The most important thing to do when you practice
What is the secret of successful practise? Don't play the wrong notes! Does that sound simplistic? Bear with me.
2026
What is the secret of successful practise? Don't play the wrong notes! Does that sound simplistic? Bear with me.
Which exam board should aspiring musicians follow? Which has the best syllabus? and which has the best structure?
Why is it that some singers manage to pronounce words clearly when they are singing? and others do not.
Fergus Black of John Clare School talks about his experience teaching music online over the past year.
There was a while when I felt obliged to make recordings for students, to help them learn new pieces. But now, there is a wealth of professional material available through YouTube
I recently came across a comment by Richard Egarr of the AAM, in an interview for the Cambridge Alumnus Magazine. Does anyone else do this? Ban pencils in rehearsals?
You are learning the pipe organ, and need one to practise on. Assuming you do not have access to a church with an appropriate instrument, you will need one at home.
Please, people! If you go to a wedding ceremony at which live musicians are performing, please have the courtesy not to talk over them.
I've recently posted some Learning Guides to practising Diminished and Dominant Sevenths for ABRSM Grade 8 piano.
The best way to improve your sight-reading at the piano is to play a lot more music, and have a teacher guide you about what you are doing right, and what you are doing wrong. But there are lots of books on the market that can help.
Some pianists, (many well-known concert artists, in fact) find playing from memory easy, and some find it very difficult. The pointers in this article, from Pianist magazine, may help.
I constantly re-iterate "Pitch, Rhythm, Fingering" when students start to learn a new piece: it helps their learning. Pitch and Rhythm alone are not enough.
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