Hi Ilinca, From your points regarding the importance of being present, it is clear that you are a meditator. If you don't mind my asking, what kind of meditation do you practice?
PianoCareer hi thank you so much for sharing your beautiful graceful skill of playing the piano; i have just started learning and your ways of teaching and playing has really motivated me. Thank you again.
Im 38 years man, supermarket worker in South Korea. I also sleep 5-6 hours a day. And I work 12 hours a day and six days a week. But im trying to practice the piano at least 30minutes a day. Its not easy for me to do this with very tired body but i feel very happy whenever i sit in front of the piano.
PianoCareer I actually have a question. I'm a beginner and I have a digital piano at home and I've fiddled around with it for a month or so. With the touch sensitivity off, everything sounds fine, I can even play first half of fur Elise and Chopin nocturne in C sharp minor with the correct tempo. But when I turn on the touch sensitivity, I find myself struggling to make the notes sound even (I hope that makes sense). So I don't know if that's because I'm just a beginner and that's how it's supposed to be like or if I've got a problem with how I'm pressing the keys. If I turn the touch sensitivity to low, then I can manage better but if it's high, some notes I play too quietly and others too loudly lol. A little confused.
Hi! This is only normal :). It happens because you play 'only from your fingers', and you're not familiar yet with whole-arm action and weighted playing (which are ergonomic techniques that help us to play in a free, effortless manner, with a quality sound, and also with very good evenness of tone). Another reason is simply the fact that you are a beginner, and you don't have much control in your hands and fingers yet. Therefore, when touch sensitivity is on, the keyboard reacts to the REAL movements you make - which are still random and untrained. Also, Fur Elise is an intermediate piece - while Chopin's Nocturne in C# Minor is an ADVANCED piece! Of course you can't play them well - I couldn't either when I was just starting out! :) I recommend learning how to play piano in a serious progressive manner - and building your expressive/technical skills one step at a time. You can do so by following my Video Course for Beginners (available in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com). You can learn more about this Course (and about the functionality of my Piano Coaching Program) by taking a look at our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Please pay special attention to the following answers from the FAQs: • No. 1-3: discover what PianoCareerAcademy is, how it works, what is included (and what is not included) in the membership - and also the List of Tutorials currently available for our members. • No. 17: a detailed description of our Video Course for Beginners. • No. 24: learn more about digital pianos, and how weighted playing works on keyboards with touch sensitivity. • No. 38: find out why beginners should not try to play advanced pieces. Good luck! ;)
PianoCareer thank you for such a clear & detailed response. I've read through the FAQ section as well and it all makes sense to me now. I've been very impatient as an adult beginner suffering from "disease of the century" as you very aptly put it lol. I will stop butchering my favourite Chopin's nocturne now and get started on your beginner course on PCA soon. This is exactly what I was looking for; a clearly structured lesson plan for beginners. I own Yamaha P105 & it has weighted keys plus touch sensitivity which should be fine for the job as your FAQ section suggests. Thank you again for taking time out from your busy schedule to guide me in the right direction. Much respect and gratitude from an ambitious student. (:
Dear Illinca, I could not AGREE WITH YOU MORE! You,re absolutely right! (I'm 13); thanks for this wonderful piece of advice, and please keep posting your fascinating videos! Warmest regards from Valencia,.Spain.
Madam, even if you didn't play the piano you'd still be an inspiration and guide. Like most serious pursuits, music aspires to a greater philosophical life goal. Thank you for this inspiring talk. Harry
You should be the next president of EEUU! It's a funny thing that the best secrets of piano playing ( or any instruments , even whatever thing in life) it's practiced away from it. It's all about discipline, smart habits and motivation. (As you're saying) I just discovered you and I'm SO impressed! God bless you Xx.
Thank you so much, Alex! ;) Yes, piano playing (and any other art) is first of all about mind training (as all great pianists like to say). Hahaha, I don't think they would like me much as president of EU - I like to think 'outside the box' too much :))).
Thank you so much! At the moment I don't offer one-on-one Skype lessons - but you can always join my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com! ;) Find out more about its functionality by taking a look at our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/)
I just wrote a long comment and it's lost😖. In short, I said that you are brilliant, thank you, and I asked if you can make a video about memorizing music quickly and efficiently. Thank you for all your teachings 🙏
I was wondering when you'd post another video. ;-) You're as thorough as ever and thanks for the time stamps! Now I just need enough attention span to stay at a video for longer than five minutes. Just few more sessions and I'm finished. :-)
Thank you! :) Don't worry - our attention span can be trained just like any other skill. We get better at it when we realize that serious in-depth knowledge cannot be covered in short videos/seminars/courses/books. So once we decide to really become good at something, once we make a commitment to patient lifelong learning, it becomes easier to watch long videos, listen to long audiobooks, read more etc. I currently watch/listen to at least 45 minutes of instructional videos/audios/podcasts every day, and I love the results! ;)
Thank you so much! By the way, I'm actually not from Russia :)). You can learn more about my professional journey by reading the answers to questions No. 27 and 28 from our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/).
You are brilliant. I probably watched 20 of your videos already... So so helpful. Thank you. Please, can you make a video about how to memorize music efficiently? So much to learn in music, saving time is needed. Thank you so much. I don't even know you and you are teaching me so much. Thank you 🙏
Thank you, Tony! :) You can find a detailed tutorial dedicated to memorization in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com (along with many hundreds of other video and written tutorials on a wide range of piano topics). You can learn more about PCA by taking a look at our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/).
Thank you so much for posting this video. Great presentation and detail. I love your perspectives and wisdom. I wish I knew this 25 years ago! The hardest part is to follow through and live in accordance to these principles. Change takes time and effort and awareness. Change is always met with internal and external resistance.
