it

5. Only people who cannot play piano need to write in finger numbers

6. Never mind practicing technique or learning theory, just practice a piece until you get it.

7. If I play a piece often enough I will be able to play it from memory.

Ever heard of these before? - Please, read the article to find my explanations! Enjoy and play well!

Cassiopea M. Bostan, Pianist: Cassiopea (10) plays Invention 1-J.S.Bach

Cassiopea M. Bostan, Pianist: Cassiopea (10) plays Invention 1-J.S.Bach: "This is Bach's first two-part invention. I enjoy playing Bach, I can feel the musical lines. It makes me happy playing this beautiful music..."

Cassiopea is playing the 1st Invention by J.S. Bach beautifully; cannot wait to hear the next invention she will work on.

Ranen Unger Hicks performed in the 2010 Steinway Festival Winners Concert

Ranen Unger Hicks performed in the 2010 Steinway Festival Winners Concert

Please, follow the link to view his performance.

Glenn Gould piano technique

"Guerrero was an advocate of a technical discipline known as finger tapping. Apparently, the idea came to him while watching a young boy dancing in a Chinese circus. Guerrero spoke to the boy’s trainer, who demonstrated his teaching routine: he moved the child’s passive limbs into the desired positions, which the boy would then replicate, trying to maintain the feeling of relaxation. Adapting the technique to the piano, Guerrero taught his students to hold one hand in a relaxed position on the keyboard, lightly touching the keys. With the other hand, the student would tap a fingertip enough to depress the desired key. The mechanical action of the key springing up would lift the finger back into place. The idea was to teach the fingers to play with a minimum of effort and no excess lift."  For Glenn Gould, Form Followed Fingers

I LOVE Glenn Gould! - A true artist, he stand up for his beliefs, regardless if ANYONE EVER AGREES or not with him and mind you, I certainly respect his interpretations and cannot wait to listen to one of them - and no, I do not always agree, but we discuss his interpretations in length.

The amazing thing is, I teach a similarly relaxed hand. I do not suggest to sit so low as Glenn Gould demonstrates, I also do not suggest a "dry Baroque sound" at all times - besides Baroque sound should not always be "dry" - often very rich and singing with a Clavichord brightly singing sound. On rare occasions - in order to show / demonstrate a relaxed physical motion - I let my students drape their hand over mine and they get a "feeling" of how the motion "feels" that I am trying to convey - and it usually works very nicely. We always work scales / chords - cadences and arpeggios, shaping a relaxed and beautiful meaningful sound. And we (my students) can play beautifully and accurately very early on, growing into advanced repertoire quickly. I have two students perform in the Bach Complete Works Competition next week and wish them well, preparing conscientiously in the next 8 days. It is not easy to keep youngsters focused, but that is all part of developing maturity and follow through.

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National Piano Playing Auditions 2010 Results

Hello all:
I am happy to announce our Piano Guild auditions are finally complete. All students testing higher than Elementary B with a National (10 piece) or International (15 piece) program performed scales -  musicianship phases and most chords / cadences and arpeggios musicianship phases as well. I used the book "Play Piano in All Keys" fingering charts to prepare these musicianship phases. And all I can say, I could not have been able to get everyone through their preparations if I would not have had this manual at hand. The students worked their phases and just turned pages. Accurate, traditional fingering - for the first time, as a teacher, could I relax - accurate fingering in all scales is so hard to achieve. But my students did and they were happy and so was I - what a great feeling (for me) to provide such an essential piano playing fundamentals book. Even the late Intermediate and Preparatory (for College) students could benefit from using the scales charts. Never before could I get "clean" scales fingering in 4 octaves - all Major and parallel Minors. This year it was a breeze!

Congratulations to all my students who worked hard setting their goals and achieving them. 10 and 15 piece programs are not easy, regardless how you look at it and everyone who put their mind to it completed it with many commendations and solid performances, all from memory. All National (10 pieces) and International (15 pieces) programs are Gold Medal programs; the 5 piece program is a Bronze Medal. We had a total of 26 Gold Medal programs and 1 Bronze Medal program. The Specials category is for those gifted young pianists who are able to play repertoire in a higher category than expected for their age.

