Today I want to share a great piano practice trick that I like to use when learning a piece with a lot of fast notes.
First I must mention the importance of choosing a good fingering, and playing the section with the SAME FINGERING EACH TIME. As we learn a piece of music we should be using several different learning modes to really engage with the piece and learn it well (this is especially true when memorizing a piece of music). The easiest type of learning is through muscle memory – when you play a passage enough times in a row, your fingers just sort of automatically learn where to go next. This can be really helpful, but it’s important to remember to not ONLY rely on this type of learning. When you use the same fingering every time, it allows your fingers to learn the passage more quickly and more accurately.
I like to write in my fingerings, especially on tricky sections – it ensures I use the same fingers every time and helps me to engage and learn the section using some analytical thinking, or the “read and write” learning mode.
But I like to go one step further. On especially thorny passages I will take a colored pencil or highlighter and highlight every single note that will be played by my thumb. This adds a really helpful visual cue to my learning and helps me to nail those fingerings. If I can get my thumb landing on the correct notes each time, everything else seems to fall into place. The thumb is the pivot point on your hand as you play scales and arpeggios, and so landing your thumb at the right time makes a world of difference as you navigate a tricky passage.
Here is a section of Beethoven’s Waldstein sonata in which I have highlighted all of the thumb notes. Once I did this, this passage went SO much smoother!
I encourage you to try this practice technique with your piano students and with your own practicing. I also encourage you to find ways to use several different modes of learning and several different practice tricks on the same passages in your music. Using kinesthetic (muscle memory), aural, visual and analytical memory (not just muscle memory alone) will really help you engage with the music and learn your pieces faster.
I recently read an excellent NPR article about introducing children to classical music. I have observed many of the same things as the author of the article – that young children love classical music! To them it is fun and exciting, not boring and stuffy like many people believe. When my oldest daughter was two years old her favorite song to listen to was the finale to Stravinsky’s Firebird. She used to wave her arms in the air to “conduct” it as we listened to it over and over and over in the car. Some other family favorites have been Hans Christian Lumbye’s Copenhagen Steam Railway Galop and Smetana’s Moldau.
As we guide our piano students in their musical education and their music appreciation journey, let us unabashedly introduce them to great classical music. Let us show them how wonderful and exciting it is, and show them how much joy it gives us in our lives, knowing that they are as capable as any adult in appreciating it.
“The music belongs to children just as much as it belongs to “us” — the ones with the years of listening experience, who have already absorbed current conventions of concert-going practice (don’t applaud between movements, obey the dress code, etc.), and who might well have had years of formal training. Classical music isn’t a museum piece to be looked at and not touched, as it were.”
I love learning about composers and discovering new music – whether it’s actually new or just new to me. As a pianist and musician I don’t think there is anything more motivating and inspiring than listening to great music. In college I had a piano literature professor who assigned us a huge semester-long listening project in which I spent hours listening to piano literature, writing about it and compiling huge binders full of my listening responses. This really sparked an interest in me in listening and in discovering new pieces and new composers, and I have enjoyed doing so ever since.
Often I will find a great piano piece in my listening that just drives me to find the sheet music and sit down and play the piece. As I have seen this motivation in my own playing, I see it in my piano students as well. When we discover a piece on our own that we love, we are much more motivated to practice it. There is more joy, more intrinsic motivation that propels us to learn a piece. This is why I am so passionate about encouraging piano teachers to implement listening into their students’ piano curriculum. There is nothing more motivating! If we have no appreciation for music, no love of listening and discovering pieces, where is our motivation to practice?
I want to start sharing little discoveries from my own listening in the hopes that I can help inspire others to explore the vast and amazing world of classical music. Most of these I find browsing through Apple Music (isn’t music streaming the best??). Other times I will read about a composer I am unfamiliar with and go searching out their music.
Today I want to share two works by two seemingly unrelated composers – living Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and American composer Amy Beach.
Arvo Pärt’s Summa for Strings
I have been listening to a lot of Arvo Pärt’s music lately – his music has such an ethereal, calming quality to it. Composed in 1977, his Summa (originally written as an a cappella vocal work based on the Latin Credo, then later scored for other instruments such as this version for strings) was composed using a compositional style that Pärt created called tintinnabulation. Inspired by chant music from the Medieval period, tintinnabuli is characterized by music in two voices where one voice moves in a stepwise motion and the other voice plays inversions of the tonic chord, creating a bell-like sound made up of a sonorous mass of overtones.
Pärt describedtintinnabuli in this way:
Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into when I am searching for answers – in my life, my music, my work. In my dark hours, I have the certain feeling that everything outside this one thing has no meaning. The complex and many-faceted only confuses me, and I must search for unity. What is it, this one thing, and how do I find my way to it? Traces of this perfect thing appear in many guises – and everything that is unimportant falls away. Tintinnabulation is like this. . . . The three notes of a triad are like bells. And that is why I call it tintinnabulation.
