Post piano lesson video tutorials of Chopin Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72, No.1

I frequently send my students video reviews of main ideas that have been explored during their lessons. These recaps imbue stepwise learning strategies while promoting thoughtful practicing sessions between meetings. Over time, they grow a consciousness of melodic contouring, harmonic rhythm, choreographies, and fingering choices, imparting a solid foundation from which to grow independent wells of creativity.

Though I’ve amassed a stash of publicly posted you tube “tutorials” related to Chopin’s E minor Nocturne, Op. 72, No. 1, I often find myself in the present, tailoring individual videos to the particular needs of each pupil. (That’s why they’re often UNLISTED)

These past weeks I found myself revisiting the Chopin E minor Nocturne with a deeper understanding of the layers required to grow it, so I decided to release publicly what had been initially created for a student. Since the pupil was not being filmed, it was in no way an infringement of privacy.

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Sometimes teachers have illuminating moments during lessons, where a side-by-side mentoring opportunity presents in a way that feeds directly into the learning of a particular composition. Such happened when “legato pedaling” surfaced as intrinsic to the relentless broken chord bass line in triplet figures.

It suggested a modality of playing a set of chords through a simple scale, learning to pedal cleanly and smoothly through each sonority. The excursion provided a basic springboard for attentive listening, natural breathing, supple wrist, relaxed arm flow into each chord, and smooth ball of right foot coordination.

When pulling an earlier post-lesson video for the same student, I observed where I had begun in this pupil’s journey, and what incremental steps needed to be taken toward advancement.

Videos, like these become part of a teaching and learning journal for a student and teacher, allowing new, creative ideas to emerge as each lesson unfolds.

As illustration, these two Chopin E minor Nocturne post-session video samples reveal what directions learning might take over weeks and months and how the initial seeds of instruction were planted from the start. (in the earlier footage)

Recent:

An earlier Recap: (with portable heater running)

from Arioso7's Blog (Shirley Kirsten)
https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2021/02/19/post-piano-lesson-video-tutorials-of-chopin-nocturne-in-e-minor-op-72-no-1/