Hands Separately Versus Hands Together: Which Way Is Best To Start a New Piano Piece

When I was a child taking piano lessons, I clearly remember having to learn new pieces of music in a very specific way. I would have to learn the right hand and left hand parts separately until each part was known really well before putting both right hand and left hand parts together. Many piano … Read more

Learning a New Piece of Music is Really a Numbers Game

Learning a new piece of music is really a numbers game sounds quite weird, but I think it can be a good way to approach learning a new piece of music. So often, particularly with a piece of music that is of a slightly higher skill level, we can become overwhelmed or doubt our ability … Read more

Jazz versus Modern versus Classical Piano – Which is the Best to Learn

So which one is better to learn?  Is it jazz? Is it modern? Or is it classical? Well the simple answer is – it depends. I know its not much of an answer yet, but it really depends on which one you like the best. For me, it is classical piano, simply because it is … Read more

The Value of Learning Music Theory

From time time, there has been the argument that to play the piano, you don’t really need to learn to read the music and you certainly don’t need to understand music theory. To a certain extent this argument is actually valid but my question would be “Why would you not want to understand what is … Read more

Can Seniors Learn to Play the Piano?

The really simple answer to the question of : Can seniors learn to play the piano, is a resounding YES! I’ve been a piano teacher for quite some years now and I’ve taught all ages and I know from experience that any age group can learn to play the piano and that includes seniors. I … Read more

You Can Still Play the Piano in Your Retirement, Even With Hand Issues

Unless a medical doctor or specialist tells you that playing the piano would be ill advised because you have a certain condition with one of your hands, then anyone has the physical capability to learn to play the piano. I get that some people can have all sorts of issues or injuries with their hands … Read more

Why Being a Gifted Musician Can Be Overrated

How could being a gifted musician possibly be overrated, especially when it comes to learning to play the piano? The answer is simply because it will be effort and perseverance that ultimately determine how good you are going to be, not how much talent you have. As well as teaching the piano for a lot … Read more