Thank you so much! Yes, you are absolutely right - change takes time and awareness, and we do experience resistance in the process. The good news is that no amount of resistance can stand in the way of a patient and determined person who takes little actions every day to learn and grow. Also, it's never too late to make good changes, as long as you are committed to them and stay consistent! :)))
If I was your student irl it would be hard for me to practice too! Youre so pretty! I been enjoying your videos for years thank you for all the hard work you put into the channel!
For Solution 2 there is a nice PC tool called "ManicTime" which tracks what you do on your computer. It's great for checking yourself on how much time you spend on youtube, facebook etc.
Thank you for this video, I loved it! These are very precious advices to accomplish basically everything in life. Consistency and perseverance are the most tricky ones. It’s difficult to keep a good habit when we encounter difficulties but it’s crucial to keep walking ☺️ I also liked your video on perseverance where you tackle exactly that topic :)
Decades ago, one of my young students reported for his weekly lesson, having failed to do the simple note identifying assignment I gave him HIs reason? "I had to go to Mass"I pride myself to this day on refraining from falling the piano bench in laughter.
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, experience, wisdom, and inspirational spirit so kindly. This is an amazing educational and motivational video; Fantastic job young lady. 👏 👏 👏
Really good video - well thought out and presented. This is good for all aspects of life, not just for those playing the piano. Thank you - obviously you have not wasted your life on Facebook.....
Perhaps great piano playing is a sort of display of the player's healthy mind and lifestyle. You're smart as hell. I'm so impulsive that I have issues controlling what I do with my time, so I've had to design my surroundings very intentionally to compensate for my impulsive nature and simulate more self-control. I've always written pop music nonstop, with melodies bouncing in my head constantly distracting me. But as I fell in love with classical music and the philosophies of great teachers like Bach, I began to realize that learning piano is not only truly necessary for fostering and expanding my musicality, but also my own mental well-being. I also realized that pop music was toxic and subversive propaganda that discouraged me from aspiring to be great.
Thank you, Dance God! ;) Your revelation about classical music is truly wonderful: it IS a very complex realm, and not easy to master - but its transformation powers are limitless :))). Enjoy the journey!
Thanks for the meaningful words. Do you have any advice on taking up a second or third instrument? I have been playing piano for three years and making GREAT progress. I don't want to slow down but I really want to learn other instruments too. Is it advisable to take two lessons for two instruments each week?
Hi Jack! It all depends on your available practice time. Yes, it is possible to play 2 instruments well - but, of course, this will take time and effort :). Simply ask yourself: are you willing to double the time your currently spend on the piano, and do you also have the energy for it? If yes, than you can certainly do it. There is also good news: your existing knowledge of theory, your hearing and overall musical understanding will help you a lot with the 2nd instrument - so you'll not have to form these particular skills from scratch. Good luck! ;)
Thank you, Roberto! There are so many books I love, it's hard to pick just one 😊. Here are the first three that come to my mind: "Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson; "Mastery" by George Leonard; and "Effortless Mastery" by Kenny Werner (the last one is music and piano related). I hope you enjoy them! 😉
Hi my dear Professor Ilinca ! Please wear beautiful flower in your musical hair strings when you make new video. Every discourse is a beautiful journey to feel music of your cheerful and refreshing heart ! Love you always. Your student always :)
Hello, I've seen a few of your videos and you strike me as a dedicated and accomplished player. I wanted to pose to you a question that has been haunting me lately. I've been working on Chopin's Op55 #1 (f minor nocturne) and am pleased with my playing until I listen to Arrau or Rubinstein recordings of the piece. They each bring out so much expression in every note, that it's discouraging to try and emulate. Do you think it's unrealistic to hope to play just one piece as well as them? Have you ever found yourself in such a situation, being unable to produce the sound through your fingers that you're hearing inside yourself?
Hi! Thank you for your appreciation! :) I would recommend a little change of perspective: instead of aiming to play 'just one piece' in a masterful manner - your goal should be continual growth and learning. Our art is not about learning separate pieces. It's about forming serious aural/mental/expressive/technical skills (and this journey never ends!). 'Armed' with these skills (and as a result of a lot of mindful and consistent practice) we can play anything we want. Without this foundation, we will never be able to bring ONE single piece to a true performance level. How could we, if we don't have the skills? Yes, we DO train our technical & expressive skills in the PROCESS of working on different pieces. However, ONE piece is not enough for forming the entire skillset necessary for mastering this Nocturne. Having good pre-hearing abilities (and a clear vision of how the pieces should sound) is obviously a wonderful start. However, if you don't know HOW to bring this vision to life - you will encounter many difficulties along the way (just like you mentioned). By the way, you can find a detailed video tutorial dedicated to Chopin's Nocturne op. 55 No. 1 in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com :).
Hi! This is actually something I am planning to sort out in the near future :). I'm always so busy with my students at PianoCareerAcademy.com - and only very recently I noticed that all my videos had automatic subtitled enabled. When I checked those subtitles (that are generated by UA-cam's voice recognition software) - they were absolutely awful, and incorrect 50% of the time! So I disabled them for some videos: since they were mostly incorrect, there was no value in them, as you surely understand. Now my plan is to create correct subtitles for most of my UA-cam videos. This is already done for this tutorial: ua-cam.com/video/zs6sWdF2uak/v-deo.html. This task it quite time-consuming, however - so it will take a while until all the videos are done. Also, because this requires my professional knowledge of musical terms - I cannot assign it to someone else. Thank you for your patience! ;)
hi, do you think spiting two hours daily practice into two separate hours during the day is reasonable rather than two hours straight? Say for example, one hour early in the morning and the second hour in the evening. The reason to ask is because each hour requires the same warm up time, therefore duplicating warm up time..
