5-Minute Piano Lessons

4 Ways Modern Keyboards Improve on Pianos

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:14:06 +0000

The piano is a wonderful tool. A big reason is that pianists can make full and complete music without other musicians. Band and orchestra instruments require other people. Thus, after school is over many musicians find it hard to be satisfied playing their trumpets, violas, or french horns alone. The piano has also allowed the geniuses of music it to write our classics - music which is known and loved the world over. For these, and many other reasons, the piano has come to be our society's instrument of class and choice. Unfortunately, too many pianists seem to have "copped an attitude" about any technological change in pianos - even though such changes are improving the world of piano instruction. This essay explores this topic.

Why Learn to Play? You Could Just Listen!

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:34:23 +0000

I have been thinking a lot lately about the differences between two types of musical joy- the joy of consuming music as a listener and the joy of making music as a piano or keyboard student. As our technology improves, it becomes easier and easier to simply be a consumer of music rather than a producer. Now we all love to listen to music, and where would any producer be without a consumer? However, some few folks want to take things further and actually make the music themselves. Naturally, I believe playing keyboard or piano beats other instruments but that's my bias.

Free Dan Starr Piano Sheet Music: “Finlandia”

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:55:11 +0000

This is not the entire piece but should serve piano students and pianists with some easy to learn piano music in the classical genre. I recorded the full version on my CD "Passage to Home" available here (at cdbaby.com.) For download of only this music at itunes.com, go here.

Show 12 – Songwriting pt 2

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 04:52:29 +0000

In this episode of the Planet Piano podcast, Dan and Jay pick up from where they left off in Show 11 talking about songwriting, it's structure and format plus the finer points ...and whatever else crosses their minds.

4 Keyboard Advantages

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:30:18 +0000

I've written extensively (see the other essays in this category) about why electronic instruments may provide the amateur pianist or piano student with an better instrument for learning. Of course, I am fully aware of the current resistance to this idea. I reject it, for reasons I will present in this essay.

Show 11 – Songwriting pt 1

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:25:06 +0000

Featured on the Planet Piano podcast, Part 1 of a 2 part series were Dan and Jay discuss songwriting; it's structure and format plus the finer points. And, as usual, wander off onto different topics entirely.

The Reality of NOT “Being Too Old” to Learn Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:01:28 +0000

Extensive research has shown that music study helps people of all ages gain overall life skills and promotes increased well-being

Hanon Exercises: 4 Guidelines

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:01:26 +0000

These famous piano exercises can improve your playing – or not! Charles Louis Hanon wrote the world’s most famous piano exercises. Unfortunately, his directions are, I believe, mostly intended to sell those exercises to a public obsessed with technique instead of good piano playing. I searched for and found ways the piano student can avoid [...]

Show 10 – Kids vs. Adults

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:54:41 +0000

Jay and Dan discuss the finer points of teaching kids vs. teaching adult piano students, Jay introduces his new blog, www.potbellystudios.com, and an update on recent efforts to clean up the subscriber list.

Update to our Podcast

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:48:25 +0000

I just wanted to let everyone know that we’ve been making some changes to our podcast settings. It seems that there were problems with the previous settings and folks were having trouble getting older shows. That being said, I think we’ve fixed the problem. But, in order to fix it we had to create a [...]

Top 9 Reasons Adults should take up Piano-pt. 2

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:48:44 +0000

You don’t need to tune a piano or a keyboard like you do other instruments. Have a professional piano tech do it for you. You don’t have a choice if you’re a guitarist, violinist, or wind instrumentalist. You have to tune the instrument yourself all the time, and intonation can be a tricky thing.

Top 9 Reasons Adults should take up Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:54:28 +0000

Do you think that playing musical instruments is the domain of a few select talented people, especially whiz kids? Or is it just something that highly trained professionals do? Unfortunately, many older folks (anyone older than school-age students!) don’t think they can play the piano (or any other instrument, for that matter) because of the unfair comparison to child prodigies, who are actually the minority of the population. So, out of the gazillion things to do while you’re still alive, why should you learn to make music, especially on the piano or keyboard? Let me count the reasons.

Show 09 – Dan Starr’s Music

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:08:15 +0000

Jay and Dan showcase some of Dan's original music including "Believe" from his first album, "Passage to Home," and "Dreams" from Dan's latest album "Hope and Change." They also discuss some songwriting points, working with other musicians and generally meander off-topic.

Free Dan Starr Piano Sheet Music: “What I Know”

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:44:23 +0000

An easy slow ballad I wrote for a good friend This could be called "easy piano" IF you've been trained to figure out a fingering and add your own pedaling (it won't sound very good without pedal and the fingering will be more difficult.) Want some tips on these elements of piano playing? Here are two:

Free Dan Starr Sheet Music: “Whiskey Bar Rag”

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:17:33 +0000

This is free sheet music for you to use and enjoy. If you have any trouble with it and want some advice, please email me personally. I hope you like it and have fun working on it.

