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Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas – On-demand Course | Coursera

by Tim Topham

Continuing my theme of great online training opportunities for piano teachers, I recently found out about another interesting free Coursera Course: Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas by American performer and teacher Jonathan Biss. This course takes an inside-out look at the 32 piano sonatas from the point of view of a performer. Each lecture will focus ... Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas – On-demand Course | Coursera

02/08/2015 Read more

Got awesome piano teaching ideas to share?

by Tim Topham

​Are you a piano teacher with a budding desire to write? Do you have a knack for sharing useful resources and explaining complex topics? Have you considered starting your own blog? Whether you're already a published author or are just looking to share some cool piano teaching ideas with the world, I'm interested to hear from ... Got awesome piano teaching ideas to share?

02/04/2015 Read more

AMEB Series 17 Piano | Best pieces Grades 4-6

by Tim Topham

Quick Navigation IntroductionGrade 4Grade 5Grade 6Conclusion & Where to buy IntroductionThis is the second in my 3-part blog series about the music in the new AMEB Series 17 publications released in November 2014. My first part, showing my favourite pieces for Grades P-3 is here. In this article, I'll be focussing on the music found in ... AMEB Series 17 Piano | Best pieces Grades 4-6

02/02/2015 Read more

Online PD for Piano Teachers

by Tim Topham

Quick Navigation The future of training?I don't have time for PD!Piano Teaching Webinars from Tracy SelleMusicEdConnect.comWebinars and HangoutsStudio Marketing WebinarKatie WardrobePianoFlix - How to teach pop pianoOther online training providersConclusionWhat online courses/webinars have you recently done? The future of training? There is a place for both online learning and face to face, but being able ... Online PD for Piano Teachers

01/29/2015 Read more

Bribery should not be used as motivation to practise – The Strad

by Tim Topham

Intrinsic v Extrinsic Motivation in Music Students Building on the ideas of one of my previous articles: Why extrinsic rewards are so bad for motivation, you might have missed this great article from string teaching magazine, The Strad. In it, a parent delves into some research about bribes, motivation and practice to come up with ... Bribery should not be used as motivation to practise – The Strad

01/28/2015 Read more

Free Jazz Improvisation Course | Coursera

by Tim Topham

Ever wanted to learn more about jazz improvising? Here’s a free 5-week online course that you can take from your own studio and featuring one of the greats of jazz improvisation, Gary Burton from the Berklee College of Music. Coursera is an education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide, to offer courses online for ... Free Jazz Improvisation Course | Coursera

01/08/2015 Read more
 

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What makes good piano technique? Interview with John Bloomfield

by Tim Topham

Interested in Piano Technique? I don’t know about you, but I find all the ins and outs of piano technique fascinating. I love that Glenn Gould could sit well below the keyboard in a position that most teachers would denounce as pretty appalling and still achieve incredible performances and be revered for evermore. I love ... What makes good piano technique? Interview with John Bloomfield

01/07/2015 Read more

Easy pop music arrangements that actually sound good!

by Tim Topham

Finding easy pop music arrangements can be tough! There’s been a fair bit of discussion over at the PianoFlix discussion threads regarding how hard it is to find pop music arrangements that are not only playable by beginners, but actually sound like the real versions. This is one of the hardest things about introducing pop music into your ... Easy pop music arrangements that actually sound good!

12/23/2014 Read more

1000 Hours to Competence « Music Teacher’s Helper Blog

by Tim Topham

Should 10,000 hours really be the benchmark? You’ve no doubt heard rule of thumb that it takes approximately 10,000 hours of practice to become a master of something. The statement originated in Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers” and, even if you haven’t read it, you’ve no doubt heard the statistic. It has since been used by many authors in discussing high-achievement and ... 1000 Hours to Competence « Music Teacher’s Helper Blog

12/22/2014 Read more

6 essential skills for beginner accompanists | Guest Post

by Robin Baker

What makes a good accompanist? What skills do you need? Guest poster Robin Baker, one of Melbourne’s most experienced accompanists, has put together a list of skills that are a focus of her own practising, rehearsing and performing with other artists. Collaborative Pianists (as the role of accompanists is increasing becoming known) require specialised skills very different to ... 6 essential skills for beginner accompanists | Guest Post

12/21/2014 Read more

Teaching Rhythm in Pop Music

by Tim Topham

Teaching Rhythm in Pop Music – How do you do it? Since launching my online training for piano teachers recently, there have been lots of questions about how to help students ‘find their groove’ in pop music and how teachers can help students with tricky rhythms. In my opinion, it’s one of the hardest things about teaching ... Teaching Rhythm in Pop Music

12/15/2014 Read more

AMEB Series 17 Piano | Best Pieces Grades P-3

by Tim Topham

Quick Navigation IntroductionSeries 17 OverviewFavourite Selections How I decided on the selectionsPreliminaryGrade 1 Grade 2Grade 3ConclusionWhere to buy​What are your thoughts?  Introduction If you're an Australian piano teacher who uses the Australian Music Examination Board syllabus with your students,  you're no doubt aware that a new series of teaching books has just been released: Series ... AMEB Series 17 Piano | Best Pieces Grades P-3

11/21/2014 Read more