Site for Free Intermediate Piano Duet Music

http://www.quatre-mains.net/#m

Distance Between You and the Piano

1. Measure the distance between you and the piano: put your arms straight out from your body, closing your hands to make loose fists.
2. Your knuckles should just touch the fallboard. That's how you measure the distance between you and the piano

Measure the distance between you and the piano by putting your arms straight out from your body, your hands in loose fists. Your knuckles should touch the fallboard (that's the board that comes down when you cover the piano keys.

Remember, sit tall. Your arms should be level with the keyboard. If they aren't, you may need to use a cushion to elevate yourself a little.

Good posture at the piano is important. Good technique is dependent on it.

Using a Metronome to Practice Links

First, keep shoulders and arms as relaxed as possible when practicing. Don't tighten up. Rhythm should be steady and even. Start with a slow tempo and gradually increase the tempo.

Divide your piece into "links," like chain links, either 1-, 2-, and/or 4-beats or 1-, 2-, and/or 4-measures. Divide 16th notes into beats; divide quarter and eighth notes into measures.

Start with short links and master the rhythm and notes for each link. Using a metronome will help you keep the rhythm steady.

Play the link from the first note through the first note of the next link. In this way, you are linking the them. Repeat over and over, using the metronome set at a slow tempo, until that link is mastered.

Keeping the slow tempo, expand the link, from 1-beat to 2-beats or from 2-beat links to 4-beat links, and so on.

How to Practice with a Metronome

Here are some simple guidelines in practicing with a metronome:
1. Practice one phrase at a time.
2. Start with a slow tempo.
3. At first, practice playing hands separately.
4. Once you've mastered separate hands, play phrase with both hands.
5. Once you can play the phrase well at the slow speed, gradually increase tempo a notch or two at a time.
6. Repeat process.
7. Always keep the rhythm and notes even and steady.
8. Relax shoulders and arms when you play.
9. Work on individual phrases, slow to fast tempo, and then begin practicing them together in the same slow-to-fast routine.

Video #25: Learning to Play Major and Minor Triads

Check out this website for a good video on learning Major and minor triads in a progressive format. As is pointed out in the video, watching the video only takes a few minutes but it may take years to master this exercise. It combines visual plus audio plus hands-on to learn the triads.

http://www.true-piano-lessons.com/how-to-play-the-piano.html

Video: Major & Minor Triads Progression Of Learning

Video #24 How to Play Faster

http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/experts/robert/faster/

Another great Robert Estrin video on how to play the piano faster.

He points out that the two things that are required to increase speed is finger strength and using proper technique.

Practicing naturally will add strength. Adding scales, arpeggios and exercises to your practice that enhance that strength.

He offers a couple of ways to develop greater speed in your piano playing.

One is to practice slowly, using a metronome, increasing speed one notch at a time.

Another way is to take the piece apart, one small part at a time. Focus on mastering a particular phrase using one hand position/finger patterns. Practice that one phrase slowly, with the metronome. Gradually increase it until you can play it rapidly and fluently.

Take the next little phrase and practice it the same way.

Then then the last couple of notes of the first phrase and add them to the second phrase. Practice until flawless. Then play the entire two phrases together until mastered.

Continue through the piece.

Use minimal arm weight. The fingers are basically fluttering over the keys.

Music Lessons Make Smarter Kids, Studies Show

Children who take music lessons test higher than those who don't, studies show. This article sites sources:

http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/pianolessons.html

To quote from the article:

"The Canadian study lends support to the idea that musical training may do more for kids than simply teach them their scales--it exercises parts of the brain useful in mathematics, spatial intelligence and other intellectual pursuits.

'With music lessons, because there are so many different facets involved--such as memorizing, expressing emotion, learning about musical interval and chords--the multidimensional nature of the experience may be motivating the [IQ] effect,' said study author E. Glenn Schellenberg, of the University of Toronto at Mississauga."

I believe that music lessons help develop a person's brain because when you're playing a musical instrument, you're utilizing all the modes of learning--auditory, visual, hands-on, etc.