Music theory is the study of the structure of music, or more simply, how music is put together. It’s the language we use to talk about our music. Learning music theory is one of the most important things that a student learns. It helps students to not only become better performers, but also to have a better understanding of the music they are playing and hearing. It also makes musical activities such as performing, composing or improvising much easier once one gains a basic understanding of music theory.Piano lessons always encompass a wide range of theoretical elements from day one. The first thing students learn is notation which covers the staff, clefs, note names, rhythms, rests, intervals, meter, time & key signatures, dynamics and tempo markings as well as different Italian words we use on a regular basis for musical understanding. Students are also taught scales, arpeggios & chords in all Major and Minor keys as well as musical forms and structure.
Whether you are an absolute beginner or already know a lot about music theory, your piano lessons are individually tailored to cover everything from the most basic rudiments to the most advanced knowledge about harmony.
Sight-reading, by definition, is the reading and playing of a piece of music that the player has not seen before. It is also referred to as 'prima vista', at first sight.
The goal I have for my students is to have the ability to read and play a piece of music easily upon first sight. Just like learning to read words, learning how to sight read music takes a lot of practice and discipline until it eventually becomes automatic and second nature. This is not an easy task for many young players. Sight reading must be worked at. One does not become a good reader by playing something once - and this takes us to the area of PRACTICE.
Sight reading and Practice go hand in hand. When one becomes good at sight reading, one’s practice abilities can grow and foster. If a student practices a new piece only once and it is a struggle, the more he/she practices the art of sight reading that piece it will become fluent and as a result the student’s sight reading abilities will improve. In the beginner days this is sometimes noticed by the student’s abilities to recognize and hear where simple melodies are going. Even if a simple exercise reads C-D-E-C in the RH (Right Hand) and the student at first struggles with reading C-D-E-C, the more they review it, the easier it gets, so when a student then gets a new piece that might go C-D-C-E , the student recognizes the note symbols and can read the new pattern with more ease, etc… This of course is an elementary example, but it follows through to an advanced level. The more you read, the better and more fluent you will become. And music playing is meant to be FUN after all. Who wants to struggle?! But reading must be worked at to gain mastery. We do this by looking ahead, anticipating changes in rhythm, noticing patterns, seeing changes of harmonies, etc. Strong and well-rounded players always have good reading skills. This can make students inquisitive to learn new pieces and have the skills necessary to move forward in their studies smoothy and with confidence.
What does “Musicianship” mean? This is usually a catch all term that I prefer to not generally use. It holds many terms: artistry, technique, sound production, expressiveness, understanding of musical styles such as Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, and music of the 20th Century and beyond.
While music theory & sight-reading are always used during the course of study to train the eyes and ears to recognize intervals and chord qualities, how to play melodies and rhythms accurately at sight, “Musicianship" is about training the student not just to be a player of piano, but to be a true musician, to be an artist and in command of his/her performance.
Many pianists have wonderful technical abilities, but often lack that special something which separates the promising and exceptional from the average. Having good musicianship involves not only understanding how to use the piano with technical mastery, but how to convey a musical message to the audience that inner-coordinates technical knowledge with the emotion and expression needed to interpret a piece of music in an original and inventive way while still remaining true to the composer's written score. During lessons students are trained to feel the expression in the music and react in a technically appropriate way to gain the best musical results possible. In this way their sense of musical artistry builds from an early age and throughout their lifetime.
Performance is an integral part of your piano/music study. It is an important goal for students. It hones the skills necessary to prepare with care & artistry, and gives an all important self-esteem boost as well as pride to the performer. A JURY is the yearly exam given to Precollege conservatory students not only to access and grade their abilities in preparation and performance of different musical styles but to give guidance to how they are progressing at their current level . Students are required to play 3 or more pieces plus scales and arpeggios for a panel of 4-8 piano faculty for the Precollege Piano Jury at Manhattan School of Music, where I have been on the Piano Faculty since 1978. To prepare for this students hone and perform their repertoire choices throughout the year in numerous Studio Recitals and also in local and school competitions.
Prior to any upcoming recital or jury exam I always have my pupils “practice performing”. This is done through performance classes. Students to learn ‘how’ to perform, what to expect in a performance, i.e. to learn their strong and weak places so they can continue with effective and focused study and practice. Deportment is always discussed: walking onstage to the piano, how to confidently bow before and after the performance, how to breathe before playing, how to be still and focused before starting.
In America we primarily use letter names to identify the seven letters of our music alphabet: A,B,C,D,E,F,G. At the beginning of study, these 7 letter names are essential to learn to navigate at the piano. In most cases it is ALL that is used for music study from beginning to advanced level. However, the language of solfège is a method interchangeably used to teach students pitch and sight singing. Solfège study not only improves recognition of musical intervals but also strengthens a student’s understanding of music theory. The seven syllables used for this practice are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti/si, which makes learning and practicing solfège extremely important for players of all levels. This will be utilized and taught in the lessons when deemed necessary and wanted.