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Dear Greg,
In a few months, I will be performing for at a very large event. I would like my fun piece to not only sound great, but be entertaining to watch as well. Do you have any advice on how to work with the audience when performing (regarding facial expressions, etc.)? Is there any special "choreography" that I should take note of when performing a piece (for example, lifting hands off the piano at a certain time when the piece is done)? Do you know any resources that I could use to aide me in the process? Your advice is greatly appreciated!
- Caitee
Dear Caitee,
I would never endorse facial expressions or choreography unless the music demands it. There's nothing worse than watching a pianist artificially throw their limbs into the air because they think it may entertain the audience.
I suggest you start at the root of the issue versus its surface. Instead of asking what sorts of gimmicks and tricks you can utilize to "entertain" the audience, ask yourself how you can heighten the impact of the music. Most of your energy should go straight back into the music itself; you should be performing every piece as if it's the last time anyone in the world will ever listen to it.
Only after you've uncovered exactly what makes the music tick will other facets of the performance become clear. If for some wild reason, you end up tossing a sexy glance to the audience, it will be because you had no choice but to toss a sexy glance to the audience. It will be something the music demands of you; not something you decided to do because you thought it would be cute. Likewise, your outfits should be dictated by your interpretation of the music and not by whichever outfit may generate the biggest gasp from your audience.
Sabre Danse or A New Account of the Blue Danube Fantasy are unusual because they demand some visual performance as well as musical, but in most pieces you'll find that contorting your face and flailing your limbs are unnecessary and artificial. In the end, if you do your job, if you do what the music demands of you, you will entertain your audience.
- Greg
Dear Greg,
When you sight read a piece or look at a piece, do you first break it down as to which key it is in and which modulation etc. etc...? How do you learn to do that fast? Do you know of any simple not-too-hard tango duo pieces? I would love to obtain a copy of your take on Piazzolla, but currently, it is not available, right?
- Olga
Dear Olga,
The more you sight read, the easier it will be. As a child, I would loan piles of music from the library - whatever interested me really - and play through it all at home. At Juilliard, I often checked out the maximum number of items from the library (45 items) because I was curious to read through music unfamiliar to me. The piano repertoire is like a giant treasure trove - there is so much good stuff out there, and the only way to become familiar with it is by listening or sight reading.
I'd recommend you start with what feels comfortable and go from there! Buy an "easy" classics book, or read through the Mozart sonatas, move on to the Chopin waltzes, etc. Gradually the process will become easier. For me, it is not a matter of analysis (keys, modulation, etc.) but recognizing visual patterns in the music (arpeggio figurations, chords, stylistic tendencies, etc.).
As for your other questions: I'm not familiar with any tango pieces for piano/four-hands, although I'm sure there must be something out there. Keep searching! And yes, my arrangement of Piazzolla's is not available yet.
- Greg
Dear Greg,
What's the name of the piece that used to play on your homepage? The piece that plays now?
- Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
The excerpt that used to play on my homepage was from Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto, specifically from the cadenza of the first movement. The piece that currently plays on the homepage is the opening to Saint-Saëns' Second Piano Concerto. Naturally, I'm the pianist in both instances. :)
- Greg
Dear Greg,
This is a really random question, but how many browns are there? I believe melody just got married. But surely, there are more to the fam than just Desirae, Deondra, Melody, Greg and Ryan right? i was looking through your photos and just thought that picture had a lot of browns!
- Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
This would be a good questions for www.the5browns.com!
Keith and Lisa Brown (the parents of The 5 Browns) only produced five offspring. There's no additional children hiding in the attic! In some of the pictures with the Browns featured in my photo galleries, you can see Bryan (Desi's husband), Kevin (Deondra's husband), Casey (Melody's husband), Tara (Ryan's fiancee), Keith (the dad), Lisa (the mom), and Liz (my piano duo partner). They are all awesome, wonderful, and kind people whom I am proud to call my friends.