Hi Luis! This depends on several factors - such as your level (and current 'piano endurance'), your available time, your practice goals, the quality of your practice etc. For example, if you can ONLY practice one hour in the evening and one our in the morning (because of your work/school schedule) - then, of course, you have to do that. It is much better than not practicing at all (or only practicing for one hour per day)! :) If you're a relative beginner (and you haven't built a good 'piano endurance' yet) - then again, this is a good idea. Or, you can simply take a short break every 45 minutes (to avoid mental/aural/physical fatigue). If you know how to play in a healthy, tension-free manner - your practice sessions can be longer. If you're self-taught and you're still not familiar with the main principles of a relaxed, ergonomic technique - then, of course, longer sessions can be detrimental (in this case, the obvious solution is to learn how to play correctly). If you're an intermediate/advanced player - then 2 hours of practice in a row can indeed be more productive than two separate hours. It's not just about the physical warm-up (and the time it takes) - it's about the concept that we teachers call 'bringing a kettle to the boil': if you remove the kettle from the stove every 5 minutes, it will be very difficult to make it boil. If you leave it there for a longer period of time, it will reach the needed temperature faster. The same happens in piano practice: sometimes, in order to bring our mind, our hearing and our arms/fingers to the needed 'temperature', we need to practice for a longer period of time. However, this ONLY works if you do it in a safe manner, if you listen to your sensations (and never work in a state of tension or fatigue), and if your practice is mindful, focused and NOT mechanical. I hope this helps! ;)
Hi Cesar! Sorry for the delayed reply :). For some reason, automatic captions are not available for this video. I just went through all the settings, made sure the language is selected correctly, and refreshed everything. I quickly Googled this issue, and I found out that automatic captions are not available for all videos (until today I thought that every single video in English gets automatic speech-recognition captions). I'll keep checking, maybe the fact that I messed with it today will make the speech recognition software try again. Of course, ideally I would type the correct captions myself (since the software is often inaccurate, especially when it comes to professional musical terms) - but this process is extremely time-consuming, and my work schedule is already 500% overloaded. But I do promise to activate the automatic captions as soon as they become available :).
i am in a boarding school，which doesnt have a piano practising room, and the only time i am available is from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon,can i make any progress like this?
Hi Kristina! Yes, you can certainly make some progress by practicing 3 days a week... it's not optimal - but it's better than nothing :). However, please be aware that the QUALITY of your practice is always more important than its QUANTITY (as I explain in this free tutorial: ua-cam.com/video/__SiXXnaYOY/v-deo.html). Other things to consider are: the length of your practice sessions (2 hours per day, 3 days a week will be more efficient than 30 minutes per day, 3 days a week); their intensity; how many pieces you want to learn (and whether they are appropriate for your level or not) - and so on! :)
Yes!! I love music soooo much, but I always thought that music playing is only for special someone. It was a myth!!! I can do it. And I will study it in the best Academy!!!🌈🌈🌈
Hi Linda! Simply click on the first link in the Description box above - and then choose a membership option below the video (monthly or yearly). We are looking forward to welcoming you to our community! ;)
Hello! You probably feel stuck because you are self-taught, and you don't know what to do next because you lack professional guidance. Good piano skills can only be build in a progressive manner, by following a well-structured method. You have two good options to choose from: you can either take lessons with an experienced real-life teacher - or you can join my online Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com. As a member of our program, you will never have to buy any additional courses - the membership will give you unlimited access to ALL our courses and tutorials (including our step-by-step Video Course for Beginners). This Course will help you to develop ALL your piano skills (technique, expression, hearing, reading, theory & analysis, pedaling etc.) in a harmonious manner, according to the professional system used in the Russian piano school. Find out more about this Course (and about the functionality of my Piano Coaching Program) by taking a look at our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Please pay special attention to questions No. 17 (dedicated to the Beginner Course), No. 19 (dedicated to the Scale Course), No. 40 (dedicated to our Sight-Reading Course) and 1-6 (you will learn how PCA works, what is included in the membership etc.). Good luck! ;)
You make some very well thought out points, but I feel I disagree on watching news. People should be aware of what goes on in the world and in their country. If no one is paying attention eventually things could degrade so much that society is too unstable for fine arts to flourish. Also people should watch some news to help think for themselves. You don't want political leaders who tell the population the news is fake, which is not sincere and is actually a cover for them to be corrupt. People should try to have a balance between society-related things like news and deeper things like literature and music. I think maybe 10 minutes a day would be good to spend on news.
If news would be objective and impartial (and actually help people think for themselves) - then sure, of course. Unfortunately, most of the time it's not :(. If we want to pursue true open-mindedness and independent thinking, we should stay really far from mass-media. However, each one of us has to discover this for himself/herself - that's why we're all allowed to have our opinion :).
Yes you do - you just don't know it yet :))). Plus, what can be more important in this life than acquiring knowledge that will make everything you do more productive, efficient and enjoyable?
I look at piano playing and practice as a relaxation time. If piano practice is looked at as a job, or some difficult task, then it will not give much of positive results.
That's is a good mindset - even though in-depth focused practice can get quite intense and not feel 'relaxing'. However, if we do it with the right attitude, it can be very fulfilling and enjoyable, and feel like a good workout, or even a 'cleansing' experience :).
ilinca..Im depressed.i think I dont have enogh talent to play piano.I think I will be the same as now in the future. is piano a talent or it will certainly change as i want?
There is a simple formula for success (in any field, including piano playing): 1% talent + 99% serious, consistent, patient work (combined with lifelong learning). So piano playing is NOT just about talent. This is a silly myth perpetuated by people who don't like to practice, who are looking for 'magical shortcuts' - and who think that their 'lack of talent' is the cause of their poor progress. The real cause is lack of knowledge and incorrect practice! There are no 'magical shortcuts' in piano playing. If you want to become good at it, you need to make a commitment, and invest time, effort, focus and perseverance in reaching your goals. So please cheer up - everything is in your hands! ;) You can learn more by watching my two free tutorials about commitment and perseverance: ua-cam.com/video/KOECeq6L1c8/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/fUN8Wixcb9o/v-deo.html
my english is not good and i cant understand really what you say...but I really really thank you from asia and a far country.....I love you so much.....love...love....from Iran....