Four Things Needed for Online Piano Lesson Success: Part 2

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:37:02 +0000

There are two final necessities which I didn't even imagine when I began giving online lessons a couple years ago. I guess I had become too accustomed to dedicated piano students I taught in my home piano studio. I didn't recognize that teaching at a distance requires these traits in the piano student. I also didn't completely see that these traits the KEY traits which can make or break that student's success at learning the piano. Now I do and use these in deciding to accept new online piano students.

Four Things Needed for Online Piano Lesson Success, Part 1

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:56:16 +0000

Online piano lessons succeed - but not for all piano students I've written quite a few essays about online piano lessons. Some few are good but lots are a rip-off, at least to my way of thinking. The reason I think so is experience, of course, having spend about two years with online piano students good and bad, 20+ years teaching live adult piano students, plus at least three BIG piano blogs (this one is the biggest and best.) I'd like to share with you what I see as the four factors absolutely necessary to succeed with online lessons.

The Zen of Practicing: Quantity vs Quality, Part Three

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:17:27 +0000

(This is the third and final part of Ivan Olarte’s excellent essay on practicing the classical guitar. Part One is here, Part Two is here.) The key to all this is that whether it’s 10 minutes of just scales, or a 20 minute portion dedicated to learning the fingerings of a new piece. I can [...]

The Zen of Practicing: Quantity vs Quality, Part Two

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:56:25 +0000

(Part Two of Ivan Olarte's essay on practicing the classical guitar. Part One is here.) Well luckily, through the internet I found some great resources such as Dan’s great blog, and a great community which is dedicated to classical guitar at http://delcamp.us . Through sources such as these I explored other points of view, different ways to approach the mastery of my instrument and specific ways to approach something as “mundane” as the act of practicing. I quickly realized that I was falling into the same trap of music becoming a task and a chore. So I decided to revisit my approach to music and to my daily and very rigid practice routine.

The Zen of Practicing – Quality vs. Quantity

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:24:01 +0000

Hi! My name is Ivan Olarte. I'm 48 years old and I returned to classical guitar almost 3 years ago after a 30 year absence. I have been an avid fan of Dan Starr's blog, as I find Dan's essays very informative and downright inspirational. So I was very flattered and happy when Dan invited me to write a short article and share with you some of my thoughts about the act of practicing music.

Show 08 – Getting the Most from Your Piano Study

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 28 May 2010 03:46:00 +0000

In this episode of Planet Piano, Jay and Dan discuss how to get the most out of your piano studies, the new Roland GAIA SH-01 Synth and the tackle another listener question.

Piano Lessons for ALL Ages

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sun, 23 May 2010 19:58:08 +0000

Extensive research has shown that music study helps people of all ages Nancee Marin (Inland Empire, CA) They gain overall life skills and increased well-being (visit HERE for further details). However, research findings have been usually skewed to promote the idea (and thus perpetuate the myth) of starting children earlier in music lessons, which isn’t necessarily better.

Show 07 – How to Find a Piano Teacher

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 21 May 2010 06:20:00 +0000

Dan and Jay discuss how to find the right piano teacher. New keyboards being released from Yamaha and listener questions.

Show 06 – Why Aren’t Piano Teachers More Up to Date?

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 14 May 2010 06:03:02 +0000

Dan and Jay discuss the importance of piano teachers becoming more up to day regarding their daily curriculum. Update on the John Lennon "Imagine" piano and listener questions.

Pianists and Piano Students: Are You Dis-satisfied?

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:30:26 +0000

I hear things. No, I don't "see dead people" but I DO hear stories about dead piano lessons. It makes sense that I would since the folks coming to me for lessons have often had very poor piano instruction in the past. Otherwise, they wouldn't feel the need for more lessons, would they? My personal experience is "skewed" at bit. Still, any time I tell people I'm a piano teacher I get to hear about their experiences good or bad. Honestly, there have been too many tales of bad experiences for my liking. I suspect that many piano students and piano lovers are dis-satisfied. I'd like to comment on why this might be and suggest remedies.

Show 05 – Chords and Fakebooks

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 07 May 2010 06:09:17 +0000

Planet Piano, show #5 finds Dan and I discussing Fakebooks and chords, the Gigaway Music Pen and listener questions.

How Much Time Should You Practice? Part One

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:06:42 +0000

Please notice that I did not say, "A piano student must practice an hour a day." Nor did I say, "A piano student must practice seven days each week." Neither of these things is true, and even the attempt to put an actual time on practice is a mistake. The correct way to think about piano practice is to put your attention on success, not the clock. The student must practice enough to succeed. The goal is to play the music well, not to pass time, and if this goal can be achieved in less time than expected, then that is wonderful. However, common sense tells us that the amount of practice time will not be zero! Actually, there are two psychological factors which establish the length and timing of practice. These factors operate in both children and adults and understanding them is simple and leads to successful piano practice.

