Piano Playalong

 How long since I did a Piano Playalong post?

There comes a point in a student's progress when it's time for them to leap into the unknown. 

Too many adults had a stultifying piano experience when they never learned to fly free of the lesson material. 

Their teachers would get the next book, and then the pupil would work through every piece in that book, whether they liked them or not, alongside studies and scales, until it was finished. My friends had teachers like that too.

I was lucky; my teacher would teach two or three pieces from a book, and then get me another one. At the time, as an opinionated 12-year-old, I considered this very wasteful,  and promptly taught myself the rest of the pieces. Now, of course, I recognise her cunning plan... I spent a lot of time (when I should have geen learning scales or doing homework) exploring my discarded books. I also loved going through a great stack of music which had belonged to my mother, my aunt, and both my grandmothers. 

Parents, hang on to your child's old piano books! They can be a source of pleasure for years to come!

Anyway, to encourage this student to explore outside the lesson, I sent her this;

from a copy of Beethoven sonatas belonging to my mother, or maybe one of the grandmothers... I said I'd send some more soon.

She worked out that it's the beginning of the Moonlight Sonata.

'So now you could get your own copy', I suggested, 'and not be limited to the extracts I send.'

I could see that this seemed like breaking a rule, stepping outside a boundary... but I think she might order one!

Here's the next installment anyway