Bøker av Neil Stannard

Learn a song a day or a sonata movement a week. Use this material to systematically explore the many different techniques required of the collaborative pianist, and in the process expand your range of expression in solo repertoire. Collaborative pianists need all the same technical skills required of soloists, and some would argue that they need to be able to play mezzo forte and under. If you doubt this, look at cello sonatas of Rachmaninoff and Chopin, violin and cello sonatas of Brahms and songs by Strauss and Wolf, all of which are contained in this volume along with all the other major composers of duo repertoire. In the past, much confusion swirled about regarding the best avenues for achieving a reliable piano technique. Exercises of diverse and sometimes destructive patterns were readily available, and for many pianists they were considered indispensable. Despite the research-also readily available-of physiologist Otto Ortmann ("The Physiological Mechanics of Piano Technique," 1962) and others, teachers continued to dish out Czerny and Hanon exercises to naive students eager to develop "strong and "independent" fingers. They were barking up the wrong tree. (For more on this topic see "Piano Technique Demystified: Insights into Problem Solving," 2nd Ed.) I advise pianists to put away Czerny and Hanon exercises and, regardless of technical approach, apply themselves to these passages from music they intend to play-collaborative works by master composers-as building blocks for technique and musicianship. Lessons learned here on the relationship of song text to expressive pianism are applicable not just to art song but to both instrumental duos and solo repertoire.

Put away studies by Czerny. Put him and the others into a closet and turn the key. Instead, use these passages from music you intend to play-music by master composers-as building blocks for technique and musicianship. Suppose for a moment that we don't accept the notion that a good piano technique requires strength training, or that it is even really possible to "strengthen" the fingers to any noticeable degree, in the way that authors of yore would have us believe. Those concepts indeed have long ago been discredited. Suppose, too, we discard the notion that independence of fingers is a physical action and not instead a musical objective. Well, you might ask, for what then do we train? Let's use our knowledge of how the hand was designed to work in order to train for refined coordination. In this volume you will find ample material for just such a study. Here are threads of Bach Inventions, early Haydn episodes and mainstream Mozart. Here are passages from the grandeur of late Beethoven and the Romantic exuberance of Schumann and Chopin. Here are morsels from standard repertoire that, if used as part of your daily regimen, will at the very least provide a colossal head start on the building of skills, musicianship and a catalog of music you want to perform.

VIOLIN PART. VOLUME 2 OF 4. Bach wrote in the preface to the Sinfonias that we should work above all to "achieve a cantabile style in playing and at the same time acquire a strong foretaste of composition." It's this endeavor to achieve a singing style that gave me the idea to transcribe these little gems, part of the pianist's catechism, for "singing" instruments-that and my desire to have more repertoire to play as a cellist in a string trio. Often referred to as three-part inventions, Bach's Sinfonias (Sinfonien) reflect the master's continuing concern for the complete education of musicians. They were indeed conceived originally for keyboard-and are rather more difficult to play than the two-part Inventions-but as always in Bach's keyboard works, their probative value reaches far beyond the mere pressing down of keys in the proper order. Bach sought to teach the complete musician in his Clavier Übung, of which the Sinfonias are a part. Übung is translated for our purposes not just as practice in the general sense of learning keyboard technique. It also means emersion in the professional essence of the art, as in the practice of medicine or law. These pieces are about learning composition and style, and, in short, how to bring music to life.

CELLO PART. VOLUME 4 OF 4. Bach wrote in the preface to the Sinfonias that we should work above all to "achieve a cantabile style in playing and at the same time acquire a strong foretaste of composition." It's this endeavor to achieve a singing style that gave me the idea to transcribe these little gems, part of the pianist's catechism, for "singing" instruments-that and my desire to have more repertoire to play as a cellist in a string trio. Often referred to as three-part inventions, Bach's Sinfonias (Sinfonien) reflect the master's continuing concern for the complete education of musicians. They were indeed conceived originally for keyboard-and are rather more difficult to play than the two-part Inventions-but as always in Bach's keyboard works, their probative value reaches far beyond the mere pressing down of keys in the proper order. Bach sought to teach the complete musician in his Clavier Übung, of which the Sinfonias are a part. Übung is translated for our purposes not just as practice in the general sense of learning keyboard technique. It also means emersion in the professional essence of the art, as in the practice of medicine or law. These pieces are about learning composition and style, and, in short, how to bring music to life.

