2023-04-01 12:16
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The post A Conversation with Rebecca’s Piano Keys first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
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Tips and advice for piano students and piano teachers.
2023-02-06 20:27
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The post Interview with Sandy Holland of E-MusicMaestro first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2023-01-18 17:21
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The post Digital Pianos Overview 2023 first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2023-01-16 20:16
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The post Performer Spotlight: Eric Shechter first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2023-01-11 17:39
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The post News for 2023 first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2022-12-29 20:57
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The post Taking the Lead on a Piano Lead Sheet first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2022-12-02 18:56
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The post Sight Reading Strategies That Really Work (and Some That Don’t) first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2022-10-08 14:10
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The post Recreational Music Making first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2022-07-23 14:32
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The post Homage first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2022-05-21 08:15
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The post A Preliminary Approach to Polyphonic Sight Reading first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2022-03-05 19:21
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The post The Magic of Slow Practice first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2022-01-22 19:33
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The post The Digital Dynamic Dilemma (or “Don’t Pump Up the Volume”) first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2021-11-20 14:38
IMDb ratings (out of 10) and/or Rotten Tomatoes’ critics score (in percentages) are given for some of the films.
32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)
Although not exactly a …… Read More
2021-10-04 13:24
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The post The Piano Masterpieces of P.D.Q. Bach first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2021-09-04 13:02
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The post Piano Teacher Needed (Virtual Part-Time) first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2021-07-17 23:05
“Piano” Is Just a Nickname
The first and original name of the piano was gravicembalo col piano e forte, roughly translating to “soft and loud keyboard instrument.” Un… Read More
2021-05-16 01:13
As a music teacher, and former instructor of an undergraduate class on mindfulness meditation (at Indiana University Bloomington from 2007 to 2014), I am fascinated by the many possible appl… Read More
2021-03-20 20:31
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The post Don’t Play This Piece Fast (Maple Leaf Rag) first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2021-01-17 21:23
James P. Johnson (1894-1955) was the leading pioneer of the exciting and influential stride piano style. Born in New Jersey, his proximity to New York allowed a young Johnson the …
Th… Read More
2020-11-21 20:17
The world of music education lost a shining star in 2019 when pianist, educator and author Forrest Kinney passed away after a brief battle with an aggressive form of cancer.…
The post… Read More
2020-09-19 20:09
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The post Beginner's Guide to Using Your Digital Piano As A MIDI Controller first appeared on Portland Piano Lab Read More
2020-07-18 16:25
The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# Minor is one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s most famous compositions, and arguably his single most well-known work for piano (Fur Elise notwithstanding). Indee… Read More
2020-05-16 18:37
This is the first in a series of interviews with adult piano students. Teri returned to piano lessons in her retirement with the intention of learning to play jazz.
What’s … Read More
2020-03-21 19:12
Interested in exploring mindfulness in music teaching? Here are my answers to questions from my Mindfulness in Music Teaching workshops given to members of the Oregon Music Teachers Associat… Read More
2020-01-18 22:41
Before we even sit down to practice the piano, certain things need to happen, and others will optimally happen. Putting the following foundations into practice before you practice can help … Read More
2019-11-17 00:38
Learn by Sight and by Ear
Reading music is a vital skill, possessed by nearly all professional pianists. There is more music written for the piano than any other instrument. … Read More
2019-09-14 15:24
With technology news lately being dominated by topics such as privacy issues (Facebook) and treatment of workers (Amazon), it becomes easier to dismiss the value that computers and the inter… Read More
2019-07-20 19:20
If piano teaching were really as traditional as many contemporary teachers imagine, then, like keyboard students in the 18th and 19th centuries, today’s students would more often be re… Read More
2019-05-18 17:10
There is no shortage of good books for piano teachers to assimilate and integrate into their teaching routine. Yet, at least in my opinion, only a few (thankfully) are truly … Read More
2019-03-03 00:34
2019-01-19 16:17
It’s been awhile since I’ve written about the essential principles of improvisation. In previous posts I’ve covered the principles of staying present, not-knowing and unity… Read More
2018-11-10 22:15
Interested in piano lessons but don’t live in Portland? I am now offering lessons by Skype/Facetime to adult students anywhere. Learn about lessons for adults or contact me.
