Teaching
Do you teach piano as well?
- Rae
Dear Rae,
No, I do not. I often give masterclasses, and I really enjoy doing so, but I simply do not have the time to teach privately. With all the composing I do, the performing, the writing (my book), the video editing, the answering (of questions on this site!), I hope you'll forgive me for not adding another entree to my plate. :-)
- Greg (Oct. 24, 2009)
Pianism
Dear Greg,
I've read some of your answers suggesting the book "Pianism". I am very fascinated by the sound of it. Any ideas on where I can purchase it? I've looked on the website of the book, Amazon, eBay, and libraries and cannot seem to find a copy of the book...
- Hannah
Dear Hannah,
I'm so pleased that you are interested in Aiko Onishi's Pianism! The book is really wonderful. I recently redesigned the cover to the book and made it available on amazon.com. Here's the link:
I'll repost what I wrote earlier for the benefit of those reading this page for the first time: "First of all, I highly encourage you to purchase my mentor's book: Pianism, by Aiko Onishi. She articulates the techniques used to produce gorgeous tone better than anyone I know. In clear, simple language, she describes how to create a beautiful singing tone, harmonious tones, colorless tones, thick and chordal tones, and much more. The book is worth every penny -- 'a must,' if you will."
Her essays on phrasing, pedaling, and harmony are equally insightful and lucid.
Happy reading!
- Greg (Oct. 23, 2009)
Developing Your Ear
Hey, Greg!
Not really a pianist. But I am planning on studying music. I'm a junior in high school and have played the trumpet for about 8 or so years. Right now I have my sights set on Duquesne University's music school for music technology. In the audition, you have to pass an aural musicianship exam. I'm told I have a good ear, but I just need to develop it. ...How exactly does one do that? What would you say is the best way? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
-Rachel
Dear Rachel,
The best way to develop your ear is to learn to identify and sing intervals - in fact, I'll bet that's exactly what they'll test you on. First practice with a friend. Have him or her play a scale at the piano and then play a note against the tonic pitch. Example: your friend plays a D major scale and then plays a "D" with the "A" above it. Your challenge would be to identify the interval (a fifth). Practice this until you can nail it every time. Then switch it around. Have you friend play a scale and ask you to sing an interval above the tonic pitch. Example: your friend plays a D minor scale and then plays the "D" and asks you to sing a minor third above that. Your challenge would be to sing an "F." Eventually you should be able to get rid of the reference scale beforehand and simply be able to identify and sing random intervals.
Best of luck in your audition!
-Greg
Top Schools
Greg,
I'm only 13 but feel the need to start thinking about college. And while at the moment I'm not a spectacular pianist, i love playing soooooo much. I think I want it to be my career. Do you have any suggestions for music schools (all i know of is Juilliard) and how do go about auditions when I'm a bit older? thanks.
- Caitie
Dear Caitie,
Thirteen-years-old. You still have plenty of time! Make sure you continue to pursue all the things you love for the next couple years. If you still decide to audition for music schools later on, just focus on your auditions and you should be fine. No matter what people may tell you ("take lessons with the teachers in advance," "go to pre-college music schools," "win lots of competitions"), all that really matters is that you play well in your audition.
There are plenty of good schools with music programs, some are a part of universities and others are music conservatories. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the person and their needs. A list of the top MUSIC schools in the US would likely include Oberlin, Yale, Eastman, Peabody, Colburn, Curtis, Juilliard, Manhattan, Mannes, Rice, USC, TCU, Indiana, Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory, and Northwestern. There are other schools with great piano teachers, so don't feel obligated to limit yourself to that list!
Good luck, and remember to hold on to that love you have for the piano!
- Greg
Chopin Nocturne
Dear Greg,
I am currently playing the Chopin Nocturne op 48 no1 in C minor. The music isn't too difficult until the crazy, passionate, difficult, fast return of the first theme. My hands are small and it's really hard to hit all the notes and voicing is extremely difficult because there are those big chords that support the music yet the melody is often times a single note (usually a higher, lighter note). How would you bring out the melody more? Without pounding away until your fingers hurt midway? What is your interpretation of the piece? Does it have to go really fast? I would like my music to be beautiful, not clashing to the ears. Thanks so much!
- Elaine
Dear Elaine,
By the looks of your question, you are well on your way to a masterful interpretation! All of your concerns and considerations are valid; it's that kind of thinking that will lead you to good technical skills.
Your teacher will be able to help you more than I could, but I will offer a quick suggestion. If you'd like to voice a chord to the right side of your hand, you should direct the weight of your arm (the weight from your upper arm and your lower arm) to that side of the hand. I find that my wrist adjusts to accommodate this by moving to the right as well. This way, I am able to use the natural weight of my body to produce a full, beautiful sound. It takes much more work (and the sound isn't nearly as nice) to play the piano by the strength of your fingers alone.
I confess that I really like the return of the theme to be exactly as you described it: crazy, passionate, and fast. Practice it so that you can play it effectively fast or slow; in other words, you should be able to play it any number of ways: slow and tormented, fast with direction, loud and grand, quiet but intense, etc. Then in performance (and here's the kicker), you should let yourself go - let yourself be carried away by the music. That section is all about the passion and intensity of the moment.
Have fun with such beautiful music!
