The Practice Tools Workshops

Piano playing and piano teaching can be lonely, solitary activities and it is all too easy to feel isolated and cut off from peers and colleagues.

There is something very powerful about the energy of a group of people gathered together for a common purpose, which is why I am excited to announce the launch of a short series of two workshops in London in June and November of this year on The Practice Tools.

If there is enough interest, I intend to run a longer series of workshops in London next year, and to bring them to other parts of the country.

Because I want to give everyone the chance to ask questions and/or get up and try out some of the practice tools themselves, I am going to limit the numbers to 25 per class.

For full details of the workshops, please follow this link (click here)

The Practice Tools

So what exactly are The Practice Tools?

I once had a colleague who was a marvellous pianist, and expected a lot from her students. Quite right! If the student came in unprepared, she would literally throw the book at her and tell her to “GO PRACTISE!”.

I ran into one of her poor students in the hallway one day, and asked him why he was looking so distressed. It turned out he was quite willing to put in the daily graft, but he didn’t know how to practise. When he sat in his practice room he had no clue what he was actually supposed to be doing so naturally he wasted an awful lot of time because his labour ended up being unproductive. This caused him frustration and led to a downward spiral of negativity and self-doubt.

But surely pianists have heard of slow practice? Why don’t they at least do this? They probably do, but in my experience of listening to students’ slow practice it is never slow enough or detailed enough. All details of phrasing (which need to have been thought about), tonal balance, touch, pedalling can be present in the slow practice.

Students seem to think they just need do a little bit of slow practice here and there when it’s not possible to play at tempo or when they come unstuck, forgetting that some of the world’s greatest pianists practise incredibly slowly – sticking to this sort of painstaking groundwork day after day until the foundations are strong and secure and returning to it regularly thereafter.

Practising slowly is a real art and it is necessary to be shown the ropes to get the best out of it. I have various ways of practising slowly, including the super-slow (which feels a bit like a meditation).

However, slow practice is but one of a whole toolkit of practice tools – there are many more we use for building, repairs and problem solving. In my upcoming workshops I will describe, illustrate and demonstrate each of them one by one using a powerpoint presentation and of course a piano.

It is no good just knowing about the tools, you have to know how and when to use them. I have found The Practice Tools to be universal – applicable to every piece we undertake, no matter what grade or level.

If we use the tools correctly, we will be practising with consummate skill, efficiency and effectiveness, and will notice significant progress. It is said that success breeds success; because our progress will be tangible, practising will become infinitely more satisfying and enjoyable!

For full details of the workshops, please follow this link (click here)

The Workshops

The workshops will be held at the Craxton Studios in North London.

This unique house, ‘Atelier’, 14, Kidderpore Avenue, was designed and built in 1901 by the artist George Hillyard Swinstead for his family and as his art studio. George Swinstead died in 1926 but the family continued to live in the house until the second world war when they abandoned the house and it was bought by Harold Craxton and his wife Essie in 1945 after they and their family were bombed out of their home in St. John’s Wood during the Blitz. Harold Craxton was an eminent and much-loved pianist and teacher, professor of piano at the Royal Academy of Music for many years. He also lectured, taught and entertained at the house and accompanied some of the finest singers and musicians of the day. As a result, the house became a focal point for music and the artistic milieu in London.

We will be using Harold Craxton’s own Blüthner concert grand for the workshops, enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the house and its gardens. You will have a folder of materials to take away with you, and lunch and refreshments will be provided.

While the workshops do complement each other, each one is different and a complete experience in itself. Therefore, you don’t need to do both to gain hands-on experience using The Practice Tools!

For full details of the workshops, please follow this link (click here)

If you want to register for one or both workshops, contact me by email at graham@grahamfitch.com

Practising the Piano eBook Series Part 4

I am delighted to announce that Part 4 of my eBook Series is now available. You can purchase Practising the Piano Part 4 (priced at £9.99) directly from my website. It is also available on Amazon Kindle and for pre-order on the Apple iBookstore (click here for the full series catalogue which contains links to the individual volumes on all platforms).

The full series (Parts 1 to 4) can now be purchased for £35.99 (a discount of 20% off the individual part prices). If you already own one or more parts of Practising the Piano you can also take advantage of further discount bundles to complete your collection. These can be viewed on the series catalogue page here.

If you would like a video introduction and more information on the contents of Part 4, please follow this link.