I can sing, play a bit of piano, some drums and a little bass. It's best if you start in early childhood, but it's NOT a lost cause if you didn't. I started as a teen on 6 string guitar. I know a woman whose father taught me drums. Shes one of those who toured with her band as a keyboard player, the drummer quit, so she takes over in the middle of a tour! I never heard of her putting in insane hours of practice, but I know I have to do more than some people. Right now, I'm very comfy singing. At 25+ years, I don't HAVE TO kill myself warming up all the time. I DO have to be stone sober, don't smoke or anything else. I'm like a young adult. Drum-wise, and piano-wise, I'm in my awkward teen years! I make stupid mistakes a lot and get better at something, then get worse as I get tired. If I give up for the day, it gets better tomorrow. I'm better with a few minutes at a time, on a timer and set schedule. Voice, I can do anywhere. One thing I found that helps are goofy piano learning programs like Playground Sessions. And a teacher. In large cities, you can play with strangers every night at jam nites. There's always a short list of songs you'll always get asked for. If you play with strangers in public, you'll learn about 3 month's worth over under a month. You'll be cured of stage fright, for certain. How to go around dumb problems like weak microphone stands, not being able to hear yourself, the drummer or someone not knowing the part and such. Talent is just sitting there long enough and playing SOMETHING.
Even though I am practicing about 2-3 hours a day, watching news is definately no time waster to me as I am beside being a pianist a highly political and informed person.
It's great that you practice 2-3 hours a day! Keep the spirit! :) Regarding the news - let's kindly agree to disagree. Yes, it's indeed very important to be informed. However, in my humble opinion, the sad truth is that TV does not do that. If anything, it's a major source of disinformation. But this is something that everyone has to discover for himself/herself :).
Thank you for your constructive reply. It also depends on the country where you live. I live in Germany where we have a free press. There are various choices to inform yourself and and you can choose the sources you find most trust worthy and reliable. Concerning my practice spirit, I will definately keep on. I plan to apply for a Master studies. Until now I always failed in the entrance examination but I don't give up. Hopefully, this summer I will enter university, again.
Of course we can do gym - in fact, all musicians should train on a regular basis (as I also mention in many articles and videos). The important thing is to do it correctly, with proper form. If you're a beginner in the weightlifting department, start small, be very careful with your wrists (which are our 'Achilles heel', so to speak) - and increase the weight/intensity very gradually. I also strongly recommend doing at least several sessions with a personal trainer - and also learning as much as you can about physical training on your own. I keep studying on a regular basis - this is the only way to make progress :).
Take a look at Kimiko Douglass-Ishizaka: ua-cam.com/video/vTloPVPWGsA/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/rFR8YOEE0C8/v-deo.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimiko_Douglass-Ishizaka She is a classically trained pianist who played a very nice recording of the Goldber variations for the Open Goldberg Project. AND she is German vice champion in olympic weight lifting. I think if professional weight lifting does not ruin your piano fingers, nothing can.
And I stopped reading or seeing news in early days of my schooling.. and thats the best thing I have ever done I guess. 😀 I mean how much time u need to realise that u eating crap? 😂
Haha - yes, sadly this is true for many students (especially young ones). Still, there are lots of people out there who honestly think that they don't have time to practice (because they have demanding jobs, families etc.) - and this video is addressed to them :).
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Find a detailed video breakdown (with clickable time stamps for each main idea!) in the Description Box above! ;)
Hi Ilinca,
From your points regarding the importance of being present, it is clear that you are a meditator. If you don't mind my asking, what kind of meditation do you practice?
Hi Dominic! I mostly practice Vipassana :).
PianoCareer hi thank you so much for sharing your beautiful graceful skill of playing the piano; i have just started learning and your ways of teaching and playing has really motivated me. Thank you again.
You're very welcome! Thank you for your appreciation! :)))
Im 38 years man, supermarket worker in South Korea. I also sleep 5-6 hours a day. And I work 12 hours a day and six days a week. But im trying to practice the piano at least 30minutes a day. Its not easy for me to do this with very tired body but i feel very happy whenever i sit in front of the piano.
Wow this isn't piano advice, its life advice.
Thank you! Yes, this was the intention :))).
This wasn't just piano advice. It was a very eloquent life lesson you just delivered lol. Thank you.
My pleasure! I'm happy you enjoyed this video! ;)
PianoCareer I actually have a question. I'm a beginner and I have a digital piano at home and I've fiddled around with it for a month or so. With the touch sensitivity off, everything sounds fine, I can even play first half of fur Elise and Chopin nocturne in C sharp minor with the correct tempo. But when I turn on the touch sensitivity, I find myself struggling to make the notes sound even (I hope that makes sense). So I don't know if that's because I'm just a beginner and that's how it's supposed to be like or if I've got a problem with how I'm pressing the keys. If I turn the touch sensitivity to low, then I can manage better but if it's high, some notes I play too quietly and others too loudly lol. A little confused.
Hi! This is only normal :). It happens because you play 'only from your fingers', and you're not familiar yet with whole-arm action and weighted playing (which are ergonomic techniques that help us to play in a free, effortless manner, with a quality sound, and also with very good evenness of tone). Another reason is simply the fact that you are a beginner, and you don't have much control in your hands and fingers yet. Therefore, when touch sensitivity is on, the keyboard reacts to the REAL movements you make - which are still random and untrained. Also, Fur Elise is an intermediate piece - while Chopin's Nocturne in C# Minor is an ADVANCED piece! Of course you can't play them well - I couldn't either when I was just starting out! :) I recommend learning how to play piano in a serious progressive manner - and building your expressive/technical skills one step at a time.