- Greg
Electric vs. Acoustic Pianos
Dear Greg,
I own a yamaha P250 ditigal piano and its really nice. The only thing is I just don't get that "acoustic" feel. It sounds just like an acoustic, though I still don't get that feel..I occassionally go to Eastman school of music to use their pianos, but it uses a bit too much gas.. And I 'm only there like once a week for 2 hours. My parents currently cant afford an acoustic, especially since the American ecomony is down. Do you think after this ecomony thing I should ask my parents to begin to invest in a real one? Or do you think I should just stick with the P250 until I move out and buy my own? -Kalen
Dear Kalen,
It's not just the feel, but the *sound* of digital keyboards that will hinder your growth as a pianist. Digital keyboards are unable to recreate the natural blend of overtones heard on a real piano; furthermore, they lack the immense variety of tonal "colors" that a real piano can create. As a pianist, it is necessary to learn to control these colors and overtones in beautiful ways. Developing your skills on a digital keyboard will weaken your ear's ability to hear these differences and it will prevent you from truly learning to exploit the tonal possibilities of a piano.
That said, you probably should evaluate your priorities first. If your number one priority is to become a classical pianist, then you really should be training on an acoustic piano, preferably a grand piano. If playing the piano is just one of many things you enjoy in life, then perhaps you should stick with the keyboard. Keyboards certainly have many advantages (I use my Yamaha P80 quite often!): they stay in tune, they make less noise, they hook up to a computer, and they are more affordable. For an aspiring concert pianist, however, these advantages are small when compared to the feel and sound of a real piano.
- Greg
Upgrading to an Acoustic Piano
Hi Greg!,
First of all, your videos and compositions are great, you and Liz are really unique!. I have a question for you, when do you think it is advisable (for a classical piano Student who wants to play like you, basically :D) to move from a digital piano (in my case, a Yamaha Clavinova CLP-240 with the Grade Hammer 3 stuff) to a grand piano?. And another one!, my teacher says I should play staccato notes by lifting my wrist a little (hand above the keyboard, but not touching it, slightly above, like floating! ) and hitting the keys from that position (just moving the fingers, the wrist stays just there, in the floating position). She says that is to avoid future injuries or something like that, but I found it very unnatural, why do you think?. How do you play staccato notes (not super fast staccato notes, but, for example, staccato for bach inventions, sinfonias, etc). Please post more videos!, a new parody :D
- Raúl
Dear Raúl,
Switch to an acoustic piano as soon as you can afford to. It doesn't necessarily need to be a grand (I practiced on an Everett spinet until I was 16 years old!!), it just needs to have real hammers hitting real strings. Of course, eventually you will need to switch to a grand piano. Electric keyboards are handy (I have a Yamaha P90), but they do not do a very good job of recreating the resonance of a real piano. As a student of the piano, you should be developing your ear for color and timbre, and these pianistic traits are impossible to imitate on an electronic keyboard. Even the action feels different on a real piano - staccato notes in particular!
As for those staccatos that are giving you so much trouble, I'm afraid I can't help you. I do not consider myself to be a specialist in the mechanics of playing the piano. If anything, you should talk to your teacher. Perhaps he or she isn't explaining it effectively, or perhaps your discomfort is a symptom of something else. Your teacher should be able to clear this up for you.
- Greg
Soundproofing
Dear Greg,
I once heard you talk about how your dad soundproofed your practice room at home. I've just moved into a new apartment, and though the walls are thick and I don't have any wall-neighbors, the sound travels up the wall and bothers an at-home writer 4 floors above me. What should I do? I don't want to muffle the piano too much but instead would rather attempt to "sound-proof" the room. What do you think about foam? I am open to any and all suggestions.
Blisteringly Bombastic (not really) in Berlin
Dear Bombastic,
My dad's form of soundproofing was nothing more than mattresses hauled up from the basement and placed around the piano. It didn't really work and my family members remained frustrated by the bombast.
You could hire a professional acoustician. Soundproofing is a tricky job, so much so that people spend years in school studying the science behind it. They could offer you better advice than me! One thing I've seen repeatedly in soundproofed apartments: the piano is elevated off the main floor. Apparently, the main conduit for the sound to reach other apartments is the legs of the piano and the floor. With this in mind, you could try putting the piano on, like, three thick rugs.
I own an electronic keyboard (Yamaha P90). Really, it's not as bad as you might think! It's designed for classical pianists and it has several functions which are surprisingly handy (various Baroque-style tunings, recording capabilities, and several fine-tuning sound adjusters). I use the keyboard for composing (because it connects to my computer) and when I want to spares my neighbors from the bombast.
You're in a sticky situation. Flowers, chocolates, and baked goods may help diffuse the emotions with your neighbor!
- Greg
Preparing to Perform
Greg,
Could you outline what is involved in preparing mentally and physically for a solo performance? Furthermore, as I am a shy person by nature, I suffer from nerves in performance situations. If you have and information or advice on ways to overcome this, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Juvena
Dear Juvena,
You've asked a very tricky question to answer. Over the years, I've actually found that the less I think about nerves, memory, and pre-concert preparation, the better! I used to have a pre-concert routine worked out, but I found that it was just a waste of time and it made me more nervous. Instead, I now acknowledge my nerves, but I don't dwell on them. I try to stay focused and secluded, but I'm easy going and allow for "emergencies." I try to find time to warm up, but I don't get my undies in a bunch if I can't.
It really only takes a brief, concentrated moment and a couple deep breathes to center oneself. If you make a big deal out of it, chances are things won't go the way you planned and you'll walk onstage flustered and frustrated. I prefer to walk onstage without any expectations, but ready to seize the moment.
Most important of all, remember to enjoy the music!
- Greg