Musicality, Pedaling, Technique

Greetings – I’ve got a 7 yr old student who is in week 12 or so of lessons, half way through Foundation 1, who has extreme difficulty playing finger 3 of a 3 note chord. He usually only plays a 2 note chord with finger…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• 3-note chord, alternate fingering for chords, building chords, challenge, challenges, chord, chord fingering, chords, fingering chords, forming chords, playing chords, triads

What creative ways do you use to get students to slow down? I don’t know any creative ways, I just resort to tapping a slow beat, and getting them to play along to the audio slow version. I wonder if it is a stage they…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• audio, control the events, controlling the events, CTE, events, getting student to slow down, Gordon Harvey, learning slowly, mindfulness, piano event, piano events, play along, playing along with audio, playing fast vs slow, playing slowly, playing speed, playing too fast, playing with audio tracks, practicing slowly, slow-steady-musical-even, slowing down, speed of learning, SSME, using audio recordings, using audio tracks, using the audio recordings to learn songs

Has anyone taught The Pedal on line? How did you do it? I have several students ready for this mini project and I don’t know if it can work? Do you have the TWS Program on Using the Pedal? If not, I highly recommend it.…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• distance lessons, helping students pedal, introducing pedal, learning online, learning via webcam, online, online learning, online lessons, pedal, pedal technique, pedal use, Pedal Workshop, pedaling, pedalling, teacher workshop, Teacher Workshop Series, teaching online, time to teach pedal, TWS, using a webcam to teach, Using the Pedal, videoconference software

One of my students is struggling with playing chords because her fingers are doing what you see in the photos. Can anyone help me know what is going on? Are there any exercises or things we can do to help her? Have her hold a…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• bending fingers, chord, chord fingering, chord placement, chord strategies, chords, deformed fingers, finger, finger exercises, finger positions, finger strength, fingering, fingering chords, fingers, forming chords, joint, joints, knuckles, playing chords, stiff fingers, strengthening fingers, weak fingers

I think I remember Neil mentioning that there’s a pedal training video in the MAC program. Does anyone know how to find this? I’m trying to figure out the best way to teach pedaling in online lessons, so I’d welcome your ideas. Thanks! I have…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• bad pedal technique, benefits of online lessons, distance lessons, helping students pedal, introducing pedal, learning online, learning via webcam, MAC, MAC Foundation Program, MAC Program, Neil Moore, online, online learning, online lessons, pedal, pedal technique, pedal use, Pedal Workshop, pedaling, pedalling, teaching online, time to teach pedal, using a webcam to teach, Using the Pedal, videoconference software

What about fingering for chords? Sometimes my new students want to play the basic chords with 1, 2, and 5 instead of 1, 3, and 5. I have been trying to get them to do 1, 3, and 5… But maybe it doesn’t matter. Marsha,…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• +9 chords, adapting fingering, add9 chords, alternate fingering for chords, building chords, chord, chord alterations, chord fingering, chord placement, chord strategies, chord structure, chords, family chords, figuring out fingering, finger, finger adaptations, finger positions, fingering, fingering chords, fingers, forming chords, learning chords, playing chords, root chords

An 8-year-old student came up with an alternate fingering for Greensleeves that I thought was both insightful and helpful for kids with small hands, and I told her I was going to share it here, and that Neil Moore might even see it. In the…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• adapting fingering, developing generative skills, figuring out fingering, finger adaptations, finger positions, fingering, fingers, FL3, Foundation 3, foundation level 3, generative, generative learning, generative students, Greensleeves, Neil Moore, self generating, self generative, self-generate, self-generation

Those of you who teach very young children (age 5-6), do you use a special kind of stool for them that is different from what older students or adults use? I have 2 piano stools, the one I use for very little children is a…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• adapting for young students, arm positions, bench, bench positions, feet, foot, foot rest, foot stool, piano bench, piano foot stool, piano stool, position, positioning, positions, posture, seat, seating, sitting, sitting positions, step for foot, stool, teaching very young students, teaching young children, teaching young students, young children, young students

Advice for pedal use on Dark Blue? Just keep it down, or use your ear to know when to clear it? Or open to player’s interpretation? Every time the LH plays is a good time to pedal on Dark Blue. Have you purchased the “Using…

• Last updated 8 years ago
• Dark Blue, F1, foundation 1, Laurie Richards, pedaling, single thought processes, Teacher Workshop Series

I’m still young in the SM teacher world and I have students in levels 1, 2, and 3 right now. My question is, when do I start students on Accompaniment, and then when do I start them on Reading Rhythm? Should I start Accompaniment in…

• Last updated 8 years ago
• Accompaniment‏, Amazing Grace, fitting it all in, introducing streams, managing streams, pedaling, reading, Star Spangled Banner