You can do so by following my Video Course for Beginners (available in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com). You can learn more about this Course (and about the functionality of my Piano Coaching Program) by taking a look at our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Please pay special attention to the following answers from the FAQs:
• No. 1-3: discover what PianoCareerAcademy is, how it works, what is included (and what is not included) in the membership - and also the List of Tutorials currently available for our members.
• No. 17: a detailed description of our Video Course for Beginners.
• No. 24: learn more about digital pianos, and how weighted playing works on keyboards with touch sensitivity.
• No. 38: find out why beginners should not try to play advanced pieces.
Good luck! ;)
PianoCareer thank you for such a clear & detailed response. I've read through the FAQ section as well and it all makes sense to me now. I've been very impatient as an adult beginner suffering from "disease of the century" as you very aptly put it lol. I will stop butchering my favourite Chopin's nocturne now and get started on your beginner course on PCA soon. This is exactly what I was looking for; a clearly structured lesson plan for beginners. I own Yamaha P105 & it has weighted keys plus touch sensitivity which should be fine for the job as your FAQ section suggests. Thank you again for taking time out from your busy schedule to guide me in the right direction.
Much respect and gratitude from an ambitious student. (:
My pleasure! I'm happy that my answer was helpful! We're looking forward to welcoming you to our community! :))
Very much enjoying your online course. Thank you very much for your dedication to teaching piano in such a beautiful and enjoyable manner.
Thank you so much, Richard! :))) It's great having you as a member of PianoCareerAcademy.com! ;)
Dear Illinca, I could not AGREE WITH YOU MORE! You,re absolutely right! (I'm 13); thanks for this wonderful piece of advice, and please keep posting your fascinating videos! Warmest regards from Valencia,.Spain.
Thank you, Ferran! ;)
Madam, even if you didn't play the piano you'd still be an inspiration and guide. Like most serious pursuits, music aspires to a greater philosophical life goal. Thank you for this inspiring talk. Harry
Thank you so much, Harry! ;)
Thank you so much, Illinca!
I knew I had all this things in mind, but I needed someone to say i to me, so, thank you again!
My pleasure, Júlia! Thank you for your appreciation! :))
You should be the next president of EEUU! It's a funny thing that the best secrets of piano playing ( or any instruments , even whatever thing in life) it's practiced away from it. It's all about discipline, smart habits and motivation. (As you're saying)
I just discovered you and I'm SO impressed!
God bless you Xx.
Thank you so much, Alex! ;) Yes, piano playing (and any other art) is first of all about mind training (as all great pianists like to say). Hahaha, I don't think they would like me much as president of EU - I like to think 'outside the box' too much :))).
You need way more recognition! I learned a lot from this video and became inspired to make true changes in my life. Thank you.
Thank you so much! I'm really happy to hear that my videos are helpful! :)))
you are so amazing. If only you were my tutor!
Thank you so much! At the moment I don't offer one-on-one Skype lessons - but you can always join my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com! ;) Find out more about its functionality by taking a look at our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/)
You really open my mind although I am in the age of 60 and begin to self learning piano two years ago .Thank you for your precious information.
My pleasure! Enjoy your practice! ;)
I just wrote a long comment and it's lost😖. In short, I said that you are brilliant, thank you, and I asked if you can make a video about memorizing music quickly and efficiently. Thank you for all your teachings 🙏
thank you for all these good advices
You're very welcome, Muriel! ;)
Hi! i love you, your energy, your wisdom. Thank you for sharing! I will incorporate this lessons on my everyday practice.
You're very welcome! Thank you for your appreciation! :))
I was wondering when you'd post another video. ;-) You're as thorough as ever and thanks for the time stamps! Now I just need enough attention span to stay at a video for longer than five minutes. Just few more sessions and I'm finished. :-)
Thank you! :) Don't worry - our attention span can be trained just like any other skill. We get better at it when we realize that serious in-depth knowledge cannot be covered in short videos/seminars/courses/books. So once we decide to really become good at something, once we make a commitment to patient lifelong learning, it becomes easier to watch long videos, listen to long audiobooks, read more etc. I currently watch/listen to at least 45 minutes of instructional videos/audios/podcasts every day, and I love the results! ;)
A ton of thanks for the extremely practical & wise time management advice ma'am!
You're very welcome! Thank you for your comment! :))
This video has really opened up my mind thank you so much for such great advice!
My pleasure, May! Thank you so much for your positive feedback! ;)
U are amazing. Thank u from South america.
Thank YOU! :))
How refreshing to hear a voice from Russia and what a well-spoken, informative and charismatic one at that. Thank you for this. Bravo
Thank you so much! By the way, I'm actually not from Russia :)). You can learn more about my professional journey by reading the answers to questions No. 27 and 28 from our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/).
Your teachings absolutely makes me want to focus more
Cool! Enjoy your practice! :)
Great video. You are a very smart woman. Universal truths.
Thank you! :)
You are brilliant. I probably watched 20 of your videos already... So so helpful. Thank you. Please, can you make a video about how to memorize music efficiently? So much to learn in music, saving time is needed. Thank you so much. I don't even know you and you are teaching me so much. Thank you 🙏
Thank you, Tony! :) You can find a detailed tutorial dedicated to memorization in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com (along with many hundreds of other video and written tutorials on a wide range of piano topics). You can learn more about PCA by taking a look at our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/).
Thank you so much for posting this video. Great presentation and detail. I love your perspectives and wisdom. I wish I knew this 25 years ago! The hardest part is to follow through and live in accordance to these principles. Change takes time and effort and awareness. Change is always met with internal and external resistance.
Thank you so much! Yes, you are absolutely right - change takes time and awareness, and we do experience resistance in the process. The good news is that no amount of resistance can stand in the way of a patient and determined person who takes little actions every day to learn and grow. Also, it's never too late to make good changes, as long as you are committed to them and stay consistent! :)))
If I was your student irl it would be hard for me to practice too! Youre so pretty! I been enjoying your videos for years thank you for all the hard work you put into the channel!
