Building Firm Foundations

Tools & techniques for deep learning and memorisation

A piece can feel secure in the practice room, yet become unexpectedly shaky in a lesson or performance. You may have put in plenty of hours, but still find weak spots appearing out of nowhere, memory slips catching you by surprise, or too much of your practice time disappearing into note-learning.

Building Firm Foundations is a guided short course with Graham Fitch devoted to the early stages of learning a new piece – the stage where security, confidence and a deep understanding of the music are either built in or left to chance.

Through a combination of self-study materials and live guidance, Graham will show you how to approach a piece from the outset in a way that helps you learn more efficiently, remember more effectively and focus on music making sooner. You can apply the course to a piece of your own choice, or select one from the free score bundle included with the course.

What you will learn

In this course, Graham explores practical ways to build a piece on solid foundations from the very beginning. Topics include:

• How different memory systems work, including aural and analytic memory
• First steps away from the keyboard that can save time and strengthen learning
• Accessible, personally meaningful analysis using Personalised Pattern Recognition
• Tried and tested tools for deep learning and memorisation
• Ways to apply these ideas clearly and systematically within your chosen piece

Rather than simply playing through and hoping things settle, you will learn a more deliberate process that helps you understand the music on a deeper level, remember it more reliably and practise with greater purpose.

Is this course for you?

This course is for pianists who want a more reliable and effective way to learn new pieces. It will be especially valuable if you:

• Have experienced slips or weak spots that seem to appear out of nowhere
• Want your playing in lessons or performance to reflect what you can do at home
• Spend too long learning notes and not enough time making music
• Would like your practice to lead to more dependable results
• Would like to enjoy performing more, with less fear of unpleasant surprises

The skills you learn here are not tied to one piece alone, but form a reusable approach you can apply to future repertoire again and again.

How the course works

The course combines flexible self-study with live guidance and follow-up support. You’ll receive video lessons, notes and activities to work through in your own time, followed by a live interactive workshop with Graham and a follow-up session for questions, feedback and troubleshooting. If you cannot attend live, recordings will be available, and you will also be able to submit questions for the follow-up session in advance.

Bonus resources

• A free score bundle, if you would like help choosing a piece
• A bonus video library showing the tools and concepts applied to a range of musical examples

Dates

• Course materials available from: Friday 25 April
• Interactive workshop: Saturday 2 May, 13:30 – 17:00
• Follow-up session: Thursday 28 May, 18:30 – 19:30

Pricing

The course costs £120, or £48 for subscribers. We’re offering a special 60% subscriber discount on this course, rather than our usual 40%, making this a particularly good opportunity to join at a reduced rate.

Join us and discover a more secure, efficient way to learn your next piece!

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Workshop sessions & dates

Analysis & Pattern Recognition (02 May 2026 @ 13:30 BST (GMT +01:00))

Tools for Memorisation (02 May 2026 @ 15:00 BST (GMT +01:00))

Follow-up Session & Clinic (28 May 2026 @ 18:30 BST (GMT +01:00))