Practice Makes Permanent
We all know that "practice makes permanent" and that if we try to learn a piece by constant repetition via repeated complete up-to-speed readings, we are going to regret it…
An Energy Saving Tip
The other day the bulb in my piano lamp blew. It was the only light I had on in the room, and because it was dark outside and I was…
Practising Fast
Common sense suggests that if we can play a fast piece faster than intended, it will be easier to manage at the proper tempo, since we will have gone the…
Some Useful Books
It's that festive time of year, and you may want to do a little book shopping. Here is a selection of books on piano playing that are at the top…
More Thoughts on Slow Practising
I am convinced it is not possible to say too much about slow practising or to overemphasise its importance. Here are one or two random thoughts on the subject, which…
Practice v Performance
A colleague put this quotation up on his Facebook wall this week, and while these golden words are from one of the greatest violinists of the last century, they apply…
More on Passagework
Last week's post on passagework dealt with a fair amount of mechanics. Here, I would like to outline a process which strengthens everything - the ear, the memory and the…
On Passagework
There are innumerable examples in the piano repertoire of what is commonly known as "passagework", a string of fast notes that lasts either a few bars, a whole section, or…
Green Fingers
Over the past few weeks in my teaching, I have found myself repeating what I consider a truism about practising, so I thought it might be worth writing about. Not…
The Baroque Urtext Score – Tempo and Rhythm (4)
I was hoping this would be the last post in this series, but I can't quite squeeze everything I want to say in this week's offering, so I crave your…