On Double Notes (Part Two)
This post deals with the "how" of double notes. Because double notes appear to be very finger-based, making demands on the weaker fingers on the outside of the hand, they…
On Double Notes (Part One)
Technikos: "of, or pertaining to art, artistic, skilful" But there is no difference between interpretation and technique. Every dynamic and nuance must be produced simultaneously by a technical means (Walter…
Practising Softly
One of the most skillful and useful ways to practise is softly, especially loud passages. Let me start with an anecdote. In the early 80s I had the great good…
Craftsmanship
This post is more philosophical than practical, but it has occurred to me as I have progressed with this blog over the past few weeks that the main underlying principle…
A Ghost Story
There are certain places in the repertoire where I can predict that a student is going to hurry. They will usually tend to rob long notes of their value by…
Practising Chords (Part Four): Odds and Ends
Unless anyone cares to contact me with further suggestions, this will be the last of my posts on chords. It's a selection of a few unrelated odds and ends which…
Practising Chords (Part Three): The Difficult Chord
I am sure we can all identify a particular chord in a piece that causes us to stumble or fumble (and, under our breath, mumble). This could be because the…
Practising Chords (Part Two): An Extract from Rachmaninov
In this post, I aim to give a thorough approach to practising an extract, the return of the "A" section from Rachmaninov's famous warhorse, the Prelude in C sharp minor,…
Voicing Chords
A chord is officially two or more notes played simultaneously, but there are probably as many species of chords as there are of spiders. There is so much to say…
Top Ten Tips for Trouble Spots
It is possible to hack away at a trouble spot for several minutes, constantly repeating it and beating it into submission, and then be able to manage it, more or…