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Best Student Duets with Just 5-fingers from Diabelli

by Tim Topham

If you haven’t yet introduced the duets of Anton Diabelli to your teaching studio, you are missing out on some of the best student duets for beginner and intermediate students. In fact, as long as students can read a 5-finger position in C Major, they can at least play the first couple of these pieces. Diabelli ... Best Student Duets with Just 5-fingers from Diabelli

08/29/2022 Read more

A Holistic Approach to Reading Music

by Andrew Bishko, Musical U

An expert guest post from Musical U’s Andrew Bishko looking at reading music.  Reading Music How did you learn to talk? What, no book?! Yet all too often, music education starts with reading music rather than playing music. And speaking of reading, how did you learn to read? Simply by looking at letters on a page? ... A Holistic Approach to Reading Music

05/28/2018 Read more

The Future of Piano Teaching: What Does it Really Look Like?

by Sean Wales

Piano pedagogy has changed, adapted and evolved in so many ways over the past decade. So what does the future of piano teaching look like? Let’s take a glimpse forward and see how we can best prepare for the future of music education. Please continue the discussion in the comments section below. TECHNOLOGY We will ... The Future of Piano Teaching: What Does it Really Look Like?

07/24/2017 Read more

Helping Students Disconnect through Piano | Hamlet’s Blackberry

by Tim Topham

I’m currently holidaying in Bali and have really enjoyed reading “Hamlets Blackberry” by William Powers. This book argues how our insatiable desire to be connected and ever-attached to our “screens” (his generic term for anything digital connected to the Internet: phones, emails, computers, iPads, etc.) is actually causing far more harm and personal disconnection than ... Helping Students Disconnect through Piano | Hamlet’s Blackberry

04/09/2012 Read more

General knowledge/analysis help for your students – Ross Hamilton

by Tim Topham

Have you ever been teaching a piece of music for a student to present at an exam, only to realise a few week’s out that you are not 100% sure of the piece’s analysis/general knowledge requirements? I have, and given the importance that is placed on a student’s understanding of the ‘general knowledge’ surrounding the ... General knowledge/analysis help for your students – Ross Hamilton

01/25/2012 Read more

Teaching piano with rhythms

by Tim Topham

Practising in rhythms is, without a doubt, my No 1 practice tip for students! Why? One simple reason: it reduces the amount of time that they need to spend practising repetitive sequences such as scales and scale passages, arpeggios, broken chords and any kind of fast quaver or semiquaver movement. Students will be able to ... Teaching piano with rhythms

06/04/2011 Read more
 

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Best of the AMEB manual list – level 1

by Tim Topham

It’s sad that so many teachers stick only to the AMEB grade books when there is so much great music out there, and quite a few gems are already listed in the syllabus under the “Manual List” for each grade. The only problem is, unless you learned those pieces when you were a kid, it’s ... Best of the AMEB manual list – level 1

05/23/2011 Read more

Teaching piano practice: Just 0.3% of a student’s week? You’re kidding right?!

by Tim Topham

How to teach piano practice Have you ever calculated just how little time you get to spend with your students out of their total working week? It’s a fascinating and insightful exercise and its result should dictate much of what we do with students during lessons. Last year, I read a fantastic book called “The Practice Revolution” ... Teaching piano practice: Just 0.3% of a student’s week? You’re kidding right?!

05/16/2011 Read more