Piano Trills and Bach
The piano trills in the Bach Invention No. 1 trip up Nancy M. Williams in this next installment of her piano practice notes. »
Piano theory, practice and technique
Best of 2014: History of Piano Keys, a Chopin Prelude, How to Memorize, and More
Our top 10 posts of 2014 for piano students of all ages: Bach Inventions, benefits of music lessons, how to memorize, understanding piano keys, and more. »
Piano Keys: Theory, History, and Secrets Unlocked
Learn the history of how our modern piano keys came to be, and what they represent, from sound frequencies and mathematical relationships to music theory. »
Where’s the Finish Line?
Practicing the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Sonata in G Major, an adult piano student wonders when she’ll be able to say she’s finished with the piece. »
Prelude in E Minor, a Poem
During a performance of the Chopin Prelude in E Minor, the feeling of fear brought poet Mary Jo Balistreri’s memory back to a childhood drowning incident. »
Practice Listening with Your Memory
Practice listening using your auditory memory, recreating melodies and harmonies in your mind, to enhance your piano playing, suggests Jay Alan Zimmerman. »
How to Memorize Piano Music, With Help from Music Theory
An adult piano student resolves to memorize Schumann’s “From Foreign Lands and People,” and uses music theory and her tactile sense to accomplish the feat. »
Best of 2013: Clair de Lune, First Performance, Steinway Factory Tour, and More
Our top 13 posts of 2013 for piano students of all ages: a beginner's first performance, interviews with concert pianists, essays on returning to the piano. »
Patience, Preparation, and a Pencil
With only one hour of piano practice a week, Joanna Eng wonders how she'll learn the Debussy Clair de Lune, but these three P's have her holding onto hope. »
Piano Performance Tips from Veteran Gregg Kallor
After playing on 88 different Sing for Hope pianos around New York City for his video, veteran pianist Gregg Kallor offers his piano performance tips here. »
Practice Listening with Your Eyes
Deaf composer Jay Alan Zimmerman sheds light on ways to practice listening to deepen your understanding of music and the piano, including using visual cues. »
Goodbye, Dear Yamaha
After hastily selling her Yamaha piano, Robin Sloane Seibert felt like she had lost a friend, even though the upright had a faulty action and wiggling keys. »
Back to Piano Practice
Committing to learn the Debussy Clair de Lune is an important step for this amateur who hasn't practiced regularly in a decade and doesn't even own a piano. »
My Teacher Made Me Practice… DURING My Lesson
Nancy M. Williams saw adult piano lessons as a time to show off her progress; humiliation set in when her teacher made her practice right in front of him. »
Practice Listening with Your Body
Next time you practice piano, practice listening to and feeling the sounds and vibrations using your entire body, suggests deaf composer Jay Alan Zimmerman. »
How to Break Bad Habits in Piano Practice
To break bad habits in piano practice, Charles Duhigg suggests first identifying the cue or trigger as well as the reward that your brain is really seeking. »
Top 5 on Piano Practice
An adult's piano practice with his daughter, mean teachers, and small upright pianos for cramped apartments are subjects of our recommended reads from June. »
My Left Hand
Bass clef and left hand notes don't come easily, but this amateur pianist finds that understanding chord progressions is the first step toward improvement. »
How I Learned to Count at 49
An adult flutist has a secret: she never knew how to count music. After skating by in middle school band, she now adds logic and technique to her playing. »
How to Create Good Habits for Piano Practice
To create good habits for piano practice, start with what Charles Duhigg calls keystone habits: mundane, everyday actions that trigger widespread change. »