You're very welcome! Thank you for your appreciation! :)
Thank you for this great vidéo, and I think you practice what you preach.
Thank you! I certainly do my best - I only share ideas that I implement myself :).
For Solution 2 there is a nice PC tool called "ManicTime" which tracks what you do on your computer. It's great for checking yourself on how much time you spend on youtube, facebook etc.
Yes, I used something similar a few years ago (a smartphone 'time tracker' app) - and I learned a lot during a couple of weeks of using it! :)
Thank you very much for sharing your cool tips and information👍
My pleasure! :))
thank you for such great advise!
You're very welcome, Consuelo! ;)
Thank you for this video, I loved it! These are very precious advices to accomplish basically everything in life. Consistency and perseverance are the most tricky ones. It’s difficult to keep a good habit when we encounter difficulties but it’s crucial to keep walking ☺️ I also liked your video on perseverance where you tackle exactly that topic :)
Thank you very much for your appreciation, Claudio! :)
Decades ago, one of my young students reported for his weekly lesson, having failed to do the simple note identifying assignment I gave him HIs reason? "I had to go to Mass"I pride myself to this day on refraining from falling the piano bench in laughter.
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, experience, wisdom, and inspirational spirit so kindly.
This is an amazing educational and motivational video; Fantastic job young lady. 👏 👏 👏
Thank you so much, John! ;)
It's always a pleasure watching you. U r sooo very beautiful. And u play awesome.....
Thank you! ;)
Really good video - well thought out and presented. This is good for all aspects of life, not just for those playing the piano. Thank you - obviously you have not wasted your life on Facebook.....
Thank you! :)
Perhaps great piano playing is a sort of display of the player's healthy mind and lifestyle. You're smart as hell. I'm so impulsive that I have issues controlling what I do with my time, so I've had to design my surroundings very intentionally to compensate for my impulsive nature and simulate more self-control. I've always written pop music nonstop, with melodies bouncing in my head constantly distracting me. But as I fell in love with classical music and the philosophies of great teachers like Bach, I began to realize that learning piano is not only truly necessary for fostering and expanding my musicality, but also my own mental well-being. I also realized that pop music was toxic and subversive propaganda that discouraged me from aspiring to be great.
Thank you, Dance God! ;) Your revelation about classical music is truly wonderful: it IS a very complex realm, and not easy to master - but its transformation powers are limitless :))). Enjoy the journey!
Thanks for the meaningful words. Do you have any advice on taking up a second or third instrument? I have been playing piano for three years and making GREAT progress. I don't want to slow down but I really want to learn other instruments too. Is it advisable to take two lessons for two instruments each week?
Hi Jack! It all depends on your available practice time. Yes, it is possible to play 2 instruments well - but, of course, this will take time and effort :). Simply ask yourself: are you willing to double the time your currently spend on the piano, and do you also have the energy for it? If yes, than you can certainly do it. There is also good news: your existing knowledge of theory, your hearing and overall musical understanding will help you a lot with the 2nd instrument - so you'll not have to form these particular skills from scratch. Good luck! ;)
Hello, I love your philosophy and the way you think about life. Is there a book that you would recommend reading? (Not necessarily related to piano)
Thank you, Roberto! There are so many books I love, it's hard to pick just one 😊. Here are the first three that come to my mind: "Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson; "Mastery" by George Leonard; and "Effortless Mastery" by Kenny Werner (the last one is music and piano related). I hope you enjoy them! 😉
@@pianocareer thank you!!
Hi my dear Professor Ilinca ! Please wear beautiful flower in your musical hair strings when you make new video. Every discourse is a beautiful journey to feel music of your cheerful and refreshing heart ! Love you always. Your student always :)
Thank you! I'm happy you enjoyed this video! ;)
Yeah I'm not practicing piano enough because I'm too busy watching your videos, pretty lady.
hahaha Well, I only publish free UA-cam videos once in a couple of months, so... this is not a good excuse! :)))) Back you go to your practice! ;)
Hello, I've seen a few of your videos and you strike me as a dedicated and accomplished player. I wanted to pose to you a question that has been haunting me lately. I've been working on Chopin's Op55 #1 (f minor nocturne) and am pleased with my playing until I listen to Arrau or Rubinstein recordings of the piece. They each bring out so much expression in every note, that it's discouraging to try and emulate. Do you think it's unrealistic to hope to play just one piece as well as them? Have you ever found yourself in such a situation, being unable to produce the sound through your fingers that you're hearing inside yourself?
Hi! Thank you for your appreciation! :) I would recommend a little change of perspective: instead of aiming to play 'just one piece' in a masterful manner - your goal should be continual growth and learning. Our art is not about learning separate pieces. It's about forming serious aural/mental/expressive/technical skills (and this journey never ends!). 'Armed' with these skills (and as a result of a lot of mindful and consistent practice) we can play anything we want. Without this foundation, we will never be able to bring ONE single piece to a true performance level. How could we, if we don't have the skills? Yes, we DO train our technical & expressive skills in the PROCESS of working on different pieces. However, ONE piece is not enough for forming the entire skillset necessary for mastering this Nocturne. Having good pre-hearing abilities (and a clear vision of how the pieces should sound) is obviously a wonderful start. However, if you don't know HOW to bring this vision to life - you will encounter many difficulties along the way (just like you mentioned). By the way, you can find a detailed video tutorial dedicated to Chopin's Nocturne op. 55 No. 1 in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com :).
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. There're are a couple of nuggets of wisdom in it that I will try and absorb. :)
Hi, why do you disable subtitles from any of your videos like this? It was quite useful for me that don't understand english very well....
