| Are there really secrets to becoming a really good | | | | 9 - Chord recognition -- how to recognize what chord |
| piano player? Or is it just a matter of practice, practice, | | | | is being used |
| practice? | | | | 10 - Musical vocabulary: tempo words, form words |
| Practice is necessary, of course, but you could | | | | 11- Arranging: how is your "bag of tricks" coming along? |
| practice until the cows come home without | | | | "Head arrangments" |
| understanding what you're doing at the piano, and all | | | | 12 - Melodic sense: how does the melody relate to the |
| you would end up with is fingers that behave | | | | chords? |
| obediently to whatever the sheet music or score tells | | | | 13 - Sight-reading: 7 fundamentals you just cannot |
| them to do. | | | | ignore |
| Understanding how music works in terms of form and | | | | 14 - Key orientation: Can you think in the key you're |
| content is the key to productive practice. Then you are | | | | playing in? |
| not just playing mechanically by rote like a machine, but | | | | 15 - Scanning the score before you start playing |
| you can get "inside" the music and eventually let it flow | | | | 16 - Mental practice -- how to learn music in bed |
| out of your brain and heart as well as your hands. | | | | 17 - Repertoire: Why you need one to be prepared for |
| "There are at least 33 elements that contribute to | | | | any opportunity |
| becoming a good pianist," says Duane Shinn, pianist | | | | 18 - Goal setting: How good can you get? Is there a |
| and owner of Keyboard Workshop in Medford, | | | | limit? |
| Oregon. "There are probably more, but without these | | | | 19 - Rhythm awareness -- samba, bossa nova, bolero, |
| 33 principles a pianist cannot hope to rise to the level | | | | etc. |
| of his ability." | | | | 20 - Why knowing music history is important to you |
| So yes - there really are secrets to becoming the | | | | 21 - Idea stealing -- how and where & from who |
| piano player of your dreams. It's not that anyone is | | | | 22 - 12-bar blues; creating a motif; "blue notes" |
| purposefully trying to keep a secret from you, but it's a | | | | 23 - Extended chords: 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, |
| rare teacher who has the ability to not only play well | | | | suspensions |
| but to be able to explain music theory - chords, | | | | 24 - Technique acquisition: rubber balls, fingering drills |
| melody, rhythm, dynamics, and all the other elements | | | | 25 - Harmonization: Using I, IV & V to harmonize |
| that contribute to playing the piano well and with feeling. | | | | 26 - Key identification: Recognizing key signatures |
| In our piano teaching studio at Piano University we | | | | 27 - Voicing: Open, closed, registers, color tones |
| have identified 33 distinct skill that must be developed if | | | | 28 - Improvisation: Making music right out of your head |
| a person wants to play up to the limit of her or his | | | | 29 - Harmony & theory: How much should you know? |
| potential. Here they are: | | | | 30 - Stylistic devices: Western, boogie, jazz, etc. |
| 1 - Hand & Body Position -- Should you look down at | | | | 31 - Analysis: How to understand what you're hearing |
| your hands? How to use "eye flips" | | | | 32 - Riffs & runs & fills: How to develop them |
| 2 - The key to productive practice -- Spaced repetition | | | | 33 - Cross-pollination: The best of all worlds! |
| 3 - Attitude -- how it affects your learning | | | | While reading music is important, the individual who |
| 4 - How & when to pedal. Using explosive dynamics | | | | develops these 33 basic skills will be light years ahead |
| 5 - Exposure: why it's critically important | | | | of the person who simply plays sheet music the way it |
| 6 - Ear Training -- Intervals from 2nds to 13ths | | | | is written. There is no longer any reason to be "tied to |
| 7 - Fingering -- which finger do you use when? | | | | the written music" when you can master these |
| 8 - Chord substitutions that create fantastic sounds | | | | techniques that allow you to play from the heart. |