Music for Enjoyment

The most important aspect of studying the piano is enjoyment and interest. When one is young, it sometimes takes a little while to find this. I know from my experience that it took a year or so for the inspiration to kick in but when it did, it never went away. However, the inspiration does not always come from the teacher.

It is extremely important that the pupil listens to lots of music. It is worth buying a few classical piano CDs to add to your library if you don't already have them. Listen to them a few times. The more you listen, the more intricate detail you will notice. I recommend for young people who are unfamiliar with this kind of music the Schubert Impromptus or the Schumann Kinderszenen. Also Chopin's Preludes are a marvellous collection of pieces. If you can go to live performances, I would highly recommend this. Living in one of the cultural capitals of the world, there is live music on all the time. Check out on the internet what is coming up at the Southbank centre, Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall or King's Place. Althouh there are many fabulous concerts elsewhere these venues are a good place to start. A live concert from one of the great contemporary pianists of today could light an inspirational fire in one which never dies.

When practicing, singing what one is playing is often a great way to develop the connection between the mechanical aspect of playing and the ear. Due to the vertical nature of piano playing, it is easy when less experienced, to forget that the sound must be 'horizontal', a continuous song. This is why it is good to listen to singers and string players as well to encourage one's ear to desire more singing qualities from the piano.