- Greg
Dear Greg,
Hi Greg, Noticing that you play the Saint-Saens Ctos. 2 & 4, I 'll ask you something I've wondered over as a listener for years. The Ctos. 2 & 4 consistently get all the attention while the 3 & 5 get relatively ignored. Why I wonder this is, taking the Cto 5 with those exotic sounds in the middle movement (harmonics?) are so unique in the repertoire that they still sound somewhat revolutionary to me against other Romantic Ctos. All the best.
- Bill Shurtleff
Dear Bill,
I love your question! Those who know me well know of my passionate advocacy for Saint-Saëns' fifth and third piano concertos. They're wonderful pieces, but they do have their share of weaknesses. Most people consider the second and fourth concertos to be more consistent from begining to end. Nevertheless, the fifth and third concertos have some unimaginably beautiful and inspired moments. I particularly love the entire second movement of the third concerto and the ending of the fifth concerto's first movement. The second movement of the latter concerto does, indeed, feature some exotic and awesome sounds, but Saint-Saëns wrote the work very late in life and it shouldn't necessarily be compared to other Romantic concertos. Believe it or not, the work was composed after Prokofiev's first piano concerto, after the first version of Prokofiev's second piano concerto, after Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, after Debussy's Preludes, Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit, and many other revolutionary works of the early twentieth century!
Pieces enter my repertoire for a variety of reasons - some complex reasons and some simple. The pieces listed on my repertoire page are, by no means, a complete listing of the pieces I love. There are countless works on my "repertoire wish list" that I have yet to learn, and with some luck, I will have many years ahead of me to make my wishes a reality. Learning repertoire is a time consuming process; the notes can be learned in a matter of weeks, but it usually takes years of "living with a piece" before it becomes something I'm proud to share with the public. Incidentally, my "wish list" is still growing, and I seriously consider all of the suggested offered by visitors of this website. Recommend music here!
- Greg
hi Greg,
Do you have absolute pitch? What is your hand span?
- Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
Do I have absolute pitch? No. There are many times I wish I had perfect pitch; it would certainly make the process of composing much easier. Instead I have the much more common form of relative pitch.
What is my hand span? I can comfortably reach a tenth. If I approach the keys really slowly (stress: really slowly), I can reach an eleventh. Sometimes I wish my hands were smaller; it would make it easier to perform Mozart's music, but the large reach is useful for late-Romantic music and contemporary music.
Cheers!
- Greg
Dear Greg,
I have been playing for a few years, and it seems that my sight reading is considerably slow. What sorts of practice did you do in order to speed up the process of sight reading?
- Na Lee
Dear Na,
It was never a matter of "practice" for me, but it certainly is something I have developed over the years. As a child, I would check out piles of music from the library - whatever interested me really - and work through it all. At Juilliard, I often had the maximum number of items checked out of the library (45 items), because I was curious about the repertoire. The piano repertoire is like a giant treasure trove - there is so much good stuff out there, and the only way to become familiar with it is by listening or sight reading.
I'd recommend you start with what feels comfortable and go from there! Buy an "easy" classics book, or read through the Mozart sonatas, move on to the Chopin waltzes, etc. Whatever you do, have fun!
- Greg
Dear Greg,
Question now. Suggestion for how to play the devil's staircase? thank you
ariel yang
Dear ariel,
How to play Ligeti's Etude No. 13, "The Devil's Staircase" in three words:
Practice, practice, practice.
Then, practice some more. Then some more. And then: ....practice some more.
The piece tests a performers determination and ability to focus. There are other pieces that are technically harder to play, but I've encountered nothing as mentally demanding as this ... except other Ligeti etudes.
A quick tip: I originally learned the piece by counting 8th notes. Later, I began listening to the various groupings of 8th notes (5, 6, 7, 9, etc.), and now I listen for the bigger picture.
Good luck!
- Greg
Dear Greg,
What computer programs did you use to make your super-fabulous recital flyers? I have big ambitions for mine, but nothing ever turns out quite right.
Deficient in Design
Dear Deficient,
Glad to hear you liked the flyers! I always figure a concert flyer should reflect the concert. If I see a boring, un-invested concert flyer, I assume the concert is going to be the same! I try to avoid creating such an impression with my own.
