A foot rest provides students with stability at the keys and promotes good technique. I always use something to support students’ feet. The Strongtek Foot Rest is a very sturdy option with 5 different levels for the shelf. The highest shelf is high enough for a really young student like a 4 or 5 year […]
Review: Strongtek Piano Foot Rest Read More »
When I first started teaching piano in the 80s, there were no blogs, webinars, or facebook groups for piano teachers. No downloadable teaching tools, no youtube videos. I started out armed with a notebook full of ideas from my pedagogy professor, a survey of the various methods on the market, and the 2-volume set of
Not Your Grandma’s Piano Lessons Read More »
I have a new video up on my Youtube channel, and as promised, it’s all about footrests for piano students. I consider a footrest to be essential equipment, just as I do an adjustable bench. Students whose feet don’t reach the floor will tire out and succumb to frustration more quickly. They will practice longer
Footrest Solutions For Piano Students Read More »
This week’s ‘splainer video is intended for older students, piano parents, and piano teachers. If you have a child studying piano, or if you have people of varying heights all using the same piano bench, you need an adjustable model! Even adults of roughly the same height can need to sit at differing levels due
All About Adjustable Benches Read More »
We piano teachers hold some negative feelings about things people say about piano lessons. One is when parents refer to lessons as “practice,” like soccer practice. At soccer practice, tennis practice, basketball practice, a lot of the time is spent in drills to reinforce movements and techniques. With piano lessons, since we meet only once
UPDATE: I have a video about adjustable benches on my youtube channel. Check it out! Here’s a photo of one of my 3rd grade students. In the right side photo, she’s sitting at standard bench height with no foot stool, and in the left photo, she’s at the proper height with a stool for her
You Can Afford An Adjustable Piano Bench! Read More »
I’m happy to break my long blog silence with some pictures of my newly renovated studio! The photography’s not great. I need a new camera, but I’m not going to wait until I get one to share the pictures since I’m greatly pleased with my new space! I don’t even want to post the before
Sometimes a very simple concept can have a big impact. I think these Tumbling Key Signatures foam dice are a simple but highly useful teaching tool. They’re also enticing and fun! Everyone who walks into my studio and sees them on the table wants to pick them up and handle them. I received a set
Product Review: Tumbling Key Signatures Read More »
My students have short feet! Of course, this is because most of them are 10 years old or younger! When your foot is short and your teacher insists that you keep your heel on the floor, you have to lift your toes higher than an adult does to clear the pedal fully. Add to the
Short Feet, Piano Casters, and Pedaling Difficulties Read More »
My giant keyboard has generated some interest after my last post, so here’s a tutorial so you can make one, too! I made it a million years ago on a whim one afternoon. I didn’t measure anything, and if you look closely, you’ll see that some of the white keys are narrower than others. No
Tutorial: How To Make A Giant Keyboard Floor Mat Read More »
