Musicality, Pedaling, Technique

Please help me with the rhythm of Lead Me to Light. I can’t feel it, and my most advanced group is ready to learn it next week. I’m getting it with counting, but I need to teach it playing-based. I sometimes will sing a lyric…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• Audio recordings, F4, Foundation 4, Laurie Richards, lead me to light, Level 4, playing along with audio, rhythm

Any suggestions how to get a 7-year-old to sloooooow down in his playing? Initially he was slow because of weak and small hands and lack of motor skills, but now his hands are stronger and he has also listened to a lot of fast rock…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• duets, fast playing, getting student to slow down, playing too fast, singing, slowing down

I’m curious to know if any other teachers incorporate any ear training into their lessons. I’m thinking about doing some chord quality quizzes as we learn all the different types, or maybe at the end as part of a final review. I remember doing this…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• accompaniment, comp & improv, ear training, intervals, Laurie Richards, natural musicality, playing by ear, playing-based

I have a private student, an adult with no previous piano lessons of any kind, who is learning even a lot faster than what I am used to seeing. As an artist, she also loves improvising. I teach her one of the F1 songs and…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• controlling the events, CTE, dynamics, fast moving student, playing too fast, practicing slowly, slowing down

When are dynamics introduced? By the end of Level 1 I’m having students work through “how to play” songs they know pretty well. We discuss telling the story of each song with expression. I think it is a conversation you can start having in context…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• adding expression, dynamics, expression, how to play

A student asked me if it is okay for her to pull her hand back a bit when switching between chords. She’s learning Alma Mater Blues. Is this a technique no-no, or is it okay? This is on CAGE chords and also on the shift…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• Alma Mater Blues, bishop street blues, blues, blues chords, CAGE chords, F2, Foundation 2, moving hand out on keys

Regarding LH fingering in Fur Elise Level 7: I recall a training session with Nancy Reese in which she advised against using the 3 2 1 fingering. But I don’t fully trust my memory and I don’t remember enough about why. I’m about to teach…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• F7, fingering, fingering repeated notes, Foundation 7, Fur Elise, Gordon Harvey, Level 7, LH repeated notes

I’m teaching Fur Elise to a group of boys in Foundation 1. One came in today talking about his keyboard: “It has all of Fur Elise. It’s a really long song! We’re only learning a little bit of it”. Apparently it has lights or sounds…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• claiming territory, fingering, learning songs from keyboard, playing-based

How do you teachers do the pedaling for smaller students at a concert, without sitting in the way? I don’t want the audience to be looking at me, just because I’m sitting at the top end of the piano to do their pedal – and…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• helping students pedal, pedal, pedaling, pedaling for small students

I have an adult student who loves to sign but who sings very off-key. She knows it, and she asked me if I teach how to sing. I don’t. I’ve taken some singing lessons, but that’s about it. And while I’m not the best singer,…

• Last updated 9 years ago
• singing in class, singing off key