Show 04 – Acoustic vs. Digital Pianos

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:27:11 +0000

The shows theme is a discussion on Acoustic vs. Digital Pianos. In Piano News we discuss Merton, YouTube and Chat Roulette. Plus listener quesitons.

Pianists – What is “Talent?”

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:37:32 +0000

You know those cultural ideas - the ones people speak of every now and then but mostly accept without much criticism? This idea of "talent" is one of those. A large part of this idea is "some people have 'it' and some don't." Now I'm a piano instructor, and thus talent at making music on a piano or keyboard is what I live and breath. I'd like to share with you what I have observed. Wonderfully, my observations tell me that almost everyone reading this has enough "talent" to make good music on the piano. For specifics, read on.

Is Playing Piano Worth the Work?

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:39:17 +0000

What do folks get out of learning the piano? Why do they do it? After all, despite the many books and website claiming to be able to teach a complex skill in no time at all, piano actually is one of the most difficult of instruments to play well. A good pianist has invested much time and energy, often practicing daily over many months or even years. This person often has spent money on private or online lessons, sheet music books, and, of course, their instrument. Above all, the piano student must keep up their hope of playing the music they love the way they would love to play it. That hope must be maintained for some time. Those who don't already play sometimes wonder what the big deal might be.

Show 03 – Reading Music

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:27:31 +0000

On this episode of Planet Piano, Dan and I discuss whether or not it's important to know how to read music and it implications. We also talk about the new iPad software, NOTA and answer another listener question.

Show 02 – Is Rap Music

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:31:25 +0000

Planet Piano Episode 002: Is Rap Music?

Piano Students – Your Future Could be Totally Online

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:57:59 +0000

The private music teacher who doesn't change with the times is basically doomed to providing service in backwards nations and regions. Unfortunately, this group of "techno-phobes" has an awful lot of members. On the other hand, technology has provided anyone interested in piano studies chances that didn't previously exist. I'd like to present some of these options for your use.

The Real “Expert” about You is…YOU!

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:21:32 +0000

There's no shortage of "experts" in the piano teaching world. Actually, this is true of almost any subject, but it's more so in the world of the arts. Some pianists base their claim of "expert status" on their superior knowledge of piano music. Some point to their piano playing "chops." Others claim to be experts due to their fame, their fortunes, or both. No matter what the basis of such claims, one thing is certain - no one can be more of an expert in you, your piano interests, and your piano preferences than YOU. YOU have all the info. A good piano instructor should simply show you how make the most of that.

Show 01 – Can You Learn Piano Online?

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:00:45 +0000

The true first installment of Planet Piano. This week we'll be discussing whether or not you can really learn to play piano online.

Piano Instruction: Takes Time but How Much, Part Two

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:33:21 +0000

In my last post, I said some things about the kind of piano "education" that takes a very long time before you accomplish anything you personally hold dear. There's been a lot of this around, especially in the last 100 years. The result is that this kind of teaching is what most piano lovers expect out of piano lessons. Some decide their love for piano music is enough to put up with this. Others don't, however, and too many of these have fallen for the 180 degree opposite - piano training can be done "instantly" or "overnight" or "in a flash." When these false promises prove unworkable, these good folks almost always blame themselves, perhaps thinking they weren't born with the right talents.

Piano Instruction: Takes Time but How Much?

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:22:18 +0000

Inaccurate promises of too much or too little end up frustrating piano students There seem to be too schools of thought out in the world regarding piano lessons: It takes a long time It take almost no time I believe they are both incorrect and have done enormous damage to the subject of making piano music. I've written extensively about both and in this essay I will add some additional comments and direct you to additional resources.

Show 00 – Introduction

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:38:30 +0000

Introducing our podcast, Planet Piano. Featuring your host, JC Walsh and his co-host, America’s Piano Teacher, Dan Starr. Subscribe to the Podcast

Piano Instruction: Critical Things to Do

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:13:00 +0000

After teaching both adults and children for 20+ years, I have come to conclusion that the following are absolutely necessary for any piano student who wishes to enjoy playing for their own enjoyment: 1. Learn all your major AND minor scales perfectly, in two octaves, in both contrary and parallel motion. 2. Work on exercises by Hanon, Czerny, Schmidt, etc. daily 3. Learn to sightread difficult material, and finally, 4. Learn the "standard literature" and ignore any other kind of music

Piano Instruction: More About Different Approaches

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:02:09 +0000

My last post elicited two long and well-written comments by well-trained pianists. I promised the authors I'd reply to their comments with a post. I believe piano students are well-served by such a discussion. Each learner can read differing viewpoints and decide which they prefer, leading to more enjoyment in music-making. That, I think, is a GOOD thing!

Piano Instruction: Using the New Technology

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:58:17 +0000

I've always wondered what kind of "stink" the harpsichord makers made over this new thing called "the piano-forte." More precisely, wikipedia provides this info: "The word piano is a shortened form of the word pianoforte, which is derived from the original Italian name for the instrument, clavicembalo [or gravicembalo] col piano e forte (literally harpsichord capable of playing at the normal level, or more strongly)." Any stink would have been made because instrument manufacturers could see that this new, high tech, keyboard would eventually do them out of a job. That is, of course, exactly what happened. The world embraced the new instrument and today there aren't many harpsichords to be found.

