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Step into 'The 48'
A Guide to JS Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier
Three hundred years after their first publication, Bach’s 48 preludes and fugues are as important, fascinating and demanding as ever - every aspiring pianist should know at least a few! Beate Toyka introduces and plays each of them, giving insider tips on interpretation and technique starting with the easier works... Read >>
Sonata No. 17 in D Minor ('Tempest')
(Op. 31 No. 2)
Concert pianist and piano professor Julian Jacobson gives a guided tour of Beethoven's Tempest Sonata, Op. 31 No. 2. In this detailed lecture performance, Julian gives insights on style and interpretation with further tips and suggestions for fingering and tackling some of the technical technical challenges!... Read >>
Repertoire Ideas (Part 1)
Graham Fitch and Fred Karpoff present a selection of repertoire ideas, including both popular works and hidden gems.... Read >>
Getting to Grips with Octaves
Having great octave technique is an essential hallmark of virtuosity, but what’s the secret to developing it? In this module Graham Fitch provides a comprehensive guide to developing octave technique using numerous examples from the repertoire, video demonstrations and exercises.... Read >>
Partita No. 6 in E minor
BWV 830
The Toccata from Bach’s Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830, is a popular choice for piano diplomas. These videos (with accompanying study edition for the Fugue) will show you how to approach learning, interpreting and performing this magnificent work.... Read >>
Song Without Words (Op. 19b, No. 1)
Mendelssohn’s first Song Without Words, a lovely Andante con moto in E major, is a highly enjoyable and rewarding piece to study at the early advanced level. This From the Ground Up edition begins with two reductions that lay the groundwork for an expressive understanding of the piece, and concludes... Read >>
A Guide to the ABRSM Syllabus (2023 - 2024)
This series provides a detailed guide to the ABRSM piano examination syllabus for 2023 - 2024, including video walk-throughs with practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of pieces (from initial to Grade 8).... Read >>
Read Ahead - Level 4
Read Ahead is an exciting program that helps piano students to improve their sight-reading ability. This unique curriculum is based on an extensive collection of carefully ordered compositions with related exercises and quizzes that help students develop the mental and tactile skills necessary for fluent sight-reading. This section features Level 4... Read >>
Beethoven on Board - Sonata No. 5 in C Minor
(Op. 10 No. 1)
Pianist and captain of The Piano Boat, Masayuki Tayama, gives a guided tour of Beethoven’s fifth sonata in C minor, Op. 10 No. 1. In these fourteen videos, Masa explores background, style, interpretation, technical challenges and practice methods for each of the three movements.... Read >>
Intermezzo in E major (Op. 116 No. 6)
Walkthrough
Brahms’ late piano pieces are among his most personal and intimate music. This bittersweet, nostalgic Intermezzo is from the set of Fantasies, Op. 116, completed in 1892. Within the progression of harmonies in the outer sections we discover interweaving melodic lines; imagine a dialogue between a violin and a viola... Read >>
ABRSM Grade 8 - Piano Exam Pieces
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of the Grade 8 pieces.... Read >>
Intermezzo in B minor (Op. 119 No. 1)
Trinity College - Grade 8
In 1893, Brahms wrote his last work for the piano, a set of four piano pieces, op. 119. The Intermezzo in B minor is the first piece of the set. As a composition it is full of riches, arousing keen interest in composers and scholars (including Arnold Schoenberg) as they... Read >>
A Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus (2021 - 2023)
This series features video walk-throughs of a selection of pieces from Trinity College London’s 2021 - 2023 piano examination syllabus, giving plenty of tips for practice, as well as suggestions for piano teachers, and guidance on matters relating to style and interpretation.... Read >>
Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum
The Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum is derived from nearly twenty years of experience teaching the freshman sight-reading class for piano majors at the Peabody Conservatory. It consists of an extensive collection of annotated scores dealing with every aspect of sight-reading, together with detailed suggestions on how to practice. It covers everything... Read >>
Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum - Part 3
Playing by Ear
Although playing by ear might seem to be the opposite of sight-reading, we read with our ears as much as with our eyes. The inner ear helps us to navigate a new score, predict what is coming and improvise when the eyes haven’t had enough time to absorb everything. The... Read >>
