This will help you learn the diatonic chords of E major. Watch the crossover with the left hand and the change of clef in measure 11. The fingering is 531 in the LH and 135 in the RH. 

Short answer is no. The first exception is writing the note name over a particular note you have incorrectly played numerous times. I can't think of other exceptions. 

What to do?

1. Practice naming the notes aloud before you play and then as you play.
2. Play super slow.
3. Practice in small chunks.
4. Study musical rudiments, also known as music theory.
5. Practice sight reading using the Four-star sightreading books from RCM.
6. Learn to clap rhythm and count aloud.

That should do it.

David

I'm always trying innovative ideas with students to keep it fresh. This warm-up assumes you know the correct fingerings for each position. (The right scale at the 10th starts with 31234 etc. The broken chords and arpeggios in the right start with finger 1.) This exercise should be transposed into a different key at each practice session. Tempo markings are only suggestions.

If I can help you, call me. 

David

Playing the piano is much easier when the scales and chords have become automatic in our hands. Below is the fingering chart for all 3 note chords like C major and G minor. I've cropped this image from a student's notes.

If I can help you, call me.

David

How to play fast comes up in lessons frequently. Let's get the basics out of the way first. 

1. Correct fingering is necessary.
2. Slow repetitions with a metronome keeps our tempi honest.
3. Lots of repetitions builds endurance and so-called muscle memory in the hands. 

Now some often-overlooked facets of quick playing. 

1. The quicker the scale, the softer I play. Try it. I play lightly on my fingertips. I angle my wrists to the right when ascending and to the left when descending. The idea is to keep the tip of the playing finger in line with the elbow through the wrist. 
2. Check your breathing. Rapid shallow breathing tenses the body. I breathe deeply and slowly to keep my body relaxed. 
3. When playing 4 octave scales I start on your left sitz bone and stay in front of your hands as you ascend. You will end up on your right sitz bone at the top. 

If I can help you, call me. 

​David

Some days and some weeks are going to be difficult. Here are some suggestions that immediately come to mind you might consider to dampen down the practice room blues. These comments are aimed at beginners. 

1. Start on a high note by playing pieces you know.
2. Next play your scales 5X each.
3. Review your chords.
4. Mess around on your DAW.
5. Work on 4 measures of your new piece. Clap the rhythm while counting aloud, then play hands separately, then hands together. Record yourself, listen back. Repeat as needed. Stick with it until that short section is completed and secure. Remember start slowly.
6. Finish with a favorite piece. 

If I can help you, call me. 

David

One of my adult students was asking tonight for some help planning his practice time. He is preparing for his Grade 8 piano exam. He is an engineer, a spreadsheet kind of guy. I'm sympathetic. Here is what we discussed. 
 
Warmup with sight reading. Use a metronome! Get into the zone.
 
Now start practicing
 
Technique with a 2-minute timer. Switch activities every 2 minutes = 15 minutes

• 1 scale
• 1 tonic chord played solid and broken
• V7 chord solid and broken
• I and V7 arpeggio

Practice one short section to perfection =15 minutes

Theory =10 minutes

Ear Training = 10 minutes

Review completed piece or pieces 10 minutes 

BOOM! one hour of accomplishment

This may work for you. 
​
David

​Practice Tip: The power of exploration

Students who practice, diligently practice the “notes,” struggle with rhythm and continuity trying to get it “right.” This is all important. But I’d like to add a new idea.

Experimentation.
​
A short story in which I’m the hero. I’m learning to play the jazz xylophone. I started at Christmas; I practice every day. I’ve got a 100-year-old textbook, a stack of tunes I want to learn, video recorder and oodles of desire. Here is the process I usually follow.

1. I have all my materials ready at hand.
2. I decide on the goal of today’s practice. The goal is rarely more than a single minute of music. In other words, I don’t try to practice everything.
3. I start the video recorder.
4. I start slow and work out the stickings.
5. I experiment with the stickings, dynamics, phrasing, licks, rolls etc.
6. I slowly speed up the repetitions.
7. I try out another set of approaches.
8. I occasionally bang the sticks in frustration.
9. I keep at it until I’ve got something I’m proud to post online.
10. I’m done for the day.

