< Learning Piano is not merely about playing the piano >
Before starting to learn the piano, it’s essential to recognize that :
'' What we are actually learning is "Music", but not only "Piano". ''
The goal of learning any instrument is to acquire the language of music, enabling us to express ourselves and enjoy music with others. Playing the piano is for creating beautiful sounds, not really for developing finger speed or strength. That’s the function of gym.
< Music is like cooking >
When we cook, to make roast beef tender, of course, it’s nice to have a tender heart, but without knowing how to control the temperature, the roast beef won’t become tender merely by our tender heart.
By only adding salt, the dish won’t be sweet. Similarly, simply playing or writing a C major triad chord won’t convey a sorrowful feeling.
To create the feeling we want, no matter how much sentiment we have in our hearts, to convey it via music, it needs to be translated into the language which the piano can understand, which means, how we press and lift the keys and pedals. Similarly, when we compose, it needs to be transferred into chords, and notes we write.
< Difference between an audience and a musician >
There is a common belief that a musician can make music with sentiment or feeling. While it’s partially true, the most essential thing is knowing ‘’How’’ to create the sound that conveys the feeling we want, rather than merely knowing ‘’What’' feeling we want to convey.
The understanding of the mechanism behind music is essential, as cooking, and that is the difference between an audience and a musician. As an audience, one can simply feel the music. Like a chief who knows how to create a specific flavor to convey, a musician knows how to create the sound which can convey the feeling we want. While knowing which feeling we want is great, it’s merely the first step. Your emotions are not too different from Chopin, Beethoven, Adele or Taylor Swift, otherwise, they can’t resonate with you. But they know how to create the sound that conveys the feeling they want to their audience.
< Course Content >
I consider my course to be a form of "Music Consultation" because it contains a wide range of subjects that are essential to a professional musician. While we focus on piano playing, there are also music theory, music history, instrument construction, ergonomics for performers, analysis of composer styles, composition, arrangement, recording, MIDI, computer music, the physics of sound, and more.
In avoid of confusion, let’s still call my course as "Piano Course”.
< Duration >
For each course, I will reserve at least 70 minutes in my schedule for you, including 60 minutes of class time and an additional 10 minutes for discussion and any questions you may have. This will ensure that your courses are not rushed by the next student. This ensures that there is enough time for you to solve your piano and music problems.
< Recording >
I highly encourage my students to record their progress. This can provide an objective standard for comparison and help you analyze your playing precisely. In my nine years of experience teaching music, I've found many students, including those advanced, already play certain sections very well, while other sections may not be not well enough. But they still try to improving those fine sections, while not aware of those weak sections.
Without an objective reference, it’s hard to distribute our effort precisely. This can lead to not only unstable performance, but also practicing without a precise goal can easily reduce enthusiasm. Recording your results and comparing them with those recordings you like on YouTube or Spotify can be an effective way to analyze your playing and set precise goals.
If you have a digital piano, I can help you produce a video of your performance for each session. This can be a tangible record of your efforts and you can share it with your friends and family via YouTube or other platforms.
