Playing by Ear
I had an email from a reader asking how he could learn to play by ear, so here are some random thoughts on the subject. When we play by ear…
Marking the Score
The other day I opened up a working score of the Frank Bridge Sonata I inherited from one of my teachers, Peter Wallfisch, and was struck by all the markings…
Transposing the Difficult Spot
Vocal accompanists and repetiteurs need to develop the skills to transpose virtually at sight in order to accommodate the different voice types and the vocal ranges of the singers they…
Keep Calm and Carry On Practising
When I was on the selection committee for the 11th Unisa International Piano Competition, we listened to two solid days of audio recordings, one after the other. Our selection of…
Managing Leaps: Selective Landing
I use a three-part process for measuring distances at the keyboard, to make sure all jumps are precise, secure and foolproof. We build in the precise measurements in our practising…
The Practice Tools – Volume 3
I would like to thank you for your support with my ebook series - I am very pleased with the uptake and have had lots of great feedback. It is…
More on Rhythm
I have been working on a new chapter on the uses and abuses of the metronome for Volume 3 of my ebook series, due to be published after Easter. For…
Playing Rhythmically
When I was a postgraduate student at the Manhattan School of Music in New York back in the 1980s, I decided to make up some credits for my master’s degree…
Inventing Exercises from Pieces
There are pieces that contain passages of technical difficulty that require special attention, a type of practising over and above the routine use of the other practice tools. This could…
Spot the Difference
I used to like those spot-the-difference cartoons that appeared in the comics I read as a lad. At first glance, both images look the same but you have to look…