Welcome to my Q&A for all the students and parents/spouses of piano students. I hope you'll find an answer here - - perhaps even an answer to a question you didn't know you had!
Read through the list of questions in this file before you e-mail me with a question, please. I receive a lot of the same things over and over, and because of my RSI, I really want to save keystrokes and avoid answering the same questions again and again! Therefore, please read first to see if there's an answer to your question. E-mail me if you have questions not answered or need clarification. This way I can answer more questions before my hands refuse to type! Thanks for your understanding.
Another note: As these questions are answered in order of receipt, there may be other answers that are germane to your question, particularly ones that fall later in the sequence. Please check the list of all questions, including searching on "keywords," such as tuition, make up lessons, piano brand, practice, etc., as most of the time I have not cross-referenced one answer to another in the interests of answering more questions.
And finally: Please put something in the subject line of your e-mail (Piano Question is especially good). My filters are set so that emails with blank subject lines are automatically deleted.
I'm going to base my answers on the following hypothetical student: You practice 60-90 minutes a day at least 6 days a week. If you practice 30 minutes daily, your progress will be cut approximately in half, probably more.
Other criteria for this example: you are starting from scratch as an adult; maybe you had some lessons (piano or other instrument) as a kid but have forgotten everything. You have a real piano to practice on. You're motivated to learn and have average "talent." You see your teacher once a week (for an hour lesson).
After a year, I would call you an advanced beginner or an early intermediate, if there must be a title put on things. (Note: I do not consider Für Elise to be early intermediate literature, by the way; to play it all and to play it well, it's really lower advanced; the first section standing alone might be termed early intermediate.) More specifically:
Reading
You would be able to read fluently from C (two octaves below middle c) to c'' (2 octaves above), including sharps, flats, double sharps, double flats, and naturals.
You would have started a program of sight- reading at about 6-9 months of study. You'd read 1-2 pages daily, going for accuracy only and forgetting about speed.
I would have you reading key signatures by now and would expect you to remember altered notes 70% of the time without writing them in, but I certainly wouldn't object if you needed to write in some of them you kept forgetting (but not all, at this point).
Counting
You'd be able to count fluently quarter/half/whole/dotted-half/double whole notes. You'd be about to start learning eighth-notes You wouldn't be undone by a meter change or hemiola (or a key change).
Technique
You'd be working from Schmitt and Hanon. Also chromatic scales. We'd probably be starting an octave exercise regimen soon if we hadn't already. When you start playing Clementi sonatinas, we'd start diatonic scales. We'd have been playing hand-over- hand triad arpeggios since month one, and I'd expect you to have finished the major group, be somewhere near the end of the minors or even part-way through the augmenteds (diminished is last). There are 48 triads, total.
You would be fluent in playing staccato in one hand and legato in the other and vice versa. Also the same with forte and piano. I doubt I would have said anything at this point about voicing, though we might have played Burgmüller's "Clear Stream" (from Op. 100) if you could read eighth-notes already (which is unlikely). Perhaps we'd have touched on portato, but probably not.
You'd have good control over dynamics, although playing softly would probably still be difficult at pp and ppp - - but then, that's tough for us all! You would be able to play smooth cres. and dim. and be able to do that in one hand while holding the other at a steady dynamic level.
You'd understand the basics of fingering and be unafraid to toss out the editor's suggestions.
Pedaling
You'd have begun use of syncopated pedaling, although you would not be too experienced with it. We'd have discussed touch pedal, too.
Practice Techniques
You'd know how to use a metronome to speed up a piece systematically. You'd know how to select a speed for the goal you have. I'd have harped again and again about working on a small section instead of roaring thought the whole piece! You'd know how to practice efficiently by setting goals for your practice. You'd use other practice techniques, such as blocking an arpeggiated piece. You'd know about rhythms and when it's good to use them as a practice tool.
We'd have talked about being stymied and why you seem to play better at home.
Theory
You'd know how to build any of the 48 triads, even if you hadn't played them all yet. You'd be able to recognize printed triads in root position easily (and maybe some inversions, too, but probably not), whether blocked or arpeggiated or scrambled. Also I-V-I patterns. We'd be beginning to talk about V-I cadences and structure. ABA form. Rondo form. Variation form. You'd be able to tell the key of most any piece you played (secret: what is the triad in the last measure?). We may have talked about modulation and transposition, but not in any fashion other than to point out that the key of the music changed even though the key signature didn't.
We might have discussed the harmonic series and temperaments, but this isn't likely unless you're a physicist or acoustician or otherwise had a interest in this. Maybe I would have begun discussion of the circle of fifths (although you probably wouldn't understand it fully yet), why certain keys have sharps and flats, and how scales are built. You would have derived all intervals in half-steps and would have written down all possible names for them. For example: an augmented unison is the same as a minor second; and a major third sounds the same as a diminished 4th
You might have done some playing "fake book style."
Ear-Training
You'd easily recognize consonance/dissonance and octave/not-octave. I wouldn't expect you be able to recognize harmonic or melodic intervals by ear. You probably could tell the difference between a major and minor triad, although if you had not already finished the majors and begun the minor triad arpeggios, such as discussion would be meaningless.
Literature
We would have done material from all musical periods by now: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, and Contemporary. You'd be able to play contrapuntal music as well as chordal.
Ornamentation
You'd be quite fluent with mordents and turns and pretty comfortable with trills, including those with Nachschläge (the quick notes that follow the repercussions of the two trill notes). We'd perhaps have touched on whether "those little [single] notes" are grace notes, acciaccaturas, appoggiaturas, or quick appoggiaturas, but maybe not. We would not have discussed trills with turned beginnings, although we might have touched on French Baroque notion of inégalité. (That is, "unequalness" of the smallest prevailing note value; usually this is the eighth-note. Played in this style, instead of two eighth-notes, you'd play one dotted-eighth and one sixteenth for that quarter-note value. There are different types of unequalness, but this is the form 90% of French Baroque music takes).
Performance
You would have played in at least one formal piano recital with my other adult students. To dispel fear of public performance, I would have asked you to make it a point to play for guests in your home. I also would have encouraged you to attend the monthly piano parties my adults hold to give themselves the opportunity to play for "an audience."
Remember what I said at the beginning of this litany: All this is based on 60-90 minutes' daily practice, which, in turn, correlates with speed of progress.
Ask your [prospective] teacher what you can reasonably assume to be able to do in a year. Be prepared to give the teacher the minimum practice time you will have to devote on a daily basis.
This depends on the child. Short answer: 30 minutes.
Although you didn't ask this specifically, my answer really has to do with my philosophy of home practice.
I don't like my students clock-watching and counting minutes. (This is why I never ask them to write down their practice minutes or have a "practice minutes contest.") I prefer to focus on reaching goals for the practice session: quality rather than quantity.
Adults and teens are successful with goals such as: to fix the fingering in measure 5. Children usually cannot function in this manner, so I structure - - or rather, *we* structure - - the practice session in terms of playing accomplished. For example, the child will decide whether he can tackle the entire piece or just a portion of it. Then he identifies what needs to be done in that portion - - notes? counting? fingering? getting the hands together? Next he estimates how many times he'll have to play that section every day in order to have it learned - - to have reached his goal - - by the next lesson. I write in the assignment pad the number he estimates. It is uncanny, but 95% of the time he names exactly the number I had in mind for him. If his estimate is way off the mark, I will say, "Not enough for that size goal" or "Oh, that's way too many!" Occasionally if his estimate is too low and he sticks by it (and I know that the goal he set is substantially below what he could accomplish), I'll say, "If you really think that 2 times is all you need, then I think you probably could bite off a bigger portion of this piece."