Piano Instruction: Orders vs. Choice

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:17:30 +0000

I teach classical piano (to those that wish it.) My "remote" instructor in this has been J.S. Bach. Specifically, his words filtered down through his son C.P.E. Bach in his 1753 book Essay on the Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments. I suspect that this masterwork is little known in the piano teaching world. After all, the book, although available expensively at amazon, has only 3 reviews.

Piano Instruction: American vs. European Approach – Part One

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:37:48 +0000

I've been teaching piano for over two decades. Many of my students are teens and adults and probably 80% have already had lessons. That means I've heard many stories about their previous lessons and previous instructors. Almost all such tales are NOT positive. This makes sense, as good instruction would NOT have compelled these musically-inclined folks to seek a brand new teacher. Of course, I have only my piano students' viewpoints on the matter but their stories are compelling, as is their presence in my studio. It's the overwhelming number of such stories that has led me to believe there are systemic problems in the piano teaching world.

Acoustic Piano vs. Digital Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:50:39 +0000

The "war of instruments" is counter-productive in addition to silly If there is one thing that pianists get hot about it is the "war of instruments" between the proponents of acoustic pianos and lovers of digital pianos. I know because I get caught in their battles quite often. Any reader of these essays knows that I believe the digital piano to be the best instrument for the amateur pianist, as well as a superior instrument for learning to play in the first place. If you'd like to know my reasoning you can read the other essays in this section. I hope what I say helps you come to some conclusions. However, I have one final thing to say about all this and it would be worthwhile for any pianist or piano student to hear it.

Do You Need “Piano Glasses?”

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:28:55 +0000

I offer something I call a "Better Progress Checklist" to both live and online piano students. This action is a full and comprehensive list of questions covering every thing I've ever learned that can slow down a student's progress. Answering these questions and having me evaluate the answers reveals things even the student is not aware are barriers. I bring this up because one of huge barrier sometimes revealed is the simple matter of eyesight. Not being behind the piano student's eyeballs I have no way to know about this without asking, and, unfortunately, adults are sometimes reluctant to admit they need eyesight correction. This reticence can mean the different between playing well and playing poorly or not at all. I offer something I call a "Better Progress Checklist" to both live and online students. This action is a full and comprehensive list of questions covering every thing I've ever learned that can slow down a student's progress. Answering these questions and having me evaluate the answers reveals things even the student is not aware are barriers. I bring this up because one of huge barrier sometimes revealed is the simple matter of eyesight. Not being behind the piano student's eyeballs I have no way to know about this without asking, and, unfortunately, adults are sometimes reluctant to admit they need eyesight correction. This reticence can mean the different between playing well and playing poorly or not at all.

“Immersion” – THE Key to Music Reading

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:22:21 +0000

As I've said in many other essays, reading piano music is highly important. Thus, anything that might speed this up and make it more effective for more student pianists is worth considering. This is the story of how I finally realized why "Every Good Boy Does Fine" and such has NOT solved pianists' reading problems. It is also the story of how I finally understood and learned to apply an actual solution. As I've said in many other essays, reading piano music is highly important. Thus, anything that might speed this up and make it more effective for more student pianists is worth considering. This is the story of how I finally realized why "Every Good Boy Does Fine" and such has NOT solved pianists' reading problems. It is also the story of how I finally understood and learned to apply an actual solution.

“Monkey See-Monkey Do” Style Music Reading

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:31:23 +0000

I had a big and unhappy realization this week during teaching. An adult student had to be encouraged to do something other than what was specified by their sheet music (poorly written sheet music, I would hasten to add) and my sole child student asked me, "Aren't these pedaling marks sorta an option?" Now my child is a very precocious 10 year old but I would have thought my adult student wouldn't feel compelled to simply follow orders. Turns out I had it backwards. My "realization" was: Many piano student work hard to get good at "Monkey See-Monkey Do" music reading.

Five Important Piano Lessons from My Burglary

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:04:18 +0000

I know this is strange way to make lemonade out of lemons, but being burglarized this past weekend has served to validate many of the ideas I have used successfully when teaching adult piano students. Weird, but wonderful.

Popular Piano Music – Why it Must be Taught

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:30:01 +0000

You see, in any artform "value" is a personal choice. The music valuable to me is almost certainly a bit different than that valuable to the next person. Classically, I love Mozart, Bach, and Clementi and have little interest in Chopin, Scriabin, and Rachmaninoff. In musicals, I love Jerome Kern and Andrew Lloyd Webber and am indifferent to Sondheim. In rock, I prefer Kansas to Coldplay. Country, I love Willie. All personal choices, which you may or may not agree with, but that's not the point. Value is YOUR choice and nobody should attempt to make it for you, regardless of age.