Hi! This is actually something I am planning to sort out in the near future :). I'm always so busy with my students at PianoCareerAcademy.com - and only very recently I noticed that all my videos had automatic subtitled enabled. When I checked those subtitles (that are generated by UA-cam's voice recognition software) - they were absolutely awful, and incorrect 50% of the time! So I disabled them for some videos: since they were mostly incorrect, there was no value in them, as you surely understand. Now my plan is to create correct subtitles for most of my UA-cam videos. This is already done for this tutorial: ua-cam.com/video/zs6sWdF2uak/v-deo.html. This task it quite time-consuming, however - so it will take a while until all the videos are done. Also, because this requires my professional knowledge of musical terms - I cannot assign it to someone else. Thank you for your patience! ;)
Thank you
You're very welcome! ;)
hi, do you think spiting two hours daily practice into two separate hours during the day is reasonable rather than two hours straight? Say for example, one hour early in the morning and the second hour in the evening. The reason to ask is because each hour requires the same warm up time, therefore duplicating warm up time..
Hi Luis! This depends on several factors - such as your level (and current 'piano endurance'), your available time, your practice goals, the quality of your practice etc. For example, if you can ONLY practice one hour in the evening and one our in the morning (because of your work/school schedule) - then, of course, you have to do that. It is much better than not practicing at all (or only practicing for one hour per day)! :) If you're a relative beginner (and you haven't built a good 'piano endurance' yet) - then again, this is a good idea. Or, you can simply take a short break every 45 minutes (to avoid mental/aural/physical fatigue). If you know how to play in a healthy, tension-free manner - your practice sessions can be longer. If you're self-taught and you're still not familiar with the main principles of a relaxed, ergonomic technique - then, of course, longer sessions can be detrimental (in this case, the obvious solution is to learn how to play correctly). If you're an intermediate/advanced player - then 2 hours of practice in a row can indeed be more productive than two separate hours. It's not just about the physical warm-up (and the time it takes) - it's about the concept that we teachers call 'bringing a kettle to the boil': if you remove the kettle from the stove every 5 minutes, it will be very difficult to make it boil. If you leave it there for a longer period of time, it will reach the needed temperature faster. The same happens in piano practice: sometimes, in order to bring our mind, our hearing and our arms/fingers to the needed 'temperature', we need to practice for a longer period of time. However, this ONLY works if you do it in a safe manner, if you listen to your sensations (and never work in a state of tension or fatigue), and if your practice is mindful, focused and NOT mechanical. I hope this helps! ;)
Could you activate the subtitles in this video please?
Hi Cesar! Sorry for the delayed reply :). For some reason, automatic captions are not available for this video. I just went through all the settings, made sure the language is selected correctly, and refreshed everything. I quickly Googled this issue, and I found out that automatic captions are not available for all videos (until today I thought that every single video in English gets automatic speech-recognition captions). I'll keep checking, maybe the fact that I messed with it today will make the speech recognition software try again. Of course, ideally I would type the correct captions myself (since the software is often inaccurate, especially when it comes to professional musical terms) - but this process is extremely time-consuming, and my work schedule is already 500% overloaded. But I do promise to activate the automatic captions as soon as they become available :).
Fantastic
Thank you! ;)
i am in a boarding school，which doesnt have a piano practising room, and the only time i am available is from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon,can i make any progress like this?
Hi Kristina! Yes, you can certainly make some progress by practicing 3 days a week... it's not optimal - but it's better than nothing :). However, please be aware that the QUALITY of your practice is always more important than its QUANTITY (as I explain in this free tutorial: ua-cam.com/video/__SiXXnaYOY/v-deo.html). Other things to consider are: the length of your practice sessions (2 hours per day, 3 days a week will be more efficient than 30 minutes per day, 3 days a week); their intensity; how many pieces you want to learn (and whether they are appropriate for your level or not) - and so on! :)
Yes!! I love music soooo much, but I always thought that music playing is only for special someone. It was a myth!!!
I can do it. And I will study it in the best Academy!!!🌈🌈🌈
Of course you can do it! See you on PCA! 😎😉
Can you give me a link to join as member . Thank you
Hi Linda! Simply click on the first link in the Description box above - and then choose a membership option below the video (monthly or yearly). We are looking forward to welcoming you to our community! ;)
I feel I am at the same place with piano,,,what should I do???and if I wanna by which course I must buy first??
Hello! You probably feel stuck because you are self-taught, and you don't know what to do next because you lack professional guidance. Good piano skills can only be build in a progressive manner, by following a well-structured method. You have two good options to choose from: you can either take lessons with an experienced real-life teacher - or you can join my online Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com. As a member of our program, you will never have to buy any additional courses - the membership will give you unlimited access to ALL our courses and tutorials (including our step-by-step Video Course for Beginners). This Course will help you to develop ALL your piano skills (technique, expression, hearing, reading, theory & analysis, pedaling etc.) in a harmonious manner, according to the professional system used in the Russian piano school. Find out more about this Course (and about the functionality of my Piano Coaching Program) by taking a look at our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Please pay special attention to questions No. 17 (dedicated to the Beginner Course), No. 19 (dedicated to the Scale Course), No. 40 (dedicated to our Sight-Reading Course) and 1-6 (you will learn how PCA works, what is included in the membership etc.). Good luck! ;)
Thank you❤️
Iilnka, you are a really a most beautifull authentic lady, inside and out. Glad to have met youonline. Hope to meet you in person one day.
Thank you for your appreciation!
Hi Llinca. don't take up surfing you'll never practice again lol
hahaha i love you ❤
You make some very well thought out points, but I feel I disagree on watching news. People should be aware of what goes on in the world and in their country. If no one is paying attention eventually things could degrade so much that society is too unstable for fine arts to flourish.
Also people should watch some news to help think for themselves. You don't want political leaders who tell the population the news is fake, which is not sincere and is actually a cover for them to be corrupt. People should try to have a balance between society-related things like news and deeper things like literature and music. I think maybe 10 minutes a day would be good to spend on news.
