Category Archives: Piano

16/60 Jazz Piano

I’m about to start teaching Jazz Piano. Again. Now here’s an admission – many, many years ago, I did teach the ABRSM Jazz syllabus. I had a Grade 1, and Grade 2 and a Grade 3 pupil, and at the … Continue reading

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14/60 Lead Sheets and Piano Lessons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_sheet At the music service that I work for (when I’m not working for other schools or as a private teacher) we have been revising the piano curriculum that supports and underpins what we teach. For the first time, teaching … Continue reading

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2017/12 Prep Tests and Teaching by Rote

Rote is how I learned to play piano – I had a “knuckle-rapper” teacher to start with. “It goes like this, dear” she would say, playing the first phrase. If I copied it right, all was well and good. If … Continue reading

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2017/11 The New ABRSM Prep Test

I’m a fan! I can’t remember how long the old prep test book had been out, but if I never teach “Boating Lake” or “Jogalong” again I won’t mind a bit. Not to mention “Walking”, “Rocking” and “Hopping”. The new … Continue reading

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92/100 Another Christmas Collection for piano

I follow the website www.pianodao.com run by Andrew Earles. He has recently reviewed this collection of Christmas Carols for piano solo;                   by Barbara Arens and Alison Mathews published by Editions Musica … Continue reading

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84/100 Easy Piano Sight Reading in F major

Here are three short pieces in F major for learning to do Grade 1 piano sight reading. The last one doesn’t have any dynamics; so you can add your own.   They are meant to be a starting point; try adding … Continue reading

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71/100 More about sight-reading

Following on from my previous post on C major sight-reading… I started the ABRSM Grade 1 piano exam piece “O when the saints” place with a very young pupil this morning. She’s an astonishingly quick learner, but like many children (and … Continue reading

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70/100 – Sight-Reading – Grade 1 Piano

This might become a short series of posts… or there again it might not – see how time and inclination go… I’ve a couple of young students who started working towards their Grade 1 (ABRSM) piano exams this term, Sight-reading … Continue reading

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