This practice method has several other advantages. (1) It encourages home practice because if the child does not do it, he disappoints himself in not reaching the goals he selected. (2) It enables practice to be broken in segments if necessary to allow for scheduling conflicts, multiple piano-users, or children with shorter attention spans. (3) It enables the parent to monitor practice accurately because he can look at the assignment pad and know whether he heard the third line 5 times or only once. (4) It encourages further piano playing because once the child has completed the tasks he helped to lay out, he knows he is free to get up and do something else or he can stay and play for fun. (5) The organized approach gives children experience in applying time management skills.
Back to my short answer. I think that an 8-year-old has the staying power to practice for 30 minutes (whether at one session or divided into two or three sessions), so I structure the lesson content so that his daily home practice will equal approximately 30 minutes. This usually includes a finger exercise of mine called Finger Builders; an exercise or two from John Schaum's "Finger Power" or from Aloys Schmitt's "Preparatory Exercises for Piano" (Op. 16); a hand-over-hand triad arpeggio; 3 to 4 songs; perhaps also a review song, a hot fudge song (emphasizing legato playing), a metronome song (emphasizing staying with the metronome), or a curving fingers song.
Well, first of all, I think you probably should ask your teacher for suggestions - - unless you disagree with a dictum that has been given to you and you are asking me for "a second opinion"!!
I am assuming that you are at least past the Clementi sonatina level, yes? If so, you should be practicing 45-60 minutes/day. This will include time for your technical studies and sight-reading. If you are playing Mozart and Beethoven sonatas, I'd say 60 minutes is appropriate. Remember not to practice -too- much, as you risk having a problem with repetitive stress injury.
Assuming your sister also started at age 4, she should be practicing 30 minutes/day. If she's playing the Clementi sonatinas, then I'd say closer to 45 minutes than 30.
A better approach, in my opinion, would be to set a series of goals for yourself daily and practice long enough to reach them. Make sure the goals are attainable, not sky-high or so large that you get discouraged.
Poor kid! He will not retain this material at all at this point, so it's really busy work. First, you might talk to the teacher and explain that the child really is confused about how to do this and thus you question whether he's ready to absorb the material. ("Perhaps this is too much for him right now?")
For just this reason, I don't use "theory books." They're based on what some teacher(s) remembered they did as students or are a boiled-down version of some college freshman theory text, not at all what the student needs. My personal approach is to wait until the child asks a question; this indicates that -he- perceives a hole in his knowledge. The answer - - which then must be reinforced several times - - is thus more likely to stick. (Of course, I can't wait for everything to come up on its own, so I have a basic list of items that I just introduce when I think the student is physically ready to do them, such as hand-over-hand triad arpeggios.)
Now, as to your problem. One way is to count "half-steps away." This means don't count the starting note but do count the ending note. For example, from C to C# is one half-step. (You did not count C, the starting note, but you did count C#, where you ended up; as it happens this was the destination - - not far.) Another example: from C to F# is 6 half-steps. (If you will allow me a digression: 6 half-steps is also 3 whole steps; this is also known as the tritone, which is the most dissonant interval in music. In the middle ages, it was called "diabolus in musica," [the Devil in music] and thus was outlawed by the Pope. Naturally, all the composers wanted to use it after that!) Anyway, at age 11, your son can count half-steps easily.
When adding sharps, the next one is 7 half-steps up from the first one. Thus the second sharp is C#, which is 7 half-steps up from F# (don't count F#). For the flats, it's half-steps down. The second flat (Eb) is 7 half-steps down from Bb (the first one).
The other approach is to create a mnemonic for your son to say until he has "enough" sharps for the key signature. For flats, the flats are B E A D G F C. Your mnemonic might be "Bob Eagleton Asked Doug Green For Chocolate." Pick something that's meaningful to your son, perhaps substituting names of friends (if they fit!).
If none of these approaches works, I suggest you talk to the teacher a second time and insist that this task be put off. I'd still first chat with the teacher and explain the problem and ask whether this task might be postponed, as it is creating difficulties at this point.
Other readers: I have a discussion of the Circle of Fifths elsewhere on my homepage, if you are unfamiliar with this term.
Short answer: yes.
Remember that you are also investing time and effort as well as money in your daughter's musical education. Also, your sitting with her is direct evidence that you approve of what she's doing - - so much so that you want to join her!
At first, she'll need your guidance and help in carrying out the assignment. Later, she'll want your company; practice is a lonely activity for a little one!
Soon you'll be able to play duets together, and this will be a wonderful reinforcement and incentive for her. And seeing you practice your own is excellent. Your knowledge and habits are a special plus most students don't enjoy. Don't deprive your daughter of your abilities! At age 5, you'll probably have to sit with her for at least the first 3 months. Realistically? I'd say the first year, maybe two. Wait until she says, "Mommy, I can do this by myself." Then she has the added benefit of taking charge of something.
You can't hurry this, though you might - - after 6 months or so - - be able to sit in the room with her (read, balance the checkbook, etc.) while she practices and interact with her from another part of the room (she should be able to see you from the piano). At first, though, you'll need to be right there on the bench with her. No other way to go about it -if- you want your daughter to love music and succeed as a pianist.
Certainly once a year is the minimum. Every three to four months would be ideal. In practice, however, most teachers don't have the time to sit down and write out progress reports. I suggest that you call the teacher (during non-teaching hours or take some of your child's lesson time) when you would like an update.
Very often a teacher will make notations in the lesson assignment pad. Are you checking this every week right after the lesson? Sometimes teachers make comments on the pieces of music; look there, too. What does the teacher say when you pick up your child? Nothing at all or "Spectacularly-good lesson" or "I look forward to an improved lessons next week, Rick"?
Once a year is minimum, and technicians say twice a year. A lot depends on what kind of music is played on it (Rachmaninov or first-year pieces?), where it is located (near the kitchen or another source of dampness?), what the climate is like where you live (big swings in temperature and humidity?), and your budget. On this last one, I encourage you not to skimp. You would be most displeased to give your child a computer which printed E every time M were struck. A piano is the same way. Your child should not hear G# when A is played - - or, worse yet - - hear nothing but a clank when a note is depressed.
Especially have your technician check the pedal to make sure it is functioning properly. Learning to pedal is tricky business, and the child shouldn't have to fight the mechanism.
This file elsewhere on my home page has more information on tuning, including how to tell your tuner what the problem is and what you can do to maximize the time between tunings.
This is a common problem. First, you are not the teacher. The logical extrapolation, to your daughter, is that since you know less than the teacher, your comments are not valid at all. Plus, if your daughter is a teenager or a pre-teen, this situation is even worse. Second, any corrections you make about her music practice are colored by her memories and experience of your correcting her about her schoolwork, behavior, etc.
I suggest two solutions: (1) Say nothing. Even though you know she is making a mistake, leave it to the teacher to correct. That is why you're paying her. Also, she has professional credibility, and your daughter will consider carefully any suggestions the teacher makes about errors. THIS IS MY OVERWHELMING ADVICE. (2) Talk to your daughter about *why* she is angry when you correct her practice. (My guess is that she'll say you're "on my back all the time about everything." Obviously, she's in the throes of becoming her own person. Congratulations! You've been doing your job as a parent very well!) Perhaps you might come to an agreement that you will say something only if she is making a big mistake. If it is only a wrong note or a counting error, you will leave that to the teacher. If it's something major that changes the entire learning process - - such as misreading the key signature - - then you will mention it and she will agree not to be upset because it will save her a lot of work to correct the problem now rather than later.
