Relax, Breathe, Back-up. You are probably rushing yourself. Now...practice the piano again...see, it works! Learning piano takes time. Each day you will be a little better than the day before. Yes, a few days you missed your practice,, BUT...Get back on track, in the groove, on schedule. Don't fret. Your piano skills will show the progress! Take action, get your inspiration. Be the best piano player today that you can be! Oh..and Happy Almost Valentines Day! 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
Switching Smoothly Between Chords with Video
Chord switching can be frustrating, but after teaching for 22 years, I have never had a student who did not stuggle a bit, NOR have I ever had a student who cannot do it after some practice. Each student is different, therefore, each student takes a different amount of time to master it. The good news is,that once your fingers master it,you will be able to do it without thinking. Your finger muscles will develop it's own "memory" and your fingers will form the chord changes without much "brain" concentration. This, I promise! Just hang in there and allow yourself to move along in the lessons. Just take a few extra minutes before practice to concentrate on just switching back and Continue Reading
How do I know you are going to send my product?
That is an interesting question, and I can understand this concern if you are from a different country, or you have never ordered online. This question was more common about 10 years ago when the internet was new, and it was scary to send money to someone you never met. However, today, ordering online is a common practice and the odds of running into someone who is being dishonest with their business is low. The best way I can answer that question for me, is that I am a professional, and have been online since 1997, and will continue to be online for years to come. If you send money, and I don't deliver your product, I would not only be hurting you, but I would be hurting myself, my Continue Reading
Why is beginner music limited to 5-finger songs?
First of all, don't let that question scare you... in my curriculum you won't be limited to 5 finger songs... I have remedied that and you will be able to play some familiar songs right away. However, aside from my special "remedy" I do start with teaching you a few songs in the 5 finger position. The reason you won't find the songs you want to learn in an easy 5 finger format is because most songs have a broader reach of notes than just the 5 fingers. You won't get into the more familiar songs until you have increased your knowledge of notes. In a well thought out curriculum you will be introduced to reading notes a few at at time so that it is not overwhelming. Think of it like Continue Reading