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Whether aiming at concert-level virtuosity or at purely personal enrichment, every student of piano is in need of a thorough understanding of all aspects of pianism. I ensure that all my students have both a theoretical and a practical grasp of every task I set for them. This means that I teach beginning students to be comfortable reading notes (in both treble and bass clefs) and clapping rhythms before I assign pieces for them to study. I provide each student with an overview of the mechanics of sound production on the piano before I assign finger exercises or instruct them in the development of their hand position and posture at the piano. The benefits
of encouraging this degree of understanding are twofold. First,
by understanding how each assignment or task
contributes to their facility at the piano, students are more
likely to become committed to practicing. Second, students who
are given
an adequate amount of information are able to oversee their own
development as pianists. For these students, the teacher serves
not as a traditional instructor but as a more experienced colleague
who helps the student to implement his or her own knowledge more
effectively.
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