| Sometimes the teacher learns more from the | | | | another piano student took an idea from me |
| student than the student does from the | | | | and twisted it a bit. I suggested that she |
| teacher. Hopefully, not too often, but today | | | | play along with pieces she liked on tapes and |
| I would like to share with you some great | | | | CD's, so she would get a feel for the motion |
| practicing ideas that have come from my piano | | | | of the song. (I used to do that by the hour |
| students over the years:1. A Colonel in | | | | when I was a teen-ager, and it paid off big |
| Virginia that I taught for several years got | | | | time for me!). She took the idea and tried it |
| up at 4AM every weekday morning and practiced | | | | and liked it so much that she started getting |
| on an electronic keyboard with headphones so | | | | videos of people playing the piano. She |
| he wouldn't disturb anyone at that time of | | | | arranged her TV and video player so that she |
| the morning. "I love the early morning", he | | | | could be at her piano while the video was |
| said, "because it's so quiet and peaceful and | | | | playing, and she would play along with the |
| I'm fresh and raring to go. No phones are | | | | pianist on the screen, following her/his hand |
| ringing, no people walking into the room, no | | | | motions and arm motions and finger position |
| disturbances at all. I practice for a | | | | and thereby getting a feeling for the flow of |
| half-hour, have breakfast, and then hit it | | | | the music. (Patterning). Her creativity is |
| for another half-hour -- all before I have to | | | | paying off for her -- she is advancing |
| show up for work. When I get home in the | | | | rapidly. (And by the way, don't think she is |
| evening, if I'm too tired to practice, I | | | | "copying" the person she is watching -- not |
| don't feel guilty because I've already got my | | | | at all. It's the same principle as watching |
| licks in for the day. And if I'm up to | | | | Michael Jordan moving toward the basket, or |
| practicing some more -- well, it's a | | | | watching Sammy Sosa swing a bat -- it just |
| bonus!"2. An elementary school teacher in | | | | gets you in the right groove before you apply |
| Indiana told me she took each piece I | | | | your own style to it.)5. A doctor I have |
| assigned her and transposed it into all 12 | | | | taught for years makes a idea file of things |
| keys -- not written out, but at the piano -- | | | | he has learned about piano playing over the |
| in her head. She said "It doesn't always | | | | years. He notes where in a given book or tape |
| sound so hot, but I find that if I keep at it | | | | or video I discuss such and such a topic, and |
| day after day, I can at least get by in the | | | | files that alphabetically. Then later when he |
| most difficult keys, and it makes the easier | | | | needs to refer to that idea, he simply looks |
| keys seem real simple. And it gives me a | | | | up the idea in his file, locates the video or |
| perspective that I just wouldn't get it I | | | | cassette or book, and presto -- he can review |
| just played it in one key -- the key it is | | | | that idea or concept almost instantly. It's |
| written in. I've learned that each key has | | | | like a card catalog in the library -- makes |
| it's own "feel", and some keys are bright | | | | finding things so much faster than flipping |
| (like "D") and some keys are mellow (like | | | | through endless books trying to find that |
| "Db").3. Another piano student with a similar | | | | idea you saw long ago. |
| idea, who was the Minister of Music in a | | | | |
| Catholic church, said he took one whole month | | | | With the advent of the computer a person |
| of the year and devoted it to mastering just | | | | could store and categorize ideas such as this |
| one key. Since there are 12 months in the | | | | very quickly.Hope this gives you some ideas |
| year and 12 Major keys, that works out | | | | of your own!Duane Shinn is the author of over |
| perfectly. So in January he played everything | | | | 500 music books and music educational |
| he could find in the key of C, and transposed | | | | materials such as DVD's, CD's, musical games |
| anything that wasn't in C into C. In February | | | | for kids, chord charts, musical software, and |
| he went up 1/2 step to the key of C# (also | | | | piano lesson instructional courses for |
| known as Db enharmonically) and played | | | | adults. His instant piano chord finder |
| everything in Db and searched for pieces | | | | software titled "How To Find Any Piano Chord |
| written in the key of Db, and so on. By the | | | | Instantly!" has been used around the world. |
| time the year was up, he had a pretty fair | | | | He holds advanced degrees from Southern |
| grasp on the 12 Major keys. I suggested that | | | | Oregon University and was the founder of |
| he devote the next year to the 12 minor keys, | | | | Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is |
| and the next year to the modes, and the next | | | | the author of the popular free 101-week |
| year to polytonality, etc., etc. -- but as I | | | | online e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing |
| recall he decided to just recycle through the | | | | Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling |
| 12 major keys, since he used them so much | | | | Chord Progressions" with over 58,600 current |
| more than the ones I suggested.4. Still | | | | subscribers. |