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!


 

 

Beethoven, Czerny Liszt teaching technique and today's take on technique

I found this great dissertation of 1992 of the comparisons of how Beethoven, Czerny and Liszt taught. I took the liberty to copy this paragraph of Czerny's teaching that so much reflects what I am confronted with daily in my life as a piano teacher. Daily, I am speaking, teaching, breathing, telling, joking, the very same, unbelievably, almost 200 years later. Let's take a look, this comparative study is well worth reading, please click the link for the entire article:

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE METHODOLOGIES OF THREE DISTINGUISHED PIANO TEACHERS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: BEETHOVEN, CZERNY AND LISZT
by
ANGELA P.Y. CHAN

Untitled: "Here I would like to mention briefly about teaching young gifted students. As Czerny mentioned, generally due to their high sensitivity to music, they may be negligent of their technique, and simply play in a messy way. They may be impatient during practice, and aim too quickly for the 'finished version'. Very often, instead of practising short passages in great detail, they would run through the whole piece as if it was an actual performance. They are too absorbed in listening to the ideal version of the music in their mind. They would not bother to listen carefully to what they are actually playing, nor do they have the discipline to slow down and practise in manageable short sessions. Slowing down is particularly difficult, as it appears to be going against the musical flow: the gifted student may perceive this as a conflict to his musical intentions and leads to frustration. Therefore, instead of insisting the student to isolate the difficulties from the piece and practice slowly, (which from my experience is virtually impossible for a musically gifted child) who would speed up after the first few bars, I propose to use short passages (a few bars) which do not belong to the text, but with similar technical demands. In this case, the student is clearly told that his aim is to acquire technique for subsequent musical expression, and he is only required to practice for technique. In an apparently incomplete "excerpt", there are no tendencies of musical flow which would urge them to rush through. Hence he would be better able to focus his attention in completing the task."

Czerny was one of the greatest teachers of the time. I grew up playing his exercises and the more I read about his teaching, the more I admire what he accomplished in his life. Czerny seemed to understand perfectly that each student was different and that each physique was different. His many exercises seemed to bring enough variety for developing each technical area.

I also agree with Beethoven to use a relaxed hand and to move each finger as little as possible. I show a similar idea to my students: the finger, comfortably curved, touches relaxed the top of the keys (hand is curved, fingers are curved, not flat) and you depress each key from the top of the key to the bottom of the key, about 5/8".
Liszt plays with a flat hand and fingers. It seems he had a very large hand and could acquire amazing dexterity in all fingers. Not everyone could do that, Schumann completely ruined his hand, his playing and technique by attempting something similar using a mechanical device.
Here is a reference to Schumann's injury: http://www.jstor.org/pss/954772 from attempting to acquire complete independence in the 3rd and 4th fingers.
Here is a reference to the Chiroplast device that Liszt suggested using: http://www.jstor.org/pss/966259

Liszt: " Then he stressed the great need of flexing and relaxing the fingers in all directions by multiple exercises for at least three hours a day; these exercises would include varied scales in octaves, thirds, arpeggios in their inversions, trill, chords and finally, everything that one is capable of doing. When one has perfectly flexible and strong fingers, one has conquered the greatest difficulties of the piano."

Definite YES, not enough attention to scales, chords and arpeggios is given in most modern piano lessons. The foundation, regardless how tedious, must be acquired sooner or later or larger repertoire cannot be learned.

Almost 200 years later, Czerny's teachings are an absolute stand-out and still stand true today.

My conclusion, teaching piano technique, after a life long quest searching for answers:

1. You must sit correctly (weight over your feet, knees end about where the keyboard starts, midsection - your core - pulled up, slightly leaning forward, absolutely lose shoulders and arm)
2. Floating arm; the function of the arm is to move the fingers over the right keys and drop the gravity weight into the fingers.
3. The hand stays as relaxed as possible and returns to relaxation instantly, allowing instant tension (depression of the next key) again.
4. Pain is an indicator that you are doing something wrong. Stop, find a way to relax, find a motion that works and try again. Use the levers of your back, upper, lower arm, wrist and hand.
5. Finger movement up and down is too restrictive

Scales, chords, arpeggios, Hanon exercises are an absolute must. Starting very young students with scales is quite possible and fun using my fingering charts and practice instructions. They work with any physique and any age. The tone is singing, always musical and well timed. As suggested, there are also other great finger exercises for more advanced students -- I have not had a chance to look them over, but am certain they fulfill a 20th century purpose of developing physical motion and movement in varied exercises on the piano. (Take a look at Ganz and Persichetti)

Absolutely do not let your mind wonder while practicing; the suggestions of practicing scales for hours and reading a book at the same time, as Liszt had suggested, well -- I guess I could see the point -- but truthfully, I do NOT see the point. IMHO, we do not have that much time at hand to just sit and brainlessly wiggle fingers, even if it might be scales. Part of the exercise is to be there, while watching the fingers move and stay focused with the tune like a mental exercise to not let your thoughts wonder elsewhere. For a successful performance you need exactly that: stay with the music, the tunes, project the feelings and leave other thoughts out of the picture.

