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My piano adventures as a performer, private teacher, piano finder, and recording artist with embedded you tube videos. The blog has intertwined tutorials to advance technique and musicianship; lighthearted commentary on the piano lesson environment; cat featured cameos that seem to have made "Aiden" an Internet celebrity; performances of the great piano literature from Baroque to Contemporary; examples of piano lessons with students of all ages and levels; and tongue in cheek trips to the gym to build endurance at the piano. This blog has something for anyone who loves the 88s.
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano teacher from New York to California

English - Piano, Piano Teaching, Piano Performance
http://arioso7.wordpress.com
Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 1d ago

From El Cerrito with Love: a piano space with shimmering resonance blends the music of J.C. Bach with flowers and more (Video)

Johann Christian Bach’s Prelude in A minor swims around an exalted space in the East Bay. It can’t get any better, except for flowers and a musical feline that enhance the musical tapestry. Bach’s composition is a stream of broken chords shared between the hands. Practicing the sonorities as a prelu
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 3d ago

Kabalevsky’s “A Game” is a delightful way to practice staccato (Videos)

Dimitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987) composed a winner for late elementary and early intermediate level students. While playing “A GAME,” they learn a bouncy staccato with light interspersed accents on downbeats. How refreshing to weave technique into a musical romp that moves … Continue reading →
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 4d ago

Piano lessons should be tailor-made for each student (Videos)

I’ve come to the conclusion that no full-proof piano method, or method book can be applied across the board to beginning students or those at any level of study. Each pupil is so unique that an individualized growth and development … Continue reading →
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 6d ago

Burgmuller’s beautiful “Tendre Fleur” flows in and out of flower portraits (VIDEO)

On my walk from the El Cerrito Hills to BART Del Norte I snapped these pictures and interspersed them in my reading. Composed in the Romantic era, “Tender Flower” (English Tr.) is a gorgeous miniature that says so much in … Continue reading →
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 1w ago

My childhood “Fur Elise,” past teachers, yearbook entries, and present mentoring (Video)

I named one of my daughters, “Elise,” in honor of Beethoven’s famous composition. That’s how much I adored the music. A companion piece since childhood, I managed to squeak through the notes at age 8 when enrolled at a quaint … Continue reading →
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 1W ago

Piano Instruction: A Beautiful Mozart Minuet in F Major, K. 5 that enlists the dipping wrist (Videos)

Reblogged from Arioso7's Blog: I stumbled upon this musical gem when I purchased Mozart, 14 of his Easiest Pieces (Alfred, publisher) Not at all deceived by the description “easiest,” I read through the collection knowing the challenge of interpreting the … Continue reading →
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 1W ago

Piano Technique: The dipping wrist, and how it defies convention (Videos)

One of my adult students echoed a belief that has resonated for generations in piano studios across the country, if not the world. The OLD school of thought was that you played piano with a rigid, arched hand, and if … Continue reading →
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 1W ago

Piano Instruction: Mozart Minuet and Trio in G, K. 1 (Videos)

Composed when Mozart was just 5, this charming Minuet and Trio has a variety of rhythms and melodic shapes which pose a challenge to the player. The singing tone reigns in any rendering, and the shift of mood embedded in … Continue reading →
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 1W ago

Piano Lesson in progress: Beethoven “Tempest” Sonata, Op. 31, No. 2 (shaping the opening phrases) Video

An adult student practiced the transition from the opening Largo broken chord, to grouping double 8th-notes in the Allegro, by blocking them, then unraveling the duple figures. The Adagio that followed required phrasing with an ear toward shaping the line … Continue reading →
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Arioso 7, Journal of a piano · 1W ago

Doing Piano Push-ups to feel connected, and dead-weighted into the keys (The B minor arpeggio is my Cardio-activating springboard) VIDEO

Piano Cardio isn’t such a far-fetched description of a good piano workout when it comes to playing scales and arpeggios. (You can throw in a few push-ups to practice connecting into keys with an added health benefit) *** An adult … Continue reading →
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