Also important: make sure the feedback you give her is not all negative! Tell her you noticed her progress on such-and-such a piece. Ask her to play for you after supper. Support her in recitals, competitions, and so on.
This is another common problem in households with teenagers. The parents know it would be a big mistake to let their daughter quit and that she will regret it when she becomes an adult and has sufficient experience to be able to evaluate the situation accurately. Yet, parents value peace at home, not to mention not being crazy about "throwing money away" when the child doesn't practice enough to benefit from the lessons.
Solutions:
I also counsel against tying the allowance or privileges to practice time. Or using the threat of additional practice time as a coercive tactic ("If your math grade doesn't improve, you'll have to practice an extra half-hour each day!")
You also can take this approach: "This is the way it is done in our family. Everyone plays the piano until high school graduation. When you are out on your own at college, you may do as you wish. And when you have your own family, you may make whatever rules you wish. But as long as you are under our roof and we are providing for you, you must follow the rules we have in our family. End of discussion." If it's any consolation, if you can make it through the sophomore year, usually teens will come to the realization themselves that it's foolish to toss out so many years of effort. While they might not turn wildly enthusiastic, they usually will practice with more good grace and make it until graduation. (Many of their parents are surprised to learn that when they've gone on to college, they decide to take some music courses - -even piano study! - - or join a music ensemble.) Some even fight with siblings to get the family piano when they're home on vacation!
Hang in there! Your daughter's best interests are your highest priorities!
PS. I have NEVER had an adult say to me, "I used to take piano. My mom let me quit, and am I ever glad she did! It has been so great not being able to play the piano!"
See also question 71.
I have a student with this same problem. She tried everything, including asking her technician to "rough up" the key surfaces. She finally discovered that a "finger-moistening" paste that is commonly used to make fingers tacky when sorting papers is a good solution. She tried several brands and told me that SortKwik is the best. Check at a well-stocked office supply store.
In my answer, I assumed that you were speaking about slipping because of dry skin. It could be the reverse: sweaty fingers. Washing your hands just before playing can be helpful. I hesitate to say wipe your fingertips across an anti-perspirant....
I don't think I'm much help in this department. Ask your doctor. (Then e-mail me and tell me what the doc said so I can put it here for others!).
In my opinion, a digital instrument is not going to be something you're going to want to stay with. It's ok to start on one (for say, 6 months), but they're expensive. Then you either feel bound to stay with it because of what you paid, or you have the hassle of selling it (if you don't want to keep it in addition to the acoustic piano).
Concerning a digital piano: no matter what the salespeople tell you, a digital piano is -not- the same as "real" piano and within about 3 months your daughter will discover this: the touch is different, the sound is different, and so on, and what she does at home will be difficult for her to transfer well to her teacher's piano at lessons. I have had a number of students come to me, having already purchased a digital piano before beginning lessons, and every single one of them said they wish they hadn't and wish they had an acoustic piano. And every one of them subsequently buys a "real" piano. Some keep the electronic "for fun" and some sell/trade it.
If you can't afford a real piano or would rather not invest until you see if your daughter is going to "stick" with lessons, please strongly consider renting a piano. Your daughter will thank you later and she'll maker faster, surer progress now.
If you do rent, I recommend a plain rental, not a rent-to-buy arrangement. With the former, it's free and clear and you return the piano when you're done with it (and presumably ready to invest in a good piano for your home!). With the latter, the salesperson is essentially choosing a piano for you because you feel "bound" by the money you've already invested to stick with that piano rather than forfeit it. Some dealers recognize this and allow the renter to put the rental fee (actually, this is only a percentage of it) toward any piano in the store, not just the one that was "rented." This helps some, but what if you don't want to deal with that store or you find a piano in the want ads? Again, you're "bound."
In summary, then, if you will not have a "real" piano to start lessons, consider an inexpensive electronic keyboard for the first couple of months. After that, you'll need a piano so you can learn its "touch." A rental piano at this point will be perfectly fine if you still are not ready to purchase. Try to avoid rent-to-buy-this-one or rent-to-buy-another-one-in-this-store deals. A no-strings rental is best. If possible, skip the electronic keyboard part of this itinerary and go straight to the rental, if buying a real piano at the outset is not feasible.
How about an electronic keyboard (these sell for several hundred dollars)? The touch is worse yet! There is no resistance at all. The touch is like an electronic organ. In fact, they are electronic organs! (There's nothing wrong with electronic organs. I have played many church services on electronic organs! It's just that electronic keyboards - - organ or piano - - are not real pianos.)
These are ok for the first 3 (not 6) months, but after that the student needs a piano. If you want an electronic keyboard -in addition to- an acoustic piano - - for its fun effects or as a "temporary" instrument to cart to Grandma's - - that's another story. These are good uses for this type of instrument. Go for it.
Bottom line: If you want your daughter to play the piano, she needs a piano. If digital pianos were pianos, they'd be called pianos. I encourage you to start with a real piano.
(1) I have never heard of a mathematical method, as such, but that doesn't mean there isn't one out there! As to books on fingering, no, not really. I really wouldn't worry over fingering overly much. If you follow what I call the Two Commandments of Fingering and choose fingering that fits your hand and does not violate the composer's musical intent (as you deem it to be), you'll be fine.
(2) Probably a good knowledge of diatonic scales - - major, pure/natural minor, and harmonic minor (skip melodic minor!) - - and the chromatic scale are the most direct ways of learning the "feel" of a key under the fingers. Also play I-V-I patterns on each scale degree in the key.
Just playing a lot will help. Playing fake book style is particularly good, since you'll be "thinking chords," anyway; and if you "fill in" chords under the melody note, this is even better. Sight-read *a lot*, also.
Yes, this is normally the case, in my experience.
The Suzuki idea is that by removing the visual aspect of learning to play an instrument (that is, reading the notation) and focusing only on the physical and aural aspects, learning is easier and can be done earlier because one of the primary elements has been removed.
Also, learning can be done at a much earlier age...presumably, before the child is ready to read words. (I have found, however, that as long as the child can say the alphabet and count to 20 he can learn to read music notation and is cognitively ready for piano lessons. Word-reading is not necessary at all, in my opinion.)
I do not recommend a strict Suzuki experience, however, because it's based on mimicry, despite the philosophy of love that is behind it. From the beginning, the student parrots the teacher and records/tapes/CDs. He doesn't learn to read or to think, just to reproduce exactly what he hears. Everyone studies the same material. There is little or no initiative offered to the student. There are no supplemental materials. I have two sons who took Suzuki violin, so I have spent many years in the program. In each case (and with different teachers), I had to back the teachers to the wall and demand that they introduce note-reading. For example, my elder son was playing the Bach double concerto and still couldn't read a note!
The program transferred to piano is the same: emphasis on mimicry and a static repertoire. With one additional problem: the very first song ("Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," the same as for violin) requires a movement out of the 5-finger position, which I have found is -very- disconcerting to beginners.
