Play The Piano | A Workable Practical Guide to Piano Playing

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

admin Keyboard Technique June 23, 2011April 12, 2020Absolute, Benefit, Concert Pianist, Electronic Tutorials, Grade 8, Guidance, Learning Piano, Learning To Play The Piano, Music School, Nbsp, Own Time, Piano Course, Piano Teacher, Play Piano, Play The Piano, Pupils, Traditional Music, Traditional Teacher, Weather

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.

Can I Overcome Difficult Injuries, and Still Play the Piano at Concert level?

admin Injury Management, Lionel Bowman, Overcoming Adversity, Piano Method, The Magic Touch, Wallace Tate May 6, 2010April 27, 2010Anatomy Of The Arm, Blessing In Disguise, Bouts, Bowman, Comprehension, Concert Pianist, Initial Point, Lionel, Magic Touch, Massive Improvement, Methodical Approach, Mr Wallace, Muscular Injuries, Muscular Problems, Pianists, Piano Concert, Play Piano, Play The Piano, Short Answer, Tate, Tendonitis, Thirties, Trial And Error, University Of Pretoria

The short answer, in many cases is, Yes. I say this, as many pianists have suffered numerous injuries in the past, typically in the areas of tendonitis or muscular injuries.

However, with the right information, and methodical approach, you can overcome your limitations.4

I know this is a big statement to make, but let me explain it this way…

I was fortunate to have met Professor Lionel Bowman, before he passed away, and also have come in contact with Mr Wallace Tate, a man who studied the methods of Professor Bowman in great detail.

Mr Tate, over a period of several years. monitored the methods that Professor Bowman had created, and utilised his talent for translating complex moves into easy to follow steps, in a manual with fantastic illustration, and example material, to help both the student and teacher, maximise their comprehension, understanding and application of the Bowman playing method.

Mr Bowman experienced great difficulty in his late thirties as a concert pianist, in terms of repetitive bouts of tendonitis and other muscular problems. However, after being unable to play for some months, he took the time to learn the anatomy of the arm, hand, wrist and fingers, and really study, by process, trial and error, the methods that would not only allow him to play again, but to do so pain free. The results were nothing less than astonishing, to say the least.

Whilst the initial point was to be able to play the piano again, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for all Professor Bowman's students as well, as they have reported massive improvement in their playing as well. Now, more people started to take note.

It was well into the process, that Professor Bowman then gave a master class at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and had a DVD recording made of the class, which has become an essential element of The Magic Touch Course, presented here. It is through these methods, and subsequent teaching that Professor Bowman further refined his technique, and most people who have actively utilised his method have had substantial success, not to mention an improved tonal quality to their playing as well as less discomfort.

The method is based on the increase of strength and tone in the fingers. This is explained in this classical piano article.

The Importance of Scales and Arpeggios

admin Injury Management, Keyboard Technique, Piano Method, The Magic Touch May 4, 2010April 27, 2010Arm Muscles, Bowman, Encouragement, Finger Muscles, Fingers, Flexibility, Hand Arm, Lionel, Moving, Musical Composition, Nbsp, Pianist, Play Piano, Play The Piano, Playing Piano, Playing The Piano, Posture, Scales And Arpeggios, Sitting Posture, Stress, Tension

It is no secret that for any pianist, amateur or professional, it is imperative that they commence with a solid warm up prior to launching into a playing session. In fact, I prefer to think of the scales and arpeggios as part of the playing session. Why and how so?

The benefits of playing scales are all about an adequate warm up, and flexibility of the fingers, and hand. Whist I realise that for a beginner, the idea of incurring an injury at the piano may seem a far fetched idea, it is a definite reality for many people, who may not be adopting the right techniques to play the piano. However, far from wanting to put you off, I'd rather that it be an encouragement to simply follow the right techniques, and processes, to adequately tone your hand, arm, and finger muscles.

Playing the piano is not about just pushing the right keys in the right order. It is very much more than that, and certainly, a possibility to master as a skill, when approached the right way.

To illustrate this example, you can start by playing scales, and then, moving up to arpeggios.

However, you can also start improvising, and turning the scales in to musical composition, as you progress.

It is not an automatic thing, no, but certainly a way to move forward, when you need to.

As the Late Professor Lionel Bowman said, it is always a good idea to start to learn something new, with a new technique, rather than trying to play something you already know,as your mind has already programmed a certain method into your playing for a particular piece. However, what about if you decide to learn something completely new, following a new technique, like the Bowman method?

You will find that you develop greater strength in your fingers, as well as the ability to relax more in the hand and arm, thus allowing a greater degree of stress to remain out of the equation.

Tension and stress, mixed with the incorrect sitting posture can dramatically affect your likelyhood of having problems with tendonitis and also muscular aches in general.

However, getting back to my title earlier, the fact that you are playing scales and arpeggios is an important aspect of the warm up process.

I realise that it may take a combination of discipline, and sheer creativity in time, but you will certainly see the result with less injury over the curse of your piano playing career. For that alone, the issue is a fait accompli.

The Classical Piano method- known as the Magic Touch, is available here.