There is another interesting point, though: Liszt suggests to sit straight up and actually lean a bit back, with the head more backwards: On trying that, I can feel that the upper arm actually relaxes, making a gravity sound possible with a relaxed arm weight. Well, the singing sound will only emerse, once all unnecessry tension has vanished. Liszt experimented with various touches, devices and techniques.

Nevertheless, I stay with my conclusions which I have found to work with everyone, no exception.

I hope you enjoyed my little excursion to 160 - 200 years ago.
Eva

Daily scale practice, how to get results

DSCO concerto winners perform - Arts & Living: "I could not have been more amazed at Capone's masterful and impressive execution of playing high and low scales and at his overall performance throughout this difficult folk-influenced piece. Because Capone is a sophomore, the Davidson community will have a few more years to continue hearing his brilliant performances with the DCSO."

You see, this is really a very nice critique on a performance of scales in a difficult pieces in recital. Regardless which instrument, the control, polished and flawless execution of "basics"- scales is always expected, but it is refreshing to read a review where they are commented on. Quite obvious, there are performances of lesser quality.

If focused correctly with the goal in mind, that excellent performances are possible and a LOGIC consequence to proper practicing, the daily "chore" of working scales should not be more than a refreshing, easy "walk in the park" of beautifully executed structured sequences of sounds. Any agony or frustration will not result in "usable" scales now, later or anytime.

The other day I had a student play scales, as fast as she could (fourth year piano), sort of getting through the notes, lose wrist, correct notes, correct fingering BUT: the notes were uneven, there was no evident rhythmic pulse, no beauty of tone. Why practice in a manner that will NOT RESULT in the ability to play more difficult works? Students need to be reminded DAILY, that all practice needs to lead to eventuating in a RESULT now and later. The result NOW needs to be USABLE, beautiful scales totally under control AT THE CURRENT SLOW SPEED. Later on at a faster speed. The focus must be: TOTAL CONTROL at ALL SPEEDS from the very slowest to the very fastest.
Good luck in your daily practice.

Teaching this so obvious concept is almost like needing to REMIND a student to breath: "now, make sure you take a deep breath and then blow it out, etc. or you will choke!". Do I need to mention that? Of course, not. Well scales are similar: If you continue to "noodle" scales now, you certainly will "die" trying to play more difficult pieces later. Is that so difficult to understand? Well it must be, since it's a daily battle for most (even in my studio).

But for those students where everything comes together and we get beautifully played scales at several slow to medium speeds (for starters), then we really have a good foundation to build on. And patience is a very good virtue!

Piano playing is like solving a 10,000 piece puzzle. Each stone needs to fit perfectly to result in the final solved picture. Each day's scales practice equals 1 stone. Maybe now you can understand WHY a bad daily 10 minute scale practice session will only destroy the beautiful expected result for now and down the road.

Each note in every scale needs to be "cultivated" like a budding rose.
Simply put, enjoy each note and scale played well. And as you see in the review above, scales appear in most all pieces and if well performed are an absolute delight to listen to.

Learning HOW to practice and perform scales is really NOT THAT DIFFICULT, if you know how. Maybe, I can make a difference sharing my years of dedicatd practice and finding answers on how to PLAY.
Back to practice!

Epoch Times - Interview With Finalist From NTD’s First International Chinese Piano Competition

Epoch Times - Interview With Finalist From NTD’s First International Chinese Piano Competition: "Mr. Na has a deep appreciation for the power of music. “It’s something for the soul, like food for people. It’s possible to live without music, but it would be an empty life,” says Mr. Na."

What a great attitude, right from my heart. If you only play to collect trophies and placements, you will soon be out of medal reach. Listeners come to enjoy YOUR ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION, the emotional response is what matters. This is what you hear in our lessons from day 1 on. If you play Music for Little Mozarts at age 3 - 5 or Beethoven Sonatas and Rachmaninov, your emotional involvement is really the essence. Of course, technical, style and note accuracy cannot be omitted, either.