Suzuki is not bad, of course! Many excellent musicians have come from this program, and many highly-qualified and
-respected teachers have chosen to teach it. Students develop superb ears (strings, woodwinds; impossible on the piano, of course, no matter what the pedagogy is!). And the ensemble training is excellent. Instruments which lend themselves to miniaturization make it possible for very young children literally to "get their hands around" the physical problems of making music. This means young children are able to make music a part of their lives and enjoy it early on - - and especially before other things crowd in to fill the time in the daily schedule. The teachers are encouraged to be very loving, supporting, and accepting. There are lots of games and "fun" activities which are, in fact, drill and learning experiences. Memorization is taught from day one, so whether the student "can" memorize is never a topic of discussion.
In summary, despite the positive aspects of the program, for piano especially, I believe it's best to start the way you're going to continue: if you want to be able to read music, start that way. And start with materials that are tailored to the piano. Although I have elements in my program which could be called "Suzuki" (teacher's attitude of extreme patience; the approach that music should be enjoyable; games instead of drills, for example) and the Suzuki method has lots to recommend it, I don't think it should be the pedagogical backbone for piano study.
Second, yes, a teacher will be happy to take you on. No one cares how old you are, only that you want to learn to play. Trust me.
Third, yes, junior colleges offer courses, but I think that with your background this probably would not profit you much. You don't need a group situation; you need one-on-one. Your background is so unusual that you will need someone who can address the "holes" in your preparation. A private teacher is definitely for you.
When you go hunting for a teacher, you might want to ask around if there are any teachers in your area who specialize in adult students. Such a person -might- have more experience dealing with someone with such an idiosyncratic past. Be sure you mention your concern at being a 30-year-old beginner.
Later on, if you want to take some music theory classes at the junior college, certainly this would be a good idea. In general, group performance classes ("learn to play") are lousy for beginners because you don't get individual attention and the class is geared to the norm (whatever that is!). And since you know so much already, I think it would be a waste of time for you.
As far as self-help materials, I'd like to say that there are some things that could help somewhat, but for you, I don't see anything that is germane. You could sight-read a lot, however.
To sum, I think you'd be best served by finding a teacher. I know this is not too helpful since you wanted to do more on your own, but I can't think what besides sight-reading that would further your goal of playing the piano well, other than getting together on a regular basis with a teacher.
Update (2007): See answer #109 for info on a series received well by students. I have never seen this nor do I know a teacher who has seen this. Caveat emptor! See also answer #16.
Second, play the music your teacher assigns and don't try to teach yourself "the hard stuff." You'll only develop a lot of bad habits, which will make the hard stuff much harder to learn and master.
Third, home practice will make the biggest difference in your progress. At least 30 minutes a day is the minimum; 60-90 is even better and will help you make even more (and faster) progress. See Question 1.
This is a poser! 18 months is a long time to be "on your own" as a beginner working from a book and without anyone to "check" on how you're doing. Not only should you fear acquiring bad habits, a problem you recognize, but there are more efficient (and nearly always more productive) ways of learning and practicing, which a teacher could impart to you.
Is there no chance you could get a teacher? Maybe sweet-talk one into giving you one lesson a month? I really hate to see you set sail alone with no teacher input for 18 months....!
If you decide you want to go it alone with the book, however, I'd take things really slowly and do *exactly* what the book says, down to the very last detail. This will require that you work very meticulously, and this will take lots of self-discipline and time. Be resigned to slow progress. Not particularly fun, but I think this is the only way to avoid getting bad habits when there is no one around to spot them and help you correct them.
Still and all, I'd urge you to find someone to give you some feedback along the way. If not a teacher, can you find a reasonably-competent pianist? I know this is not the answer you want, but if your goal is to play the piano decently, I'm not sure there *is* another answer! Kind of like learning any other highly-specialized physical skill which is taught in a hands-on process.
Try to rearrange your schedule and/or financial priorities so a weekly lesson is possible for you. I guarantee you will be glad you did it this way.
I'm not sure there are, if I understand your question correctly. I assume you are studying with a teacher. Yes? Your teacher will be able to help you much better than I can, as you will be able to explain it better to her and demonstrate, which you can't do in e-mail to me.
My concern is if you practiced so much (and/or with incorrect hand position) that you gave yourself a repetitive stress injury. Really, that is the only problem with practicing a lot. Otherwise, the more, the better! Your enthusiasm is a teacher's dream!
As if we didn't have enough problems already just playing the four over three, Chopin throws another curve by putting the accents in these measures on the second of the four-note sixteenth-note groups! Thanks, Fred!
I advise that you assign a word to each sixteenth-note group and say it as you play. You'll need one with an accent on the second syllable, such as Yo-SE-mi-te. Practice slowly and teach your RH the "feel" of this passage. Don't worry about speed! Think about control. You want to be going slowly enough to be in -complete- control. Speed will happen as a natural adjunct to being in control.
If you can't make this second-syllable-accent work for you, I suggest you think of this section as having a displaced accent, which is what it is, structurally. That is, the "downbeat" is really on the second sixteenth (even though it looks like it's on the first because of the barline). I like the word WA-ter-me-lon for sixteenth-note groups. To take care of the initial real downbeat (m. 17), preface your string of watermelons, with "a" or "oh," as in "a watermelon, watermelon, watermelon." As I mentioned above, play slowly and train your hand. Your transition will be at m. 22, and I don't anticipate you'll have any difficulty falling off your watermelons.
Note also that you're greeted by the same challenge in m. 119-124. In this one, I'd suggest you say, "Eat a watermelon, watermelon, watermelon."
You can do this if you just keep it slow. Tough to do, I know!
What a collection of questions! I shall try my best!
(1) You do not have to use a fresh finger on repeated notes. This is an artifact from the 1800s. (My guess is some piano pedagogue thought up this "rule," which was then handed down to his students, and then to their students, and so on until the source became unknown and it was accepted as holy writ. It ain't holy writ.) There is absolutely no good reason I have found to require a fresh finger. Moreover, in order to accomplish this feat, generally you will find the price is much gymnastics and nonsensical fingering must precede it. Phooey on that. Use the same finger without guilt.
But wait! There is one situation in which I think changing fingers on the same note is a good idea, and that is on quickly-repeated notes. There is not enough time to lift the hand/finger in time to get a good clean re-strike. Better to use an adjacent finger instead. Our old friend, M. Hanon, has exercises which address this problem. I can't remember the number (no, I don't sleep with Hanon under my pillow!), but it's in the second half near the end.
(2) Yes, they really are, when you reach intermediate literature and above. From what you tell me about the literature you are presently playing and your statement that you "didn't know" scales, my guess is that you didn't know them in precisely the format that your teacher wished them. Or perhaps they weren't fast enough to suit him. Or he preferred another fingering. Didn't he tell you why he wanted you to repeat learning scales? If not, do ask.
Chords are necessary to the student earlier than scales, in my opinion, as they are a structural part of music from the beginner level on up, whereas complete scales in one hand are not. Again, I wonder if the format was the problem, rather than the content? Again, ask.
In my opinion, you should be able to play a continuous arpeggio (ascending and descending), using the fingering 1-2-3 in both hands (including the top and bottom notes - - extra practice in tucking/crossing, depending on which way you're going!). You also should be able to play a triad in blocked and arpeggiated forms for root position and the two inversions. Example: C - E - G [root position]; then D- G - C; then G - C - E. It's good, also, to be able to do the triad with the minor seventh (three inversions plus root position).