Congratulations to everyone working so hard, staying focused and dedicated:

Riverside, CA May 21, 2010: Judge Beatrice Mosburg:

	Name	Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
1	Jothy Yogarajah	5	5	Intermediate E	National	10
2	Thulasi Yogarajah	5	5	Intermediate A	National	10

Temecula, CA June 6, 2010: Judge Ana Stahl:

	Name	Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
3	Chloe Lovato	5	5	Intermediate B	National	10
4	Sai Sivapalan	8	8	Preparatory Special	International	15
5	Shalini Nair	9	9	Preparatory B	International	15
6	Cynthia Nguyen Phan	4	4	Intermediate Special	National	10
7	Kathleen Nguyen Phan	4	4	Intermediate A	National	10
8	Stacey Nguyen Phan	4	4	Elementary Special	National	10
9	Ranen Unger Hicks	5	5	Elementary Special	National	12
10	Sierra Rupnow	5	5	Intermediate C	National	10
11	Brittany Durgiah	6	3	Intermediate A	District	5

Escondido - Sand Diego, CA July 8 and 11,2010 judge: Ann Vanderschaaf, TX

		Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
12	Thien-Sa Luyen	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
13	Thien-Sam Luyen	1	1	Elementary B	National	10
14	Bret Paddock	7	7	Preparatory B	International	15
15	Cassiopea Bostan	2	2	Elementary Special	International	15
16	Robechelle Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
17	Rossale Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
18	Roxanne Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
19	Anais Perkins	2	2	Intermediate A	National	10
20	Shanti Ryle	9	9	Preparatory D	International	15
21	Mitchell Johnson	5	5	Intermediate F	National	10
22	Patrick Xu	1	1	Intermediate Special	International	15
23	Kelly Rausch	4	4	Elementary E	National	10
24	Song Nguyen	3	3	Intermediate A	National	10
25	Andrew Vu	4	4	Preparatory A	National	10
26	Nessa Vu	4	4	Intermediate B	National	10
27	Victoria Vu	4	4	Intermediate B	National	10

Sincerely, Eva

"Play Piano in All Keys": From the first piano lesson to playing fantastic1

Hello all:

Playing Piano in all Keys is EASY!

For me, as a teacher, I will always ask the question: "How do I get my students to a proficient level as quickly as possible?" - and I truly believe, the missing link is in the early start, the very beginning months of learning to play piano.

I used to, just like every other piano teacher, start with one or the other method book, attempting to teach the basics of LEARNING NOTES and PLAY A LITTLE. Or simplify playing pieces, just to start playing immediately. After 10 years of literally taking students through over 200 10-20 piece programs in the National Guild auditions, I have updated my strategy.

I feel the first weeks and months while a new student (any age and level) starts to learn to decipher baby pieces, learns the musical symbols (notes, Grand Staff, rhythms,...) these are the most important times. There is nothing wrong with this way of starting a piano student, everyone works that way, one way or another.

BUT - THERE IS A BETTER WAY!

Learning the musical symbols takes time. Many teachers opt to "teach" one little piece a week, the progress is marginal. students after 2 years of lessons play in the second level method books - and are still struggling with weak fingers.

THE MISSING LINK:

Simply put, you must train fingers, fingers must be taught to move, the motions of the arm need to be taught, how to relax the forearm and the shoulders must be taught. THE MOTIONS of PLAYING MUST BE TAUGHT! This has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SKILL OF READING NOTES. Frankly, reading notes will only be an initial hindrance to fully focus on the motions of PLAYING. How are the motions of PLAYING PIANO taught? You must learn the basics of scales, arpeggios and then chords / cadences.

I remember, when I started my piano lessons. The lesson book was either too easy or too difficult (The Beyer Preparatory School) - I had to learn notes to play, I had to immediately learn key signatures to play in other keys. I was extremely frustrated when I had to put hands together and read notes at the same time. And all I wanted was to play really well. 48 years later, today, I have resolved this issue. "Play Piano in All Keys" is the answer to this problem. EVERY STUDENTS ANY AGE CAN LEARN TO PLAY and play accurately.

How does it work?

Yes, at the same time we start playing the usual way with some method book or another - they all teach the same things from day 1 on - at the same time we take time to only focus on the motion of playing. I use fingering charts that teach which finger goes on which key! Yes, we start with the white keys, simple: RH finger 1 on C, finger 2 on D, finger 3 on E, finger 1 turns under on F, finger 2 on G, finger 3 on A, finger 4 on B, finger 5 on C. Now, we go down: finger 4 on B, finger 3 on A, finger 2 on G, finger 1 on F, finger 3 turn over the thumb on E, finger 2 on D, finger 1 on C.  The charts are set up, so you can see the finger number in HUGE LETTERS. The white keys are white, black keys are black. OK, C Major is on white keys.

