Piano at Play
Canadian Pop Songbook: easy fake book delivers great tunes! [Review]
Looking for a great fake book of some of the most popular music from the last five decades? Here’s a book that will be great for jam sessions and for piano teachers teaching keyboard harmony. Read on! ...continue reading →
Deep in the Meadow - Rue's Lullaby for piano [RCM Level 3 List C]
Tweens, teens and adult piano students ask for more from their music. Not only do they want repertoire that develops their playing, but music they can connect with on a personal level. Deep in the Meadow can be a conversation starter on what music means to our collective culture and gives students music they can believe in as they define their values in this world. ...continue reading →
How to compose piano music? Heart and Soul can teach you! [Part IX]
Composing sets you free to create using what you already know about music! Show your students how to use what they know about Heart and Soul, its chord progressions, texture and patterns, to create their very own original music! Post includes videos of student examples! ...continue reading →
Early piano registration: How to plan ahead for the unknown
Early registration helps the piano teacher know which students plan to return to lessons in the fall, and this makes your planning easier. But with COVID-19 there are so many unknowns. How can piano teachers best handle pre-registration this year? Read to find out! ...continue reading →
How to Improvise on the piano? Heart and Soul can teach you! [Part VIII]
Improvising gives you and your students permission to play outside the box! Heart and Soul’s familiar patterns can inspire your students to try their hand at improvising! They’ll have the chance to come up with fresh, current and alternative sounds all their own! Help them gain confidence being creative at the piano. This blog post is complete with a tutorial video that helps them get started! Share it directly with your students! ...continue reading →
Teaching music to your own child: hints and tips, surviving and thriving
A personal letter from one piano teacher to another has prompted a special discussion on the dreams, aspirations, frustrations and humorous moments of what it means to teach music to your own child. Can it be done? Is it possible to survive? Read more to find out! ...continue reading →
How Heart and Soul teaches Relative Minors [Part VII]
Heart and Soul holds a secret clue to finding relative minor keys. After students have learned the bass and chords, explored primary chords and learned to transpose, the next challenge is to use the familiar chord progression to find relative major and minor keys. This blog with a FREE printable sheet breaks it down in easy-to-understand language. Share it directly with your students! ...continue reading →
Zoom recital: 7 Tips and strategies for success!
Recitals stir many feelings in our students from nervousness to relief and accomplishment. Have you been wondering how to recreate the benefits of a recital over zoom? It is possible! Here are hints and strategies for planning a recital experience that will please students, parents and grandparents alike. Read more! ...continue reading →
Learn to transpose with Heart and Soul [Part VI]
Heart and Soul is a brilliant little workhorse piece of music. It offers a simple introduction to transposing by ear, which leads to a greater understanding of scales, key signatures and primary chords. To be versatile, transposing is the single most important skill a pianist can have! This post includes a tutorial video and a FREE printable sheet! ...continue reading →