Yes, truly, I want it all -- this is what I LIVE FOR. Hearing great music in our lessons.
Feel blessed.
I will be hearing your scales, chords -- don't forget those: most of your theory is understanding scales and chords using scales notes; broken chords and arpeggios are still the black sheep in our practice, but when you get better, daily cultivating of your basics, practicing your pulse by counting loudly will get you quite far in a short time.
Eva

The importance of correct fingering

Oh, not another day of bad practicing,…. In my Studio.

When are my students going to learn?

How many more grey hairs should I get from bad practice habits?

I often feel like being the bad witch badgering my students: "You must write in the finger numbers! Each note needs to be exactly defined! You must make a definite decision which finger plays which key!"

Mind boggling, that there are teachers who preach that you should NEVER write ANYTHING into the music book. Maybe, I should refer to Alfred Cortot's study series of Chopin's Op 10 and 25 with sets and sets of fingering advice and rhythmic exercises.

Maybe I should refer to Arthurs Schnabels' edition of the Beethoven Sonatas with fingering and practice advice.

It is so simple and clear, if you do not define the fingering pattern, how can you train your muscles to follow the necessary extension / contraction patterns? How can you leave all this work to the spur of the moment? No wonder, the piece is NEVER FLAWLESS! No wonder, there are memory glitches like you know no tomorrow!!!

If we understand that practicing piano is a physical action that requires to place the correct finger on the correct key to play the correct note – now doesn't that logically require a decision of which finger goes where? Correctly!

Maybe I should bring up some comparisons to gymnastics: in each routine every single detail is mapped out, each step, each hand movement; no detail, movement or step is left to the spur of the moment. Why would piano, being a physical, artistic activity be any different?

Excuse me, I just would like to hear great music making in my studio. Not mess up after mess up; maybe I am allergic to wrong notes – or better yet, bad decisions bringing about wrong notes as a logic consequence.

This post was inspired by one of my students leaving her Lecuona book in the Studio – I love Lecuona and started practicing the piece, myself. Needless to say not one single finger number was written in the book. First thing, I started defining the melody laying out the fingering strategy, writing my fingering choices and options into the book. Well, if it could be done, I would practice for my students, but I had already years of practicing 8 hours a day, now it's about sharing the conclusions of my dedication.

Happy Halloween!

Eva Martin Hollaus

http://www.classicalpianolessons.com/

 

Introduction

Hello all and hello to everyone who loves to create piano music:

I decided to name this blog Piano How To, giving many, many helpful hints regarding practicing, playing, performing and preparing performances.

My background is Classical Piano Performance, Coaching, teaching K-12 and Adult, all levels and abilities. I teach a very successful Classical Piano Studio in Perris, CA and am expanding my Piano Studio on the web, sharing my life's dedication with anyone who is interested.

My life's path has taken me from Vienna, Austria (Conservatory of Music) to the USA, playing recitals, accompanying soloists, and participating in International Piano Competitions.

I am often asked: Ms Eva, why are you not concertizing right now? I feel I have a greater value as a teacher, being able to resolve more questions and bring more JOY and HAPPINESS into individual lives by communicating what I have accomplished. All the years of searching for answers HOW TO PLAY PIANO, HOW TO PRACTICE PIANO, HOW TO WORK PIANO TECHNIQUE, what works and what doesn't.

First I always begin with PIANO BASICS. There just is no way around it.
I remember, teaching beginning piano to an adult student. He just could NOT WAIT to get somehow to the end of the book in order to play The Entertainer. He had a the firm belief that no piece was worth while playing or spending time with, until he would be playing The Entertainer. It was difficult making him understand, that even the first note ANYONE ever plays is MUSIC, just by itself. Usually I get this across easily, but somehow, this student was more insisting on quickly skipping through the book. We got through the book in record time. I cannot vouch for the student being able to play each piece note perfect, but at least we started learning what he so much desired. Then, once this piece was more or less out of the way, we could start practicing and working PIANO BASICS.

Many years ago, when I started teaching in the US, I felt it was more important to start PLAYING right away (but correctly) than learning a solid foundation, BEFORE commencing playing.

I still share the same views, just like a baby learns to speak first and read second, I like a similar approach for piano lessons and piano playing.

But teaching 10 years, has taught me, to finally sit down and WRITE DOWN my teaching! It has helped, my students definitely without exception have improved in their piano scales, their chords and arpeggios and through understanding solidly the concepts of TONALITY, their understanding of theory also skyrocketed.

To the best of my ability, I will try to express my conclusions, so they will be available for others.

Good luck to everyone in your journey finding and expressing the enjoyment you have in you through playing the piano. Learn, how to project yourself, your inner feelings into your music.


Eva