Guides Archives - MUSIC:ED

Making Christmas carol piano teaching count! Karen Marshall’s Music Room

If just more than half a term is going to be dedicated to festive jingles it’s so important to make sure the material is a part of a wider curriculu…

Hal Leonard Europe November 11, 2021

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Four ways to motivate your students

As a music educator, your job description includes a lot more than just teaching. You are required to perform several other roles to provide your stud…

Practice Space November 8, 2021

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Reverse learning for pianists: 5 tips

Chances are that when you start learning a piece, you open the score and begin at bar one. But, providing we know how our piece sounds, understand the…

MUSIC:ED October 19, 2021

Five tips for your left hand

The left hand can pose problems for many a pianist, says Melanie Spanswick

MUSIC:ED September 2, 2021

10 motivational piano practice tips

Motivation can be a tricky subject for pianists of all ages, says Melanie Spanswick Practising the piano and making progress are not always synonymous. Practising…

MUSIC:ED June 23, 2021

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Allianz Musical Insurance’s gigging checklist – things to remember on the road

Whether you’re preparing for that first gig or getting back into band rehearsals, there’s lots more to remember when getting yourself and your ins…

MUSIC:ED June 21, 2021

Five tips for piano repertoire selection

Choice of repertoire can be a stumbling-block for piano students needing to balance the needs of private practice with public performance, says Melanie Spanswick Piano…

MUSIC:ED April 26, 2021

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In praise of slow practice

Practising at very slow speeds whilst employing total concentration can transform a pianist’s playing, says Melanie Spanswick

MUSIC:ED January 30, 2021

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Helpful tips to improve your piano fingering

Fingering is a crucial element in piano playing and, surprisingly, it’s often overlooked even at advanced levels, says Melanie Spanswick

MUSIC:ED November 5, 2020

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Five tips for instantly improving your piano performance

Whether you are a younger or older player, or a beginner or very advanced pianist, the following suggestions will hopefully help to instantly improve …

MUSIC:ED September 18, 2020

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The importance of breath control for pianists

Once you have assimilated breath control, this useful skill can be added to the smorgasbord of performing tools in your pianist’s ever-increasing ar…

MUSIC:ED August 11, 2020

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Ten tips for tonal beauty

Technical virtuosity is only one part of the pianist's armoury. Melanie Spanswick offers MUSIC:ED readers her checklist for creating a beauty of sound…

MUSIC:ED July 13, 2020

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Between the notes – why breathing space matters

An overriding issue for many students is the need for breathing space during performance. This is seemingly such an obvious point, but it’s one whic…

MUSIC:ED May 27, 2020

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Five things we’ve learned about online learning

After several weeks under coronavirus lockdown, George Hess reports on his experience of leading online learning for his students at Sunway University…

MUSIC:ED May 1, 2020

Five tips for keeping in time at the piano

It may seem counter-intuitive, but spending structured practice time away from the instrument can reap rewards for pianists, improving memory and visu…

MUSIC:ED April 13, 2020

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Flipping out

When doing direct instruction online, the best method to use is the flipped learning model. Most of you have probably heard of it. At its most basic l…

MUSIC:ED March 25, 2020

Moving your classes online

With many schools closing due to the COVID-19 virus and many more likely to follow suit in the near future, we are all being asked to prepare to teach…

MUSIC:ED March 13, 2020

Practising the piano – without the piano

It may seem counter-intuitive, but spending structured practice time away from the instrument can reap rewards for pianists, impriving memory and visu…

MUSIC:ED February 29, 2020

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