Some teachers like students to do a cadence (Look at The Brown Scale Book, published by F. Harris. This is an excellent compendium of scales.)
Note: I prefer to teach scales so the thumbs always fall together. Much easier than the "old way."
(3) Absolutely yes. Modify the music in whatever way is necessary to make it playable.
Look at the elements of each oversized chord and remove any duplicate notes that appear in the hand that cannot reach. Don't double the third. (Do you know your chords, heh heh?) Eliminate notes you can't reach, but try to keep the "color" notes (such as 3rds, 7ths, 9ths) that "define" the chord. Move notes to the other hand. Arpeggiate if that is compatible with the style of the piece. For example, in Baroque music, you would arpeggiate, not play grace notes. Gershwin does both, so choose the one that fits your hand and seems to work best at that point in the music.
In conclusion, make whatever modifications are necessary to make the music playable. Aim for tasteful modifications which preserve the original chord structure and style of the piece. Do this guilt-free.
(4) Yes, use the Thompson, if you like. He was the grand-daddy of the "use classical pieces in a method series" idea. As little as I like method series, you are correct that many of his transcriptions are good, musically. Some of the choices are a little dated (what I call "salon music" from the '30s and '40s), and not all the transcriptions work at the professed student level, but his concept was valid and today's teachers, myself included, have much for which to thank him.
As you say, much method book music is boring (the stuff I call "My Doggie's Birthday Party" and "Climbing the Mountain"). This is because the pieces are contrived to fit a specific pedagogical purpose. (Because of this many of the longer ones are not musically worth the effort to learn.)
Better, I think, to look at the music first and ask what pedagogical purpose this piece can serve and in what sort of arrangement?
It won't surprise you, therefore, to hear that is the approach I use in place of method books. I now have a filing cabinet full of arrangements of pieces from the standard repertory (public domain) at all levels, from earliest beginner to late intermediate. They're arranged in order of difficulty. I go to the file and pick out what the student needs at that lesson. Works really well. Obviously, no one plays every single thing, but I have depth for those who need extra work in a given area. If a transfer student comes to me and is weak in a certain area, I have just what I need for remedial work.
You can do the same thing! It just takes time and effort, but I promise you it is worth it!
What the middle pedal does depends on the instrument. On grands, the middle pedal is a sostenuto pedal, which, when engaged after the note is depressed, raises the damper only on that selected note rather than on all notes. (The damper pedal, or right-most pedal, lifts the dampers off all keys. That is why the notes all "ring.") The sostenuto pedal is sort of like an extra hand.
The use a sostenuto pedal, first depress the note(s) you wish to hold; then "capture" them by depressing the sostenuto pedal. Play on, and only the captured notes will be held.
It is possible to need both sostenuto and damper pedal. This is in advanced music.
On many uprights, the middle pedal is an apartment mute, which just makes the piano play softer. (This is different from the una corda pedal, though!)
I do not live in New York or New Jersey and therefore know nothing about the local competition scene in NY/NJ. Ask her piano teacher. Ask at music stores. Call local universities. Try Google.
It would be impossible for me to say because so much is personal taste. Do you like a really strong bass? A bright treble? Bright throughout? Mellow throughout?
How much room to do have? Enough for a grand piano? If so, do you actually -want- a grand piano?
How much money are you willing to spend?
My bottom-line advice is to buy the best piano you can stretch to afford.
Get Larry Fine's The Piano Book, which will give you great detail about individual brands and also the piano-building and -buying process. Or call 800-542-2022.
More information on my site in this general file about pianos and in this one about specific piano brands.
With any Bach, any time you spend practicing hands apart will be repaid handsomely, so, yes, start this way.
I don't know what your teacher does vis a vis lifts, etc. If he/she does use these, mark them in each part before you start to practice so that your hands "learn" these physical movements at the same time they're learning the notes. Also make sure the trills and other ornaments are in place.
And - - observe the rests! It is absolutely vital that rests begin and end *exactly* where Bach indicated. You may not "dribble over" into the rest. I find the best way to learn this is as a simple physical maneuver, just as with the lifts. Determine which note in the other hand coincides with the onset of the rest. Slowly, work through each one so that when "one hand goes down the other hand goes up," kind of like driving a stick-shift car!
Another way to make yourself observe rests with precision is to touch the index finger of the hand coming up on the rest to the nose. This will train you to lift your hand in order to touch your nose. I am sure this drill will give you some good laughs as you do it. Be sure not to "smash" your nose, as you'll probably be exerting the same force on your nose as you'd give to the keyboard!
Be aware that RH + LH is not going to be twice as hard as hands apart. It is not a case of 1 + 1 = 2. It's more like 1 + 1 = 37. Hands together is much harder than twice as hard as hands apart. So, you just take it slow - - even slower than you believe you can stand! As soon as you identify a place that is more problematic than the rest, you stop and learn that place thoroughly. There will be more than one!
Also, usually about 2/3s of the way through, Bach gets really devilish and starts piling motif atop motif, and the traffic is -really- heavy. Find this place (if it doesn't find you first!) and concentrate there. So what if you don't work on the beginning or end first? Master this difficult section first. Then go back to the other parts hands together. Not only do you know it's going to be easier sledding, but the training your hands got in heavy traffic will vastly simplify learning the other parts of the piece because the motifs will be quite apparent to you in these sections (which are more "transparent") and you'll be able to follow them easily as they move from hand to hand.
Your efforts with Bach will be *well* worth it. You will see the direct influence of Bach in the music of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, to mention just a few.
I'm saving the best advice for last: GO SLOWLY!!! Hah! Bet you are thrilled to hear that!
See also my file on learning fugues (and other imitative pieces by Bach - - and most are!).
Save your money.
If you want my unvarnished advice, I'd say skip the advanced degree in pedagogy. Throw in a couple of pedagogy courses if he wants, but I think he's going to get a lot more substantial gain from another performance degree than one where his classes are instructional methodology, materials surveys, etc. Better that he has classes in form and analysis, composition, piano lit, music history, etc. Good solid stuff. He'll be a better piano teacher if he's a better pianist and has more depth in literature.
He probably will benefit from reading the many files on my site. Have him visit my pedagogy page. Of particular interest, I should think, are the files on teaching and learning styles, special techniques in teaching adults, special techniques in teaching children/beginners, special techniques in teaching learning disabled students, etc., plus all about how to teach notereading, counting, etc. He is welcome to print out these files (as long as they are for his own use, not to distribute).
I can't recommend any software that would do either, even separately! Sorry. I know you don't to hear that. You probably suspected that was true and were hoping I'd be able to assuage your suspicions!
Find a good teacher. In the long run you won't save money using these "alternate" methods because they are a monumental waste of money: you won't learn how to play - - and there will be no one around from whom you can get help! The whole point of these " teachers' " financial strategy is to sell you the "product." They don't care whether you learn to play! They've already left town! You're on your own, toots. Find a real teacher!
Use the search function (software) for a couple other answers germane to your question.
The reason could be any of a number of things, but here are some ideas to try:
(1) Make sure you know the end well. People generally start learning the piece at the beginning. As time passes, the beginning is learned well (this part has all the themes laid out in satisfying directness, too, and is therefore very gratifying to play; thus, we do it a lot!). The middle of the piece is learned less well, and the end the least of all (generally a disaster!). You might want to start learning your next new piece at the -end-.
