Develop a Seeing Hand at the Piano
Train yourself to sight-read fluently, without looking down at your hands or the keyboard, using these examples from piano repertoire at different levels. »
Piano technique
Tendonitis Courtesy of Mozart…Not Tennis
When an adult piano student gets tendonitis from practicing Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca, her injury leads to a lesson in piano technique: using the whole arm. »
Breaking the Rules in Adult Music Lessons
A flutist learns some fingering shortcuts from her teacher that make it easier to play certain notes, and finds out that other rules of music can be broken. »
The Willy Wonka of Classical Music
Stephen Malinowski’s colorful visual representations of the notes in works of classical music help deepen our understanding of Bach’s radiant complexities. »
The Gift of Arranging
Although she didn’t have typical classical piano lessons, Gail Fischler learned chords. She went on to arrange music, including a book of Christmas carols. »
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. »
Falling in Love with Bach
While on vacation, Robin Sloane Seibert stays inside the beach house to tackle the challenges of Bach's Prelude in E Major, and ends up finding summer love. »
Bottoms-Up with Sight-Reading
Sight-reading classical piano music isn't easy, but one adult piano student offers tips for improving your skills, such as reading the bass line first. »
A Score Without the Piano in Adult Lessons
The piano score can be useful while you're not even at the piano bench. Reading the sheet music like a book leads to greater comprehension of a piece. »
No Pedal Please: A New Approach in Adult Piano Lessons
When Nancy M. Williams realized she was overusing the damper pedal to mask other weaknesses in her piano playing, she decided to practice without it. »
The Case of the Extended Pinky
In adult piano lessons, Nancy M. Williams realizes her pinky finger sticking out signals weakness. Scales help her strengthen muscles and improve technique. »
Adult Piano Lessons: Practicing Trills with a Metronome (2 of 2)
In the second part of an article about how to practice trills with a metronome, this adult piano student finds out the steps to improving her technique. »
Adult Piano Lessons: Practicing Trills with a Metronome (1 of 2)
A student of adult piano lessons considers whether or not to use a metronome to improve her technique in playing trills, in this first part of the article. »
I Finally Admit I’m Powerless with Trills
A student of adult piano lessons was ashamed to admit she didn't know how to properly execute the trills in a Chopin nocturne, but these simple tips helped. »
Italian in Adult Piano Lessons (2 of 2)
I like how adult piano lessons have exposed me to Italian, in the form of the composers’ musical direction. Throughout piano scores bloom composers’ Italian words and phrases communicating dynamics an... »
Italian in Adult Piano Lessons
In taking adult piano lessons, one of Nancy M. Williams's secret pleasures is the smattering of Italian terms in the music: smorzando, slentando, sostenuto. »