3 Steps to Better Music Reading

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:35:47 +0000

Most pianists know they will have to learn to read piano music if they wish to accomplish their goals. Playing by ear is fine - IF you don't mind being musically illiterate. Knowing and reading chords is critical but you will still need to be able to read the treble staff in order to play from a fakebook. Thus, here are my three most successful actions in helping piano students improve their reading.

The ONE Question to Ask When Buying a Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:39:10 +0000

Knowing this key VITAL answer will bring the best value Every year piano buyers spend vast sums of unnecessary money because they simply don't know how to properly buy the right piano for their personal needs. I'd love to help you with this, despite the likelihood of offending those with a vested interest in their own wallets and/or opinions.

Pianists: Should You Read Notes or Read Chords

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:39:14 +0000

Years ago only professional musicians even knew fakebooks (books with just melody lines, lyrics, and chord symbols) existed. The few fakebooks available to such folk were very expensive and highly illegal (as the unknown authors simply ignored copyright and used that new technology of the photocopy machine to produce the things.) The regular pianist or piano student was taught that the supreme virtue was to read every note and every instruction on the piece of printed music. Making it up was, of course, "faking it" and therefore somehow less than capable.

Three Reasons to Buy a DIGITAL Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:15:38 +0000

Resist it all you want, the Day of the Digital is here. I'm happy to see it, because it means that more and more folks will be able to make music themselves, rather than either listen wistfully as a music consumer or struggle endlessly to become a music producer. The piano, that instrument of choice, has been improved and updated using technology and those dedicated to creating music should be cheering. Those for whom any change is too much are fighting it, unfortunately. Let me tell you why they should get out of the way or even get behind the trend and push!

Six Big Changes in Piano Education Coming

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:36:18 +0000

I have some predictions, all of which I feel are part of a keyboard education revival. It will a slow but steady change and a change for the better, both for individuals and society. These changes affect YOU, the piano student, by pointing the way to your future success in learning to make music. Here are my predictions, based on the trends I actually see in the world. Happily, all these pieces of the future form a picture of more and more ordinary folks learning to play and enjoying making music.

Melody and Rhythm are More Important than Harmony

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:42:04 +0000

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of what I consider Advanced chord and fakebook usage, I want to urge you to keep your priorities straight as you study. These priorities are stated in this essay's title, at least as I've found them in 40+ years of successful piano performance. I truly believe it will be very worth your time to consider my reasoning before you embark upon the study of the rest of this ebook.

Why Does a Pianist Like Certain Styles?

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:22:59 +0000

First, we have the music itself, simply sounds organized for some artistic purpose.

Is “Rap” Music?

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:24:30 +0000

I teach piano to adults. They love many different kinds of piano playing from show tunes and ballads to the classics. One thing many of them say when the subject comes up is "Rap is not music." Most are then surprised when I explain why they should change their opinion - for their own good.

Enjoyment/Enrichment – Each Pianist Decides What that Means

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:02:14 +0000

Have you ever wondered why the "great" pianists, city symphonies, and many new recordings on CD seem to be re-hashing the wonderful works of dead composers? Have musicians gotten stupid or something? Or have they all become the victims of the pop music culture? Why is there little or no recent "great" music? If you have wondered these things, I may have some answers.

Mastery of Piano Music – How to Recognize It

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:07:47 +0000

I just realized a short, easy way to explain the experience of mastery to other pianists and piano students. Of course, the concept applies to lots of things other than the piano, but THIS is a piano website, so...

“Sycopation” Basics for Pianists

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:16:12 +0000

Few words seem more mysterious than "syncopation." Most piano students are given syncopated pieces at some point When these are presented, however, the pianist too often just plays what the composer or arranger has written. They can hear the interesting sounds and fascinating timing but don't really understand how that sound and timing is produced. They are just following orders, so to speak. I'd like to explain syncopation in the way my adult students, both live and online, have found useful and successful. Funny thing, it has always been my observation that the adult who understands what they play does a better job at it than the adult who only follows orders.

Making Piano Music “For Your OWN Enjoyment”

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:21:01 +0000

If there's one thing I've learned about teaching piano to adult students it's that they're interested in different things and thus require different materials and different styles of teaching. Consider a few students from my current crop: 1. A student who loves classical music and wants to play it well. 2. A student who already knows classical but wants to learn pop and rock well. 3. a student who knows nothing about piano except she wants to play it. 4. The student that prefers the many sounds and features of her electronic keyboard to that of a simple piano. Obviously (at least to me) one size does NOT fit all.

3 Tips for Learning Ragtime Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:05:25 +0000

I presented in my previous post the basics of ragtime piano and I said that understanding those basics were important to being able to play this music well. I'm now going to use the concepts I presented there to help you teach your hands the "tricks" that make up ragtime.

