Virtuosic Pedalling
The subject of pedalling emerged as one of the most sought after topics amongst my readers in surveys I ran prior to the launch of the Online Academy. Therefore I…
Are Exercises A Waste of Time?
Originally published from 1922 - 1929, Alberto Jonás' series of seven books entitled Master School of Modern Piano Playing and Virtuosity is a treatise on piano technique designed to embrace "all the technical,…
A Technical Problem?
My new teaching term began this week with a new student, a young lady preparing for an advanced ABRSM exam. She told me she was having technical problems with some of…
Summer Holiday Reading
Graham is currently away and will be back in the beginning of September. In the meantime, if you’re looking for some summer reading, here’s a listing of the most popular…
Chopin’s Fioritura
When I was a boy, I was given a volume of the Chopin Nocturnes long before I was able to play them. I vividly remember staring at a page containing…
Getting it Right
There is a hypothetical test to find out how accurately a pianist responds to the expressive details in a piece of music. Someone with an acute ear sits with a special copy…
An Interview with Penelope Roskell: Part 2
I am very happy to be working with a number of guest experts who will be contributing to the Online Academy when it launches in September. I now continue my…
An Interview with Penelope Roskell: Part 1
I am working with a number of guest experts who will be contributing to the Online Academy. This is the first in a series of interviews in which I’ll be…
Czerny Says You Can!
Have you ever pondered how many teaching hours in the course of piano teaching history have been devoted to certain famous passages from the repertoire? How much time, how much…
No Stopping!
I recently gave a consultation lesson to a diploma candidate, who told me at the end it was the most illuminating lesson he had ever had. I couldn't think why, so…