(2) This is especially true for a piece which has an ending which is more difficult that any other place in the piece. One reason for this is that composers want a "flashy" ending. Sometimes they make the ending more note-y. Usually they change the harmony (chords) more frequently (this is called "increasing the harmonic rhythm"). Therefore the end has built-in hazards. An example here is the end of the first movement of Beethoven's Sonata in C Minor ("Pathétique"). The material appears earlier and is difficult enough there, but in the coda, Beethoven speeds it up!
(3) Another reason you may have difficulties at the end of the piece, particularly at a performance, is because you "let down your guard." It's kind of like a swimmer who sees the wall and doesn't "finish strong." This problem is -very- common if the piece ends in fairly simple chords or octaves, such as the end of Mozart's "Rondo alla turca." You come to that ending, having been victorious in the acciaccaturas and Alberti bass section of that last page, and you mentally say, "Ah! I made it!" You let down your guard. Then you blow the octaves at the end. You haven't made it until you lift your hands from the keyboard at the end of the performance!
(4) A last reason is perhaps just fatigue. You are just pooped out by the time you get to the end of the piece. Building stamina just takes time. Play progressively longer pieces; or take repeats if they are there.
Be sure to ask your teacher about this problem!
I think the solution to your decorating problem is to put the piano on a rotating, mirror-covered stage in the middle of the room. Spotlights and disco mirror balls are optional, of course!
Some serious thoughts. If possible:
What I'd do is create a "conversation area" in the middle of the room which can act as an "audience" area for the piano. Work other furniture around it and on the room walls. Look in decorating and lifestyle mags for ideas. Many of them use a piano gratuitously in their scheme (you know this by the sterling silver picture frames on the closed piano lid!), and you know no one actually plays this piano (and that it might not even have keys or an action! - - hey! There's a new furniture niche!), but you still have can get conversation area ideas from the pictures.
The dinner-theater-in-the-round with the disco balls is tried and true. Sure you don't want to go with this one?
I don't think finger length is much of an issue except as it affects hand span. Can you reach an octave? This is really the minimum stretch for "real" literature, in my opinion, for an adult. Lynn Freeman Olson's collection of pieces for hands which can span only an octave or less (published by Alfred) is useful for small hands. More than that? Fine. Hand span for a child? The hands will grow. Don't worry about this now. Make sure literature being assigned is not too "large" so that the child damages the hands through work-around maneuvers.
A different problem: some men have what I call "fat fingertips," and this makes it difficult for them to get their fingers in-between the black keys, as for an E-flat triad.
A third problem: many adults worry about their ability to "ever get to play well" because their hands are "stiff." After a month or so of playing, most adults find that "stiffness" is not a problem anymore.
So in the end, I think finger dexterity/flexibility is the defining factor, and this may be attained or vastly improved through carefully-done technical studies. Even the hand span may be increased by judicious playing of octaves. I caution, however, that whenever something hurts that the player should stop immediately!
First, your answer: no, it's not a misprint, and he did it because he wanted to and because he was skillful enough to get away with it!
Now, the explanation. This is such a horrible dissonance that it has its own name: cross relation. A cross relation is whenever a note plus another of the same letter name but in a different guise (flat, sharp, natural) are struck simultaneously. Not only did Beethoven do this, but other composers, too. William Byrd (Renaissance England), J.S. Bach, Chopin, Mozart (see the second movement of his famous Sonata in C Major, K. 545, in measure 16), and Gershwin come to mind immediately. (The rest of us hacks just abide by the rule or get an F on our theory exams.)
Sometimes cross relations are written with enharmonic equivalents (ex.: B-natural and A-sharp). This sounds the same as B-natural and B-flat, but doesn't look the same. In this case, we'd call it a B Major 7 chord and have no trouble with our theory teacher. But it would still sound awful!
Why did Beethoven really do it? Because he wanted such a striking effect that the listener would really sit up and take notice. "Wow! Must be something important coming." Look at your score and do a harmonic analysis. Where is Beethoven going with this chord?
You probably mean una corda ["one string"]. Using this pedal makes the piano softer because the hammers are not striking all three strings. From the name, you would assume the hammers are striking only one string, but this isn't so! Counterintuitively, two strings are being struck and one is not!
Here's how the una corda pedal works. Inside the piano, the hammer assembly shifts slightly so the hammers hit only two strings instead of three. (Note: On some pianos, you can see the keyboard itself shift!)
The una corda pedal ("soft pedal") changes the tone of the piano, as well as the volume. When the una corda pedal is depressed, the sound is "muffled" or as though it's from "behind a curtain." Sometimes composers specify the una corda because this tone color is desired, not necessarily because less volume is desired. Debussy is one composer who uses the una corda this way.
To play una corda, put down the left-most pedal. Let it up when you see tre corde ["three strings"], which means a return to normal. Please see this file for more discussion.
I have covered this elsewhere. Also see question 4, above.
Ok, one at a time.
(1) Hmm! Good one! How about: a student is getting good teaching by:
Does your teacher write down a lesson assignment for you for the coming week? If so, this is what should be covered at the next lesson.
How do you feel about "on the fly"? Does this make you uncomfortable? If so, mention it to her. She should teach you the way you need and want to be taught. You are paying her for individual instruction, after all, not a class piano experience or a coaching session.
Tell your teacher what you need:
To be honest with you, it sounds as though this teacher is relying on her reputation and ego. I would begin looking for another teacher. It sounds as though this one is being lazy.
You might be able to do it, BUT you are Mom. I tried teaching my two boys and got nowhere; I hired a teacher. You may have better luck, but I doubt it since you're not a trained piano teacher.
If you want the child to love music and have it his whole life, I suggest, as a professional, that you hire a professional teacher so he gets a good foundation from a person who creates a teacher-student dynamic with him rather than a parent-child or, worse yet, a confusion of the two ("Which hat are you wearing now, Mommy?").
I have a file on memory techniques which I hope will help. Please ask your teacher, though! He will know your strengths and weaknesses and will be able to suggest a memory method which might be most efficient for your learning style, the literature you have under study, and your planned use for the memorized music.
If you can afford it, have room for it, and want to continue piano study, I'd definitely advise you to go with a really good piano. Buy the best one you can stretch to afford. You won't regret the joy you receive from it (and it will maintain its value better than a cheaper one). If you're unsure you want to continue playing this time around, rent an instrument. Meantime, start looking around at what's available in showrooms and the want-ads. Piano technicians often sell used pianos that they have rebuilt or otherwise reconditioned.
Incidentally, though it is designed by Steinway, Boston is made by Kawai. And Steinway markets the product. Also, Steinway is not the only "good" piano, so don't limit your choices up front. (In fact, were I buying a piano right now, it would not be a Steinway. I have never liked the touch or sound.) See also my opinions of piano brands.
Short answer: no.
Instead, learn to rely on your own musicianship. What does the score tell you? (I hope it's an Urtext!) What do your fingers tell you as you play through it? What do you know about this composer and/or this musical period? What other composers were in this same period? What do you know about them? How do they and the present composer compare and contrast? Pull out this information from your brain and apply it to this piece.
Listening to a piece "for someone else's interpretation" first colors your own decision-making, as well as making you intellectually and musically lazy. I don't recommend it.
