Pianodao

Mark Tanner’s ‘The Mindful Pianist’

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

“Mindfulness” has become one of the buzzwords of the decade. We’ve no doubt all seen the regular articles about it in the popular press, exploring the possible benefits of mindfulness practice for our physical and mental health, productivity, learning, and general happiness.

But what of piano players: how can we benefit from mindfulness practice?

It’s a question for which we might hope to find answers in highly respected teacher, composer and pianist Mark Tanner’s hotly anticipated book and much lauded The Mindful Pianist, published by Faber Music this autumn.

According to the publishers:

“The Mindful Pianist presents amateurs and professionals with a fresh perspective on playing and performing. Applying the concept of mindfulness to the piano, this invaluable text explores the crucial connection between mind and body: how an alert, focussed mind fosters playing that is more compelling, more refined and ultimately more rewarding …

Ultimate Easy Piano Songlist

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Here’s a book that I suspect many will rush to buy – a bumper collection of easy piano arrangements of great popular tunes, from the contemporary to the classic.

With (according to the cover) over 90,000 units sold, the hits that make up this “Ultimate Songlist” plunder the charts across many decades, from Cilla Black to One Direction, from Nat King Cole to Elbow, and from Wham! to Radiohead. Movies are well represented too, with The Hanging Tree (from The Hunger Games series) and Let it Go! (from Frozen) standing out as welcome highlights.

In theory there should be something here for everyone, and in practice … there probably is!

Of course any collection of this kind can be “miss” as much as “hit”, and I suspect that the best market for this collection will be families that want to gather around the piano for a sing-song, or which have more than one player in them, and from different age groups.

But you can see the full track list here for yourself, and make up your mind whether it appeals to you.

Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Tim Richards will be known to many readers as the best-selling author of the seminal Improvising Blues Piano, which set a new standard in jazz education publishing upon its first release back in 1997.

His follow up books Exploring Jazz Piano volumes 1 and 2, and Exploring Latin Piano (co-written with John Crawford de Cominges) have consolidated his place as a leading authority in the field of blues and jazz piano playing and teaching. Before proceeding, let me say that if you don’t already own Tim’s previous books, you owe it to yourself to buy copies right away.

Tim’s latest publication (once again brought to us by the forward-thinking Schott Music) is called Tim Richards Blues, Boogie and Gospel Collection (hereafter BBGC for short).

Take a Bow! How, When and Why…

Pianodao Articles • Full Archive

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales

As the pianist releases the final notes of the piece, the audience bursts into enthusiastic applause. The player stands and takes a bow. It’s a code of conduct that we tend to take for granted, but one that should be taught and practised as part of performance preparation.

I try to cultivate a friendly, non-competitive, informal atmosphere at my student concerts, but it’s still important to teach new performers the importance of more formal “stagecraft”, etiquette, and the essential place of taking a bow to receive and acknowledge audience applause. I often give students a mock performance experience in their lesson, including teaching them how to bow.

Here is a quick summary that supports that practice.

The Pianist’s Emotions

Pianodao Wellbeing • Mind, Body, Soul

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales

Louise Eales has more than 30 years of clinical experience as an advanced mental health practitioner, with specialisms in child and adolescent psychiatry, and neurodiversity. She is also a fully qualified practising acupuncturist. I am grateful for her professional insights, range of specialist advice, and collaboration in the writing of this important article.

Emotions are an essential aspect of our basic humanity. But when they are out of balance they can become problematic, with the potential to leave us feeling shipwrecked and adrift.

This is true for everyone, but for piano players there can sometimes be some additional challenges, and the back-and-forth swing from over-excitement to terrible disappointment can become our daily emotional landscape.

Faber Music Piano Anthology

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Faber Music launched their deluxe Faber Music Piano Anthology with impeccable timing, just a few weeks before Christmas – but it makes a wonderful gift book for enthusiastic pianists, all the year around!

A Voyage of Discovery

Pianodao Articles • Key Topics

Guest Post by Paul Harris

In this important and persuasive article, esteemed educator and best-selling author Paul Harris explains how deep subject knowledge promotes spontaneity, and how a connected “simultaneous learning” approach can enhance teaching…

A lesson is a journey. But a rather special kind of journey: more a voyage of discovery. And we, as teachers, are both pilot and guide, working alongside our pupils, sometimes planning the route together, with the ultimate intention of teaching them to guide themselves.

And what makes each journey, each lesson, so exciting, is that we don’t necessarily know either the route or exactly where we are heading … until we get there! But, crucially, we need to ensure that the journey is both enjoyable and productive.

Breathing at the Piano

Pianodao Wellbeing • Mind, Body, Soul

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales

Are you sure that you breathe when playing the piano?

It might seem like an odd question. Of course we continue to breathe while playing! But to what extent are we aware of our breath, and how it affects our technique, musicality, and comfort at the piano?

These questions are surely among the most important for all piano players and teachers to consider.