The video below is an unedited version. Notice it took just a brief period of time to accomplish something because I didn’t try to do everything at once.
 
David

​Another day, another diverse set of pieces. Someone stated that an average piano teacher teaches 600+ titles a year. I believe it. 
​

1. Big My Secret from "The Piano" by Nyman. This was a dark moody start on a grey day. 
2. Glasgow Love theme by Armstrong
3. Sonata in G K283 by Mozart
4. October by Tchaikovsky
5. Sonata in A Major K 209 by Scarlatti 
6. Decadent Sentimental Song by Manzano

​Up next: Music rehearsal with my friends, the pianist Jim Finlayson and bassist Rory Slater. I'll be drumming. We've been meeting every 2 weeks for years. It is always a highlight of my week playing tunes from the "Great American Songbook". Lots of Porter, Corea, Hancock, and Ellington.

​Back to class

      7. Prelude in Db by Glière 
      8. Fantasia in D minor K397 by Mozart
      9. Pumpkin boogie by Faber
      10. Sonatina in C by Faber
       11. Drum rudimental warmups
       12. Never Going To Give You Up by Rick Ashley
       13. Theory class RCM 8 and Band Lab DAW

Now to the drummers

      14. Video game music
      15. 3/4 Scottish snare drum solo
      16. Free Fallin' by Tom Petty
      17. Rollin' in the deep by Adele
      18. Superstition by Stevie Wonder

Another day of teaching piano and drum set comes to an end. Here is today’s student repertoire.
​
Marching by Kabalevsky
Skating Waltz by Berlin
Love Me Tender by Elvis
Claire de Lune by Debussy
Les Baricades Misterieuses by Couperin
Chitlin’s Con Carne by Burrell
Etudes by Scriabin
Prelude and Fugue in Bb by Bach
Clementi Etude in E by Clementi
Serenade by Haberbier
Cancion by Mompou
Cottontail by Ellington
Kamado Tanjiro no Uta by Shiina and Ufotable
Watermelon Man by Hancock
Haunted mouse by Faber and Faber
Forest Drums by Faber and Faber
Dinah by Fats Waller
Never Going to Give you up by Ashley
Street of Dreams by Ella
Scottish ¾ March
It’s Only A Paper Moon by Nat King Cole
Meditation by Jobim
Night train by Forrest
Time for a beer. 
. 

​Summertime in 5 Keys

Playing in different keys is an invaluable skill. Try playing just the melody in the following keys with the recordings. Modify your note and rhythm choices to fit in the best you can. 

1. D minor: Preservation Hall Jazz Band https://youtu.be/6KJ7ZKXRNGk
2. B minor: Ella and Louis https://youtu.be/LDF4_qVgbFU
3. Bb minor: Nora Jones https://youtu.be/xJOtaWyEzaI and Billy Holiday https://youtu.be/uYUqbnk7tCY
4. A minor: Student key
5. Eb minor: Learning key, as notes but one on the black keys.

 
The assignment is to play and mimic the melody with the recordings. You will learn jazz rhythm, jazz articulations and phrasing. And how to manipulate a melody.

Have fun. 

​David

​Level 1: Fun is guaranteed. Just show up and play. Playing in a community concert band or playing at the family Christmas party would be in this camp. On the lesson front, level 1, is leisurely and steady. Ten thousand hours spread over decades. 

Level 2: You are going to perspire. Lessons are intense. You audition to play in community groups. You may be preparing for an exam. Standards are assessed and maybe enforced. Lessons need an hour a day or more of preparation. Think of it as a marathon level of commitment. 

Level 3 is going to hurt, tears will be shed. But you are all in. Your daily focus is piano. You dream of Carnegie Hall. You have multiple lines of attack. You put yourself out there. You are preparing to be an Olympian. Many dream, few make it. But this doesn't deter you. Large amount of time and money will be spent. 

Weekend athletic parallels
1. Weekend running group
2. Marathon preparation
3. You might die.

Let me know where you stand. 