In &h&hell…Read More
2018-09-15 18:33
From 2007 to 2014, I taught an undergraduate mindfulness course at Indiana University Bloomington that was academic yet highly experiential. Not surprisingly, a number of talented IU Jacobs… Read More
2018-07-14 18:31
I am seeking teachers interested in using The Creative Keyboardist Adult Piano Method with their students in order to obtain additional feedback as I ready it for publication. The method &he&hell…Read More
2018-05-19 14:28
The Minor Mode
A mode is a scale with characteristic qualities. There are two principal modes in Western classical and popular music: major and minor.
Words such as dark or… Read More
2018-03-24 19:06
It was only a matter of time before online music lessons became fashionable. But just because something is fashionable doesn’t mean it’s worthwhile. While technology enthusiasts… Read More
2018-01-20 20:41
If you’re a piano teacher who teaches adults, and are always on the lookout for new and innovative adult methods, read on!
I’ve occasionally mentioned in this blog that I’v… Read More
2017-11-18 20:12
It can be fun and enlightening for piano students to learn about deeper musical concepts such as the overtone series, more correctly known as the “harmonic series.” The harmonic… Read More
2017-09-23 19:41
In Part 1 of this post I explored the benefits for pianists and other musicians of cultivating mindfulness of emotions. In this part, there are two exercises to explore and … Read More
2017-09-02 18:34
From 2007 to 2014, I taught an undergraduate mindfulness course at Indiana University Bloomington that was academic yet also highly experiential. Not surprisingly, a number of talented IU Ja… Read More
2017-07-08 17:03
Every piano teacher has experienced the frustration of a student losing interest in a piece before he or she has mastered it. At worst, this becomes a pattern and the … Read More
2017-05-06 19:29
It’s always pleasing to discover a new piano method, especially one for adults. These days there are only a handful of relatively popular adult methods, and teachers of adults know &he&hell…Read More
2017-03-18 16:28
The goal of this article is to assess the most important factors for long-term success as an adult piano student, and to help students and teachers improve the odds that … Read More
2017-02-18 17:27
This two-part post will be useful for teachers who would like a thorough and organized approach to teaching basic rhythm skills, as well as students who want to improve their … Read More
2017-01-21 16:25
This two-part post will be useful for teachers who would like a thorough and organized approach to teaching basic rhythm skills, as well as students who want to improve their … Read More
2016-12-17 19:34
In Part 1, I discussed performance guru Geoff Colvin’s assertion that superior performance is associated with “deliberate practice.” In this post I’ll consi… Read More
2016-12-03 19:15
In his book Talent Is Overrated, author Geoff Colvin considers what makes world-class performers different from everybody else. It’s an intriguing thesis and obviously highly relevant… Read More
2016-11-19 17:01
Regular readers of this blog may not know that one of my long-term creative projects is authoring a piano method using popular American styles of music: blues, jazz and rock. … Read More
2016-11-05 15:07
Try these games for Faber Piano Adventures Level 1 to test young students’ comprehension and develop their skills.
Unit 1: Melodic Shapes
Teacher draws a shape. Student plays a me… Read More
2016-10-15 16:58
Continuing in this ongoing series of useful principles for success as a pianist, in this post we’ll explore practicing the Rule of 3, spending time with people you want to … Read More
2016-10-01 20:45
To interpret and perform music at a high-level, it’s essential to understand the components of musical form. I recently discussed and defined the shortest musical units, figures and mo… Read More
2016-09-17 16:02
When I use the Faber Piano Adventures books with a student, I like to take a timeout during lessons from focusing on the books to play a game. Here are … Read More
2016-09-03 16:58
An essential element of nearly all good music is a balance between unity and contrast. This is one of the most important principles for novice composers to understand. While … Read More
2016-08-20 20:22
Three essential elements of good piano technique that are sometimes neglected by both teachers and students are breathing, listening, and (surprisingly) moving.