Then you learn the left hand, the same way.

This way, you are ALLOWED TO FOCUS ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT! MOVING YOUR FINGERS! Concentrating on which finger goes on which key, the co-ordination of right hand - left hand once you play hands together! The added difficulty of READING IS REMOVED! Finally, a way to start playing, to start practicing the motions and know you are doing it right!. No, you do not need to have piano lessons for a year to play the C Major scale finally.

And by the way, the moment you can play 1 octave C Major, you are adding the second octave in C Major hands separately, then together. YOU ARE WORKING THE FINGERS! Fantastic! From day 1 on! While you are learning to "read" the musical symbols.

And in order to keep your mind from getting bored, as soon as you have mastered the C Major scale, you are moving on to playing the C Harmonic Minor scale! The E key becomes the E flat key and the A key becomes the A flat key! Same motion, same fingering. Within a few days, you can play two scales. Then you can add arpeggios, a little finger gymnastics - very easy, learn the motion of the thumb turn right away. EASY!

The charts also teach immediately the correct name for the next key to play. you will not accidentally mis-name the scale keys F, G, A, A sharp, C,... no, you learn immediately to see the note names correctly: F, G, A, B flat, C,....

"Play Piano in All Keys" includes ALL Major, Harmonic Melodic, Natural Minors SCALES AND ACCURATE FINGERING, ALL PRIMARY TRIADS, INVERSIONS, I-IV-I-V-I cadences in root and 1st and 2nd inversions and all Tonic Major and Tonic Minor Arpeggios in 3 positions. All enharmonic scales are included!

What are the results: Usually after 6 months my students can play all whites keys 4 octave scales in slow and medium speeds which in a conventional way is learned in the 6th or 7th year of playing. And typically, since they learn to move the fingers and practice right - left co-ordination, their reading skills come along quickly, because the physical motions are already rehearsed. After 1 year of lessons my 9 or 10 year old students test in Level 3 in the MTAC Certificate of Merit (TM), a 4th year exam, besides their National Guild 10 piece programs (that include scales, chords / cadences and arpeggios). And they practice 20 minutes - 1 hour a day.

I wish, I had had this book to learn piano when I started to play piano almost 50 years ago, it would have made all practicing, all Conservatory requirements so much easier. 

All the best and let's PLAY PIANO!  Eva

TVMTA Young Pianist Competition June 5, 2010, Results

I am happy to announce our Studio winners.

6^th grade and below category:

Ranen Unger Hicks received 2^nd place performing the Chopin Waltz Op 64 No 3

Cassiopea Bostan received an Honorable Mention with a new piece. She performed the Clementi Sonatina Op 36 No 6, 1^st movement.

Cynthia Phan participated with a new piece: She performed the Scott Joplin Chrysanthemum Rag.

9^th / 10^th grade:

Sai Sivapalan received 1^st place for his performance of the Liszt Transcendental Etude #6 “Visions”.

Congratulations to all participants. I am very happy that we have these performance opportunities.

Eva

Southern California Junior Bach Festival Regional Results

Hello all:
Congratulations to each of you for working so diligently and participating.
Our Studio had four Branch Winners who were eligible to enter this event. They all performed and they all were declared Regional Winners as well.
Congratulations to:
Ranen Unger Hicks (age 9) who performed the Invention #8 BWV 779
Sai Sivapalan (age 15) who performed the Fugue in G Major WTCI BWV 860
Patrick Xu (age 15) who performed the Invention #9 BWV 780
Cynthia Phan (age 12) who performed the Prelude from the a minor English Suite BWV 807
Both Ranen and Sai will be participating in the Complete Works Audition in October, this year.
I am looking forward to hearing the Prelude and Fugue BWV 860 and the 2 and 3 part Invention in F Major. Eva

The ease of preparing my students with the new book "Play Piano in all Keys"

New scales, Chords / cadences, arpeggios book introduction: "Play Piano In All Keys" by Eva Martin Hollaus.

