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Dear Friends,
Greetings from hot, humid Indianapolis! I am taking a quick break from practicing to write this note, so I'll keep it short.
Earlier this afternoon I was practicing February from Fanny Mendelssohn's Das Jahr. This piece is fast and light, and written like a Mendelssohnian scherzo, requiring a lot of dexterity and rapid staccato playing. As I was practicing it, I was growing a bit frustrated that I wasn't able to increase the tempo more.
Then, on Instagram, I saw a video of a friend playing a double-thirds etude by Agnes Tyrrell, and I noticed how smoothly her fingers were moving from note to note. It reminded me of a very effective practice strategy: practicing in slow motion to find the most efficient path from one note to the next for each finger in every layer of the texture.
I got my phone out and recorded myself from the side playing it, and noticed that indeed there were many inefficiencies in my finger movements. I took the passage apart voice by voice and practiced moving smoothly and fluidly from one finger to the next, also making sure that my fingering was solid and consistent.
That practice helped so much more than if I had just worked it up with the metronome or practiced it in rhythms. It was a great reminder that when you want to play fast, the real key is slow, mindful work.
I hope this gives you something new to try in your own practice this week!
Happy practicing! 👋
-Kate
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Practice TIP of the week:
Here are the most recent practice tips I have covered:
🎵 June 8: Breathing to Alleviate Performance Anxiety
🎵 June 16: 3 Performance Mindset Tools
🎵 June 22: Create Your Pre-Performance Ritual
🎵 June 29: Practice Performing for an Imaginary Audience
Each month, I focus on a specific theme for practice tips. This month’s theme is Confident Sight Reading.
Today's Practice Tip: Keep Your Eyes Moving Forward
One of the biggest traps in sight reading is letting your eyes drift backward. Effective sight reading depends on keeping your eyes ahead of where you’re currently playing—but it’s so easy to miss a note and glance back to figure out what went wrong.
Before you know it, you’re stuck scanning what already happened instead of preparing for what’s next. It’s understandable, but counterproductive.
Good sight reading is all about forward motion. This means tracking with your eyes ahead of where you are currently playing. The tricky part, the part that requires practice, is training your eyes to always be looking slightly ahead of where you're playing.
Here’s one way to build that skill: choose a short, unfamiliar passage and read through it silently first. Use your finger to guide your eyes steadily forward, resisting the urge to glance back. Another helpful exercise is to follow along with a score recording (there are a lot of these on YouTube) and consciously keep your eyes ahead of where the pianist is playing. You can even use your finger to track ahead on the video.
In your own sight-reading practice, consciously practice keeping your eyes ahead of where you're playing. Choose a slow enough tempo that you don’t feel tempted to stop and fix mistakes. Make it a rule: no looking back.
Over time, this trains your brain to prioritize what’s coming next instead of lingering on what already went wrong. That mental shift is what turns hesitant readers into confident ones!
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Quote of the Week
"Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."
- Maya Angelou
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🎥 YouTube Update
My most recent video – 10 Piano Practice Secrets That Actually WORK, is about 10 strategies you can use to improve your practice. I included things that I often encounter when working with my students at all levels.
You can watch it here!
My next video will be published on Tuesday, July 8. It's a tutorial about the three types of staccato touch.
Want to be notified when a new video comes out? Click here and I will send you a quick email the day I publish a new video.
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💜 Some of My Favorite Things
- 🎹 Performance: Mahler – Piano Quartet in A minor. This week (July 7) marks Gustav Mahler’s birthday. Even though he is primarily known for his large-scale symphonic works, you can catch a glimpse of a different side of Mahler in his Piano Quartet in A minor. Written when he was just 16, this single-movement work is his only surviving piece of chamber music. It’s lyrical, moody, and brimming with youthful intensity—a fascinating look at Mahler’s early voice. If you’re curious about Mahler beyond his symphonies, this is a perfect place to start. Here’s a beautiful performance from the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht.
- 🎧 Podcast: “Embrace Everything – The World of Gustav Mahler.” This is my new favorite podcast. Hosted and produced by Aaron Cohen, each season explores one of his symphonies, and each episode in the season is a deep dive into one of the movements from that season's symphony. The fourth season (covering his fourth symphony) will drop on his birthday: July 7, 2025. Find it on your podcast platform of choice, or visit the website.
- 📚Book: Aiko Onishi – Pianism. Pianism by Aiko Onishi is a treasure trove for pianists and teachers at any level. Onishi draws on her deep experience as a performer and teacher to illuminate not just the mechanics of piano playing, but the art of musical expression itself. She offers clear, practical guidance on everything from producing a variety of tones to mastering pedaling, memorizing, and preparing for performance. If you’re looking for fresh insights into expressive playing and thoughtful practice, this is an invaluable resource. Buy it here.
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🎹 Stay Connected:
- 📆 Book a lesson or a coaching session with me. I have updated my available dates through July 22nd. Please note: I am not available for lessons in August, so if you're considering signing up for a time, now's your chance! 🎹
- 🎓 Reply to this email to learn about applying to study with me at Butler University at the undergraduate or master's level. Go Dawgs! 🐾
- 📚 Check out my Amazon page, where I share my recommended books, technical exercises, gear and more!
- 🎥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel!
- 📱Follow me on Instagram!
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🎹 Pianist | Educator | Creator
Dr. Kate Boyd
Professor of Piano, Butler University
YouTube • Instagram • Website
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