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articles about the piano and music

“I like Wagner’s music better than anybody’s.  It is so loud that one can talk the whole time without people hearing what one says.” – Oscar Wilde

“I don’t play accurately- anyone can play accurately- but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte.”  – Oscar Wilde

Five Easy Things You Can Do to Make Your Repertoire Sound Better Instantly.

1. Slow down.

If you are unable to play fluidly, without any hesitations before beats, playing too fast will make those gaps sound longer. Playing slower will give you more time to find the correct notes and your music will sound better if you are not constantly hesitating before beats. Test yourself by playing with a metronome on to make sure beats are not coming in late.

2. Don't over-use the damper pedal.

When pianists don't pick up the pedal when needed, the melody lines and accompaniment are blended together into an unpleasant wash of sound. Learn to listen carefully to your pedalling as you play. Make sure you are lifting the pedal up as far as needed to clear the tones.

3. Play louder.

A good technique includes having the ability to play evenly and with control. If you play too lightly, the keys will not be depressed all the way down to the key bed, resulting in an uneven, weak tone.

4. Exaggerate the dynamics.

Composers specify dynamics in order for the pianist to faithfully recreate their concept for their works. There should be a discernible difference between mp and mf, for instance. Subtle dynamic changes that make a piece sound beautiful are often overlooked by the intermediate pianist. You may think you are playing louder or softer as indicated, but the dynamics may not be apparent to the listener.

5. Lighten up on the accompaniment.

The melody should be the focus of a piece, heard more distinctly and louder than the accompaniment. The accompaniment should never overpower the melody or be played so loudly that parts of it are mistaken for melody. When learning a new piece, always play the melody alone until you know it so well that you would be able to sing it. This will enable you to focus on the melody line as you play the music as written, keeping it louder and more expressive than the accompaniment.

Adults Under Stress Find Serenity Through Piano Playing.

Adult piano student Alan Rusbgidger works full time as the editor of the UK newspaper, The Guardian. In his recently published book, Play it Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible, he describes the year he dedicated to learn Chopin’s Ballade Number 1.

Rusbridger writes, “Perhaps if I’d known then what else would soon be happening in my day job, I might have had second thoughts. For it would transpire that, at the same time, I would be steering the Guardian through one of the most dramatic years in its history… there were the Japanese tsunami, the Arab Spring, the English riots . . . and the death of Osama Bin Laden”. He was determined to set aside time every day to do something completely unrelated to his work; hence his self-described “Chopin Year”.

Rusbridger discovered a serene calmness in his time spent at the piano, which lasted throughout his day. His music was his sanctuary in a world of urgent deadlines and details. “I feel my piano time helps my professional time. I hesitate to describe what it feels like – how it seems as if I’m using a different part of my brain when I’m doing my daily twenty minutes, and in some way it sets me up for the day. The chemistry has been altered.” Neuroscientist Ray Dolan explained how this phenomenon works and compared the experience Rusbridger describes to the sensation he feels (Dolan) when he goes skiing; “One of the things I notice when I ski is that I don’t think about other things, so all my anxieties and worries are gone out of the window.”

“I think when you’re in that sort of mode, using that particular form of memory, it does largely suspend all the other bits. It’s very difficult for you to be worried about whatever a Guardian editor worries about, when you’re in that space. I think it does set you up for the day because you allow yourself to be without all the anxieties and worries and troubles. I think it’s not a conscious thing. I think it’s when you get into that space your brain can’t do anything else. You’re liberated from the tyranny of your explicit, you know, over-representational mind.”

Dolan believes that the whole body benefits from playing the piano, not just the mind. “Because although you might have anxieties, that’s not just something that exists in your head; it exists in your body. Your blood pressure is going up, your stress ions are going up, and playing music is a great way of suspending it. My wife, who usually plays the piano for an hour a day, does it, she tells me, for that very reason: she’s just in another world.”

Other adult students have noticed that on the mornings they play before heading into the office, they have an increased vigor and enthusiasm for the rest of the day. “With other people it’s yoga or a run or a burst in the gym,” one student writes. “Twenty minutes on the piano has the same effect for me. Once it’s in the bank I’m ready for more or less anything the day can throw at me. Without it, things are harder.”
The Most Common Mistakes Made by the Intermediate Pianist.

1. Playing, not practicing.

In order to learn a piece quickly and thoroughly, troublesome sections must be isolated and practiced with as many repetitions as needed for the passage to flow without mistakes or hesitations. Beginning and intermediate pianists will often play through their music from beginning to end, continuing to stumble over the same problem areas.

2. Listening to too many recordings of a piece.

Your listeners want to hear your interpretation of the music you are playing for them. Listening to other pianists play the pieces you are working on may cause you to imitate their interpretation instead of expressing your own ideas about how the music should be interpreted.

3. Moving on to new music too soon.

After a pianist learns all of the correct notes, rhythms, and dynamics of a piece and can play it at the correct tempo, the task of creating something beautiful begins. Phrasing is often overlooked but crucial to the complete realization of a piece. Faithful execution of the dynamic markings is just the start. The intermediate pianist must learn to listen carefully to his pedalling and to the effect it has on the music instead of just lifting it mechanically out of habit.

4. Rushing to play pieces that are beyond their capabilites.

Intermediate pianists should not neglect repertoire that will help them expand their technical abilities and musicality. All too often, intermediate pianists choose pieces that are either technically or musically too demanding for them, resulting in disappointment when pieces don't sound the way they were expected to sound. Be honest about your current stage of accomplishment and choose music that you can play well now. Enjoy the journey. Each piece is a stepping stone to the music you may want to play when you are more advanced. It will be worth the wait.