-What Makes a Piece of Music a “Good Song”?
Most people say that a song is good if it has a good beat. Do you agree?
Why Do You Struggle with Rhythm?
Even if you think that the words, the melody or the harmony (chords) make a piece of music a good song, you probably agree at some level that the beat is often what draws you to a particular song.
So why do rhythm and counting feel like such a struggle?
If you are like most piano students, you simply want to play the tune, recognize the melody and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing that you played a song that you know.
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How many times have you heard someone play the piano and said, “She is really great!”?
What would make your piano playing great?
➢ Playing effortlessly without reading the music?
➢ Better rhythm?
➢ Tighter technique and more speed?
Here’s the good news…
It doesn’t matter what area needs improvement.
There is a simple formula that is guaranteed to help you move your piano playing from good to great.
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How many times have you said to yourself?
- This music keeps falling off the piano.
- Where is that song? I can never find the page.
- When am I going to do something about this music?
- I’m tired of stopping in the middle of the piece just to turn the page.
- I can’t believe it, the recital was only three weeks ago, and I forgot how much I liked that piece.
Think about how frustrated you have been by trying to deal with the majority of your musical material constantly in such a mess!
Think of how many times you couldn’t face going to the piano simply because the thought of pulling your music together was far too overwhelming.
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Steve, a high school student, runs track, plays the sax in the band, takes 3 honors classes, works 10 hours a week and still continues to improve his piano playing. How does he do it?
He uses the 80/20 principle.
Nancy is married, works full time, goes to the gym 5 days a week and maintains a busy social life.
Yet she keeps expanding her repertoire as her piano technique develops. What’s her secret?
She uses the 80/20 principle.
Isn’t it time you followed the example of these successful piano students?
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Have you every complained that you just couldn’t get yourself to the piano?
Do you find yourself procrastinating when it’s time to practice?
Would you like to have more peaceful and productive practice sessions?
Your practicing environment can have a tremendous impact on how much you improve your piano playing:
Suzy’s piano was down in her dark dingy basement, and she hated going there, making it harder for her to practice.
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Are you someone who feels frustrated, because you always need to have
the sheet music to play a song?
Do you wish you could sit down at the piano and just play?
Have you watched in awe and envy as a performer moves from song
to song effortlessly—without turning a page, opening a book, or
searching for the sheet music for a piece?
If you answered “yes”, then you probably feel discouraged, dismayed and disheartened.
“Why can’t I ever play more than a few measures of a song from memory?” you ask.
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Spring is in the air, the days are longer and you want to start getting outdoors on those beautiful days. The three months between now and the end of the school year will probably keep you very busy. You’ll be driving your kids to sports practice, watching a variety of games locally and perhaps going to see the Red Sox play. Then there will be concerts, recitals, weddings and graduations to attend. By the time, summer comes you’ll be ready for a vacation!
But wait…..
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Are You Looking for a Magical Solution?
Are you struggling with trying to figure out how to play well?
Are you feeling overwhelmed by so much to practice, so little time?
Are you looking for a way to know what to practice so that you will improve quickly?
An adult student named Liz told me that she finds that she can’t decide what to practice because there are too many choices.
Sue often complains that although she’s learned many songs, she can no longer play them.
She’s frustrated because she loves practicing her new pieces every day, and wishes she could pick up something from the past and just play it.
Has this happened to you?
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Do you wish you felt more motivated to practice the piano?
Are you struggling to make practicing the piano a priority?
Have you lost your desire to “go for the gold”? Recently, the mother of a young student told me that she was concerned about her daughter’s lack of motivation to practice the piano.
When I questioned Katy about this issue, she told me that she needed inspiration…
and that it was my job as her teacher to inspire her. You may feel the same way.
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