Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales
The question of why we play the piano would seem to be both an obvious one to ask and an easy one to answer. And yet it rarely is. In this article I am going to consider four ‘types’ of player, while recognising that many of us combine aspects of most or all of them.
Continue reading Why do we play the piano?Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales
The rise and rise of electronic video, console and computer games over the last two decades has been spectacular. From Pokémon to Grand Theft Auto, and from Minecraft to Wii Sports, games have become hugely popular and lucrative, and some academics even suggest that they are now the dominant cultural form of the 21st century.
In his much-discussed paper Manifesto for a Ludic Century, Eric Zimmerman suggests that while the twentieth century was the age of information and of moving pictures, the twenty-first is the ludic (game-centric) century.
Zimmerman enthuses,
“Increasingly, the ways that people spend their leisure time and consume art, design, and entertainment will be games, or experiences very much like games.”
We certainly see growing evidence of gamification in music education, and in this article I will be considering and reflecting on the transformative impact this may be having, for better or worse…
Continue reading The Gamification of Musical LearningSupporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales
At time of writing, many around the world are celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights which signifies victory over darkness, and a beacon of hope that speaks to the heart of our present condition.
Digging out and dipping into my copy of the Bhagavad Gita, one of India’s most important sacred texts, the following verse jumped off the page:
“Those who are motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.”
The Bhagavad Gita (2.48)
This set me wondering: to what extent do ‘results’ cause me anxiety?
Continue reading Making Peace with your Inner MusicianSupporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales
The start of any new year or season is for many a time for making resolutions: a time for ambition, grit and determination.
Whether it’s a fresh commitment to healthy eating and exercise, or a renewed self-discipline in setting aside time to practise the piano, this is a month where many make a decision to turn a new leaf.
But how can we foster perseverance and ultimately success?
Continue reading The Pianist’s ResolutionSupporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales
“Musical focus is paramount.
So many pupils are concerned with technical problems divorced from their musical raison d’être. Their focus is solely on the hurdle and its insurmountability.
But the problems virtually disappear and the road opens when they are seen within a musical context. Even the most difficult passages, given musical motivation become not only approachable but achievable.”
Norma Fisher: International Piano, Sept/Oct 2010
So often as a teacher I come across players who “learn the notes” first, only later considering the expressive intentions of the music they are studying.
“For next week, why not try to add the dynamics…”
It’s certainly an easy trap to fall into: reading the notation, working out finger patterns, discovering the music with a systematic, segregated scheme in mind, rather than trying to “run before you can walk”.
And yet I always recommend that players try to pay attention to the dynamics, articulation and other expressive details as early as possible in the learning process. Adding these as an after-thought has always seemed to me a slightly odd way to do things.
Continue reading Musical Focus is ParamountSupporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales
Ask these questions to a hundred pianists, and there’s a good chance you will hear a hundred different answers, but common themes will likely emerge.
In this article I am going to consider the many and complex motivations we all experience in life, and how they pertain to our piano playing.
Continue reading The Pianist’s MotivationsSupporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales
One of the major stumbling blocks for players is that we too often feel that we are struggling, making little progress, and perhaps just haven’t got what it takes to become a “good player” (however we define what that is).
To enjoy playing an instrument, we need to move beyond this negative self-talk. And I suggest that one of the most easy and powerful ways we can achieve this is to adjust the balance between working and playing during our personal piano time.
Which brings us to the question,
Continue reading What Can You Play?“What can you play?”
Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Written by Andrew Eales
I recently asked the members of an online piano teaching forum the following question:
“I want to learn to play piano for fun…”
What do you think when pupils/parents say this to you?
Perhaps it’s no surprise that answers ranged from “Get a trampoline!” at one end of the spectrum, to “Great, that’s the best reason!” at the other. And the constructive debate which followed certainly proved illuminating.
With this in mind, I would like to share a few of my own views and hope this will encourage further thought and ongoing discussion.
Continue reading Playing the Piano “For Fun”?