Ragtime – Always a Favorite of Pianists

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:23:10 +0000

The music called "ragtime" was invented in the late 1800's, fell out of public favor, but was revived with the movie "The Sting" way back "in the day" (1973). Piano teachers of the era (I was a student myself back then) were probably deluged with requests to learn to play the movie's big theme song, ragtime creator Scott Joplin's masterpiece "The Entertainer." Today, almost 40 years down the trail, this style of music keeps the interest of piano students. Quite a number ask to learn it as one of their reasons for "taking piano."

Enjoying Playing and Practicing Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:38:44 +0000

Instead of focusing on the sheer enjoyment of making music which they love, they wonder if they are "doing it properly." Similar concerns are too common as well. Such folks have been indoctrinated, often at a young age, that there is a right way and wrong way to make music. I'd say something different - that there is a way that makes the listener happy and a way that does not. By "listener" I include the pianist him/herself.

The Basics of Pedaling for Piano Students

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:29:54 +0000

When working with my best online student, I discovered I'd written a good essay about proper pedal work. I decided to reproduce it here in order to help others, as well as add some further instructions.

Nine Steps to Easy Jazz Piano Improv

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:33:29 +0000

The upside is that any mistakes are gone in an instant (unless you are so silly you call some attention to them.) The downside is that it requires some ability to play PLUS some measure of creativity. If your entire piano training has been "how to properly follow directions" then you are unused to exercising your own musical creativity. Perhaps some of this will help you "unleash the beast" of your "inner music monster!"

Scale Practice for the Amateur Pianist, Part One

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:52:35 +0000

I don't know why I was surprised when the site's "analytics" (the statistics that tell me each week what folks have been interested in reading) told me that the "big draw" recently was practicing scales - something I only rarely assign to my piano students. This interest makes sense, however, considering that music teachers have been pushing scale practice for centuries. This is sad to me, because more time and attention is wasted on lousy and inefficient scale practice by aspiring hobbyist pianists than almost anything, other than lousy and inefficient practice routines in general. I'd like to set the record straight on this topic and hopefully save you readers time and frustration.

Scale Practice for the Amateur Pianist, Part Two

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:50:07 +0000

In Part One, I suggested you ask yourself three questions regarding piano scale practice: "What will I, personally, get out of the effort that will help me play the music I want to play the way I want to play it?" "If scales provide something I need, is there any other way to get the same skill/knowledge, perhaps in more enjoyable fashion?" "Are all scales equally important?" meaning, "Which scales deserve the most attention?" and, "Are some scales not worth my time and effort?" This essay deals with the first two questions, which are closely related.

Scale Practice for the Amateur Pianist, Part Three

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:52:55 +0000

In this final essay regarding scales and scale practice, I'd like to answer the final (multi-part) question I posed in the first of these essays: "Are all scales equally important?" meaning, "Which scales deserve the most attention?" and, "Are some scales not worth my time and effort?" The simple answer to this question is "No" but such an answer doesn't help much or even inspire much confidence in its correctness. Let me explain.

Are You “Confused” During Piano Practice?

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:53:40 +0000

Some piano students find practicing piano, reading music, working on pieces "confusing." At least, that's the word they use at their lessons when trying to describe their problems. It's a very broad, general word and, because it is so general, it's almost impossible to "un-confuse" the student. If anything like this happens to you then read on, because I know a solution which will leave your path clear and obvious - and unconfused.

The Blues, a “Primer” for Piano Students

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:20:33 +0000

The Blues is a chord progression, a "form" every bit as formal as "sonata-allegro" form for a symphony. Any person at all familiar with western popular music has encountered this form many, many time, usually without knowing that it was form that defined "blues." That form is 12 measures long and goes like this:

Adult Students vs. Children – the VITAL Difference

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:54:40 +0000

This week I was reminded of the essential difference between the teacher focusing on young (5 -10 year-old) piano students and the piano instructor, such as myself, who specializes in teaching "the older learner." Unfortunately, what I actually refer to is the difference that OUGHT to be there but too frequently is NOT, resulting in unhappy and poorly functioning instruction.

PLAY the Piano, Don’t WORK the Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:15:01 +0000

There isn’t a bigger enemy to the piano student and pianist than frustration – and nothing is easier to defeat, if you wish it. All you have to do is change your mind. The key element, I believe, is keeping things in perspective. What is playing piano to you, dear reader? Life and death? Your family’s life and death? Your survival? The key to your happiness? Naw, of course not. For almost all piano students, playing piano is a source of enrichment, fascination, enjoyment, etc. In short, it’s their favorite HOBBY!

Adult Piano Lessons are Your Best Deal

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:44:58 +0000

Well, here we are, in another recession. I think this is the fourth or fifth since I began teaching adult piano. We always come back stronger than ever and history proves this. I have a couple of piano students old enough to have endured The Great Depression. These adults laugh at all the recent hair-pulling. However, things are NOT hearts and flowers financially.

Are You Nervous During Your Piano Lesson? – Part One

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:42:51 +0000

As almost all adult piano students know, "nervousness" remains a constant problem. I thought I'd share with you the exact psychology that underlies adult lesson nervousness in the hopes that some of you will find a new tool to help you enjoy your lessons more. I know it frustrates you - my personal piano students tell me about it several times a week.

