One of the biggest obstacles to effective practice is distractions. Sometimes it seems like the minute we sit down to play, our family members suddenly need our attention, desperately. Or we realize that we forgot to send an important…

Welcome to Lesson 32! Today we are going to work on improving our note reading skills and will learn to use chord symbols in order to play from Fake Books! Let’s do it! In your Chord Calisthenics you have been seeing chord symbols above the staff…

We’re going to look at some astonishing scientific evidence showing that complex activities such as taking music lessons “resulted in a 50% reduced risk of developing dementia” and that taking piano lessons, specifically, reduces our risk…

Welcome to Lesson 30! Today we continue learning Irish Songs for St. Paddy’s Day or any time of the year. The Irish have a tradition of beautiful melodic music that speaks to both the pain and pleasures, the misery and the magic in life…

Today we turn back to p.69-70, to play Molly Malone (also known as Cockles and Mussels). We initially skipped it because it has some tricky rhythms, and I wanted you to advance a bit further before taking them on! Mid-February is a great time to start…

Johann Sebastian Bach was one of our most prolific and celebrated composers, having written over a thousand intricate and innovative pieces in his lifetime. His second wife, Anna Magdalena, was a famous, accomplished and beautiful soprano singer…

Welcome to Lesson 27! Today we will be learning some new notes and playing some new songs including Jacques Offenbach’s Can Can. Be sure to think about your posture this week, keeping your back straight, your shoulders relaxed, and your wrists horizontal…

As I started making my Lesson 26 video, I realized that it has been a year since my first Sixty and Me post on January 4, 2023! Happy Piano-versary to us! We have stuck with it, you and I, even though it has sometimes felt very difficult…

As you move beyond the “beginner” stage, one of the ways to make your piano playing more expressive and “musical” is by adding more dynamics. Dynamics have to do with how loudly or softly you play your music. If you listen to these performances…

I’m often asked for tips on how to practice most effectively. Cognitive Science has much to offer people of all ages about the best ways to practice for optimal memory retention. But where older adults differ from children is in the time of day…