Instant alto clef fluency
November 2015; Vol. 7, No. 6
Reading alto clef can be a snap for pianists. In fact, if you can read the grand staff, you already have the skills necessary to read the alto clef fluently. The method to accomplish this is a simple one—it involves some imagery and an application...
Pencil practice 102
November 2015; Vol. 7, No. 6
As a student pianist at music camp, I once asked an improvisation teacher for tips to help me improve my creative skills. “Learn everything you can about harmony” was his quick answer. Today, I agree that, especially for pianists, chord fluency opens more doors to...
Exploring the melodrama: Works for narrator and piano
November 2015; Vol. 7, No. 6
Of all the different fusions of literature and music, the melodrama is by far the most neglected and misunderstood. Since the late eighteenth century, composers have written works for narrator accompanied by piano, orchestra, or chamber ensemble. The first melodramas were declamations with orchestral accompaniment, but...
Drive and surprise
November 2015; Vol. 7, No. 6
Here’s a piece that captures the attention of everyone from precocious seven-year-olds to late beginners of all ages. Susan Ogilvy’s Toccatina (Alfred) is suitable for students from the late-elementary to early-intermediate levels, is terrifically fun to play, and is often very easy to memorize. Most importantly,...
Suzuki piano: A student-centered approach
November 2015; Vol. 7, No. 6
Shinichi Suzuki’s (1898-1998) ideas about music education were well ahead of his time. His philosophy and approach to teaching were based upon a unique understanding of how children learn, and many of his ideas have since been validated by scientific research. The Suzuki method started with...
Student wants and needs
November 2015; Vol. 7, No. 6
During the late 1990s, I taught piano privately in New York City to supplement my income while working on my doctorate. From time to time, the phone would ring, and I would find myself talking to prospective students. I soon learned that I did not need...
Music lessons are life lessons
November 2015; Vol. 7, No. 6
Have you ever been in a room full of people or at a table with friends where no one was talking with each other because everyone was texting? Although “texting” is a relatively new verb in our language, I imagine that most people, in our Age...
How to determine your rates and profitability
July 2015; Vol. 7, No. 4
Implementing a tuition structure that yields a consistent monthly income will ensure a comfortable income only if the chosen tuition rate is reasonable.1 Whether you are just beginning to teach or have been teaching for decades, it is important to go through two evaluative processes...
What happens in Vegas should NOT stay in Vegas!
July 2015; Vol. 7, No. 4
I am writing this just after returning from Las Vegas, where I attended some wonderful programs at the 2015 Music Teachers National Association Conference. I also presented sessions as part of a Pedagogy Saturday track that explored the psychological and physical health of musicians. Las Vegas...
Dedication to excellence: An interview with Ingrid Clarfield
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield has given lecture recitals, workshops, and master classes in more than a hundred cities across America, including many at state and national conferences of the Music Teachers National Association. She has presented master classes and pedagogy sessions at the National Conference on Keyboard...
The future of piano teaching – Technology and the learning process
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
Editor’s note: In the November/December 2014 issue, Clavier Companion launched a series of articles addressing the future of piano teaching. This article is part of that series, which will continue in future issues. “The popularity of this new pastime among children has increased rapidly ....
Should students count aloud when sight-reading?
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
Many piano teachers believe that it is imperative to teach students to count aloud when learning a new piece, and they certainly have support in many of the popular teaching methods. However, I have to ask: if counting aloud while playing is so important for...
Comping 103—Waltz-time broken chords
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
Here’s a riddle: What do you break to fix? Answer: bland blocked chords. Whether improvising teacher accompaniments or helping students dress up ho-hum arrangements, broken chords are a very useful trick to have in your bag. Broken chords sound great with lyrical, long-note melodies that...
“Kamarinskaya” from Tchaikovsky’s Album for the Young
What exactly is a “kamarinskaya”? (The word is pronounced with an accent on the second syllable—kaMArinskaya.) In his Album for the Young, Tchaikovsky* gives each piece both a Russian and a French title. In French, he identifies his Kamarinskaya as a Chanson populaire—a folk song....
The day of the thirty-two: Stewart Goodyear performs a Beethoven marathon
March 2015; Vol. 7, No. 2
I recently endured something that probably no human should attempt. I heard, on Saturday, October 5, 2013, in Davis, California, at the University of California, Stewart Goodyear perform ALL of Beethoven’s thirty-two piano sonatas IN ONE DAY. Since this was Mr. Goodyear’s fourth reading of the “New...