David Story West End Toronto Piano Teacher
*
  • Homepage
  • Fees, policies and calendar
  • Adult piano lessons
  • Children's Piano Lessons in West Toronto
  • My teaching philosophy
  • Testimonials
  • Contact information
  • There are no hacks. How to successfully practice. Action plans that work.
  • About me
  • Student awards and compositions
  • Recommended resources
  • Classical downloads
  • Jazz downloads
  • Jazz outline for beginners
  • Classical outline for beginners
  • Blog: The aging musician
  • Jazz Trio Workshop
  • Preschool Music "Rainbow Songs"
  • Piano Recitals 2019

The art of piano playing

7/23/2017

0 Comments

 
The 7 circles to mastery. The following is taken from the YouTube video below. I’m just riffing on the ideas presented.
1.       Hearing
2.       Imagination
3.       Expression
4.       Technique
5.       Theory
6.       Analysis
7.       Finally, Practice at the instrument

Hearing: Good old-fashioned ear training. This is often the most overlooked component in learning. Traditionally Classical piano students avoided this until a week or two before an exam. Bad, bad, bad. It takes time to develop this. It is of the greatest benefit because I don’t believe you can play what you can’t hear.

·         Melodic playback for Classical students
·         Transcriptions for Jazz Students
·         Chord identification
·         Cadences
·         Chord progressions
·         Rhythm clap-back

Imagination: A tough one to teach. I believe a teacher must help the student trust their musical instincts. And, treasure them. Not with the goal of ignoring the musical vision of mature artists, but by helping trust and treasure their personal uniqueness.

Expression: Expression marks aren’t suggestions. Be sure to work on them from the first reading. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can add them later after you “learn” the piece. Consider this, we all play like we practice. So, under stress (in an exam or performance) you will revert to your initial way of playing. Why? This is the way you learned it, spent the most time on. You perfected the piece in a monochromatic way. Flat and boring.

Technique or what is called the fundamentals: Change your attitude. Think of them as the FUN-damentals. I use them as a form of meditation. A chance to slow down and practice playing beautifully. Beauty is that combination of touch and time we learn through repetition and reflection.

Theory: Oh boy, another area most students practice the fine art of avoidance. Students, the musicians we admire know what they are doing! If you want to have any chance of joining them, you need to understand what is going on. Form, harmony, melodic structure, intervals, historical context, the list of knowledge goes on and on. It all helps. Knowing what you are looking at makes it all easier. I promise.  

Analysis: applied theory and the cornerstone of memorisation.

Practice: Learn to practice, read books on the subject, what YouTube, listen to your teacher. Learning to practice like a pro will save you years of fiddling around. And, it is way more fun because progress is faster. You will learn pieces long before you get sick and tired of them. Always a good thing.

​Please watch the video below. A wealth of knowledge. 
​

Cheers,
 
David
 
0 Comments

    Author

    I'm a professional pianist and music educator in West Toronto Ontario. I'm also an enthusiastic student of drums. 

    Archives

    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Categories

    All
    Bebop Piano
    Bill Evans
    Blues Guitar
    Boogie Woogie Piano
    Bucket List
    Classical Piano Lessons
    Gary Burton
    Jazz Chords
    Jazz Improvisation
    Jazz Piano Lesson
    Joe Bonamassa
    Learning Drums
    Learning Drums
    Learning Guitar
    Learning Piano
    Learning Piano
    Music Competition
    Music Practice
    Music Practice
    Piano Chords
    Piano Lessons
    Piano Lessons
    Piano Scales
    Sight Reading Skills
    Sonny Stitt
    Student Success
    Student Success
    Successful Learning
    Successful Learning
    Successful Music Learning
    Successful Music Learning
    Summer Piano Lessons
    Time Management
    Time Management
    Wynton Marsalis

    RSS Feed

                                                ©2015 David Story
                         Contact           Home         Mystery Link