David

In the summer 2001 I spent the summer in Santa Pola, Alicante overlooking the Mediterranean. I fondly remember the sun, heat, paella, wine, the flowers, and the nightly walk amongst the townsfolks. And the moon, I remember the moon. Every night after dark I’d watch the little fishing boats leaving the harbour. The sea was always calm. The lights of the boats bobbed into the night while the moon rose through its phases. I experienced two full moon cycles that summer. Wow !

I had had big plans to drag my piano from Toronto. The piano, in the large box I had built for its flight was promptly returned from the airport when the airline won’t let me check it as baggage. Something about being oversized and overweight. Luck would have it; I had a relative in Elche, Alicante with an unused Casio keyboard of sixty-five keys, one pedal, and a stand. Not exactly an eighty-eight key Steinway, but oh did we make music on that thing. Playing jazz on sixty-five keys was discouraging; so off I went to Alicante on a hot sunny day in search of a music store. Bach WTC 1 and a book of easy Chopin returned with me.

Every siesta that summer I played and played and played. I fell in love. Apparently so did my new neighbors who heard me practicing, but that’s another story.

Back in Canada I started asking about for a “Classical” piano teacher. Our first meeting didn’t go well. I banged through scales, thumped out some Bach. Leon was so kind. He said, “you are of course going to do your ARCT?” “I am?” So begun a four-year, 5000-hour odyssey. It changed my life.

Maybe such a journey would change yours. If so, call me.

David

Preparing to succeed is the first step. Here are some things you can do to prepare.

​1. Understanding how to use Zoom. Setting up the camera so that I can see your hands and you can see me as well. Most students set up the laptop on a table to the left side of the piano.
2. You need to create a realistic schedule for practicing. This may take longer than you realise. But with realistic thinking it is possible.
3. Organize and dedicate a practice space for productive work.
4. Fully understand the costs involved.
5. Tell all your significant others of your plans so that they can support you.
6. You will need to lean on your strengths when the going gets tough and life gets in the way. I'm a learner too, you can ask me how I organize my learning.
 
Here's to learning.
 
David

Day One 

1. Dust of the metronome.
2. Set it at 60. Also known as 60 BPM
3. Practice counting aloud to the metronome: 1-2-3-4, one number per click.
4. Continue counting aloud and clap measures 1 to 9.
5. Continue counting aloud and play the right-hand notes measures 1 to 9. Counting aloud is imperative for success. 
6. Add the left hand and repeat measures 1 to 9.
7. Move the metronome to 70 BPM and repeat the passage.
8. Call it a day.

Day Two

1. Repeat yesterday's steps with the whole notes
2. Reset the metronome to 60. 
3. Practice counting aloud to the metronome: 1-2-3-4 one number per click.
4. Continue counting aloud and clap measures 10 to 14.
5. Continue counting aloud and play the right-hand notes measures 10 to 14. Counting aloud is imperative for success. 
6. Add the left hand and repeat measures 10 to 14.
7. Move the metronome to 70 BPM and repeat the passage.
8. Call it a day.

Day Three

1. Repeat yesterday's steps with the half notes
2. Reset the metronome to 60. 
3. Practice counting aloud to the metronome: 1-2-3-4 one number per click.
4. Continue counting aloud and clap measures 15 through 18.
5. Continue counting aloud and play the right-hand notes measures 15 through 18. Counting aloud is imperative for success. 
6. Add the left hand and repeat measures 15 through 18.
7. Move the metronome to 70 BPM and repeat the passage.
8. Call it a day.

Day Four

1. You know what to do. 

If I can help you learn to count aloud while playing, call me.

​David

​Why use a metronome?

1. Learning to play to an external beat will pay dividends when you begin to play with others.
2. You will learn where and when you are rushing. Especially if you record yourself doing it.
3. Your sense of time will improve. Time is the flow in music. The metronome will help teach you not to rush or drag.

How to use the metronome.

1. Count aloud
2. Start slow
3. Record yourself and evaluate
4. Play one note per click, then 2 notes, then 3, and finally 4 notes. Keep counting aloud. No silent counting.
5. If you are having trouble, clap rhythm patterns from your pieces while counting aloud. Do this slowly.
6. If you can’t count aloud and play, ask your teacher for help. They will be thrilled you asked.