Are you Nervous During Your Piano Lesson? – Part Two

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:41:14 +0000

There is more you should understand about the psychology of your nervousness at your piano lesson. I've been teaching adult piano lessons for over two decades and during that time, I've seen countless examples of the following "cycle of fear" in adult students:

Are you Nervous During Your Piano Lesson? – Part Three

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:37:11 +0000

Every adult piano student knows that nervousness during the piano lesson leads to a lack of enjoyment for lessons. I'd even wager that many pianists reading this little essay are here looking into online adult piano lessons because “live lessons” with a piano teacher is just scarier than they can stand. Allow me to present another in my series of possible “cures” for the nervousness so many student feel before, during, and after their piano lessons.

Change Your Mind, Change Your Piano Lessons

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:35:17 +0000

Once you've found a good piano teacher, someone you trust, someone who understands you and your needs, then almost all the rest depends on YOU. The piano student is mainly in charge during a series of piano lessons, for the simple reason that most of your learning occurs during your regular piano practice. Sure, your instructor can tell you what to practice and how to best practice it, but only you can follow those directions. Learning to play piano is something you do without the teacher present. Thus, anything that helps you do that would also make your lessons faster, better, and more enjoyable – right?

Evaluate YOUR Piano Lessons – Part One

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:33:17 +0000

My experience as a piano teacher has brought me into contact with many folks who have had past piano lessons. Too often, such lessons were NOT a joy and too often the piano student ended up blaming themselves for this unpleasantness. Such piano students often do not take further piano training, even though they still want to play the piano. Even when they do, they bring much “baggage” to their new piano lessons which hinders their progress. I hope to change some minds and thus help more people learn to play piano for their own enjoyment and that of others.

Evaluate YOUR Piano Lessons – Part Two

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:31:54 +0000

Evaluate YOUR Piano Lessons – Part Three

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:29:59 +0000

Evaluate YOUR Piano Lessons – Part Four

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:27:32 +0000

The essays in this series provide my personal viewpoints. I'm going to repeat my reasoning for this at the beginning of each essay in the the series. My experience as a piano teacher has brought me into contact with many folks who have had past piano lessons. Too often, such lessons were NOT a joy and too often the piano student ended up blaming themselves for this unpleasantness.

Find the BEST Adult Piano Lessons

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:25:38 +0000

Adults all want to learn to play piano faster and have more fun doing it. Some adult piano students are beginners, perhaps folks who always wanted to play but never got around to it. Other adults are already pianists but seek adult piano lessons to learn new styles of playing piano.

How to Get More from Piano Lessons – Part One

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:23:53 +0000

In order to increase ROI ("Return on Investment") from your piano lessons, we first must start with describing what a piano teacher does for us. We can then proceed to figure out how to maximize these benefits while minimizing the amount of our investment. I know this is not the usual approach taken by piano teachers. Most teachers want you to practice more, spend more time and effort to get what you want. This is not only an admission of inefficiency but probably won't happen with busy adult piano students. The time and effort simply isn't there in their lives.

How to Get More From Piano Lessons – Part Two

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:22:24 +0000

In the last essay in this series, we set out to discover how we could get more value from our piano lessons. I used a business term "ROI - Return on Investment" to take the discussion out of the emotionally charged world of music My first points were defining the role of the piano teacher in order to maximize the value to you, the adult piano student, of that worthy individual.

How to Get More From Piano Lessons – Part Three

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:20:43 +0000

The purpose of these essays is to "WIN (be successful) at piano lessons." Of course, saying this means nothing unless we fully and carefully define what we mean by "success." We could say that it means different things to different people, and to some degree this is true. However, for the vast majority of piano students, "success" means the ability to play various pieces of music they like in a reasonable manner after a reasonable amount of piano practice.

“I Played it So Much Better at Home”

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:17:28 +0000

Do you have a creeping anxiety that comes on as lesson time draws near? Have you actually used those evil words during your piano lesson, "I played it so much better at home?" Many, maybe most, piano students suffer from this dread affliction to some degree. Some start lessons with an advanced case and some develop the infection as lessons go forward. Either way, a fear of piano lessons makes instruction less than joyful and something you tolerate rather than something you look forward to. Wouldn't it be great to lose that fear?

Make Your Adult Piano Lessons WORK

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:15:07 +0000

One major key to success when taking adult piano lessons is opening your mouth! Yep, an open mouth with words coming out of it is more important than what you do with your hands and fingers, at least as far as having successful piano lessons. The reason is simple: if your piano teacher doesn’t know what’s happening with you, your teacher doesn’t know how to help you learn to play the piano properly.

My Favorite Piano Teaching Materials

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:13:33 +0000

This is a very common request I receive from online piano students. I'm happy to answer, but I sure wish the publishers of some of these manuals and music collections would send me some endorsement money!

