How To Approach Sight Reading Sight-reading is a necessary skill as it allows you to jump in and get into a song quickly. But there are some rules to adhere to: Look at the clefs Many a student has been fooled into playing the wrong keys because they failed to notice

The Importance of Rhythm Once you have established a solid and reliable pulse, it is now time to add the rhythm on top of it. This is often the hardest part for students especially as the rhythm for piano is usually tied in with the pitch so using the right finger

The Importance Of Timing Timing is utterly crucial for all musicians (especially when playing together). Imagine a group of people singing “Happy Birthday” but they are all singing at different speeds. What would happen? Chaos! Once you have found the pulse you can start to include its natural accenting

Hand Co-Ordination You know you’ve started to advance in your piano skills when you are faced with sheet music that makes you play with both hands. As a general rule “hands together” music is introduced slowly with single notes in the left hand appearing before chords or other forms of accompaniment.

How To Undo Bad Habits The only thing worse than picking up a bad habit is trying to undo it. The most common bad habits include: Not counting rhythm Not reading notes Using bad fingers To undo a bad habit you will need to be aware that you have a bad

The Importance Of Relaxation And Posture Posture and relaxation are incredibly important at the piano because it allows you to play comfortably and with feeling, allowing you to interpret the music to its fullest extent. Posture When sitting down ensure that your back is straight and that you are comfortable. As

A Crash Course On The Pedals Here's a quick crash course on the piano pedals ... Depending on your piano you may have between up to three pedals. The Sostenuto or Sustain Pedal (right) This is the most common pedal and is always on the right-hand side. It is used by

Building Confidence At The Piano Here's how to build confidence when you next sit down to play your piano. To begin with aim for consistent practice. This is hugely important as skills that don’t get used, get lost. Look for songs in your comfort zone Start at the very beginning with

How To Play With Arthritis Playing with any kind of disability is always going to be a challenge but for anyone with arthritis in your hands this may present extra issues. Depending on where your arthritis is you may need to modify how you sit and hold yourself at the piano.