 
If I can help you learn to count, call me.
 
David

1. Listen everyday to the professional recordings supplied with your books. As the Bugs Bunny Theme song “This is it” says, “We know every part by heart.”
2. Record yourself playing. Video is best. Play, watch, make notes on what needs work, repeat the process. Evaluate your playing. No mindless repeating. No grinding: grinding just creates a pile of dust.
3. Play your technique with a metronome. Use a comfortable tempo. Make a note of the tempo played by date. Increase the tempo incrementally.
4. Memorise the music and technique at your earliest convenience. Theatrical rehearsals get serious when the actors are “off the book.” 
5. Spend one-third of your time on theory, ear training, and sight reading. The pillars of understanding and long-term accomplishment.

If I can help you, call me.
 
David 

​Helping kids to practice piano 5 Tips:

1. Take them to piano concerts. Be enthusiastic. Normalise the experience. If the child is learning Classical music expose them to Classical music. Same thing if they are learning Jazz. Play piano music at home and in the car. In short, expose them to music at an early age. Enthusiasm is contagious. Short story: I started playing music at age 13. But, in my home I've many memories of my mother playing classical piano and playing New Orleans music, Harry Belafonte, and Frank Sinatra on the record player. Years later I'm a professional pianist playing guess what? You guessed it.  Between those two experiences I earned a degree in Jazz Composition and an ARCT in Classical piano pedagogy. Alea iacta est.
2. Supervise their daily practice.
3. Help them organise their practice space. Everything in its place and ready to go. Many kids won't go looking for missing books and music. 
4. Work with and support the teacher. Let the teacher know about the child's musical interests. 
5. Have them participate in exams, assessments, recitals, and festivals. Meeting other kids creates a community, community creates buy in. And new friends with common interests. Bonus: The child will hear pieces played by other kids and will start requesting pieces at their lessons. Now the buy-in is complete. 

If I can help you and your kids, call me.

​David

Janice Legere, a long-time student, played her scales like this today. I approve. 

​David

Learning to love how we sound.

In the 1921 teaching manual “Principles of Pianoforte Practice” by James Friskin, he asserts that most students “simply do not hear all the sounds they produce”. I concur. Friskin would be amazed, I’m sure, at the technological tools available to students today, namely YouTube and phones. YouTube for inspiration, artist impression, and guidance. The phone for recording and evaluating their progress.
It would be interesting to discuss together what students continue to miss when they grind instead of plan. How they often bore themselves silly with endless repetitions, hoping for a musical miracle instead of exploring the range of interpretations on their pieces.

First level: Before practicing, listen to a professional performance. Then record yourself playing and listen back. How did it go? Jot down notes and annotate the tricky bits, like fingerings, into your score.

Second level: Before practicing, listen to a professional performance. Mark your score with notes on what you heard: Tempo changes, phrasing, articulations. All and everything you hear. Now, with the recorder going, play from your notes. Listen and analyse the results. Repeat.

Third level: Repeat level two working from a different performance/musician. Compare the different interpretations.
Sometime students don’t realize that the notation tells you what to play, but not how it goes. “How it goes” comes from experience listening to and witnessing great performances. “How it goes” also develops from our study of music history, harmony, and rudiments.

Now the hard part, learning to love how we sound. It takes a certain amount of fortitude to listen to ourselves. Especially in early music study. It can be discouraging. But push on in faith. You will be the first to hear improvement and progress in your playing. Over time you will accumulate hundreds, even thousands of practice recordings. (In 12 years of playing drums I’ve 248 Gigs of mp3 recordings) It’s fun and gratifying to hear how one sounded a decade earlier, or even last year.

If I can help you learn to practice effectively, call me.
​
David

I can help you avoid this problem. 

David
​#pianohumour

1. "Scales offer us a chance to practice playing beautifully" Donald Himes We can vary the tempos, articulations, and dynamics to train our ears and hands to respond to our artistic commands.
2. Scales teach us the pathways through different key centres. Not everything is only on the white keys!
3. Scales when practiced with a metronome improve our ear's ability to play in time. 

If I can help you with your scales, call me. 

David