Amy Beach’s Quartet for Strings in One Movement, Op. 89
As I listened to Summa I couldn’t help but hear so many similarities to this Amy Beach string quartet. Beach was an incredibly gifted pianist and composer who really paved the way for women in America to be taken seriously as composers. Beach completed her Quartet for Strings in One Movement in 1929. This highly chromatic work is lyrical and haunting and has so many gorgeous moments, and even hints of impressionism. Beach was also inspired by folk tunes of Native Americans, Alaskan Inuits and other native cultures; some of this quartet was based off of Alaskan Inuit melodies.
Take a listen to this gorgeous quartet – and notice around the two-minute mark how similar it is to Arvo Pärt’s Summa – such similar harmonies and intervals!
This piece by Amy Beach is featured in my Shades of Sound: Women Composers coloring book! Learn more about her life, then listen to several of her works while coloring a picture to go with each. The book also features 18 other women composers from throughout history.
Today I have a new resource available for purchase in the Shop – the Sight Reading Tricks Pack! The Sight Reading Tricks Pack teaches fifteen important sight reading strategies to help our students turn into super sight readers.
This companion resource to the Practice Tricks Pack and the Memory Tricks Pack builds on a foundation of effective practice strategies to help your students become even better pianists and musically-literate sight readers. It is useful in private lessons as well as group classes or lessons. It includes 10 different printable resources, including activities, flashcards, worksheets, trackers, full-color collectible Sight Reading Tricks cards (they fit in trading card sleeves) and more! These colorful and fun printables encourage continued use of these strategies at home, and include all of the necessary explanations to help parents assist as well.
Did you know that that piano nocturne originated in Ireland?
Although many composers have written piano nocturnes, which are beautiful single-movement character pieces that paint a musical picture of nighttime, the piano nocturne is often said to have been invented by an Irish composer!
With St. Patrick’s Day coming up soon, it is a great time to teach your piano students about nocturnes! Here are three activities you can use to teach them. They are all included in my Irish Piano Pack!
Piano Nocturnes Listening Assignment
This listening assignment teaches students about piano nocturnes. They will listen to ten different nocturnes by composers such as John Field, Frederic Chopin, Gabriel Faure, Erik Satie and more! As they listen they write down words to describe the piece and what they like about it, and they can rate it from 1 to 5 stars.
Draw a Nocturne
As students listen to one of the nocturnes from the listening assignment (or another of their choice), they draw a picture of what the piece sounds like to them! It’s always fun to include art and hands-on activities with listening assignments. It makes it more engaging and memorable and it uses more than one mode of learning.
Compose a Nocturne
In this composition activity, students learn about the typical characteristics of a piano nocturne, and then they get the chance to compose a short nocturne of their own! This is a great way to learn about nocturnes by actually writing one! I like this activity because it combines music history with creativity.
Today I want to share one of my favorite resources from the Irish Piano Pack. I designed the Rainbow Flashcards as an alternative to traditional flashcards. The most important thing in sight reading is not NAMING the note, it is playing it at the right time. The Rainbow Flashcards are an excellent way to train super sight readers! Here’s how they work:
Each rainbow has two notes on it – a lower note on the left and a higher note on the right. Students play and name the first note, then float the wrist up toward the second note. The goal is to land DIRECTLY on the second note without “fishing around” for the correct note. This trains the student to not only find the correct note more quickly, but to aim and land on the note on the first try, all while using a nice flexible floating wrist.
There are so many variations you could do with this activity. You can play the notes right to left. You can repeat each card several times with the metronome on. You can line several cards up in a row on the piano and play them with a steady beat along with the metronome.
I love this resource because I think it is SO important to train super sight readers. Teaching our students how to sight read well will boost their confidence and open up so many doors to them. The ability to sit down and play anything will increase their confidence and their love of music, and their ability to make music throughout their life.
It is always fun to do holiday-themed activities with piano students! With St. Patrick’s Day coming up I wanted to share 4 Irish-themed rhythm activities to use with your piano students this month. They can be used in individual lessons or they also make fun group activities! These are all included in my Irish Piano Pack, available as a digital download in the shop.
Counting Clovers
In this activity, students listen to 8 classical piano pieces and determine if there are 3 or 4 beats per measure. They then color in the 3-leaf clover or the 4-leaf clover.
The Lilt O’ the Shamrock
This activity is the same as Counting Clovers except you play traditional Irish songs! Students listen and try to determine if there are 3 or 4 beats per measure. This is such a helpful activity to improve students’ sense of rhythm and to develop their musical ears.