I have been entering students in the Annual Guild Auditions since 2001 and average about 26 - 35 students each year with a National or International program. All my students, with the exception of students I only had for a few months and that are entering Guild, are performing scales, arpeggios and chords / cadences.

I have used the usual scales books, e.g. Hanon, Keith Snell; those are all excellent books giving accurate scales fingering. BUT I was not happy with the results. My students are your above average mostly straight A students, who are busy with too many school activities and also are talented in everything they touch, including piano. Piano playing is an extracurricular choice activity for my students and most enter the Certificate of Merit (TM) and the NGPT Guild auditions.

I could organize their preparation folders so they could zip through efficiently practicing their 7 pieces (or bringing them back) and then learn / review their scales / chords / cadences / arpeggios - musicianship phases.

Years ago, when I started my piano studio here in Perris, CA, that was in 2000 (brand new), I used to hand draw the scales fingering charts, to help my students memorize the fingering and help acquire accurate, permanent fingering. A few years later, I asked my students to draw up the fingering charts on their computer spreadsheets.  Well, as you could guess, that did not happen - too busy with everything else.

So, I decided to do it myself.  I learned this internet course how to create a website, a little about advertising, learned the windows Office Suite and started putting down how I could get my students through any 10 piece programs. First, I published my downloadable books and then I took the time to develop the print books. I did not want to compromise. I knew I had to take the time and typeset it all myself to get the look the way I wanted it. All my books and charts are tested in my studio. These books are what I use to get a rock solid technical foundation in the least amount of time. In the 10 years of Guild auditions, I have only had 2 students whom I could never motivate sufficiently to learn a national program. And I am counting now, over 200 National / International programs.

I developed these books, to efficiently teach the phases from EB through High School Diplomas. I also entered students in EA with 5 musicianship phases and as soon as I can, I will put my Elementary A manual together.

But for right now, I am truly enjoying the results of my hard work. This is the first year, where I can sit back and my students are playing through their scales / chords / cadences / arpeggios phases one scale after another, one keys set after another. Often Guild judges ask to play the phases in one particular key. Well, that's how the book is structured: "C" everything, then "G" everything, etc., including black keys, including enharmonic keys.  This is the first year, I can sit and enjoy and they turn page after page and play ACCURATELY and EXACTLY scale after scale, chords / cadences and arpeggios.

What a relief for me as a teacher to have these books!  Using the usual scale books, the notes are small, the fingering uses a 10 point type style and reading keys signatures and notes adds many obstacles for some of my students.  My teaching philosophy is, to teach each element by itself. That way I get undivided attention and focus and in a short time each of the baby steps gets accomplished easily. When we practice scales using my charts, all difficulties are removed: no notes and a HUGE print; the notes letter match the keys black and white, the contrast is great. Even 5 year old students and beginners can decipher these scales charts. The entire manual is graphic. White keys are white, Black keys are black. All labeled correctly, with the correct letter names. Each correct keys has the correct finger number!

I also really like the idea of ONE BOOK, rather than needing to purchase a new book each year. When students learn the phases in the various levels, I simply mark the sections they need to practice, and that's how they learn them. Even with minimal practice time, we are able to get the national programs done.

The essence of practicing scales is technique and fingering. With the scales charts and scales sorted, so you can practice sets of keys, it is actually fun practicing scales. Several months ago, I took some time in the morning and practiced blocks of 30 minutes one set of Major / Harmonic, Melodic, Natural Minors scales with metronome and found it very relaxing.  I could not wait to get back to the piano and practice another block of 30 minutes. Remembering back to my Conservatory times, just like most students, I hated scales thought of them as boring -- and you know they were: there is not much variation in playing Major and relative minor. On the other hand, practicing one set Major and Parallel Minors - the fingering is quite similar, or identical, there is just enough variation for the mind to not fatigue and you can actually relax into the tonality of the key to really "tune" your body. This only makes sense: the loser you are, the more reverberation your body with feel with the sounds of one scale, the better your playing will be and the sound quality and your projection of melody.

Please, visit: http://www.playpianoinallkeys.com for more information, or just purchase your copy with the free reports as a product bundle at: www.classicalpianolesson.com.www.classicalpianolesson.com

Good luck and enjoy!


