| Sometimes the teacher learns more from the | | | | more than the ones I suggested.4. Still another |
| student than the student does from the teacher. | | | | piano student took an idea from me and twisted |
| Hopefully, not too often, but today I would like to | | | | it a bit. I suggested that she play along with |
| share with you some great practicing ideas that | | | | pieces she liked on tapes and CD's, so she would |
| have come from my piano students over the | | | | get a feel for the motion of the song. (I used to |
| years:1. A Colonel in Virginia that I taught for | | | | do that by the hour when I was a teen-ager, and |
| several years got up at 4AM every weekday | | | | it paid off big time for me!). She took the idea |
| morning and practiced on an electronic keyboard | | | | and tried it and liked it so much that she started |
| with headphones so he wouldn't disturb anyone at | | | | getting videos of people playing the piano. She |
| that time of the morning. "I love the early | | | | arranged her TV and video player so that she |
| morning", he said, "because it's so quiet and | | | | could be at her piano while the video was playing, |
| peaceful and I'm fresh and raring to go. No | | | | and she would play along with the pianist on the |
| phones are ringing, no people walking into the | | | | screen, following her/his hand motions and arm |
| room, no disturbances at all. I practice for a | | | | motions and finger position and thereby getting a |
| half-hour, have breakfast, and then hit it for | | | | feeling for the flow of the music. (Patterning). Her |
| another half-hour -- all before I have to show up | | | | creativity is paying off for her -- she is advancing |
| for work. When I get home in the evening, if I'm | | | | rapidly. (And by the way, don't think she is |
| too tired to practice, I don't feel guilty because | | | | "copying" the person she is watching -- not at all. |
| I've already got my licks in for the day. And if I'm | | | | It's the same principle as watching Michael Jordan |
| up to practicing some more -- well, it's a bonus!"2. | | | | moving toward the basket, or watching Sammy |
| An elementary school teacher in Indiana told me | | | | Sosa swing a bat -- it just gets you in the right |
| she took each piece I assigned her and | | | | groove before you apply your own style to it.)5. |
| transposed it into all 12 keys -- not written out, | | | | A doctor I have taught for years makes a idea |
| but at the piano -- in her head. She said "It | | | | file of things he has learned about piano playing |
| doesn't always sound so hot, but I find that if I | | | | over the years. He notes where in a given book |
| keep at it day after day, I can at least get by in | | | | or tape or video I discuss such and such a topic, |
| the most difficult keys, and it makes the easier | | | | and files that alphabetically. Then later when he |
| keys seem real simple. And it gives me a | | | | needs to refer to that idea, he simply looks up |
| perspective that I just wouldn't get it I just | | | | the idea in his file, locates the video or cassette |
| played it in one key -- the key it is written in. I've | | | | or book, and presto -- he can review that idea or |
| learned that each key has it's own "feel", and | | | | concept almost instantly. It's like a card catalog in |
| some keys are bright (like "D") and some keys | | | | the library -- makes finding things so much faster |
| are mellow (like "Db").3. Another piano student | | | | than flipping through endless books trying to find |
| with a similar idea, who was the Minister of Music | | | | that idea you saw long ago. |
| in a Catholic church, said he took one whole | | | | With the advent of the computer a person could |
| month of the year and devoted it to mastering | | | | store and categorize ideas such as this very |
| just one key. Since there are 12 months in the | | | | quickly.Hope this gives you some ideas of your |
| year and 12 Major keys, that works out | | | | own!Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music |
| perfectly. So in January he played everything he | | | | books and music educational materials such as |
| could find in the key of C, and transposed | | | | DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, |
| anything that wasn't in C into C. In February he | | | | musical software, and piano lesson instructional |
| went up 1/2 step to the key of C# (also known | | | | courses for adults. His instant piano chord finder |
| as Db enharmonically) and played everything in Db | | | | software titled "How To Find Any Piano Chord |
| and searched for pieces written in the key of Db, | | | | Instantly!" has been used around the world. He |
| and so on. By the time the year was up, he had | | | | holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon |
| a pretty fair grasp on the 12 Major keys. I | | | | University and was the founder of Piano |
| suggested that he devote the next year to the | | | | University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of |
| 12 minor keys, and the next year to the modes, | | | | the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter |
| and the next year to polytonality, etc., etc. -- but | | | | titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords |
| as I recall he decided to just recycle through the | | | | & Sizzling Chord Progressions" with over 58,600 |
| 12 major keys, since he used them so much | | | | current subscribers. |