Shamrock Measures
Here is a great activity for your intermediate to advanced students. Shamrock measures is great practice for clapping and counting tricky rhythms. Students clap and count the rhythms and decide if there are 3 or 4 beats per measure, and then circle the corresponding 3- or 4-leaf clover. Rhythms include sixteenth notes and triplets.
Clap and Count Clovers
Here is a great rhythm clapping activity for individual students or groups! Print and cut out the clover flashcards. Students draw a card, then starting to the left of the stem they clap and count the rhythm, going clockwise round the clover. (The dark green clovers have 3 beats and the light green have 4 beats.) The student can repeat the clover rhythm several times until they get it down.
For an extra challenge, shuffle the cards (3-leaf clovers and 4-leaf clovers in separate stacks!) and then place several in a row on the piano to create several measures of a rhythm for your student to clap and count. Turn on the metronome for an extra challenge.
Students may also choose a note or a five-finger position on the piano and play some notes to the rhythm while counting aloud.
In a group setting, have students sit in a row or in a circle and hand out a card to each. Turn on the metronome to keep everyone on the same tempo and see if each student can clap and count their measure on their turn without missing a beat!
My Dad has been going through old photos these past few weeks, and yesterday he happened upon this photo of me and my piano teacher, Bonnie Winterton. This was taken in front of her house in 1997 after my first piano recital with Bonnie.
My first gut reaction was to cringe a little bit – this was when I was slowly emerging from my “awkward years” – I had just gotten contacts and still had braces on my teeth. I kind of wonder what the heck I am wearing and what is happening with my bangs! But then I look at it again and what I love most about this picture is seeing my teacher with her arm around me, a giant smile on her face. I can tell that she was proud of me.
It reminded me of something she said to me several years ago. I called her up during my senior year in college to interview her for a paper I was writing. I asked her lots of questions about teaching. I asked her about her teaching goals and what she loves about teaching. Here is what she said (this is SO Bonnie – I can hear her in my head saying this with emphasis):
What I love the most [about teaching] is what happens with students. Let’s take you for example. You came into my house with braces on your teeth, a little junior high girl, and in six years you changed from a little kid [to] a vibrant, stable, gifted, happy person with goals of your own! We got you started teaching!
I was encouraged when I was fifteen to start teaching, that is what I like to do with my students. I encourage them to start teaching, get a student or two. I teach them a lesson on “How to teach the first piano lesson” – and then you realize you really can do it!
[My goal in teaching is] to take the little girls with braces and turn them into what you are – a wonderful, happy, capable person who can handle the world!! You are confident, happy, you have courage and character – you gained all of these because of your music. Music develops character and strength! You are a self-reliant, happy person! You are those things largely because of your music. Music turns people into wonderful, happy, confident, capable people! I always say “You can walk out of my door, but you can’t walk out of my heart!” I want to know everything that happens in your life, I love you!!! That is the great gift and influence of music.
-Bonnie Winterton
So, I love this photo. To me it represents how far I have come, how much music has changed me, how much my piano teacher means to me and has influenced me in my life. We have such influence as piano teachers! Let us always remember how important our job is, not just in producing pianists but in nurturing people.
Based on my blog post originally published on July 19, 2010. For my 10-year blogiversary I am re-sharing 10 favorite blog posts!
The ways you can teach new repertoire to students are as varied as the vast amount of piano repertoire available. But, I would like to share some general ideas and suggestions, using a simple acronym to ensure a piece is learned well right from the get-go: FERN. FERN stands for four areas of a piece that must be addressed and learned as you learn it: Fingering, Expression, Rhythm and Notes. I will use four different pieces to illustrate ways to teach a new piece using FERN. Ready, go…
Pick pieces that your students love. If they don’t like their pieces, they won’t practice. Period. Divide the piece into smaller sections (have your student help you – a great way to teach form!). Teach good practice habits – practicing a short section many times is so much better than playing through the entire piece once. You may want to have them practice until they get certain assignments done, instead of for a set amount of time – they may learn repertoire faster (and better) that way. Hands alone practice! Helpful in learning notes, rhythm, and fingering really well – one hand at a time. Slow practice = your friend. I like to pick a good metronome speed for my students – just make sure it is not too fast, that it is a speed at which they can play the section comfortably. You can always speed it up later. Help your student find patterns in the piece. Help them analyze what is going on. They will learn it so much better and more easily when they recognize melodic patterns, chords, etc. FERN – make sure they learn the four important elements of the piece. Give them specific practicing instructions to help them learn these elements. For example:
F (Fingering)
In Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 72 No. 1, help your student find a good fingering for the left hand right from the beginning. Have them write it in and use the same fingering each and every time. Encourage lots of hands alone practice in small sections (for example, one line at a time) in order to learn the notes and make the correct fingering a habit.
