Many people attempt to learn a new piece by repeatedly reading it through at the piano. Unless the piece is well below your current level, this approach is not the smartest. It can lead to careless errors that can be hard to fix later on, potentially jeopardising your performance.
Fortunately, there are much more thorough ways to start learning a new piece that will give you far better results. These are the subject of my new email course which outlines and introduces a process, principles and practice tools for more efficient and effective learning.
The format of this course is similar to my original email course on practising launched last year. Over 1,000 participants completed it and we received overwhelmingly positive feedback with many reporting significant progress!
Based on a series of videos I’ve created as part of my resources for the new ABRSM piano examination syllabus, this new course focusses specifically on laying good foundations when starting a new piece. These will help you develop a more intimate knowledge of your piece and a level of security that will enable you to perform confidently and expressively.
What you will learn
- Using your imagination to develop a narrative and a personal artistic image
- How to manage read-throughs of a piece
- Helpful tips to find the right fingering for a feeling of security in performance
- Structuring your learning process and practising to avoid developing bad habits and get much better results
- A simple, but powerful method for tackling trouble spots and ensuring they don’t trip you up in your performances
- Tools for learning the piece deeply, effectively and efficiently to help you play your best
How it works
The course is comprised of seven lessons which are delivered daily by email. Each lesson features a video lecture ranging from three to twelve minutes in length. The videos are accompanied by downloads, notes and exercises (with instructions) to help you follow each stage of the process.
You can select one (or more, if you like!) pieces that you would like to begin learning from scratch. It’s better if you haven’t done any practice yet, but don’t worry if you know the notes a little bit.
The principles and approach presented can be applied to any piece and therefore your piece doesn’t necessarily need to be particularly challenging. I recommend choosing a piece that is not too long and that is at your current level, or a bit easier if you’d like to use the course as a tool for a quick study.
The course is free of charge and doesn’t require an Online Academy subscription in order to participate. Click here to sign-up!
Next Event – Burgmüller’s 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes
Tuesday 2nd March @ 19:00 – 20:30 GMT
These charming and versatile pieces have deservedly been a mainstay of elementary etude repertoire for many generations. In this online workshop, Graham Fitch explores the etudes and demonstrates how they can be used for various purposes, including as vehicles for improving technique, developing practice methods and even exercises for advanced pianists. Click here for more information.