What interesting situations have come up recently in your teaching of rhythm?
Keyboard Companion Spring 2006; Vol. 17, No. 1
Bruce Berr, Editor Every person learns in complex ways that are unique and fascinating. Almost every day in my studio, it seems that a few things take place that are thought-provoking and instructive to me as a teacher. What follows could be considered a Rhythm...
How do you teach the rhythm challenges of the Chopin “Prelude in E Minor”?
Keyboard Companion Winter 2005; Vol. 16, No. 4
Bruce Berr, Editor There are certain pieces in the piano repertoire that are studied by almost everyone who plays for more than just a few years. In that select group of “favorites,” some are usually played well enough by the typical student that the performance...
How do you teach the rhythm of “Moonlight Mood” from William Gillock’s Lyric Preludes?
Keyboard Companion Autumn 2005; Vol. 16, No. 3
Bruce Berr, Editor When I read these two articles for the first time it did not surprise me that both writers, independently of each other, used the identical expression “a gem” to describe Gillock’s “Moonlight Mood” and the others in the collection from which it...
How Do You Teach Cantabile Playing? How Does It Affect Students’ Rhythm?
Keyboard Companion Autumn 2001; Vol. 12, No. 3
by Bruce Berr There is no sound more magical to a music lover than that of a piano singing. It is a unique kind of singing of course, since a piano cannot sustain a tone continuously once it has been played. But when cantabile playing...
When and How Do You Introduce Rubato?
Keyboard Companion Autumn 2000; Vol. 11, No. 2
by Bruce Berr As piano teachers, we are constantly called upon to be master jugglers: precision and romance, agenda and spontaneity, structure and color, work and play, creativity and consolidation, professional concerns and business necessities, hands on and hands off. The list could continue. In...
From the Archives: How Do You Teach Students to Plan Fingering?
Discovery homeSign up for email updatessubmit a question Quer saber mais sobre dedilhado? Inscreva-se no nosso webinar internacional gratuito, “ A dedilhação como elemento de expressividade na performance pianística” apresentado por Luis Pipa no dia 4 de novembro. Saiba mais e inscreva-se aqui: https://pianoinspires.com/webinar/11-04-23-webinar/. The following...
How do rhythm and tempo interact with each other, and how does this inform your teaching?
Keyboard Companion Winter 2007; Vol. 18, No. 4
As unlikely as it may seem, people like myself who enjoy tinkering with old radios have to deal with a phenomenon that is similar to one that we piano teachers confront. Before the appearance of computer-synthesized and controlled devices, even high priced communications equipment such...
What Special Qualities Do Parents of Children Who Succeed at the Piano Share? Part 2
Keyboard Companion Winter 2004; Vol. 15, No. 4
Barbara Kreader, Editor The Magic Triangle: Teacher/Student/Parent Barbara Kreader, Editor For this issue, teacher and composer, Bruce Berr continues this column’s three part overview of the qualities parents of successful piano students share. The Interview by Bruce Berr Isabella recently turned six, and she has been...
What Is “Shakespearean Counting” And How Do You Use It In Your Teaching?
Keyboard Companion Winter 2004; Vol. 15, No. 4
from the series: The Heart of the Matter: Rhythm Bruce Berr, Editor Last year I had the opportunity to review videotapes of teaching that were submitted to Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). The tapes were to be considered for use at one of the Pedagogy Saturday programs...
How do you teach measure groupings (hypermeter) to your intermediate-level students?
Keyboard Companion Summer 2008; Vol. 19, No. 2
from the series: The Heart of the Matter: Rhythm Bruce Berr, Editor I was introduced to measure groupings when I was a college junior – not by a teacher but a classmate. We were rehearsing the scherzo of the Beethoven Cello and Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 69...
What have I learned being an editor of the Rhythm Department?
Keyboard Companion Summer 2007; Vol. 18, No. 2
I once heard it said that no one learns more at a clinic than the clinician. As strange as that may sound, based on my own experiences, I believe it is true and it applies to more than just workshops. When someone is put in charge...
What common pitfalls occur in the teaching of rhythmic subdivisions?
Keyboard Companion Spring 2008; Vol. 19, No. 1
from the series: The Heart of the Matter: Rhythm Bruce Berr, Editor My colleague Craig Sale and I have swapped departments this issue by each contributing an article in the other’s subject area. Both essays deal with avoiding common teaching pitfalls. It has been stimulating for us...
What common pitfalls occur in the teaching of music reading?
Keyboard Companion Spring 2008; Vol. 19, No. 1
from the series: Independence Day: Music Reading Craig Sale, Editor For this issue my colleague Bruce Berr and I wanted to share our thoughts on common pitfalls that occur in teaching music reading and in teaching rhythmic subdivisions. Having dealt with these issues in our own...
How is Rhythm Enhanced by Solid Technique Skills?
Keyboard Companion Spring 2004; Vol. 15, No. 1
from the series: The Heart of the Matter: Rhythm Bruce Berr, editor The question this issue straddles two departments in the magazine, Rhythm and Technique. It was therefore a natural for the editors of these two departments – Scott McBride Smith and myself- to answer the question....
How Do You Teach Students to Plan Fingering?
Keyboard Companion Spring 1995; Vol. 6, No. 1
The subject of fingering may be one of the most neglected aspects of reading. I suspect we might all be surprised if we really knew how much fingering affects the student’s ability to read. And, we might all be surprised at how many things about...