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practice

Why Clap Rhythms?

Categories Music in General Music Practice Piano Theory

Have you ever been asked to clap the rhythms you find in your music? It might seem like a strange thing to do (especially when considering that your goal is to get better at your chosen instrument) but it’s a common recommendation you’ll find in the musical world. As it happens, clapping your rhythms is one of the most beneficial things you can do when first learning a piece of music. Let’s look at some key points addressing why it’s worth it to clap your rhythms. It’s Great for Learning Rhythms Starting right at the heart of the matter: clapping … Read more

How to Get Back to Practicing Piano

Categories Music in General Music Practice Piano

A very common backstory I hear as a piano teacher goes something like this:  “I started taking piano lessons when I was young, stuck with it for a while and got pretty good, but ultimately had to give it up as life started getting busier. Now I’m older, and have a little more time, but I don’t really know how I should get back to practicing…” In a way, coming back to piano practice after a long hiatus can be harder than when you first started. Especially if you started young, the goal would have been simply to learn as … Read more

Why Use a Metronome?

Categories Music in General Music Practice Piano Theory

A metronome is a device that emits regular clicks or beeps in a constant beat (or pulse). The clicks of a metronome are measured in “beats-per-minute,” meaning that the speed of the metronome is set by choosing how many beats (or clicks) should happen within a minute. For example, you might set a metronome to 90 beats-per-minute (or 90bpm), and that’s how many clicks the metronome would emit within a minute. More beats-per-minute equals a faster click speed, while less equals a slower click. You are probably already familiar with one speed – 60bpm means 60 clicks per minute, one … Read more

How to Choose a Weekly Practice Plan

Categories Music in General Music Practice Piano Theory

So you’ve started your piano education – Congratulations! You’ve embarked on a lifelong journey brimming with enrichment and accomplishment. To learn an instrument is not only to reap the joy of playing music, but to learn about yourself and develop your core learning abilities.  Now that you’re committed to the path of learning an instrument, it’s time to pick the route you’ll take to make your musical goals achievable: it’s time to make a practice plan. Practicing is how you get better at music. Period. If you do not practice, you cannot improve, and the best way to improve through … Read more

Making the Most of Your Practice: The Metronome – Part 1

Categories Music in General Music Practice

The ability to play in time, one of the most fundamental skills that a musician must develop, is to play with a consistent, even, and steady pulse as well as playing rhythmic phrases with accuracy and precision. Playing with good time is just as important in solo playing as it is in an ensemble environment. Without a good sense of time, the music will lose its momentum, fluency, and ultimately its groove—a word we will discuss in a future next article. Given that time is such an important skill to develop, as musicians we should know exactly how to develop … Read more