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Why understanding harmony makes you a better pianist

If you’ve ever watched an experienced pianist sight-read effortlessly, play by ear, or improvise freely, you’ve probably wondered — how do they do that? The secret often lies in their understanding of harmony. When you understand how chords fit together to create movement and emotion, everything you do at the piano becomes easier, more connected,…

How to learn Music Theory as an Adult

Learning music theory will help you become a better musician. It gives you insight into how music works, helps you to broaden your skills, explore creative possibilities, and interpret the music you play with greater understanding. This article explores some of the different ways that you can study theory to help develop your knowledge and…

The 30 minute practice plan for busy professionals

If you learned piano years ago and have recently started again, you might find yourself wondering how to fit practice into a full schedule. Between work, family, and everything else, long practice sessions can feel unrealistic — but even with just 30 minutes, you can make meaningful progress if you approach your time at the…

How to Start Playing Piano Again After Years Away

Many adult students return to learning piano after years away from playing, as a break from work or as a pursuit that will keep their mind active going into their older years. At the piano, you can find a space where you are able to focus entirely on music, away from emails, deadlines, and schedules.…

Format of the AS91421 Exam and study checklist

The video below gives a basic overview of the format and types of questions you can expect in the NCEA L3 Harmonic and Tonal Conventions exam. Scroll down for a study checklist you can use to start your exam prep. For the complete NCEA Level 3 online course for AS 91421, check out the…

Getting started on a composition

Getting started on a composition assignment is much easier if you’ve already got an idea that you want to write about. Having a reason to write a piece of music helps you set up the mood of your piece right from the start, ensures that you have something to communicate in your music and can…

Why you should work on your scales

Learning to play your scales and arpeggios really well will help you develop as a pianist and as a musician. When you play scales, you’re strengthening your fingers, the coordination between your hands and preparing yourself for scale passages which occur in a lot of music. You can also use your scale practice to…

How we’re using Noteflight

Noteflight is an online tool that you can use to write and playback music over the internet. It’s reasonably priced and is a great tool for music students. It’s possible for music teachers to set up a safe space on Noteflight where their students can share music and access online resources. This year, I’ve started…

Online Piano Lessons – 5 tips for students

Here’s 5 simple tips that will help you have a great online piano lesson. 1. choosing which device to use If you have a laptop computer or chrome book, use this for your online lesson. The benefit of using a device with a large screen, is that you’ll be able to see the annotations that…