So why not just listen more carefully when we practice?  Listening is also impacted by singing.  Dr. Alfred Tomatis, renowned French ENT specialist viewed audio-vocal control as a two step process including the bone structures of our body which allows the singer to participate in self-listening or self-awareness. Singing, therefore, is a full body experience that includes the refinement of listening.  When we sing, we become better listeners.  When we listen better, we produce better sounds on our instruments.

Listening to ourselves sing makes us better listeners than just listening to our piano sounds.

The bigger picture is, of course, to realize we can only give our audiences the experiences we ourselves have already had.  So it goes without saying we need to experience our sounds, all of them, so that we might be able to communicate them to others.

This brings me to the Left Hand.  The left hand is usually neglected in our experience due to it’s common function as harmony in a lot of the repertoire.  Additionally, if you practice your music hands together all the time, it’s likely you’ve never had an experience of the left hand independently.  And if you’ve never experienced the left hand for what it is by itself, then how can you be sure you are communicating it’s full intention to your audiences?  I invite you to sing your left hand parts as often as you can.  Then sing the left hand while playing the right hand.  And vice versa!  This is the method used by my teacher and the results are stunning, beautiful, rich musical experiences.

And once you have given yourself a beautifully rich musical experience, once you have refined your own listening,  you will have those experiences to share with your audiences.

I highly recommend reading The Art of Practicing, by Madeline Bruser.

Pedal Extender 2

I finally purchased the Pedal Extender 2. What a huge difference it makes. I used to use a handmade wooden foot rest for my younger students. But they always fiddled with it, moved it, tipped it and it wasn’t adjustable. The PE-2 is very solid and quite heavy so it can’t easily be moved by little feet and it’s adjustable which has helped a lot with the students who are at that “almost can touch the floor” size. My favorite part about it is the little ones don’t fidget as much and the stability is

contributing to better concentration! What a pleasant surprise. Of course, the little ones feel so “grown up” when they can use the pedal like everyone else. I highly recommend the PE-2.

To play the piano properly you will need full range and free use of your arms.  The bench is the first place to start and can not be neglected.  A good teacher will show you what to do at home to make sure you create the best practice environment and have the maximum ease and comfort during practice.

If your teacher has never spoken about the bench or the use of the arms, I strongly recommend you ask to explore this together.  You will both be delighted to learn this important aspect of piano playing and you will undoubtedly deepen your musical relationship taking this journey together.

A wonderful starting point is The Art of Practicing, by Madeline Bruser.

If your teacher is not open to this, I strongly recommend you seek another teacher. Whether you are a serious student, recreational pianist or just “trying it out”, you deserve to learn the proper way and you deserve to get the most for your time, effort and money.

Piano Students participate in the Yungling Piano Studio May Piano Recital in Brooklyn, New York

Yungling Piano Studio’s May Piano Recital was once again held at Clover’s Fine Art Gallery and Cafe.  We had a delightful time playing songs for our family and friends.  From 4 to 34, students of all ages displayed their skills and provided an amazing afternoon of fun and music.  Clover created an inviting environment with a new set up of chairs that gave us the perfect, intimate recital space.  Thank you to all the amazing piano students for their hard work and thank you to Clover for making our event so special.  A special thank you goes to all our moms and dads who help keep music alive by encouraging their youngsters to study music.

Winter Piano Olympics 2010

This years Piano Olympic games are more exciting than ever.   This year there is a ski lodge, ski lift, snowy mountain and a curling ice rink, too. (You might have to be Canadian to know what that is!)

Here is a newsletter I created to send to parents to share why I do what I do.  I also include helpful ideas to make practicing more attractive to young students.  View PDF here.

I selected some of the cutest pictures of winter olympic sports clipart the students can use as avatars as they move along the game board.  The fun part is that the avatars are only known by me …..so that students who don’t like competing won’t feel pressure and those who love competing will still be able to see if someone is ahead of them or not.  This way everyone can participate in their own way…and still have fun.

The best part is the ski lift!  Students have to complete three tasks (Rhythm cards are great for this) before they can move up the ski slope.  It takes three stars each to move higher up the mountain.  I use 3×5 cards as the ski lift ticket and star stickers to show their success.  I use a hole punch to indicate when they have used their lift ticket.  The students love it so much they beg for more challenges!  NOTE:  I make them take the ski lift ticket home.  They must return with it or they can’t play.  A fun way to teach responsibility!

Winter Piano Olympics 2010: Badges

And to make it just a little official, I created Olympic Badges that the students could color their name on and decorate as they see fit.

I have a large collection of small prizes and a certificate to give each student as they complete the games.

So I began working on my music with just the left hand. And I am energized at the progress and solidity I am achieving. I’m working on Chopin Scherzo Op39 in C# minor. And the clarity and confidence I feel is…well, not new, but somehow new because I can’t use my left hand even if I want to!

May your hands always be safe and free from harm. However, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of encouraging your students to play hands separately. Of course, making a fun game out of it will most likely make it attractive to the younger students.

Happy practicing!

In 2010 I will be teaching my students about simple rhythmic and melodic motifs and how repetition and variation create interest. Of course, I won’t be using these words to describe it or they’ll be asleep faster than I can say “Da Capo Al fine”.

I’ll use Beethoven’s 5th symphony as a starter with rhythmic motif and repetition.
I’ll play games in the studio with 3-5 note rhythms, have the student repeat me and then we’ll play around with the order of our rhythms to create variation. I’ll show them how to notate it and then have them spend a week making up their own rhythms and writing them in their staff booklets (based on our template).

I’ll do the same with melodic motifs. I’ll use Mary Had Little Lamb to show them how to take the same notes and rearrange them. Then we’ll take 3-5 notes and rearrange them to our hearts content. I’ll show them how to notate it and then give them a week to create their own music.

This is a fun activity sure to inspire any student. And they’ll never know they’re being taught theory, notation and composition all at the same time. They’ll just be having fun!

This winter I will create a winter mountain that rises and drops steeply. Then I’ll set colored flag markers for each of the major and minor scales (probably grouped by fingering similarity). To make the game fun, I’ll make a template for both girl and boy…with skis that the students can take home and color to match their personality. Then as they progress up and down the slippery mountain of scales, I’ll fix their paper with pushpin on the mountain.

NOTE: I have noticed in my experience that some students do not like competition. I will not create it as a race, but rather a fun journey. I’ll have prizes at the end, of course

Summer Olympics in the Piano Studio

The young students who were all in the same primer book had the task of playing each of their songs correctly (counting, notes, dynamics, etc) and there were 48 songs in the book. If a student had already finished 1/2 of the book, I simply used the 6th color to fill in the grid….unless, of course, when the student preferred to play them all again just to get the gold sticker! That was a pleasant surprise.

Older students had a choice to play 48 increasingly difficult rhythm cards or all of the major and minor scales in each hand. Both options had 48 total tasks.

Prizes were given upon completion and pictures next to the poster were taken. Not everyone finished, but fun was had by all.

An Amazing Recital Space

Are you looking for a great recital space with an amazing piano?  I highly recommend you check out Clover’s Fine Art Gallery and Cafe on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.  Clover has a beautiful space which is immaculate and spacious enough for 70 guests.  She also has a brand new Petrof Grand piano!  She serves alcohol and a wide array of cafe drinks as well as bakery items. Yungling Piano Studio is having its Fall Piano Recital on Sunday, December 13 at 3pm. I’ll be posting a follow up to let you know how everyone loved the venue!