Time to head off to the North Pole to check on the toy-packing and gift-wrapping. Some young people write letters with lists, and some might even try sending emails. But we’re going to hitch a ride for a little in-person inspection. And for that we need our thumbs! The thumb is such a useful, important […]
In many places Autumn is the most beautiful season, with colorful leaves creating a kaleidoscope of whirling reds, yellows, rusts, and orange-browns, each with its own changing nuance as the days and weather shift. Nuance itself is a delicate word, implying subtlety and fine distinctions. And attention to playing with nuance can begin early. Yes, […]
Most students dream of playing an as yet unattainable piece that represents what it means to be an artist at the piano. They imagine how they will sound when they can play such a famous composition. (Clair de Lune, perhaps?) And how do they get there? By beginning early with the very techniques needed to […]
Piano practice often seems like a lonely business. No partners. No other members of the band or orchestra with whom to make music. Yet, when you think about it, the hands themselves need to be partners. Unless they are a team, with each “member” playing its own role, the results may not be so successful. […]
Waves. The word immediately triggers images—motion, undulation, sweep, curve. It’s natural to describe waves as rolling in. The perfect wave is every surfer’s dream, the anticipation of the buoyancy supplied by the wave that carries you into the shore. Surfing the keyboard begins as early as Level 1. Learning to move into the keyboard with […]
Flying fingers! Who isn’t thrilled hearing a rippling succession of notes? Who doesn’t imagine that playing a smooth and fluid scale is a pianistic ultimate? And who doesn’t assume that the fingers must, indeed, “fly?” Well, here’s a surprise, explained and demonstrated by Dr. Faber. The fingers themselves don’t need to be fast. They just […]
The flowers that bloomed in April and May provide renewed hope and fresh delights. And the butterflies are here to sample the sweets! It’s tempting to chase them in order to admire their own special beauty. Just as a butterfly flits among flowers to “choose” a preferred nectar, students working in Piano Adventures Level 4 […]
At the Primer Level we lay foundations. We are beginning everything that will follow. And, in the words of Plato, “You know that the beginning is the most important part of any work, especially in the case of a young and tender thing.” Guiding a young student to form a rounded hand shape so the […]
Nature offers wonderful contrasts. Dramatic red flowers emerging from rich, black earth. Subtle shades of green in a deep forest. Pianistic artistry also involves dramatic and subtle contrasts. As Dr. Faber points out in Sunshine, Raindrops from Technique & Artistry Level 2B, it is the balance between melody and harmony that guides the ear and […]
March is “madness” time—at least for basketball fans. We can imitate the idea of a basketball dribble at the piano. By bracing finger 3 with the thumb a student can confidently bounce his/her own “basketball” up and down the keys. As the coach, our young player is “in training” for firm fingertips and a flexible […]