Beethoven on Board - Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major
(Op. 7)
Pianist and captain of The Piano Boat, Masayuki Tayama, gives a guided tour of Beethoven’s fourth sonata in E-flat major, Op. 7. In these eighteen videos, Masa explores background, style, interpretation, technical challenges and practice methods for each of the four movements.... Read >>
Beethoven on Board - Sonata No. 3 in C Major
(Op. 2 No. 3)
Pianist and captain of The Piano Boat, Masayuki Tayama, gives a guided tour of Beethoven’s second piano sonata in C major, Op. 2 No. 3. In these seventeen videos, Masa explores background, style, interpretation, technical challenges and practice methods for each of the four movements.... Read >>
Jailbreaking Hanon
Should the exercises of Charles-Louis Hanon be consigned to the dustbins of history or can they be useful if done mindfully, with choreography based on modern thinking about piano technique? In this lecture series, Graham Fitch shows many applications for Hanon's exercises, including how they can be used as a... Read >>
Beethoven on Board - Sonata No. 2 in A Major
(Op. 2 No. 2)
Pianist and captain of The Piano Boat, Masayuki Tayama, gives a guided tour of Beethoven’s second piano sonata in A major, Op. 2 No. 2. In these twenty videos, Masa explores background, style, interpretation, technical challenges and practice methods for each of the four movements.... Read >>
A Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus (2018 - 2020)
This series features video demonstrations of a selection of pieces from Trinity College London’s 2018 - 2020 piano examination syllabus, with examples from each grade from Initial to 8. You will find plenty of tips for practice, as well as suggestions for piano teachers, and guidance on matters relating to... Read >>
Beethoven on Board - Sonata No. 1 in F Minor
(Op. 2 No. 1)
Pianist and captain of The Piano Boat, Masayuki Tayama, gives a guided tour of Beethoven’s first piano sonata in F minor, Op. 2 No. 1. In these eighteen videos, Masa explores background, style, interpretation, technical challenges and practice methods for each of the four movements.... Read >>
Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum - Part 4
Rhythm
Rhythm is perhaps the most important element in sight-reading and is the subject of the fourth (next) part of our Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum. Using simple, effective practice methods and carefully-selected pieces with annotations and guidelines, we work on keeping a regular pulse while tackling challenges such as recognising underlying rhythmic... Read >>
How to Learn a New Piece
In this video series Graham Fitch shows how to lay strong foundations from the outset when learning a new piece. The videos feature numerous examples from the ABRSM syllabus covering such topics as background research, analysis, fingering, interpretation and practice methods.... Read >>
ABRSM Grade 7 - Piano Exam Pieces
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of the Grade 7 pieces.... Read >>
Toccata
ABRSM Grade 8 - C7
Aram Khachaturian’s Toccata is surely one of the most effective showpieces for the advancing pianist. Although it looks and sounds very difficult it is actually much more approachable than you might think, with patterns that are always highly pianistic and often surprisingly simple to memorise. There is plenty of scope... Read >>
Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum - Part 1
Eye Training
Sight-reading begins with sight. Before the inner ear can begin to imagine the sound of a score, before the mind can start to decode the patterns it detects, and before the body can translate these sounds and patterns into physical gestures that transform written notes into music, the eyes must... Read >>
The Exercises of Peter Feuchtwanger
Peter Feuchtwanger was an important teacher who created a series of exercises designed to encourage healthy, natural and relaxed movements at the piano. In this module, Graham Fitch and Daniel Grimwood give their takes on Peter's exercises and share anecdotes from their experience in working with him.... Read >>
Mazurka in A minor (Op.17 No. 4)
A ravishing melody floats in the air above the left hand’s meandering harmonies, creating a haunting, melancholy atmosphere. The second section invites us to a rustic dance but even though the music has now moved to the major key the colour remains dark, the bass drone keeping us grounded. The... Read >>
Developing a Balanced Technique
Strategies and approaches for achieving "pianistic fitness"
Mastering core piano techniques is essential for the freedom to successfully express musical ideas. Based on her personal experience and the traditions of the Russian School, Ilga Pitkevica shares insights into approaches and strategies for achieving “pianistic fitness” and developing a balanced piano technique.... Read >>