If news would be objective and impartial (and actually help people think for themselves) - then sure, of course. Unfortunately, most of the time it's not :(. If we want to pursue true open-mindedness and independent thinking, we should stay really far from mass-media. However, each one of us has to discover this for himself/herself - that's why we're all allowed to have our opinion :).
Thanks for the response. And for your helpful videos!
My pleasure! Thank you for your comment! :)
FEB 15TH, BeLATED ANNIVERSARY WISHES! Harry
Thank you so much, Harry! :)))
i dont have time to watch almost 30 minutos of video, hahah,
Yes you do - you just don't know it yet :))). Plus, what can be more important in this life than acquiring knowledge that will make everything you do more productive, efficient and enjoyable?
I look at piano playing and practice as a relaxation time. If piano practice is looked at as a job, or some difficult task, then it will not give much of positive results.
That's is a good mindset - even though in-depth focused practice can get quite intense and not feel 'relaxing'. However, if we do it with the right attitude, it can be very fulfilling and enjoyable, and feel like a good workout, or even a 'cleansing' experience :).
Where are you from? Your accent sounds like russian)
Please read answers No. 27 and 28 from our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/).
Оу, румынский и русский. Приятно знать, спасибо)
I've already heard her accent once) sounds great haha))
ilinca..Im depressed.i think I dont have enogh talent to play piano.I think I will be the same as now in the future.
is piano a talent or it will certainly change as i want?
There is a simple formula for success (in any field, including piano playing): 1% talent + 99% serious, consistent, patient work (combined with lifelong learning). So piano playing is NOT just about talent. This is a silly myth perpetuated by people who don't like to practice, who are looking for 'magical shortcuts' - and who think that their 'lack of talent' is the cause of their poor progress. The real cause is lack of knowledge and incorrect practice! There are no 'magical shortcuts' in piano playing. If you want to become good at it, you need to make a commitment, and invest time, effort, focus and perseverance in reaching your goals. So please cheer up - everything is in your hands! ;) You can learn more by watching my two free tutorials about commitment and perseverance:
ua-cam.com/video/KOECeq6L1c8/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/fUN8Wixcb9o/v-deo.html
my english is not good and i cant understand really what you say...but I really really thank you from asia and a far country.....I love you so much.....love...love....from Iran....
thank you dear ilinca.
I can sing, play a bit of piano, some drums and a little bass.
It's best if you start in early childhood, but it's NOT a lost cause if you didn't. I started as a teen on 6 string guitar.
I know a woman whose father taught me drums. Shes one of those who toured with her band as a keyboard player, the drummer quit, so she takes over in the middle of a tour! I never heard of her putting in insane hours of practice, but I know I have to do more than some people.
Right now, I'm very comfy singing. At 25+ years, I don't HAVE TO kill myself warming up all the time. I DO have to be stone sober, don't smoke or anything else. I'm like a young adult.
Drum-wise, and piano-wise, I'm in my awkward teen years! I make stupid mistakes a lot and get better at something, then get worse as I get tired. If I give up for the day, it gets better tomorrow.
I'm better with a few minutes at a time, on a timer and set schedule. Voice, I can do anywhere.
One thing I found that helps are goofy piano learning programs like Playground Sessions. And a teacher.
In large cities, you can play with strangers every night at jam nites. There's always a short list of songs you'll always get asked for. If you play with strangers in public, you'll learn about 3 month's worth over under a month. You'll be cured of stage fright, for certain. How to go around dumb problems like weak microphone stands, not being able to hear yourself, the drummer or someone not knowing the part and such.
Talent is just sitting there long enough and playing SOMETHING.
Even though I am practicing about 2-3 hours a day, watching news is definately no time waster to me as I am beside being a pianist a highly political and informed person.
It's great that you practice 2-3 hours a day! Keep the spirit! :) Regarding the news - let's kindly agree to disagree. Yes, it's indeed very important to be informed. However, in my humble opinion, the sad truth is that TV does not do that. If anything, it's a major source of disinformation. But this is something that everyone has to discover for himself/herself :).
Thank you for your constructive reply. It also depends on the country where you live. I live in Germany where we have a free press. There are various choices to inform yourself and and you can choose the sources you find most trust worthy and reliable. Concerning my practice spirit, I will definately keep on. I plan to apply for a Master studies. Until now I always failed in the entrance examination but I don't give up. Hopefully, this summer I will enter university, again.
No worries! :) Wishing you lots of good luck with your Master studies!!! :))
Thank you! I will keep on watching your videos from time to time and take inspiration from them.
can we do gym it cannot affect
my piano practise..?
Of course we can do gym - in fact, all musicians should train on a regular basis (as I also mention in many articles and videos). The important thing is to do it correctly, with proper form. If you're a beginner in the weightlifting department, start small, be very careful with your wrists (which are our 'Achilles heel', so to speak) - and increase the weight/intensity very gradually. I also strongly recommend doing at least several sessions with a personal trainer - and also learning as much as you can about physical training on your own. I keep studying on a regular basis - this is the only way to make progress :).
Take a look at Kimiko Douglass-Ishizaka:
ua-cam.com/video/vTloPVPWGsA/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/rFR8YOEE0C8/v-deo.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimiko_Douglass-Ishizaka
She is a classically trained pianist who played a very nice recording of the Goldber variations for the Open Goldberg Project. AND she is German vice champion in olympic weight lifting.
I think if professional weight lifting does not ruin your piano fingers, nothing can.
And I stopped reading or seeing news in early days of my schooling.. and thats the best thing I have ever done I guess. 😀 I mean how much time u need to realise that u eating crap? 😂
Capitol advice for every person and for every issue. Perhaps this is partly why you talk of holistic training.
Thank you, Rand! Yes, partly :).
just a lie to tell your teacher.
Haha - yes, sadly this is true for many students (especially young ones). Still, there are lots of people out there who honestly think that they don't have time to practice (because they have demanding jobs, families etc.) - and this video is addressed to them :).