Dynamic Balance for the Spring Equinox
Happy Spring to those in the Northern Hemisphere! Though it feels like our cold, wet winter will never end here in California, my garden...
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Gaili Schoen
- Jul 26, 2022
How to Play in Swing Rhythm
Swing rhythm has to do with eighth notes 🎵: it is the long-short “lazy” feel you hear in jazz tunes, as well as country, rock, folk and...
Gaili Schoen
- Jul 2, 2022
July Free Sheet Music: Chopin Nocturne (intermediate arrangement)
“Chopin Concert” painting by Henryk Siemiradzki (Public Domain) Chopin was only twenty when he composed his Nocturne Opus 9, No. 2 in...
Gaili Schoen
- Mar 31, 2022
Happy Birthday Bach! (Free Sheet Music & What is Desirable Difficulty?)
Today is the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach (though there is some confusion about the date). To celebrate, I have arranged Bach’s...
Gaili Schoen
- Feb 15, 2022
Giveaway Winners! And some Practice Tips to review in ’22
I hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day spent with someone you love, or doing something you love to do! (Like eating chocolate?! Playing...
Gaili Schoen
- Jan 22, 2022
Goals, Intentions, Scheduling, Structure
We know that setting goals can be an effective way to focus our practice time. In the past I have held “Pledge to Play: 10 Minutes A Day”...
Gaili Schoen
- Jul 30, 2021
August Free Sheet Music: Moonlight Sonata pt. 2 (transposed to E minor)
As promised I have posted Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (transposed to E minor) pt. 2 on my website today. Have you been playing pt. 1...
Gaili Schoen
- Jun 17, 2020
Composing – How To Write A Song Or Piece, Part 5 expanding chords using the The Circle Of 5ths
To purchase this poster click here You may have heard of the phrase, The Circle of 5ths. It’s a useful tool for musicians to understand,...
Gaili Schoen
- Jun 14, 2020
Composing – How to Write a Song or Piece, Part 4, Lyrics and Structure
I have a piano student who had always wanted to write songs, but just couldn’t seem to get started. When I asked him what he’d like to...
Gaili Schoen
- May 31, 2020
June Free Sheet Music: Chopsticks Duet!
Although we think of Chopsticks as a quirky beginner’s tune, it is actually not that easy to play! Chopsticks is most fun when we play it...
Gaili Schoen
- Apr 24, 2020
Composing – first steps (WHO ME?)
With all of the extra time you now have, it is a great time for you to stick your toe into the pool of songwriting. Ok don’t scream,...
Gaili Schoen
- Mar 31, 2020
April Free Sheet Music: Rhapsody In Blue (complete)
Forget-me-not! Since most of us are confined to our homes with more time to play the piano, I decided to post the complete Rhapsody in...
Gaili Schoen
- Feb 1, 2020
February Free Sheet Music: Rhapsody in Blue (Pt. 1)
Piano Friends, I am so excited to offer you a medley of Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin! One of the most beloved pieces by an...
Gaili Schoen
- Jan 27, 2020
Claire de lune free sheet music reissued!
It has been awhile since I posted, as I was in France and England for 4 weeks, enjoying amazing architecture, music, art, books, and...
Gaili Schoen
- Dec 31, 2019
It Had To Be You (January Free Sheet Music)
Happy New Year! It is SO EXCITING when a new year’s worth of songs come into the public domain! As of today, all American songs and...
Gaili Schoen
- Nov 17, 2019
GIVEAWAY! 12 copies of Upper Hands Piano BOOK 1
Since this is the month for expressing gratitude, I would like to say that I am deeply grateful for the work I get to do– blogging about...
Gaili Schoen
- Jul 26, 2019
Treble Staff Ledger Lines: Free Worksheets
©Alexey Arkhipov Dreamstime.com A couple of month ago I posted worksheets for learning bass ledger lines, and this month I wanted to...
Gaili Schoen
- Jan 17, 2019
How to Play Softer With One Hand: 5 Exercises
Dynamic Independence As you progress in your piano studies an issue will eventually come up that we piano teachers call hand...
Gaili Schoen
- Jul 20, 2018
Accountability
Play music together! I recently heard author (of Eat, Pray, Love) Elizabeth Gilbert speak about creative work: Everything that is...
Gaili Schoen
- Jun 2, 2018
June Free Sheet Music: Tchaikovsky’s June
blog.upperhandspiano.com I hope you are enjoying luxuriously lengthening days as we launch into summer. My garden is crying out for me to...
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