Saturday, October 26, 2024 | Uncategorized

Did you do any improvisation with your piano teacher when you were first learning the piano? Perhaps not, but I am a big fan of this. There are many advantages to learning to improvise. The first could simply be to impress your friends with being able to sit down and play something without needing any music, or getting stuck when you can’t remember the ‘tricky bit’! Added advantages of improvisation also include a deep understanding of key signatures, scales and modes - this will help you with playing from notated music also composed in these keys. It also will mean that you understand harmonisation and chord progressions - when you are listening to pop music on the radio you’ll suddenly be able to hear the structure so much more clearly! Perhaps a grasp of improvisation will lead to a future of composition? It will certainly mean that you will understand music theory much more deeply.

Tweet

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 | Uncategorized

Have you ever thought about where to start when deciding how to practise your new instrument? Have you thought about what is the thing with number 1 importance? I think it’s getting a regular practice time settled in your routine. Once you have this you can think about how to use that time most effectively; but if you don’t have a regular routine you can’t start at all! Helping a child to build a routine is important as they may not be able to schedule this into their week without your help. There is reward too for all this effective practice. When you practise effectively, you will see an improvement in your own playing - the better you become at your instrument, the more you enjoy practising it, and the more you will practise. 

Tweet

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | Uncategorized

I sing in piano lessons all the time. It has so many advantages, and it helps my students with their piano playing - but how does singing help with the piano? Think about singing a song with some fun or meaningful words - there’s a rhythm contained in the words, and it can help to sing those to yourself to memorise a tricky rhythm in your piece of music. When I sing along with my students they feel much more confident in their playing - that’s because they are getting feedback that they are playing the correct notes! If they hear that I am singing a different note, or a different rhythm, they will realise and self-correct in a relaxed way, with no need for me to say anything. 

It’s wonderful when my students sing along with me as they play - and quite a few do when their music has words. It gives an instant connection - like when you play a duet, accompany someone else, or play in a band. Students singing helps with their general musicianship, including when singing in exam aural tests. Of course, if my students don’t like to sing, whistling or humming is just as fun and useful.

Tweet