Fantasie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor (Op. 66)
Walkthrough
A series of detailed video demonstrations on solving the various challenges posed by Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu, with a special focus on the three-against-four polyrhythm.... Read >>
Fantasie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor (Op. 66)
Annotated Study Edition
Chopin’s Fantasie-Impromptu (Op. Post. 66) is one of the most popular works in the piano repertoire and many pianists attempt it before they are ready for the challenges it poses. This collection of resources accompanies our study edition for the work and features detailed annotations, additional video demonstrations and practice... Read >>
Mozart Sonata in G, K283 (1st mvt)
The opening movement of Mozart’s lyrical and playful Sonata in G has long been a favourite of both students and professional pianists. Its relatively modest technical demands make it attractive to amateur pianists, yet its musical subtlety requires careful listening and focused practice. This From the Ground Up edition offers... Read >>
A Guide to the ABRSM Syllabus (2018 - 2020)
This series contains resources and further links to other resources featuring the ABRSM syllabus (until 2020) and is designed for elementary level players, young musicians and their teachers. Articles in this series provide step-by-step (or phrase-by-phrase) approaches to learning a pieces thoroughly and securely, offer practice exercises to help solve... Read >>
Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum - Part 2
Flexibility
To give an interpretation of a piece we have never seen before requires flexibility and demands a willingness to accept wrong notes, technical stumbles, and botched details, in the greater interest of maintaining rhythmic cohesion, following the broad outlines of the score. The second part of our Advanced Sight-Reading Curriculum... Read >>
Playing Together - Etiquette and Tips for Duet Playing
These videos, based on content from the Piano Teachers’ Course UK, provide a demonstration of the “do’s and don’ts” of duet playing. Using Mozart’s Five Variations K501 as a practical example, the videos illustrate the various challenges that arise, including pedalling, page turning and getting in each other’s way in... Read >>
Intermezzo in A Major (Op. 118 No. 2)
Walkthrough
This collection of videos and accompanying annotated study edition provides a walk-through of one of the most beloved short piano pieces ever written, starting with some background and an introduction to its features followed by a look at aspects including interpretation, texture, pedalling and voicing.... Read >>
A Practical Guide to Forearm Rotation
Forearm rotation is a way of coordinating the arm with the fingers in very specific and controlled ways. Tiny movements in the forearm share with the fingers the job of putting down the keys and can yield significant benefits, including improved coordination, reduced tension and a feeling of greater strength... Read >>
Quarantine-Spots
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If you have spots in your pieces that regularly break down you’re going to need to identify them and isolate these sections so you can do some quality, systematic practice on them. This process I call quarantining, and each extract... Read >>
Slow Practice
If you’re serious about playing the piano, there’s no getting away from slow practice. It is a cornerstone of our work from the beginner stages right through to the advanced level, and a practice tool also used by professional pianists and seasoned virtuosos all the time. In this section, ... Read >>
Healthy Piano Playing
Piano playing is a deeply satisfying artistic activity, but it can also be very demanding physically on our arms and hands. Just as elite athletes understand and care for their bodies, so should pianists think carefully about their approach to playing and practising. A healthy piano technique not only avoids... Read >>
Yoga for Musicians
In this collection of videos, Penelope Roskell demonstrates clearly and concisely how yoga principles can be applied directly to instrumental playing, and how playing can be more fluid, powerful and emotionally expressive. Suitable for musicians of any age; from beginner to professional; Classical, jazz, folk and pop, the exercises demonstrated... Read >>
Sonata Pathétique in C Minor
(Op. 13)
If you have ever struggled with Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata, this series of 11 videos is designed to help you solve some of the main technical and interpretative problems the work poses so that you will be better able to bring out the drama and intensity of the music as you... Read >>
The Art of Piano Fingering
