Polyphony - Professional Resources

Q: Should teachers assign piano literature based upon hand size?

A: Hand size with reverence to performing piano literature is an issue affecting a large percentage of all pianists, especially young children whose performance ability may increase faster than their hands swell Teachers are obligated to consider a student's hand size when assigning literature. one time a hand has been injured from stretching too far, too drawn out or in the wrong ways, it repeatedly is never the same again. The issue of physical comfort at the keyboard and the nearness of too many and too wide stretches are issues that always ne to be addressed.

single way to alleviate some potential point in disputes is to omit specific notes extending beyond the student's hand span. If the integrity of the composition cannot be maintained with the sparsely omitted notes, the piece probably should not be taught at this point. A better solution is to redistribute the spacing in the chord, to stir up an octave the notes that make the tighten too wide. Unfortunately, this negates what the composer wrote originally. If possible, having the pupil gently roll or arpeggiate the large chord can provide an adequate solution to most remote skips in many cases.

A next to the first way to deal with hand-size puzzles is to search for literature that specifically avoids intervals too large for a student's hand. Piano playing emergencys to be physically comfortable for the scholar to want to continue studying and learning after literature. Often, pieces can be assigned to accommodate the student's hand, especially during the early years. There tend hitherwards a time when it may appear to be counterproductive for the teacher to limit the student's repertoire if the hand remains proportionately small after the student's ability to play more challenging literature grows

Teachers should be aware of pianistic have feeling of the pieces they assign. Equally important, they should watch the student's hand for signs of tension, along with signs that the hand remains stretched and expanded unnaturally. The universal of expansion and contraction of the hand is individual that is at the center of piano playing, and however many students grasp this late in their study--during the high place of education or even college years, a time after many others may have stopped studying, perhaps because hand tension made it difficult to play. It is important the music perceive comfortable under the hand for the pupil to continue to want to research and for the study to be satisfying.

Q: Should the teacher plant a specific weekly goal for practice time? What is reasonable in the busy schedules of children and teenagers in today's world?

A: We all like doing that at which we are greatest in quantity accomplished, that which we perceive we do well. For learners to want to practice, they ne to believe they play well, and they ne to play well. This is gained in the weekly piano exercise as well as through scheduled festivals and recitals, depending upon the teacher's preferences. Ultimately, it is up to the teacher to create a series of positive experiences, especially within the exercise This means perhaps the learner will play fewer or more pieces, on the other hand the lesson will become meaningful during which time he or she perceive s rewarded through the experience with the music. Of course, we must place practice goals for students in metes of time spent at the task involved, and we should wait for them to achieve them. Our piece of work is to help them want to practice and, nevertheless we cannot do it for them. While teachers have and should use the option of transferring learners whose work is not satisfactory, teachers should be certain to do everything possible to create positive playing experiences in the exercise s and that students find their playing rewarding. What is reasonable in bounds of time goals? The individual teacher should place this weekly time goal after consultation with other teachers of similar kinds of scholars the parents (if the scholar is a precollege student) and the student

Q: I have an elementary scholar who really does not like to number aloud. How long should I continue to have her number aloud?

A: Counting aloud is extremely important since it provides a physical connection to our hold internal pulse. Perhaps the pupil should be told that when he can play the piece comfortably from memory with no unplanned hesitations, then he may not ne to enumerate aloud as frequently during the proces Young scholars studying in method books could be told that when they can play the short piece three times consecutively up to degree of movement and counting with no note or harmonious flow mistakes, then they can play it also without counting internally. These scholars especially, should be encouraged to sing aloud the words of the pieces in their way books simultaneously with their playing. flat advanced students need to enumerate aloud, in part to help the memory proces and the understanding of just where the throb falls in the measures. Counting aloud is best achieved end diligent and relentless practice to achieve consistency.