Playing the Piano for Pleasure

A Different Perspective on Beethoven

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I have to admit that Beethoven is one of my favorite composers ever. I think that he was a total genius who could write music that has endured for a couple of centuries and that he wrote a significant amount while being totally deaf. He was a complete genius, to be able to achieve what he … Read more

If You Want to Play the Piano then Stop Procrastinating

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Procrastinating is something that we all do from time to time and some do it more than others. It seems innocent enough, but really procrastination and excuses can get in the way of doing what we really want to do. I have been teaching many years and ever since I could say to people that … Read more

Life is Not a Competition and Neither is Playing the Piano

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So often in life we consciously or even sub-consciously  compare ourselves to others and think that just because someone is more skilled than us, we may think that we are not able to achieve anything. Take myself for example. I started learning the piano at the age of six and knew by the age of … Read more

How to Kill Off Your Ability to Learn to Play the Piano

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Over the years I have met many people that have always wanted to be able to play the piano and despite their wish to be able to play, there are a few things that can permanently get in the way of mastering the instrument. There are a number of obstacles that can kill off a … Read more

How to Learn to Play a Fast Piece of Music

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There are some absolutely wonderful piano pieces that are meant to be played fast but it can be completely daunting to attempt to play a fast piece of music. So how do you go about learning something that is so fast? The answer to that is slowly. It might appear that my answer makes no … Read more

Forget Practice Makes Perfect, Think Practice Makes Progress

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We have all heard the expression that practice makes perfect, I believe that the goal is not to become a perfect piano player but rather an improved piano player. Sometimes the focus of practicing to make perfect a piece of music should not be the goal because it can induce anxiety and foster a belief … Read more

When Learning Piano Chords, Which Should Be Learned First

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While I have definite opinions on this subject, I fully acknowledge that there could be other writers that completely disagree with what I say. Because I know that this particular subject has no particular consensus, I will endeavour to explain why I have the opinions I do. When learning about chords and how they are … Read more