Songbird Piano Lessons

 A long, long time ago, I wrote a post titled  "Where's Your Piano?"  The subtitle was, "Someone Else's Thoughts on Where Your Piano Should Be." As you might guess, I didn't spend much time actually writing that post. Instead, as quickly as possible, I included a link to a different blog that had lots of great thoughts. The only good part about that post was the lovely stock photo of a piano on the beach.    Today is a redo of that post... because simply linking back to that post seriously isn't enough this time. Most of these ideas are not mine. If you click on the above link, and then the link included in that post, you'll discover where I got most of this from. But this time, I'm actually writing it.    So, as you prepare for the school year, here's a few thoughts to make the home practice environment more appealing to your young pianists. If you're new to this, and you're looking at getting a piano, get a good one. An acoustic...

 Last item on my  Summer Goals List!  It's hymn improv or playing by ear.    In retrospect, with summer being very close to over, this was an area where practice wound up being a lot different than I anticipated. But let me back up and start with the what and the why.    Hymn improv is basically starting with a piece of music intended for a four-part choir and turning it into a piano arrangement. This is important when you're in a church that still uses hymnals. It could also be applicable to working from a lead sheet, which I did do some of this summer. Either way, when you're playing for church (which I do), it's a skill that, like all other skills, needs practice to stay sharp.     Playing by ear is playing without music altogether. For me, this is a less pressing skill than arranging hymns or even  sight reading  or  technical prowess.  However, some people are whizzes at this, and I greatly admire them. Besides, ...

 I realize that, at the above title, most of you are probably thinking of something drastically different than I am.     You're probably thinking about a gym workout. About muscle tone. The sort of exercise that makes you stronger.    Sorry. The kind of tone we're talking about here has nothing to do with how your arms look. It has everything to do with what your ears hear. This is more along the lines of "tone of voice," only it's "tone of playing" instead. So what does good tone on the piano sound like? I turn to Edwin Gnandt's book, The Soul of the Music   (which I've previously reviewed here) , for our definition.    "Singing tone is a sound that is rich and ringing, yet velvet and warm at the same time. It is never harsh or strident and certainly never forced.... However, singing tone ultimately comes from the pianist, not the piano: even if the piano has the capability for singing tone, only the touch of a sensitive pianist can produce...

 Another flashback today! It's that time of year. September is coming on faster than anyone wants to admit, and parents have to decide what to sign their kids up for. Are you wondering if piano lessons is right for you? Click here to read my thoughts on whether you should or shouldn't consider piano lessons this fall.