TRICKY TEACHING TECHNIQUES - Dr. Lynn Dean

Wow! Another great motivating workshop this month!! We were privileged to be taught, in rapid-fire mode, MANY teaching techniques acquired by Dr. Dean over his career. Here are just a few:

1. DUCKS are to be kept out of the piano studio! (Those obnoxious loud chords that should be played in the background as accompaniment, but are blasted out as loud "quacks"!) Have fun with your students as you get the ducks out of the studio!!

2. Students who say they've practiced but can't play their piece should play it for you hands alone. If they can't play it one hand at a time, they WON'T be able to play it together! Practice it this way first if they aren't getting it.

Tips for learning a new/difficult piece:
a. Hands alone, following the "yellow brick road" (fingering) consistently;
b. SLOWLY put hands together . . . no "schtoppink" allowed!!
c. GRADUALLY increase speed using a metronome.

3. Getting hands to chord positions that are giving students problems:
a. Hands on knees - then jump to chords on teacher's command.
b. "Find the thumbs" - student focuses on thumb position of the chords, not where every single finger goes. Everything but the thumb should be "in the computer."

4. Pedaling - The feet like to do what the hands do - DON'T!! Have student place hands on knees. Then, lift hands high off knees, when hands hit knees, the foot lifts up (pedals). Repeat slowly until student consistently "pedals" correctly.


JUST A FEW OF THE GREAT TIPS SHARED!

THANK-YOU, DR. DEAN, FOR A FUN WORKSHOP!!

SCALES - Dr. Dan Harrison

One suggestion from Dr. Harrison's presentation:

Scales should be played four different ways (whether 5 Finger series or full sets).

1. Legato
2. Legato with pedal depressed entire scale
3. Staccato
4. Staccato with pedal depressed entire scale

When asked why, Dr. Harrison replied simply, "Because it makes the student play his scales FOUR TIMES! Aren't we trying to get our students to play their scales?" :-)

It works BEAUTIFULLY!! Thank you Dr. Harrison!

Piano Technique Reminders

(from Dr. Harrison's Lecture...)

1. Sit on the last 6-9 inches of the bench.
2. Don't hunch shoulders. RELAX!
3. Forearms should be parallel to the floor.
4. Angle of the elbow must be obtuse (larger than 90 degrees). If not, you're too close!
5. Rotate the forearm from the elbow. This allows "mini" muscle relaxation.