A thorough understanding of the principles of good fingering is a vital basis for good piano playing. Without comfortable, musically appropriate fingerings, we can waste hours of practice time trying to remedy a problem which could have been averted much earlier. In this series of articles, author Penelope Roskell... Read >>
Fantasy in D Minor K397
This video provides a section by section waltkthrough of Mozart's Fantasy in D Minor K397 (sometimes referred to as Fantasia).... Read >>
Teaching & Developing Sight-Reading Skills
Sight-reading an interesting piece of music is like meeting an interesting person. We enjoy the pleasure of a new encounter, sense perhaps a mutual affinity, and look forward to a deeper acquaintance. This series of articles provides exercises and music aimed at developing confidence in playing at sight and enhancing... Read >>
Spread Chords
Spread (or rolled, ripped, broken or arpeggiated) chords are simply chords where we play one note after the other, rather than playing all the notes simultaneously. Although this sounds relatively straightforward, there are questions and problems associated with spreading chords which this series of articles will seek to address.... Read >>
The Well-Tempered Clavier – Part 1
This section contains walk-throughs and lessons on Preludes and Fugues from Book I of J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.... Read >>
Separate Practice
Learning a complex piece each hand alone before putting the hands together is a strategy favoured by the majority of piano teachers. While it is of course possible to practise a fugue hands separately, this misses the point. Rather than working hands separately, I advocate strands separately (playing each line... Read >>
The Practice Tools Lecture Series
Without an understanding how to approach practising the piano, day-to-day practice can often be unfocussed and unproductive. In this series of video lectures, I identify and explore various practice tools that will help pianists of any level get the most out of their time spent practising.... Read >>
Fanfarinette and La Triomphante (from Suite in A minor)
Trinity College - Grade 8
Jean-Philippe Rameau was an important composer and theorist of the High Baroque. He wrote three books of very fine pieces for harpsichord - Fanfarinette and La Triomphante come from the Suite in A minor (third book), and are examples of character pieces with descriptive or fanciful titles typical of the... Read >>
No. 2 from Kinderstücke (Op. 72)
Trinity College - Grade 7
Mendelssohn wrote his set of six Children’s Pieces, op. 72 for his young relatives during his summer holiday to England in 1842. No. 2, an andante sostenuto in the key of E flat, close in spirit to the composer’s many Songs without Words, features a lyrical melody in the right... Read >>
Allegro molto (3rd movement from Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:50)
Trinity College - Grade 7
This is the last movement of the so-called “English” Sonata in C, inspired by the powerful and resonant Broadwood pianos Haydn encountered on a visit to London in the 1790s. The music is full of humour and lightness of spirit, requiring a sense of comic timing, clarity of texture and... Read >>
Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major (BWV 825)
This set of resources provides walkthroughs for movements from Bach's Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major (BWV 825) featured in the ABRSM examination syllabus. Menuets I and II (ABRSM Grade 6) make a beautiful contrasting pair of dances whereas the Gigue (ABRSM Grade 7) is unusual among Bach’s Gigues -... Read >>
Allegro Assai (1st movement from Sonata in A major, Wq 55 no. 4)
Trinity College - Grade 8
CPE Bach’s Sonata in A is full of invention and makes a great alternative to the standard Haydn or Mozart repertoire. Full of contrasts in dynamics and texture, it demands a lot of technical control and precision. In this walkthrough, I look at how CPE Bach embellishes some of the... Read >>
Minuet in D major, K. 355
Trinity College - Grade 7
Mozart’s Minuet in D, K. 355 features chromaticism that is surprising even to our ears (imagine what it must have sounded like to the listener of the day!). The piece is conceived as an ensemble piece for string trio, and we need to have this sound in our ear as... Read >>
Prelude in C-sharp Minor
(Op. 3 No. 2)
A series of three videos exploring Rachmaninov’s famous Prelude in C-sharp Minor (Op. 3 No. 2) at the piano, with extensive practice tips to solve the technical issues, pedalling suggestions and thoughts on performance – including how to achieve a big sound effortlessly without banging or harshness.... Read >>
From the Ground Up
From the Ground Up is a series devoted to learning individual pieces using outlines and reduced scores that help you to practise more effectively, memorize more consciously, and interpret music more creatively.... Read >>
Waltz in E Minor (Op. Posth.)