No, sorry. Start at your local music store, asking them to search their catalogue, but I'm pretty sure it's in print. (You probably are referring to the performance by Horowitz. Sidelight: Vlad starts with a big ol' clam. The story goes that he decided to go with this take and when asked why, he mentioned something about not being perfect.) Start working your way up the chain to an online store with larger search capabilities. There is a music store somewhere in the U.S. that specializes in hard-to-find music; I can't recall the name, though. Use a search engine and see what you turn up. (If you're successful, please email me so I can add that information here for others; thanks.) Post to the rec.music.makers.piano newsgroup and ask, too. Contact the piano faculty at your nearest college/university and ask; check with the music librarian, too.
It sounds to me as though the teacher is in over her head with you. I am sure she would give you what you have told her [several times] you want if she felt she could do it competently (that is: if she could give it to you while still looking as though she understands this stuff and knows how to teach it).
My guess is that she perhaps has never had a student with goals such as yours and doesn't know exactly what to do and is covering it up by (1) teaching literature with which she is familiar and comfortable (pop); (2) making light of the importance of, for example, scales and theory. Pop music is in her "comfort zone," and other literature and in-depth music study is not. Nor is "growing" outside her comfort zone.
My guess is that she is unlikely to change. I suggest you change teachers. Tell the teachers you interview exactly what you want and why you feel you were are getting it from your present teacher.
I know that they are designed to part you from your money.
Out of curiosity, I followed up once on an ad to the effect of "We're looking for piano teachers who want to make big money quick." It turned out to be a seminar much like what I suspect you are being offered: a one-day session on electronic keyboards that will cover (note I did not say "teach you") reading notation and playing with chords beneath a melody. Then the teacher sells "tapes" for you to "complete your study at home, at your convenience, and in comfort without paying anything else."
That's the quick money part: the tapes. The teacher comes in, teaches one day, sells tapes (big markup), and then leaves town. She never has to answer to any questions or do any follow-up. Instead, she sets up a seminar somewhere else. It's a "one-day commitment," as the follow-up material stated - - for the teacher, as well as the student!
Where do the students go when they have questions? They have no "real" person to ask. They have the comfort of their tapes.
This is "teaching"? Not in my book.
Is it ethical? No, not that, either.
Is it what such "students" deserve? Maybe, especially the ones who want to get something complex and difficult in one session and for a low price.
There is no such thing as "learn to play piano in six easy lessons," so there most certainly isn't one "in one easy lesson"! If I could figure out how to do this and then teach it in even a marginally-effective way, I would be rolling in money!
If you want to spend your money this way, it's your choice. But you won't be getting piano instruction, and in my opinion, you won't be getting much of anything except snookered.
Note: I don't think the "video instruction" sets are worth anything either. Find a teacher.
I suggest using the music to make sure no mistakes creep in.
Remember to give some extra attention to the known problem spots.
Tell the teachers you interview what your background is, what you want to accomplish, and what your fears are. Ask each to address those areas specifically with you and explain what he/she would do.
You suspect you have some bad habits (and I'd guess, too, that you have them), but if your teacher keeps this I mind uppermost while teaching you the basics and if you are careful to follow the advice carefully (and to ask about anything not explained in enough detail for you), you'll be fine! You play, guy!
My response to this will be that in another year, it will be harder yet to change to note-reading! The younger she is, the more "flexible" she'll be to accept the change. Ask the teacher to give her a lot of "reward" music, such as holiday songs. Also, her by-ear playing should be complimented, too; not thought of as a second-class kind of playing. The teacher can assign a by-ear song each week; and perhaps she can choose the song and surprise the teacher.
If you want to go the Suzuki route, and you sound as though you do and are asking my "permission" to do it, then, yes! Do it! Do what is best for your daughter. You know her better than anyone in the world!
I would suggest making up some games that have to do with reading.
Start talking about stepping and skipping with objects, such as M&Ms. Talk about step/skip up/down. Then move to letters (like Scrabble letters or the magnetic refrigerator letters). Then move to the keyboard.
Now she needs to learn how to connect this with the printed page.
On staff paper (as described for the snakes, below), write out different steps and skips (up and down, high and low). Don't do leger lines yet! This is sort of a workbook exercise for her. You do just enough where she is not squirmy; if she's restless and seems to be getting bored, you quit and come back another time.
Now move to "snake songs", which are a series of stemless black noteheads written on one staff (without clef, time signature, or even barlines - - just the note heads and the staff).
Ask her to pick any white note. You announce, "That is this note," as you point to the page. Then you isolate that note and the next one in the V of your index and middle fingers and say, "Here's where we want to go. Is this a step or a skip?" She answers. "Up or down?" She answers. "Ok, step up [or whatever it was - - you just repeat it as she does it]." Then on to the next one. Ask her all these questions each time. This shows her how to think through each pair she sees. You'll know when she's catching on because she'll start doing it before you can get all the words out of your mouth!
She may use either hand and any combination. Don't even think about fingering.
When you introduce leger lines, use a note in the space above/below the staff and a note on the first leger line above/ below. Don't go any farther afield than this; this is all you'll need for now.
Snake songs have about 12 notes in them. Remember to include repeated notes; when she catches on, include some above and below the staff, as described above.
Make these songs hers. Ask her to name each song. Snake names? Vegetables? Friends? Holiday titles?
Then, it's on to worm songs. This are like the snakes except they are shorter -and- she may no longer choose which hand and which finger to start. You have to be careful when writing these! Write down LH or RH and also the finger number of the first note. See that she gets this starting note correct. Again, she may choose any white note. Note that her choices have been truncated; this is part of the plan!
When she steps, she uses the adjacent finger. When it's a skip, she skips a finger; children have various abilities to master skipping a finger on the first try, as it's a physical thing more than a lack of understanding.
If she runs out of fingers, you both laugh. Woopsies!!
Make sure you write enough worm songs so that each finger of each hand starts one.
Now you go to the grand staff with clefs (no time signatures needed), but you only do Middle C. This note is played by either thumb. The first 1-2 songs are only one-count notes, alternating between R and L hands. The stem direction tells which hand.
This presumes that she has already learned that quarter, half, dotted half, and whole notes get 1-2-3-4 counts respectively. This should be developed with card games - - make your own - - concurrently. Use Go Fish and Old Maid (I call this one Hot Potato because I don't want to reinforce sexist stereotypes, but this is just my personal slant on things!); also the opposite (which I call "[name] is a Star!" Make two extra cards: one a potato and one a star. Out-of-date business cards work really well for deck of cards.
Make a second deck of quarter, half, dotted half, and whole notes (four of each) and play the same games with this deck. Also use this deck as "draw cards" for board games. Use any that you have at home already; or draw you own.
Back to the Middle C songs. After she can get R and L hand straightened out with Middle C and all quarter notes, then half notes are added to the mix, etc. Somewhere along the way, add the time signature - - but only the top number because the lower one has absolutely no meaning to her at this point. I leave out the time signatures of the songs and ask the student to figure it out and write it in on both staves (it doesn't matter particularly where, just as long as it's within the staff line area).
Anyway, this is the way I do it and have had tremendous success, even with people who come to me as by-ear players only. Older kids, teens, adults: all get the same data, but of course at a pace and in a package that is age- appropriate.
You are welcome to share any of this with your daughter's teacher. Perhaps a printout of your question and my answer might help the teacher understand your concerns in detail. I assume you and she have had a discussion about this.
Sermon: Of course it's easier to play with letters because you already know those symbols. About 900 AD, however, musicians decided that letters were not the way to go to notate music, and that's why the current system of dots and lines was invented. I'd strongly advise you not to go backwards in technology, especially to a system that was proven to be inadequate over 1000 years ago.