Rarely do scales and arpeggios occur in music the way we learn them in books, that is, until now in this book. When we encounter a scale or an arpeggio in a piece of music, we should be prepared to first notice that it is a scale or arpeggio, or part thereof, and consider it on its own terms. Does a particular routined fingering work here? How can we efficiently negotiate its twists and turns? I promise you the scale in your piece will not proceed innocently from G to shining G with a prescribed fingering and no detours. At least, not very often.But, really I hear you ask, are scales and arpeggios a necessary part of our pianistic diet? Well, yes and no. We need to understand the topography of the keyboard and elementary keyboard harmony in order to navigate the keyboard's shoals and depths. Since we propel our hands laterally up and down the keyboard by means of certain navigational tools, of which the thumb is one, how when and where to activate the thumb has always been and remains a primary issue. So a clear feel for the relationships of white to black keys and the appropriate digits for depressing them is essential. Learn the patterns. But do we really need to drill these learned patterns on a daily basis as, for example, in a technical exercise? Once learned and worked-in to the point of being automatic, it is no longer necessary or even desirable to repeat them in their root positions for the purpose of gaining finger "strength" or "agility" or "independence." (If you find this notion intriguing, have a look at Piano Technique Demystified: Insights into Problem Solving, 2nd Edition.") So instead of blindly drilling scales hands together, in rhythms and with varying articulations-or whatever devices we have heard about since childhood-why not practice them as they appear in the music? Here you will find nearly 800 such examples, just waiting to be explored.

Praise for PIANO TECHNIQUE DEMYSTIFIED: Insights into Problem Solving, with NEW AND EXPANDED CHAPTERS, MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON FINGERING CONCEPTS. "This book is a delightful collection of helpful insights. Many of the fingerings, note-grouping concepts, rotational ideas and so on make the passages in the examples easier to play than when approached with more traditional ideas," American Music Teacher, Feb./Mar., 2015. Comments from readers: "I've read and re-read your book since receiving it months ago as a gift from a pianist friend. Your advice and instruction have moved from the merely intellectual to the gut level of understanding. And, like that proverbial road not taken, it has made all the difference. Practicing and playing are a joy now that my fingers and forearms are cohabiting and working peacefully together. The keyboard no longer feels like an adversary, but my friend in music-making. I particularly appreciated the psychological insights you offer for performance anxiety, nerves and other demons that afflict most of us. 'The committee' made me laugh and gave me hope: most helpful to externalize all those internalized voices with one, annoying group of malcontents. Thanks for that and all the other intuitive observations about playing. You've been a great help already," Michael in New York City***"After closing the last page [of your book], I was compelled to learn more about the genius who put this information together, in MY language. I want to thank you for doing me such unbelievable service with this book...Your book has turned the tides for me today, and I am so very grateful. In fact, I will be using it as a Christmas gift for all my pianist friends. I have no doubts that they too will find your book to be inspiring and helpful, "Chase in Tampa, Florida***"Thanks for a Great book,"Eric in Rochester, NY*** "I have your book, which I like very much, I would love to see more. Thanks again," Bruce. If you've ever felt at a loss as to how to achieve the excellence you would like at the piano, then take a look at this book. In this volume you will find the distillation of a life in music, a "how to" for the musician seeking joy in music-making. Here are insights into learning to play using the natural design of the body. Dispel old wives' tales and myths left over from the 18th century harpsichordists. Learn to make accurate leaps, to play fast without feeling hurried. What is practicing and how and why should we memorize music? And how can we put anxiety to good use? What is a good hand position and really, how slowly should I practice? Non-pianists will find ample information on the learning process and many aspects of performing. The author took part in the first Taubman Institute at Rensselaerville, NY, performed in the first masterclass and has participated in many subsequent institutes, studying privately in New York for several years with Edna Golandsky.

