When you ask people about setting goals, they seem to be in either one camp or the other – they either do it or they don’t. One of the reasons that people don’t like setting goals is because more often than not, their goals never come to be, so they just have resolved that setting goals may work for everyone else, but not for them. There is no doubt that setting goals is one of the best things you can do to make positive changes in your life. But there is a strategy to setting goals in a way that will better ensure your success - you have to do it S-M-A-R-T. S-M-A-R-T is an acronym to follow that will help you create goals that have more substance and a better chance of coming to Continue Reading
How much do I have to practice – please tell me the truth!!!
The classic question of all classics is how much do I have to practice? The honest to goodness truth is that the amount of time that you practice does not determine how fast you learn. It is how often you practice that determines how fast you learn. What do I mean by that? First, the most common mistake to make is to believe that you have to practice for hours to get good at the piano. That is NOT true. All you need to do is practice often for short periods of time. The one thing that will slow your progress is going long periods of time without practicing. You need to practice at the minimum 2-3 times a week, at the best, 5-7 times a week. Each practice session should be at Continue Reading
What are the piano pedals for?
There are three pedals that are standard on the piano, I will only address the the that is most widely used: The DAMPER pedal is often called "the sustain pedal". This is the pedal most commonly used and the only pedal option when you purchase a keyboard. When you have three pedals, it the pedal furthest to the right. To know how the damper pedal works, play any key on the piano and let go. Do you hear the note still ringing? Now, press the damper pedal down with your foot, and then play a key on the piano and let go of the key, but don't let go of the pedal. Do you hear the note still ringing? The answer is yes. When you press the damper pedal while playing the piano, the Continue Reading
Is using stickers on the keys a bad habit?
I don't encourage my students to use stickers. I can't tell you of the countless times I have had a student rely on stickers too long and can't play on any piano but their own. It truly is a handicap to you if you mark your keys in any way. It is true that it might help you play quicker and smoother, but the moment you take them away, the piano all of a sudden looks different and you are back to being confused again. I recommend flashcards for note memorization, but for flash cards to be the most effective is to not only name the note when you see it, but play it as well. Time yourself and see how quickly you can go through a handful of flash cards by saying it and playing it. Continue Reading
Banging on the Piano Syndrome
Question from a student: I am on Level 5 and happy with my progress. However, when I listen to your audio support the sound is lovely and "soft" - I seem to play the keys much stronger and harder. Do you have any tip(s) as to how I can train my fingers to be more gentle. (I work on a computer keyboard all day so I suppose I have learned to hit the keys hard!). Lisa's Answer: When I was learning, my mom always yelled at me about "banging" on the keys. It's a natural beginner tendency. It's good you are aware of it, because you will naturally work on it. ~smile~ It's being aware, controlling your muscles, and over time you will start to know how hard and soft to hit the keys Continue Reading
How to Practice More Challenging Songs
When songs start becoming more challenging, I recommend the following: First, make sure your practice sessions are at least 10 minutes. Second, focus only on a small portion of a song during a practice session. For example, measures 1-4 of the right hand, measures 5-8 of the right hand, or the last 4 measures, or you can group them in any other way you would like to. Master each grouping with each hand separately , then master each grouping with hands together. Never play the song from top to bottom until this process is over. However, make sure your timing is connected between the groupings so you song does not sound like separate groups of 4 measures. You can group your groupings Continue Reading