 

 

BACK TO BASICS - SCALES, CHORDS, ARPEGGIOS

Oh yes, it's this time of year again, back to basics practicing scales, chords, arpeggios. Over the summer, I am always trying to push for completed pages in the theory books and push practicing scales, chords, arpeggios: making sure the fingering is absolutely accurate, the fingers and hand positions are curved the correct way - no "breaking fingers", but correctly and loosely curved finger position, lose wrist, natural arm weight, beautiful well defined sounds. Each note matters. Working on pulse with the metronome, all speeds. In other words, lots of work is being accomplished. We are also planning out the next year, starting new repertoire in slow motion, allowing a thorough and exacting learning process. Sure enough we always have a few overzealous young pianists who want to perform the new piece yesterday, before learning the rhythm, notes, fingering, arm motions, the phrasing, dynamics in each hand -- and are "noodling" through a piece. Learning how to put your "talent aside" for a streamlined approach to learning a new piece is probably one of the hardest things to master for a budding young musician. I tell everyone: "no one is taking your talent away; you must program your fingers and muscles like a computer programmer creating a game to play; if you do not program a computer game correctly you will never be able to play it and it will bring about viruses messing up your computer. Just be patient; once a game is programmed correctly on the computer, it allows for many hours of enjoyment, the fun of playing the game you created. In piano, once your fingers, pulse and rhythm, notes, arm motions, wrist motions and mind are programmed correctly, you will be able to play your piece flawlessly.  Fingering decisions need to be carefully made. Your memory and mind will hold up under any performance stress and circumstance, while if errors were programmed, they may very well show up in performance. Once your physical motions and memory, mind and visualization is programmed correctly, your talent then will be able to flow through your fingers flawlessly and with great enjoyment and expression. "
Learning to be comfortable playing all commonly used classical scales: Major, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor and Natural Minor for 4 octaves and arpeggios in root position, 1st and 2nd inversions, all speeds with perfect control, is quite a challenge but well worth it. All my students use my fingering charts and practice instructions and progress amazingly. The fingering patterns have been used for centuries and were developed to use the right and left brain functions in easy to control cross fingering patterns. Practicing the different scale patterns and spending time until each one becomes second nature should be a goal for each piano student no matter what age. If you are rehearsed in your scales / chords / arpeggios, your fingers and technique is lubricated and you can easily learn new pieces. Many chords are used over and over and once the relationship of tonality, notes of the scale and their relationship of Major and Minor is understood, memorizing classical pieces, in particular, is greatly facilitated.
All the practice suggestions and practice principles are well tested and work very well for every student, with a little practice. All my suggestions work beautifully for literally anyone practicing 20 - 45 minutes 5 days a week. Of course if you put in more time greater progress, better performances and larger repertoire will result.
But then music is for everyone, well rehearsed or not, busy life style or lots of leisure. Piano playing is here to always make us feel better on the inside, relieve our tensions and stress of daily life and enjoy the beautiful music and sounds that we are creating.
Sometimes, I wish I had had my fingering charts and teaching at the times when I grew up. but then, all my efforts and failures brought this about and I am very happy I could make my contribution to help others play beautiful music.
Sincerely, Eva

Health -- No More Fear!!!

Are you a teaching professional and sick and tired of the constant sniffles, missing weeks at work, having to make up curriculum time in order to meet audition and competition dead lines? No more cough attacks; no more colds; never mind the germs and bacteria; a few drops a day is all it takes. Enjoy your life, enjoy your talent and sharing it. An artist NEEDS to be healthy..... Take a look!!! If you are performing, teaching, or learning an instrument, you need your own body's immune strength to do it's job. Would I talk about something that did not work? No, I do not have time for that -- everything in my life requires purpose and results.
Sincerely, Eva

Young Pianist Competition

I am happy to announce, that April 5, 2009 in the MTAC Young Pianist Competition Alex Few received 2nd place in HS-I; Cynthia Phan received an Honorable Mention in E-II and Sai Sivapalan received an Honorable Mention in JH.
Congratulations to all winners.

Lake Elsinore Rotary Music Competition

Bret Paddock decided to enter the Lake Elsinore Rotary Music Competition in the last minute with the 1st movement of the Beethoven Sonata Op 31 No 2 and the Scott Joplin Maple Leaf Rag. He is certainly happy that he did, winning 1st place in the piano category ($250.00), and 2nd in the instrumental category ($150.00). Congratulations Bret, way to go. Eva

Classic piano jazz - ragtime jazz from Eubie Blake: "The higher class fellows who played things from the big shows looked down on this music. Nobody thought of writing it down. It was supposed to be the lower type of music, but now it is considered all right. I don’t quite get that part of it”.
Eubie Blake, quoted in Rudi Blesh, Combo USA."

