The art of piano playing: The 7 circles to Mastery

The 7 circles to mastery. The following is taken from the YouTube video below. I am riffing on the ideas.

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 an overlooked component in learning. Traditionally Classical piano students avoided this until a week or two before an exam. Not a great idea. It takes time to develop your ears. Well developed ears are of the greatest benefit because I believe we can only play what we 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. Musical instincts are a result of the prior musical experiences of a student among other things.

Expression: Expression marks in a score are not suggestions for the novice. Be sure to work on them from the first reading. Do not 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. 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. 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.

​Please watch the video below. A wealth of knowledge. 
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Cheers,
 
David