Why not learn to read music? As you've already seen, there is nothing available done in notation that comes, quite literally, from the Dark Ages.
As to your desire to play the "Moonlight," find a teacher and tell her/him that this is the piece you want to play most of all. As for a simplified arrangement - - perhaps just the opening melody - - as soon as you know enough notes to play a phrase or two.
This is a tough one. My standard advice would be to play further out toward the edge of the key but as close as you can to make the triad a more comfortable grasp. If you are overweight, losing weight will also mean losing some in your fingers, but you say this does not apply to you.
I have had several gentlemen students with wide fingertips. And I'll bet that an E-flat major chord is not your cup of tea, either! They surely didn't like it!
Consider also trying to "play out" (just out from the start of the black key), as for the Eb chord. This is the "curl under" solution, of which you speak, perhaps. Your fingers should be long enough to reach the Eb and Bb even if your third finger is in a strange position on the G.
And consider a re-fingering, such as 1-2-3 (on the Eb again, as an example), so you can change the attitude of the fingers relative to the black keys. That is, 2 would be canted toward the outside of the hand (pinkie), drawing the elbow toward the body. Sometimes the index finger is slimmer than the middle one.
I think the "choice" solution probably is best, unless it confuses you to use two different motions to solve the same problem. On the other hand, most pianists use the multiple solutions approach in fingering all the time.
Second, you sound like very reasonable parents, and you obviously have only his best interests at heart. You know that he is doing himself harm and are trying to save him from himself. Naturally, he is not listening, and this is typical.
Now a solution. I think I would tell him that his best bet for improvement lies in private study, but don't bludgeon him with this observation. If he can schlog through music at the level you mention, he has pretty good skills, sight-reading notwithstanding.
Also the fact that he has come back on his own to an activity he gave up in favor of [more] sports and other teen pursuits says a lot about his intellectual depth. You need to let him make his own decision to come back. When he does, and he's serious, he'll be able to admit the deficiencies and be mature enough to address them.
Meantime, what to do now. Sight-reading + young may be what's holding him back right now, down deep. Also telling is his concern that a teacher will "make him" learn stuff he doesn't want. I'm guessing he knows he can't sight-read worth beans and that he will be "found out" by a university piano professor. And, of course, this is true! He is likely afraid that when his sight-reading level is discovered he will be written off as a musical ne'er-do-well and tossed out the door in ignominy. He's not old enough yet to bear such "rejection," although I think his main problem is -fear- of rejection. He also may fear he will be assigned remedial pieces, and that those will have limited musical appeal (and challenge!) to him.
He might be well-served by studying with a competent grad student and working specifically on sight-reading. This is if he acknowledges that sight-reading and perhaps other skills are deficient. Tell him you'll be happy to pay for this, if he can "find someone to be in cahoots" with him to work on his sight-reading. Then later, you'll be happy to pay if he decides he wants to take literature study from a prof.
If he's not interested, let him continue to work on his own. Let him know that the offer stands, and you'll make good on it when he's ready. Meanwhile, encourage him to play for you, to make community appearances (retirement homes are great for this!), and use his musical talents and skills in other ways.
When the time is right, he'll come back. But I know it's tough to wait!
First of all, please do not think you are less of a musician because of your memory "problem." People are "variously-abled" in memory, just as they are in ability to play tennis or learn a foreign language.
Second, please read my file on memory.
Third, ask yourself whether memory is really necessary for how you are using your music. You didn't say if you were a music major, an adult playing for pleasure, a prospective music major, etc. If you are not a music major or a pre-major, don't worry about the memory. Play from music. You are -not- less of a musician to do so, I assure you. There is a big mystique about performing from memory (started by Clara Schumann and perpetuated by Franz Liszt, mostly as a parlor trick), and I think a lot of it is bunk.
You should consider what your home situation is, since your girls are not yet studying.
At this point, then, you survey what is available new and also look at what is available used. Try the newspapers, piano dealers' used stock, piano technicians' used stock - - and they also usually know of people with pianos to sell.
As far as whether new or used is "better," this also depends.
A new piano is expensive, but you have the comfort of a "warranty" in case there is something wrong with it, and it will be a nice piece of furniture. For these features you pay a premium.
I would say if you are at all unsure whether the girls will continue and you have no other reason to have a piano in the home except for them, go with a used piano. You can always trade it in on a new one later (if the person with whom you are dealing has such a program) or sell it and put the money toward a new piano.
If you just "prefer" something new, go with that. You can always sell it if you wish.
But, please, since you want your daughters to play the piano, don't go with an electronic keyboard/digital piano if you can avoid it! The folks at the store will try very hard to sell you one and tell you how they're "just as good" and "almost as good" and "feel just like" a real piano. Not so at all! Every single one of my students who bought an electronic of some kind, including the very high end models, has traded it in for a real piano. (And I have said zero to them about this. They have come to this conclusion on their own.)
Now for solutions. (1) If you find that certain types of music really aggravate the condition, change the literature. Decide that for your health and continued ability to play at all, you will enjoy these pieces on CDs. (2) Ask your piano tech if the downweight can be adjusted on your keyboard. (3) Practice those "aggravating" pieces much less. Choose shorter ones so you have a hope of learning them in this lifetime! (4) Don't play so loudly. If you type, don't type "forte." (5) Change to harpsichord, virginal, or clavichord. Obviously, this would necessitate a change in literature, too. (6) Switch to an electronic keyboard (not a digital piano, but what's known as a synthesizer).
They say it helps tremendously. And when recital time comes, it's just like another "piano party" because it's the same people.
I'd advise doing the small groups of friends/amateurs first. Master classes are pretty intense - - other students are listening to the teacher critique your playing. I'd wait on this until I'd had several recitals under the belt.
A classic problem and one every keyboard played faces! Your "table" exercise will help, but be very, very, very careful. Lift the 4th finger only enough to lose contact with the table. Don't try to "stretch" it or lift it higher. Robert Shumann, the composer, put an early end to his concert career by using a device he designed to conquer the same problem you - - and every pianist - - has.
I suggest Aloys Schmitt's Preparatory Exercises for Piano, Op. 16. Work through them all to build strength and dexterity. Along the way, you'll come to exercises especially for the 4th finger. (I don't want to tell you which ones because you need to work up to them by starting at the beginning of the book!) Also, discuss this problem with your teacher. Good luck. You -can- do it; all pianists before you have done it!
One problem: one sharp also can be a minor key (in this case, e minor).
So, you have to look at the triad in the very last measure of the song to be sure.
Another thing you can do is to look for sharps written in as accidentals. In e minor, it would be a d#, but since this is still hazy for you, I'd go with analyzing the last measure. In fact, if you do it this way, you don't have to memorize which key is how many sharps!
Or, maybe the teacher is lazy. I advise you to look for another teacher - - one who realizes, as you do, that kids forget a lot over the summer. Actually, they forget a lot just over two weeks at Christmas!)
Give yourself a pat on the back for spending the important time with your daughter that she needs to become a musician. She sees that you deem it so important that you'll fill in for her teacher, and she can hardly miss learning that music is important!
(1) Listen and strum. the clapping was a preliminary step; control over large muscles happens before control over small ones.
(2) Start with a simple 1&2&. Set the metronome for one tick per "1" and one per "&." You are setting the metronome for the eighth-note. Strum on each tick. You are strumming