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Tips, free lessons, and inspiration

11 Ways to practice scales, chords, and arpeggios.

9/18/2022

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To freshen up your technique and reengage your attention, try the following articulation and dynamic patterns. Remember technique is how musicians learn to control their instrument, build their interpretations, and execute beautifully. 

1, Legato
2. Staccato
3. Legato in the right hand and staccato in the left.
4. Legato in the left hand and staccato in the right.
5. Crescendo to the middle and then diminuendo to the top. 
6. Play one octave in quarter notes, then two octaves in 8ths, then three octaves in triplets, finally four octaves in 16th notes.
7. In contrary motion. This can be challenging when playing broken chords or arpeggios.
8. Scales played in formula patterns
9. Use a metronome, vary the tempo.
10. Play with your eyes closed!
11. Play with emotion. Check out last week's blog with Hilary Hahn for ideas.

​
PDF download
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Today's Piano Challenge

8/10/2022

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Play your technique (scales, chords, and arpeggios) allegro and pianissimo or quickly and softly. The first challenge will be not to slow down or tense up. The second challenge will be to maintain an even tone. 

​If I can help you, please call me.
David.
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New piano warmup 2022

5/11/2022

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I'm always trying out new ideas with students to keep it fresh for us both. 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
Revised August 2022
new scale chord and arpeggio warmup 2022
File Size: 102 kb
File Type: pdf
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How to play fast scales on the piano, some overlooked facets for quick playing

5/9/2022

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How to play fast comes up in lessons frequently. Here are some ideas to get you started. 

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, 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. 
  4. If you are sitting too close to the piano, it is going to be difficult. Sit back so that your elbows are parallel with your stomach. Watch professionals on YouTube and notice the distance at which they sit. 

If I can help you, call me. 

​David
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Piano Humour

3/23/2022

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Teach yourself to play with a metronome even if it seems hopeless

3/2/2022

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Steps to success

Day One 

1. Dust off the metronome.
2. Set it at 60. Also known as 60 BPM (Beats per minute)
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 the imperative step 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 at 80 BPM.
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 at 80 BPM.
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. Stop for the day.

Day Four

1. You know what to do. 

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

​David
Revised August 2022
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To play fast you must practice fast

5/18/2021

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Tension is the enemy of speed.
At some point you will have to practice fast to play fast. Will it be pretty? No. But it will get better. 

Try this. After mastering the piece at a slow tempo, isolate a single phrase or section and start speeding it up, pausing between repetitions to catch your breath. 

I've demonstrated this in the video below. The faster I played the D major scale, the lighter my touch became because tension is the enemy of speed.

As Jamey Aebersold pleaded one day to his jazz campers. "Don't practice everything slow!"

​
​David
revised October 2022
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    You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.
    Charlie Parker

    Author

    I'm a professional pianist and music educator in West Toronto Ontario. I'm also a devoted percussionist and drum teacher. 

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  • Homepage
  • Tips, Ideas, Stories, Free Lessons
  • Adult Lessons
  • Jazz Workshop #Eleven March 5, 2023
  • Contact form, fees, calendar, policies
  • Philosophy
  • Testimonials
  • Children's Winter Concert 2023
  • My Story
  • Student awards and compositions
  • Classical downloads
  • Classical outline for beginners
  • Jazz downloads
  • Jazz outline for beginners
  • Video Library of Piano Techniques
  • Breakfast Piano Minute
  • Books, Apps, Websites, Music
  • Ear Training and Sight Singing Resources