Keyboard Conversations with Fred Karpoff
Video conversation between Fred Karpoff and Graham Fitch discussing teachers who inspired them, their online projects and approaches to technique.
On Rhythm: Classical v Romantic
Have you considered there might be a different way of playing rhythmically depending on the style period? I’m not talking about rhythmic conventions (such as double dotting, rhythmic assimilation, etc.),…
Eunice Norton on Schnabel and Matthay
It can be awe-inspiring to talk to someone who studied with a legendary musician about their personal memories, anecdotes and experiences of their lessons. I have a particular fascination with…
Pause for Thought
Have you ever stressed about what to do during a long rest that appears in a piece you are playing? In my experience of listening to pianists, rests often get…
On Singing
I had always sung in choirs and choruses from my childhood to the end of my student days, and one of the highlights of my week as a postgraduate student…
Flexibility in Interpretation
There is no one “correct” way to play a piece – the same piece played by different pianists will vary in tempo, timing, pedalling, phrasing etc.
How to Begin a New Piece: Part 4
Last week's guest post by Julie Garnham raised some interesting discussion in Facebook piano pedagogy groups (click here to read). I feel the idea of beginning a new piece away…
Beethoven Masterclasses
Beethoven wrote his 32 piano sonatas between the ages of 25 and 55, thus they span the composer’s so-called early, middle and late periods and paint a rich picture of…
Freeing Up Space
I have had quite a lot of feedback from last week's post on the benefits of speaking aloud to ourself as we practise - it seems that many of us…
Memory Tips: Analyse
We can trace the tradition of playing solo piano music from memory back to Franz Liszt and Clara Schumann. Before that, it was inappropriate to play without a score in…