Breathing
Like any athletic e… Read More
2016-08-06 19:51
This post is for both teachers and students. It concludes with two suggested exercises for teachers to use with beginning composers. By the way, any piano teacher – not just … Read More
2016-07-16 18:49
In this post I’d like to touch upon several important reasons for piano students to learn to improvise as part of a standard curriculum. Improvising was once a prerequisite for &hellip&hell…Read More
2016-07-02 18:42
Continuing in this ongoing series of useful success principles for pianists, today I’ll explore reframing rejection, asking for feedback and being persistent.
Reframe Rejection
Mo… Read More
2016-06-18 16:06
It’s time for a few more of my favorite blues licks. Remember that a blues lick is a standard phrase or pattern that is memorable and often includes blues ornaments … Read More
2016-05-21 14:33
Every aspiring keyboardist will eventually be confronted with the challenge of accurately playing three notes in one hand against two in the other. This is otherwise known as a polyrhythm&he&hell…Read More
2016-05-09 16:54
Any pianist who wants to play 20th century pop music and/or jazz needs to know the music of George Gershwin. Gershwin is probably most people’s favorite American composer –… Read More
2016-05-07 23:41
A serious student once came to a mindfulness master with a book he’d purchased. He asked the master if she would write some words of inspiration in it. “Yes,” said &he&hell…Read More
2016-04-16 17:11
From 2007 to 2014, I taught an undergraduate mindfulness course at Indiana University Bloomington that was academic yet also highly experiential. (Not surprisingly, a number of talented IU J… Read More
2016-04-02 20:24
Like it or not, every private music teacher is also a businessperson. Unless you are a virtuoso, have written a book, or have another unique marketing advantage for finding students, &hellip&hell…Read More
2016-03-19 21:44
A creative pianist is well-served by learning not just chords, but the relationship between chords. Why some chords are better choices for a harmonic progression is useful knowledge, particu… Read More
2016-03-05 21:19
Continuing with our exploration of how to apply success principles to the musical life, today I’m going to talk about the principles of taking action, doing what must be done, … Read More
2016-02-21 00:06
Some piano students think of technique as dull and dreary. Maybe that’s because they’ve been assigned monotonous études (studies or exercises) such as the famous ones by H… Read More
2016-02-06 23:23
A blues lick is a stock phrase or pattern, usually catchy and often using conventional blues ornamentation such as tremolos, that is used to heighten interest, increase tension, or communica… Read More
2016-01-16 18:45
… at least when it comes to musical pitch.
Musical pitch is the frequency (rate of vibration) of a note. More technically, it’s a psychoacoustical attribute of sound, because it… Read More
2016-01-02 18:17
Ragtime Composer Joseph Lamb
I’ve always enjoyed stories from music history. In today’s post, I’ll tell you a good one, and introduce you to the music of a ragtime master … Read More
2015-12-26 18:29
In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the first five steps for teaching a piano student to arrange a song. Once they can successfully play the melody with the … Read More
2015-12-19 18:20
Teaching arranging skills to your piano students is a fantastic way to introduce a musically creative activity without the intimidating (for some) prospect of creating musical material from… Read More
2015-12-12 18:28
Unlike K-12 school students, piano students usually spend just one hour per week with their teacher. The time between lessons is spent practicing what has been discussed in the lesson.&helli&hell…Read More
2015-12-05 18:09
In Part 1 of this series, I considered the importance of setting goals, writing them down, and articulating subgoals and the specific tasks you must do to accomplish them. … Read More
2015-11-28 09:46
In today’s post I’ll answer some of the Frequently Asked Questions of prospective adult piano students:
Can an adult with zero music experience learn the piano?
Of course! I… Read More
2015-11-21 21:33
This post will be especially useful for piano teachers as well as piano students with semi-professional or professional aspirations who want to purchase or upgrade to an electronic instrumen… Read More
2015-11-14 23:37
The melting pot of a small, timeless city on the southern coast of the US is home to one of the original all-American musical styles, a style which synthesizes blues, … Read More
2015-11-07 09:23
In Part 4 of this series I described Strategies #16 through #20 for creating a professional piano studio website. Today…<drumroll>…the last five strategies!
21. Woul… Read More
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