Overcoming Fear of Adult Piano Lessons

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:11:55 +0000

One very large barrier during adult piano lessons is the fear of playing for your piano teacher. I well recall losing a good adult student to this during a Christmas break. This gentleman phoned me right after New Years to announce that he wouldn't be returning to piano lessons, "They just make me too upset and nervous." In a similar manner, adult students often try to cancel any lesson following a week where their practice was a bit lacking.

Piano Methods that Work Poorly – Part One

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:05:26 +0000

Over the years of piano teaching adults (and children, early in my career) I have heard hundreds of “piano horror stories.” A “piano horror story” is a tale in which an eager young piano student tries to learn to make happy music on the piano but gets much less than they might have due to bad piano teachers and/or bad piano teaching methods. Naturally, the students coming to me still asking for lessons would be those aspiring pianists who DIDN’T succeed, but if you think this makes my points any less valid, ask yourself this: How many people do you know who play the piano? How many people do you know who had piano lessons when younger or wanted to play the piano?

Piano Methods that Work Poorly – Part Two

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:03:05 +0000

Last week we began discussing what I call “snakeoil” piano lessons – meaning online “teachers” that promise the sun, moon, and stars to hopeful piano students by telling them they can teach them to play like a pro in some ridiculous amount of time and with little effort on the part of the student. I gave you three things to look for as identifiers of such methods, the first being some promise of a “new breakthrough” in piano teaching methods.

Piano Methods that Work Poorly – Part Three

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:00:06 +0000

What I call "the snake-oil methods" of piano "instruction" were the topic of my last post. As you may know, this is a reference to those scam artists of the past who sold strange liquids with strange names such as "Dr. Smythe's Snake-oil Root Elixir." Their victims were gullible and suffering folks who were led to believe that these "potions" ( turned out to be mostly alcohol and/or some "feel good" drugs) could cure whatever ailed them. In other words, "snake-oil salesmen" were scam artists who made false promises and somehow avoided the consequences.

Piano Methods that Work Poorly – Part Four

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:58:14 +0000

Previous essays have explained why many current methods are really "snakeoil" methods which promise much but deliver next to no piano skill. I also spend time discussing how this approach to learning to play piano was made attractive by the years of grinding, boring, and frustrating "teaching" on the part of piano teachers who turned making music into drudgery. Many folks have a stereotype of the piano teacher as a little old lady forcing kids to play endless scales while they'd prefer to be elsewhere, anywhere on a Saturday morning. Very unfortunately, this stereotype is fairly accurate. This essay explains why learning the piano doesn't have to be this way.

PLAY the Piano – Don’t WORK the Piano

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:56:19 +0000

There isn't a bigger enemy to the piano student and pianist than frustration - and nothing is easier to defeat, if you wish it. All you have to do is change your mind. The key element, I believe, is keeping things in perspective. What is playing piano to you, dear reader? Life and death? Your family's life and death? Your survival? The key to your happiness? Naw, of course not. For almost all piano students, playing piano is a source of enrichment, fascination, enjoyment, etc. In short, it's their favorite HOBBY!

Recitals: Get the Gain, Avoid the Pain

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:53:34 +0000

Having interviewed a couple thousand prospective adult students over the last two decades and then given most of these folks private piano and keyboard lessons, I can state with certainty that fear of piano recitals is pretty much a given for adult piano students. The majority simply hate the idea and are quite relieved when I explain I don't “do” recitals.

Taking the Pressure Off Piano Lessons – Part One

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:52:05 +0000

Piano students usually begin lessons with several mistaken ideas of what is important. Having these ideas, and wishing to be good students, they then focus their attention on the wrong aspects of practicing piano and performing piano. This makes for problems in playing and, most importantly, makes it hard to enjoy the process of learning to play during the weekly piano lesson.

Taking the Pressure Off Piano Lessons – Part Two

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:50:29 +0000

One of the chief reasons a piano teacher is valuable to the adult student is to provide pep talks and reasonable expectations. Sadly, many students' expectations of themselves and their progress are fairly UNreasonable. Such folk are usually somewhat down on themselves in general and can be recognized by the fact they start each lesson off with an apology to the teacher for their lack of progress, failure to accomplish something or other, poor amount of time spent at piano practice, something.

Taking the Pressure Off Piano Lessons – Part Three

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:48:54 +0000

Ask yourself if you are doing better this week than last week. If you are, you are progressing. So many of the students I've had are always comparing their current efforts with some nebulous idea of "perfection." Thus, they are always lacking in something (perfection being impossible in this world.) Thus, they are always feeling bad about themselves and their abilities.

Useful Materials for Adult Piano Lessons

5minutepianolessons@gmail.com (5minutepianolessons.com) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:13:29 +0000

This is a very common request via email from online adult piano students, folks I've never met but seemed to have helped. As much as I like to teach my live adult students is a personalized way, online adult piano students need some generalized suggestions Thus, I guess I had better spell it out once and for all.