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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