What is the Difference Between a Tie, a Slur and a Phrase?

A tie, a slur and a phrase all look quite similar and sometimes they can get confused with each other since they look like this: This symbol is typically used above the stave (staff) or inverted and used underneath the stave (staff), depending on which direction the stems of the notes are going. This applies … Read more

Free Print Music Available!

Whenever I am searching for anything to do with music (which happens quite a bit) I’ll often come across the opportunity to download and print off free piano music, even when I’m not even searching for it. Sure free sounds good, but sometimes it is hard to know if the website is a reputable one … Read more

Writing in the Note Names is NOT Good Practice but…

There is one practice that a lot of piano students make that is not a tool I would use. Some students think that they will learn to read the notes quicker if they write the names of the notes under every single note. I understand that they all genuinely want to maximize their efficiency by … Read more

Does the Way You Position Your Hands on the Piano Actually Matter?

The simple answer to this question is yes. It does matter how you hold your hands when you are playing the piano for a number of reasons. The most important reason is to prevent strain and injury and while I think that this is important for everyone who plays the piano, I think it is … Read more

When Playing the Piano, Which is More Important – The Right Hand or The Left Hand?

The piano, together with the organ and harp are unique musical instruments in the sense that each hand can play notes independently of the other hand. If you think about stringed instruments such as guitar and violin, the left hand usually determines what note or notes are played while the right hand determines the quality … Read more

Trust Me! I’m a Professional!

The words ‘trust me’ I think invoke suspicion rather than confidence on the internet and with good reason – there are so many people that discuss topics on which they have absolutely no information on. All they have is uninformed opinion being claimed as fact. I think a bit of skepticism is a good thing … Read more

Piano Practice – How much is Necessary?

How much practice is necessary in order to learn to lay the piano is an interesting one. There are many varying opinions out there. Some of these opinions come from people such as myself, who have taught many students to play the piano while some people will have an opinion, who don’t even play a … Read more