Chopin’s brilliant Waltz in E minor is justly popular with pianists entering the advanced level. This From the Ground Up edition helps students to lay a solid musical and technical foundation for learning the piece efficiently and quickly, with particular attention given to using rhythmic practice to solve technical challenges.... Read >>
Nocturne in E-flat
Op. 9, no. 2
Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat Op. 9 No. 2, has long been a favourite of both pianists and audiences with it's richly-ornamented melody, supported by exquisite harmonies in the left hand. This From the Ground Up walk-through provides a detailed guide to learning this piece efficiently and with understanding and... Read >>
Playing Double Notes at the Advanced Level
Some of the most difficult pieces in the piano literature involve double notes. This series explores how to develop the technical skills needed to play them at the advanced level. It provides detailed advice on how to practise scales, exercises and studies, along with some suggestions for studies you might... Read >>
Technical Exercises and Regimes
This section provides an introduction to what will ultimately be an extensive library of technical exercises and provides an overview of exercise regimens for aspects of playing such as warm-ups, finger exercises, chord playing, octaves, double notes, repeated notes and trills.... Read >>
Intermezzo in A Minor (Op. 76 No. 7)
ABRSM Grade 8 – C2
Brahms’s sets of miniatures are among the best-loved shorter works for the piano. The Intermezzo in A minor, op. 76 no. 7, is currently on the ABRSM Grade VIII syllabus, and will pose several challenges for those who wish to master it. This walkthrough and Annotated Study Edition has a... Read >>
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair
La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair) is among Debussy’s best-loved works for the piano. Despite its apparent simplicity, it is deceptively difficult to bring off. This walkthrough with accompanying annotated study edition gives practical solutions to the numerous problems the pedalling in the work... Read >>
Nocturne in C-sharp Minor
Chopin wrote the Nocturne in C-sharp minor, op. posth. in 1830, but it was only published in 1870. He dedicated the work to his sister, Ludwika “as an exercise before beginning the study of my second Concerto". This series of articles provides a comprehensive walkthrough and detailed practice worksheets for... Read >>
An Overview of the Practice Tools
This series of articles serves as an introduction to Graham Fitch’s practice tools, including how to approach a new piece and the Three Ss.... Read >>
Mastering Polyrhythms
A polyrhythm (sometimes referred to as a cross rhythm) is the effect produced when two conflicting rhythms are played together and can prove very challenging indeed! This series of articles will help you tackle them in various ratios, starting with the simplest: two-against-three (2:3) or three-against-two (3:2).... Read >>
Skeleton Practice
This series of articles will describe how to deconstruct a score and use skeleton practice by way of a number of examples. New articles and examples will be added on an ongoing basis therefore please do watch this space!... Read >>
Sonatine
Ravel wrote the first movement of the Sonatine in 1903 for a magazine competition run by a magazine but wasn't awarded the prize as he was the only entrant and had exceeded the length restriction! Fortunately for posterity, Ravel soon added a second and a third movement in 1905 and... Read >>
Impromptus D899 (Op. 90)
This section contains walk-throughs and lessons on Schubert’s Impromptus Op 90, starting with No. 2 in E-Flat Major.... Read >>