Of all European classical composers, the one who enjoys the greatest popularity among jazz musicians is certainly Johann Sebastian Bach. Let us try to answer this question: why do jazz musicians like Bach so much?Continue readingWhy do jazz musicians like Bach so much?
Category: Piano
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On Piano Playing is a book by Hungarian pianist Gyorgy Sandor, published in 1981. Born in Budapest on Sept. 21, 1912, the pianist was a pupil of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály and went on to become a concert pianist of international standing. Let us try to analyze his book and draw some useful lessons…Continue readingOn Piano Playing, Gyorgy Sandor and piano technique
Hanon yes or no? Is it useful to study the 60 exercises of Hanon, The Virtuoso Pianist? In this lesson we will see when is the right time to start Hanon and how to study it correctly, avoiding wasting time but also working wrongly and risking injury.Continue readingHanon, The Virtuoso Pianist. When and how to study it
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Is studying piano on your own possible?
Studying piano in your spare time, with no commitments and no stress, is definitely a good idea. However, in some cases it may be a good idea to have a teacher take you. In this article I will try to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of “do-it-yourself piano,” to try to answer the question: is…Continue readingIs studying piano on your own possible?
Beyer’s Opus 101, the Bastien Method for piano study, the Musigatto and Bela Bartok’s Mikrokosmos are very popular methods for learning to play the piano. I analyzed their merits and demerits, here is what I found out by comparing the piano methods, Beyer vs Bastien vs Musigatto vs Mikrokosmos.Continue readingBeyer vs. Bastien vs. Musigatto vs. Mikrokosmos, piano methods compared
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Comparing classical and jazz piano
The history of the piano begins long before the history of jazz. However, the jazz piano represented a real revolution, greatly expanding the limits of the instrument and bringing new impetus and new styles. Therefore, I have tried to discuss the relationship between classical piano and jazz piano. At the end of the article, I…Continue readingComparing classical and jazz piano
How do you play a song on the piano? In this lesson we will see how to use the piano to accompany a singer, but also how to adapt a melody so that it can be played only with the piano, in an instrumental version.Continue readingHow to play songs on the piano. Adapting a song for the piano
Those who begin to play the piano have to deal with four subjects simultaneously: piano technique, music reading, hand independence and music theory. In what order and how should they be approached in the first few months of the piano course?Continue readingLearning to play the piano: how to study technique, music reading, hand independence and music theory
June is part of Op. 37a written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875. The volume was commissioned by a music magazine that asked the composer for twelve pieces of music, dedicated to the twelve months of the year. The pieces were then published with the magazine, one per month.Continue readingJune, from “The Seasons” by Tchaikovsky. Simplified version and piano tutorial
Learning chords on the piano is not difficult, but we can use different techniques and different ways of thinking. In this lesson I propose a simple and effective system for learning and remembering chords on the piano, we’ll call this system the photo negative technique. We will also see how to perform chord arpeggios and…Continue readingPiano chords, learn chords with a photo negative