Learning to Play the Piano- A Traditional Teacher or the Modern Way?

I think to best answer this question, you need to ask yourself what you wish to achieve?

 

If you are looking at concert pianist status, I think I can comfortably suggest a traditional teacher and music school is the way to go.

 

On the other hand, if you are just interested in playing for pleasurem, then you could go either the traditional way, or the modern, online style of course.

 

The main benefit in online courses is that you can study when it suits you, even if it is two in the morning. I don’t know of too many teachers that are happy to accept pupils at two am.

 

However, even though some online courses are very good, it is difficult without the absolute guidance of a professional. 

 

However, \the Rocket Piano course is probably the next best thing, if you can’t afford a teacher or have access to one for that matter. The courses are delivered online by download, so you can review the material in your own time, and that is very flexible.

 

Now the case with Rocket piano is that the team who have developed it are all at Grade 8 level, so they’ve been around for a while.They have knowledge in all genera’s of piano . The system comprises of three book sof information as well as electronic tutorials.

The lessons have also been created to cater for all levels of player, regardless of weather you have just begun, or are at a much more advanced level.

To Learn More about this course, please head over to Rocket Piano.

Piano and the Risk of Tendonitis

 

Piano and the Risk of Tendonitis

As someone who has lived through 3 incredibly painful bouts of tendonitis, both in my left arm and right arm, I thought it important to pass on some information that has helped me deal with this in the past.



It is important to understand that playing the piano can cause serious injuries such as tendonitis and carpel tunnel syndrome. Both these ailments are known as repetitive strain injuries. The constant up and down, side to side movement of the arms and fingers when playing piano for long periods of time is what causes these injuries.



This is common among piano players. In fact, it is so common that there is a special clinic in Hamilton, Ontario called the Musician’s Clinics of Canada that deals with the prevention and rehabilitation of musician injuries. Naturally their patients include other instrumentalists like violin and guitar but, pianist injuries are certainly among the most common.



What can be done when a pianist gets tendonitis or carpel tunnel syndrome? Well, certainly there are conventional methods of dealing with the inflammation and pain. Unfortunately these types of treatments such as; anti-inflammatories, pain medications and physio therapy are designed to treat the symptoms. Therefore, once the pianist goes back to playing the piano without being completely healed the injuries can re-occur and in the end be quite difficult to get rid of.



It is not uncommon for tendonitis to stick around for very long periods of time. In my case, I once had a problem with my right arm that took almost 3 years to get better. The problem is of course that, as a professional I can’t possibly just stop playing the piano. I can take breaks in between concerts but usually I can only take up to a month’s rest at a time. 



So, how can these injuries be cured while still continuing to play? It’s important to understand that not every case is the same but, for me, I actually had to re-learn how to play the piano the correct way. I realized, after visiting the musician’s clinic, that I had the completely wrong approach to playing piano. Specifically, I was too close to the keyboard, I had the wrong wrist position, the wrong finger position and I didn’t understand the concept of leverage.



Leverage means to use the entire body to create volume on the piano. I was trying to create volume by forcing the keys down with forearm strength instead of using the entire body. Therefore, my arm muscles and joints suffered from the strain of trying to play too loud. What I eventually realized, with the help of the musician’s clinic doctor was that, I needed to create velocity as opposed to force. Once the key reached the bottom of its natural movement it can go no further. Yet, I was trying to force the note passed its end without even realizing it.



The correct way is to drive the note down with extra velocity using the back, shoulders, biceps, arms, wrists and fingers and then release at the exact moment the key reaches its lowest point. Therefore, it’s the velocity of the hammer hitting the string that creates volume. Knowing when to let up is very important in the fight to prevent injury.



In terms of moving the piano bench back, I had to learn also to sit with better upright posture and to generate leverage using my entire body. It’s easier to do this with the right foot (pedal foot) forward and the left foot back under the bench. Then as you pivot forward and backward on the bench you have more balance and leverage.



Once last point I should mention; exercise is very important. I started weight training several years ago because, I find that the extra muscle helps a great deal in preventing injury. Be careful however, to consult a professional when starting weight training. You must do it the correct way in order for it to be beneficial.

 

Paul Tobey – About the Author:

 

Learning piano lessons takes motivation that sometimes can be missing. Paul Tobey’s online piano lessons are perfect for anyone who may be considering learning to play better piano. He a free piano lesson to new members.





Read more: //www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/piano-and-the-risk-of-tendonitis-123703.html#ixzz1NfPd1L00 

 

How to Choose a Good Piano Teacher?


How to Choose a Good Piano Teacher?

How to Choose a Good Piano Teacher?
By Aaron Glinski

If you want to learn the piano, choosing a good piano teacher is very important. A good teacher will help you grow and bring out the best in you. A good piano teacher will know how to push you in the right direction.

Here are some basic and useful areas that a teacher should cover including metronome, arpeggio, and scale practice. A good piano teacher will cover all the time periods and history of the piano. A good teacher should cover time periods like the baroque, romantic, classical, contemporary, and jazz. A good teacher knows that having exposure to the history of the piano will help with your growth.

Some things that you should look out for include teachers that constantly give difficult pieces meant for a skilled musician. Physically challenging pieces can discourage a student and cause them to quit. Difficult music pieces can cause unwanted strain on your body which could lead to tendonitis in the future. A good teacher knows how to develop a student’s technical and physical ability so they can master difficult music pieces.

Another thing to keep in mind is, knowing when to leave your teacher for another one. There are times when you’ll learn all you can from a teacher, it’s not really a bad thing; it just means you need a new teacher.

Now to tell you the truth, you may not want to have a piano teacher. This is perfectly fine; I know a lot of people who find it way to expensive to hire a teacher. Some people prefer to get an online course to show them how to play the piano. There’s nothing wrong with this approach and it definitely has its benefits. If you learn from an online course you can:

  1. Learn from the comfort of your own home
  2. Learn on your own time
  3. Learn at your own pace
  4. The best thing to know, it’s cost effective to learn from an online course

If you’re thinking about this approach then there is only one online piano course that worth getting and that’s Rocket Piano. If you want to know more about Rocket Piano, please be sure to read this review. //www.consumernews-weekly.com/rocket-piano-review

Conclusion

Finding a teacher or taking an online course is fine. Both methods can help you learn the piano. Just think about what method works best for you and work hard. You’ll be a piano master in now time.

My name is Aaron G and I hope you like my reviews. I plan on writing good reviews, so be sure to check out more of my reviews. Thanks

Article Source: //EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Glinski

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