Brahms’s Buried Treasure
The six Klavierstücke that make up the op. 118 set were published in 1893 and dedicated to Brahms’ lifelong friend, Clara Schumann. In the late summer of 1893, Brahms sent…
Tips for Learning New Pieces Faster
Do you wish that you could learn new pieces on the piano faster? Do you find that you spend hours learning a piece only to find that you don't know…
Choreographing Bach’s D Minor Invention
I’m going to look at Bach’s Two-Part Invention in D minor, aiming to help you solve a couple of the issues that seem to bother some players in this piece. …
A Practical Guide to Forearm Rotation
In my work as a teacher, I regularly encounter pianists even at the advanced level who ask me for my special exercises to “strengthen” their fingers. Initially they react with…
Chopin’s Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor
Chopin wrote the Nocturne in C-sharp minor (op. posth.) in 1830, but it was only published 40 years later in 1870. Dedicated to his sister, Ludwika "as an exercise before…
A Free Online Course on Piano Practising!
With many of us confined to our homes due to current circumstances, it does potentially make for a great opportunity to make the most of the situation by practising the…
Teaching Bach’s Musette in D without the Score
At the start of my teaching career I taught a number of child beginners who I soon discovered were capable of playing more difficult and interesting pieces than they were…
Being Creative with Scales
Does scale playing scare you? Does the thought of practising scales for an exam intimidate you? Scales have a reputation for being among the least interesting activities we pianists face,…
Fundamentals of Scale and Arpeggio Playing
Scales and arpeggios are part of the requirements of all examination boards, and every pianist will encounter them. The importance of knowing scales and arpeggios in every key cannot be…
Some Ideas for Mental Practice
Many of you will have read the fascinating story of Andrew Garrido's piano journey. As an 11-year old boy keen for lessons which his family could not afford, he did…