Secondary Dominant Chords: Don’t Know Why by Jesse Harris
How secondary dominant chords are used in “Don’t Know Why” by Jesse Harris to add color and forward momentum
music
How to Learn a Song by Ear
How to learn a song by ear: do you find it overwhelming or just don’t know how to start? The easiest way to get started is to break the song down into smaller pieces and focus on each one at a time. I am a piano teacher who had to learn to learn music by …
Announcements: August 2021
I’ve been a busy bee behind the scenes, which means you haven’t seen too many new posts in a while. But now, most of the behind-the-scenes work is done, and I’m excited to share the news with you! Brand New Layout Hope you enjoy the new layout of the site! It should be much easier …
Reality Check Your Goals: Mindset and New Experiences
Last time, I focused on why being specific and relevant in your piano journey is helpful and how to implement that practice in your own goal-setting. In this post, I’m focusing in on the “MART” of smart goals and what it means to “reality check expectations,” as this is where new pianists especially struggle with …
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Anatomy of a Christmas Carol: Deck the Hall
Deck the Hall is a classic Welsh Christmas carol from the 16th century. From its long-lasting popularity, we can learn how looking at the harmony, melody, and overall structure of a piece contributes to our ability as performers to control more fully how we express emotion and narrative (if there is a story) in a …
Set Yourself Up for Success: Be Specific in Your Goals
This is part 3 in the series on charting your quest, strategizing your piano journey so that you don’t get lost in some figurative dark forest of no return. We’re making plans, so you can achieve your goals and feel really awesome about the work you’re doing! The first few posts aren’t about the act …
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How Curiosity Keeps Us Happy and Motivated While Practicing an Instrument
This post is part 2 in the Chart Your Quest series, for people wanting to start learning piano (or any instrument!) but don’t know where to start! You can read the first part here. Last week, we talked about finding our motivation: what is it we actually want to learn to do in piano and …
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Chart Your Quest: How to Plan Your Piano Journey
Taking up piano is very much like embarking on an epic quest. You have a general idea of where you need to go, but there’s a lot of terrain between here and there that you don’t know about yet.
If you’re not careful, you could end up trapped in a dark forest of no return!
But don’t worry, these posts will be your guide to finding the perfect guide for you. It will help you create the path for your journey, starting with where you’re going and why.
Minuscule: Tips for Pianists With Small Hands
I am a pianist with small hands. That presents a challenge when many composers (cough, cough Rachmaninoff) write lovely pieces with large chords. Over the years, I’ve learned strategies for facing these challenges. Below are four tips on playing large intervals as a small-handed pianist that promotes healthy technique and ease of tension. But first …
Spooky, Scary Songs: A Halloween Composition Pack
One of the best ways to learn anything is by creating. Think about the last paper you wrote? You were a lot more invested in that history topic than you were by just reading about it. The same goes with music. You gain a more intimate knowledge of piano by playing it. You feel the …
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