E (Expression)
In the Minuet from Bach’s Anna Magdalena Notebook, teach your student to produce a lovely, graceful sound as they are learning the notes of this piece. Help them decide where the phrases should be (if not already written in the score) and make sure they learn to play them legato with a relaxed lift of the wrist at the end of each phrase. If you wait to add in these important details after the notes, rhythm and fingering are learned, the student will have already formed habits of playing it with the wrong expression.
R (Rhythm)
In Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu, the four-against-three rhythm usually poses a problem. Once the student has the right hand and left hand learned separately and is ready to put them together, spend some time on the tricky rhythm. I find it helpful to have them beat out a four-against-three rhythm on their lap, with their left hand beating three and their right beating four. It should go like this (try it!): together, right, left, right, left, right, together, right, left, right, left, right, together, etc. Or, you can use this amazingly helpful sentence, taught to me by one of my dear teachers, which somehow magically solves the rhythm problem and helps you to play it perfectly: “My mother had a duck.” Seriously, try it. On “My” you will be playing the right and left hand together. On “mother had a duck” you will play the right and left hands alternating, beginning with the right hand. It will seem a little rigid as you learn it, but once you get it down (with lots of slow practice, my friend!) you can easily smooth it out and even out both hands. To this day, I cannot play Fantasie Impromptu without saying (in my head….usually…) “My mother had a duck, my mother had a duck, my mother had a duck, my mother had a duck……”
And, last but not least:
N (Notes)
Hopefully your intermediate and above students will all know the notes on the staff very well, and won’t need to say them aloud (as is very helpful for beginners). However, there are still some things you can do to help your student learn the notes quickly and efficiently. One such way is to have them look for patterns – in the melody, in the chords, whatever. When there is some kind of pattern to latch onto, note-learning is much easier.When teaching Bach’s Prelude No. 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier, I always point out that each measure is basically made up of one chord. One chord, that’s it! And usually only a note or two changes from measure to measure. I actually like to have my students learn the notes of this piece by playing each measure as a block chord – so instead of playing the broken chord pattern all you are doing is playing a C chord, holding it for four counts. I have my students look ahead to the next measure to see which notes change, and then play the next chord. I find that this can be so helpful in learning the notes and getting your hand to be in the right position to play the entire measure. It eliminates any pauses and searching around for notes. And it is super easy to add in the real rhythm once all of the notes are learned.
The End. I hope some of these suggestions were helpful, or got you thinking about ways to teach other pieces! p.s. Please share any great insights into teaching FERN – I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
Based on my blog post originally published on June 29, 2010. For my 10-year blogiversary I am re-sharing 10 favorite blog posts!
I believe that sight reading is one of the most important skills we can teach our piano students. Sight reading ability is a great indicator of the student’s overall understanding of music and music theory. If a student is a good sight reader, chances are they are pretty musically-literate overall! In fact, sight reading is a big part of my own teaching philosophy. One of my three main objectives in my teaching is to help my students become musically-literate sight readers.
Being able to sight read well is of the utmost importance if one wants to be a proficient pianist. Students should learn all of the necessary concepts and skills to become good sight readers and well-rounded musicians. So why is sight reading so important? Here is a list I came up with:
Good sight readers are able to accompany somebody or make music in a group at the drop of a hat
Good sight readers are very good at recognizing and naming notes quickly, and/or great at intervallic reading.
Good sight readers can probably learn new repertoire relatively quickly.
Good sight readers are good at looking ahead while playing.
Good sight readers can become familiar with a lot more repertoire without necessarily needing to study it in-depth.
Good sight readers are well-rounded musicians!
It is one thing if our students can study a piece for weeks, months or years and then play it amazingly well (and this is definitely good!). But if they cannot sit down and play a new piece of music placed in front of them, are they truly good, well-rounded musicians?
I believe it is also important to recognize the fact that for some students, sight reading will come pretty naturally. For others it will be more challenging. Our challenge is to find ways to help each student become a better sight reader. Understanding the skills needed to sight read well will help us find different ways to reach each student!
Skills needed to sight read well:
Understanding of steps and skips, directional and intervallic reading.
Ability to keep a steady beat.
Good counting and rhythm skills.
Ability to look ahead while playing.
A good musical ear to listen and determine what went right or wrong.
Perseverance and grit to KEEP GOING!
There are so many varied ways to teach each of these skills. With some creativity and encouragement, we can help each student to become a better sight reader! One of the most important tips for becoming a good sight reader is to SIGHT READ EVERY DAY. When our students sight read even a line or two of music each day, they will quickly become better and better and more confident at sight reading.
