Practice Tools

Looping

To make ourselves thoroughly comfortable with a tricky passage, it can be helpful to practise it “on a loop”, repeating several times. With each repetition we aim to finesse our sound, to feel loose and free in the body and to correct any unwanted accents, wobbles or dings. Chopin - Waltz in E minor, B.56 Beethoven - Sonata No. 30... Read >>

How and When to Use Slow Practice

I have noticed some folk think they are beyond slow practice – that’s something only beginners do. Far from it! One of the twentieth century’s great pianists, Sergei Rachmaninov practised so slowly that even his colleagues didn’t recognise the piece. This was not music he was learning from scratch, but something he had performed many times and was practising slowly in order to keep it in good shape. If you’re serious about playing the piano, there’s no getting away from slow practice. It is a cornerstone of our work from the beginner stages right through to the advanced level, and... Read >>

The Practice Tools

Graham Fitch's tried and tested practice tools provide highly effective ways to transform your practice sessions into productive and enjoyable experiences.... Read >>

Warm-Ups Revisited

A Body / Mind Approach

In this two-part video lecture, William Westney re-thinks warm-ups and demonstrates an effortless process that takes only a few minutes to ensure successful daily practice.... Read >>

Inventing Exercises from Your Pieces - Repertoire Examples (1)

Beethoven - Sonata No. 27 in E Minor (Op. 90, 1st mvt) Beethoven - Sonata No. 27 in E Minor (Op. 90, 2nd mvt) Resources & links Open domain editions for... Read >>

Inventing Exercises from Your Pieces - Repertoire Examples (2)

Chopin - Étude Op. 10, No. 12 Chopin - Étude Op. 10, No. 12 (Cortot Exercise) Chopin - Étude Op. 10, No. 12 (Cortot Exercise) ... Read >>

The Floating Fermata

Beethoven - Ecossaise in E-Flat (No. 4 from Six Ecossaises, WoO 83) Faure - Andanta Moderato (No. 5 from Piecès brèves, Op. 84) Beethoven - Sonata No. 8 in C Minor (‘Pathétique’, Op. 13, 1st mvt) Resources & links Open domain editions for the works featured in this video are... Read >>

Deconstruction - Repertoire Examples (2)

Tchaikovsky - June from The Seasons, Op.37a Tchaikovsky - June from The Seasons, Op.37a Mozart - Piano Sonata No.11 in A major, K.331 (3rd mvt) Resources & links Open domain editions for the works featured in this video are available via the following links: Tchaikovsky The Seasons, Op.37a... Read >>

Inventing Exercises from Your Pieces - Introduction

This set of videos will help you come up with creative ideas for inventing your own exercises within your pieces to solve problems and master challenging passages. Debussy - Arabesque No. 1 from 2 Arabesques Resources & links Open domain editions for the works featured in this video are available via the following links: Debussy 2 Arabesques ... Read >>