Practising with Purpose
The routine practice session may on occasion feel like panning for gold - there may well be some nuggets in there but they will reveal themselves in amongst a lot…
Enjoying the Party
Imagine you are the Lord or Lady of the manor and you are hosting an important function. A dignitary and their entourage are descending on you for the weekend -…
Two Playing States
In last week's post, The Countdown to Your Diploma Exam, I described two ways of running through a piece or a programme: Performing in glorious technicolour Running through lightly (we…
The Countdown to Your Diploma Exam
I have some students taking their diploma exams very shortly, so I thought it would be timely to put together a few thoughts on how best to prepare yourself for such…
The Myth of the Instant Fix
I have admitted before that I like to stand outside institutional practice room doors and listen to what is going on inside. So often the practiser is just hammering through…
New Practising the Piano website launched!
I'm pleased to announce the launch of my new Practising the Piano website. Little did I know that when I first started blogging a few years ago, my humble blog would grow…
Q&A: How to Play Fluently
Here is a question I received this week from a reader. Please feel free to email me your questions at graham@grahamfitch.com. Q: I have an adult student who has just…
You Can Improve Your Sight Reading!
I have had many requests to write more about sight-reading. It seems to me that talking about this subject is of minimal value because it’s something you’ve just got to…
Going into the Zone
There is a stage in the preparation of a recital programme when it is a very smart idea to play the whole thing through in its entirety in front of…
Performing in a Safe Circle
Many pianists relish performing and do it all the time, others end up performing as a part of their activities. It may have been a passion for music and a…