VIOLA PART. VOLUME 3 OF 4. Bach wrote in the preface to the Sinfonias that we should work above all to "achieve a cantabile style in playing and at the same time acquire a strong foretaste of composition." It's this endeavor to achieve a singing style that gave me the idea to transcribe these little gems, part of the pianist's catechism, for "singing" instruments-that and my desire to have more repertoire to play as a cellist in a string trio. Often referred to as three-part inventions, Bach's Sinfonias (Sinfonien) reflect the master's continuing concern for the complete education of musicians. They were indeed conceived originally for keyboard-and are rather more difficult to play than the two-part Inventions-but as always in Bach's keyboard works, their probative value reaches far beyond the mere pressing down of keys in the proper order. Bach sought to teach the complete musician in his Clavier Übung, of which the Sinfonias are a part. Übung is translated for our purposes not just as practice in the general sense of learning keyboard technique. It also means emersion in the professional essence of the art, as in the practice of medicine or law. These pieces are about learning composition and style, and, in short, how to bring music to life.

FULL SCORE. VOLUME 1 OF 4. Bach wrote in the preface to the Sinfonias that we should work above all to "achieve a cantabile style in playing and at the same time acquire a strong foretaste of composition." It's this endeavor to achieve a singing style that gave me the idea to transcribe these little gems, part of the pianist's catechism, for "singing" instruments-that and my desire to have more repertoire to play as a cellist in a string trio. Often referred to as three-part inventions, Bach's Sinfonias (Sinfonien) reflect the master's continuing concern for the complete education of musicians. They were indeed conceived originally for keyboard-and are rather more difficult to play than the two-part Inventions-but as always in Bach's keyboard works, their probative value reaches far beyond the mere pressing down of keys in the proper order. Bach sought to teach the complete musician in his Clavier Übung, of which the Sinfonias are a part. Übung is translated for our purposes not just as practice in the general sense of learning keyboard technique. It also means emersion in the professional essence of the art, as in the practice of medicine or law. These pieces are about learning composition and style, and, in short, how to bring music to life.

Playing Chopin successfully is a lot like being both singer and accompanist- sorry, collaborative pianist. Achieve a successful collaboration between the hands with imagination and an understanding of style, and colorful scenes galore emerge along the way. In this volume we consider the technical means by which a happy collaboration between the hands becomes second nature. In my experience, if there is an impediment to a successful performance of the Nocturnes, that impediment originates in the left hand. If the fingering and its technical logic are not well understood, the right-hand fioriture have no place to take root, and more often than not die on the vine. How do we negotiate an accompaniment pattern that seems to tease the hand into awkward stretches? How do we organize a melisma of twenty-seven notes against six? And how on earth do we interpret all those grace-notes attached to appoggiaturas and other pesky symbols? With over two hundred musical examples and references to selected video demonstrations, all of these questions and more are answered here as they occur in nineteen Nocturnes.

This is a literal transcription of the celebrated string-orchestra composition by one of Russia''s most romantic composers. It started out as the slow movement of his String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35, for the unusual scoring of violin, viola, and 2 cellos. It was written in 1894, the year after the death of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, in a tribute to that composer. It is based on the theme from the song "Legend", the fifth of Tchaikovsky''s Sixteen Children''s Songs, Op. 54. Tchaikovsky''s song was originally set to a poem in English called "Roses and Thorns" by the American poet Richard Henry Stoddard. At the first performance of the quartet, the slow movement was so well received that Arensky soon arranged it as a separate piece for string orchestra, Op. 35a, in which form it has remained among the most popular of all Arensky''s works.