David Nelson
ARCM Performer Diploma; Grade8;
David Nelson has been teaching piano for over 25 years, giving lessons to hundreds of students/pianists both in London and in West Yorkshire. A sizeable number of these have gone on to become professional performers or teachers, whilst others have become influential in jazz and popular music. Many others have continued to play long after their lessons had ceased and value the life-enhancing qualities of such activity.
His teaching, although centred on piano playing, also encompasses theory, composition, ear training and improvisation. Any of these can be taught as separate courses but very often they are found as strands or influential factors within regular piano lessons.
David teaches all styles of piano playing, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, modern, jazz, blues, boogie-woogie, pop, music for film or theatre….and more. Many students elect to study more than one style; for example learning to play classical music in order to become more familiar with music notation and interpretation, and jazz to develop ear-playing and improvisation.
David has a set of values and beliefs that are inherent in the way lessons are taught. He strongly believes for example that everyone is capable of playing a musical instrument and that everyone has musical potential. Also that it is important to encourage and develop a wide range of musical skills (such as sight reading, ear playing, rhythm sense, improvising, harmonisation and singing) because all such skills are essential in piano playing and in being a musician.
He also believes that lessons should be fun!
In classical piano lessons study pieces (except possibly the great etudes by Liszt, Chopin, Debussy etc) are generally avoided in favour of ‘real' music by great composers. Why learn a technical exercise with no intrinsic musical value when you could be exploring Mozart, Bach, Ravel…..? There are more than enough technical challenges in the piano repertoire without seeking out yet more!
When teaching non-classical piano, David will always encourage students to suggest the pieces/styles of music they would like to play. From such ideas other pieces may be suggested to increase and enhance repertoire. To learn non-notated styles of piano such as jazz or blues it is also essential for students to listen to recordings of great performers (and not only pianists) and to allow such styles and ideas to percolate through to their own playing.
Although happy to take students through the Associated Board exams to grade 8 and beyond (with a 99% pass rate since 1980), David is very keen that students do not perceive them as the only goal in learning the piano. The delight in exploration and discovery, the physical pleasure of playing, the success of performing at whatever level; to him these things are at least as important as any formal qualifications.
If his students are studying music at school or college David will always try to work alongside their curriculum.
|
|