My older brother designed the first and last "super-fabulous" flyers; I'm not sure how he made them, but I think he did a terrific job. I made the rest with a combination of Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, a scanner, markers and pens, and a photocopier. I start with a very specific image in mind and do whatever it takes to get it on paper. ...usually I have to make compromises along the way. If you have trouble, remember that it's always possible find effective ways to transform "messy" into "artsy!"
If you like the flyers on andersonpiano.com, be sure to check out the other batch of them on andersonroe.net!
- Greg
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
Dear Greg,
Our four hands of fingers get tangled when playing the "Waltz of the Flowers" from the Nutcracker. Any suggestions??
Muddled in Mahtomedi :)
Dear Muddled,
That's the fun of four-hand playing - tangled fingers, limbs, feet, etc.! Liz and I routinely become weak from laughter during our rehearsals!
The element of physical navigation is unique to four hands at one piano, and it is helpful to isolate the issue and practice it separately. When you practice your parts individually, make sure you practice as if the other pianist is there. Drill things like "going over" or "under," "around" or "elbow in," so that you remember everything when you and your partner practice together.
That said, there are a couple tricks you may want to consider:
Four-hand playing it very similar to dancing - the hands and fingers are like a pair of dancers' feet - it can be just as beautiful to watch as it is to listen!
-Greg
Dear Greg,
My love life sucks. I haven't been on a date in over a year. I find the piano more interesting than any of the guys I've met lately. What should I do?
Desolate in Deutschland
Dear Desolate,
Good grief! I'm not a psychologist, nor do I pretend to be!
Regardless, I can offer you two bits of common sense. 1) Be authentic. If you'd rather interest yourself with the piano, no one's stopping you. If you'd rather be out on dates, get yourself out there. 2) The piano is there to enhance real life, not supplant it.
Now, if your some reason, you are intimating that pianists (myself included) are stuck in the practice room and have no love lives, I suggest you reconsider! "Us Weekly" could easily devote an entire issue to the torrid romantic records of the great pianists.
-Greg
Dear Mr. Anderson,
Sometimes it's hard for me to memorize pieces. Am I just stupid or is it hard for everyone? I feel like killing myself when I have a memory slip. Please help me soon.
Sincerely,
Desperate in Denver
Dear Desperate,
Memory is something I've struggled with for as long as I can.....remember. Desperation and threats are certainly no way to solve the problem - in fact, the more you think about memory while you perform, the more slips are likely to happen. There are a couple tips I can offer:
Good luck!
- Greg
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
What was it like meeting Daniel Radcliffe? What was he like? What was Emma like? How long were you an intern for Goblet of Fire?
Harry Potter Fan
Dear Harry Potter Fan,
Are you really a piano student?? I've received many questions of this nature, and I'll remind you - I'd love to post the journals from my experience, but I'm under heavy confidentiality restrictions! Everyone was so nice to me during my stay at the Leavesden Studios - I'd rather not break their trust. Perhaps sometime soon I'll receive permission to post some of my journals from the experience. For now, I'll touch on these, but then I need to get back to practicing the piano!
- It was a surreal experience meeting Daniel Radcliffe - After seeing actors on huge, gigantic screens, it sometimes slips the mind that they are real people. Dan was so down-to-earth and friendly that it was hard for me to connect this person to the cinema. He seemed like he could have been my next-door neighbor! Actually, I think he's got to be one of the most intelligent, friendly, sincere, and unassuming 15-year-olds I will ever meet. Every time he saw me, on or off the sets, he'd make a point to say hello and give me a huge smile. On several occasions, he'd make his way over and we'd chat as if we'd known each other for years - I was completely amazed. Emma was exactly the same. They both were genuinely interested in everything BUT themselves - something pretty impressive, considering their position. While I'd be trying to talk with them about the movie, they'd be asking if I was having a good time, what I was up to, or how my flights went.
- I was in England for 10 days and I spent 5 days interning on the sets. I also saw Dan and Emma during the two MTV shows I did in New York and London.
-Greg