What a great musician. Such fabulous rhythmic pulse. Always, in teaching the standard classical repertoire, I attempt to focus on rhythmic pulse. Even classical music sounds so much better, if there is a natural pulse, than just NOTE PLAYING.

Growing up in Vienna, I remember the very same derogatory attitude towards Jazz, Rag, Blues music. And of course, I fell in love with it.

A few years ago, I was teaching a very young exchange student from Germany. She had piano for maybe 3 years and grew up with the very same "straight jacket" mentality that I grew up with in my own teens: Upon interviewing her parents, the dad proudly announced: "We only play classical music, not this Jazz, Broadway or other "low grade music". I had to quickly swallow and keep my thoughts to myself (which is difficult). She was attempting to practice and learn a difficult Theme and Variations work by Beethoven, obviously lacking technical foundation, musicality, feeling, phrasing, breathing and advanced musicianship to play this piece well. Coming from Germany, she had correct notes and note values and was hammering away, note by note, quite good for her age and length of study. I found the identical attitude towards music in her that i was brought up with: "Music starts when you can play Sonatas and other difficult works, until then, there is no value in playing." A very difficult concept to digest. I remember revolting against this thought when I grew up; I LOVED listening to the rock bands in the 60s and early 70s, collected several LPs of Blues and Rock music on a trip to England in the 70s, but on the other hand still LOVED playing classical music. But I wanted more. I wanted to know WHY popular music was so popular while classical music had it's followers but was more "stale".

The answer is really in the BEAT, the pulse. Playing Baroque music, requires a perfect pulse to sound beautiful and stylistically correct. Many pieces stem from actual dances of the time. Classical pieces require a similar pulse, but a little less strict in some instances. If we look at the Schnabel edition of the Beethoven Sonatas, we will find the many metronomic tempo markings that Schnabel used himself, that are a very good standard of interpretation of this style. Romantic music requires much more freedom in pulse (rubato playing).

All classical music will sound FABULOUS if practiced and played with the correct choice of PULSE.
Training a good solid time sense (pulse) in classical piano, takes time and needs to be trained from the very beginning piano lessons through performance levels later.

The essence of music is rhythmic pulse and musicality expressed. When we diligently rehearse these concepts in our daily practice (starting with scales) and in each piece getting ready for performance, we get good results every time. Although I do not actively advertise my scales manuals, I feel I do need to mention, that a step by step approach on training piano basic technique, scales and pulse is explained in great detail. Please, go to http://www.classicalpianolessons.com/ for more information. I am making new manuals and free reports available as I get them ready.

Take advantage of integrating some of these concepts into your own practicing to increase enjoyment and efficiency.

I enjoy teaching here tremendously, since there really are no further barriers of "low class music". Teaching Rags, Jazz and many other 20th century and 21st century music styles is very refreshing and enjoyable.
Alex Few, age 14, just won 1st place in the CAPMT Honors auditions category B, performing the Scott Joplin Maple Leaf Rag (as well as the BWV 889 Prelude and Fugue WTC II, JS Bach and the Op 27 No 2 "The Moonlight Sonata" 1st movement by Beethoven).
The judges appreciated the musicality and energy and "fun" in the Scott Joplin piece.

I just cannot say it often enough; "I love hearing good music".
Enjoy,
Eva

the piano lesson | Qomplesso

the piano lesson Qomplesso: "“A pianist must play two versions of the same song simultaneously. Have each version fight and complement the other. While your hands are doing two different things, you must be excellently aware of both, Qimmah. Pulling your mind in several directions and then… Then–if that is not enough to handle– one must offer his/her heart. Putting your spirit behind the duality. And paying special attention to that as well.”
Silence.
“A lot, yes?”
“A lot…. I believe I can do it though.”
“Ah, that is because Qimmah…”
Please don’t.
“You are destined to attain balance. You Will attain balance. And the piano, as you have come to it, has found you.”"

I found this absolutely great little post about a Buddist Piano Teacher and one lesson. I think, I got balance now. Great way to start learn piano.

Please, enjoy