Since the 18th century, Mozart’s music has inspired deep analysis and discussion for both performers and music analysts. I won’t go into too much detail, but if you found this post, you’re interested in how to “correctly” play Mozart’s music on the piano. In this post, I first provide a brief description of the long-discussed …
Piano Course Review: ProPractice by Dr. Josh Wright
Introduction In this post, I review Dr. Josh Wright's full “ProPractice Lifetime Access Course” that currently includes 4 levels divided into 2 parts each, technique and repertoire. If you’re only interested in the repertoire section of one level, you can purchase just that section alone here. I purchased the full course, so this post will …
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Twinkling Possibilities: Performance Tips and Theory Tidbits for Mozart’s 12 Variations on ‘Ah vous dirai-je, Maman,’ Part 2
Part 1 Last week we looked at the theme and first six variations of this famous piano piece by Mozart. This week, we’ll pick up right where we left off with brief analyses of what Mozart does to make each variation unique as well as the physical piano techniques required to successfully play each variation. …
Chopin’s Architecture: Phrase Structure in Chopin’s Waltz in B Minor, Op. 69 No. 2 for Composers, Performers, and Listeners
One of the toughest parts of creating anything is figuring out how to start. The biggest issue for me is that there is just so much I want to write about, say, or do in a project that I get overwhelmed and many times end up pushing it off. There’s our answer: limit the scope of …
The Sound of Rain: Chopin’s Raindrop Prelude for Listeners, Performers, and Composers
170 years after his death, Chopin still captivates audiences with his music. His set of preludes that cover all 24 major and minor keys are a great starting place to learn how to analyze his work, as it can be dense. This post looks at the qualities that make us feel the melancholy of the …
Creating Magic: Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1
Claude Debussy's music creates magic wherever it goes. It frequently draws new students to the piano with the desire of playing his most famous pieces like Clair de lune and Arabesque No. 1. This post looks at how Debussy composed this music and what that has to do with being a performer of his music as …
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5 Ways to Find Joy While Practicing an Instrument
As musicians, we spend a lot of time by ourselves in the practice room trying to acquire skills on our own, albeit with a little guidance from our teachers. It's pretty easy to practice when we first start out on an instrument. As the honeymoon phase comes to an end, however, we frequently find ourselves …
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The Power of Chopin’s Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28 No. 4
170 years after his death, Chopin still captivates audiences with his music. His set of preludes that cover all 24 major and minor keys are a great starting place to learn how to analyze his work, as it can be dense. An analysis of the Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28 No. 4 is valuable …
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Book Review: Piano Notes by Charles Rosen
Piano Notes: The World of the Pianist comes from Charles Rosen, a notable concert pianist, music critic, and overall celebrated thinker of music of the common practice period. His most well-known volumes on music are Sonata Forms, The Classical Style, and The Romantic Generation. Both of these large volumes were influential in the fields of …
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Tchaikovsky’s 7 Surefire Ways to Get Your Audience’s Attention
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) is known as one of the greatest romantic composers not only for his large body of work but also the intensity inherent in his music. It embodies the ideals of the romantic period by drawing on what's natural and intense emotion. In addition to his fame for these accomplishments, Tchaikovsky also …
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