Comments for Yiyi Ku Piano Studio Murrieta Temecula CA

Comment on Classics at The Merc – Yiyi Ku Solo Recital by PETER

PETER — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:43:22 +0000

The program is overwhelming!
Happy Holidays.

Comment on How to Practice by yiyiku

yiyiku — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:22:19 +0000

Wayne,
Thanks for commenting, and for sharing your thoughts. Yes, watching and listening to other performers is very beneficial. When I was a student, I took every opportunity I had to attend live concerts and recitals. Often I would only be able to afford the cheapest of tickets, but the music was always priceless! When we listen to others, we are not trying to imitate their playing, but to see the work through another artist’s mind and help form our own understanding of the composer’s intentions. You are a great student, and I have enjoyed working with you!

Comment on How to Practice by Wayne Christensen

Wayne Christensen — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:11:04 +0000

I also like to watch the piece played on You Tube before and after I practice it. Sometimes I watch a pianist play, sometimes I follow the sheet music. Sometimes what I initially practiced is nothing like how it should actually sound.
But watching it helps me progress faster than I otherwise would.

All that being said – Nothing takes the place of qualified instruction from someone as great as Yiyi Ku. Thanks for taking me on as a student.

Wayne

Comment on How to Practice by Wayne Christensen

Wayne Christensen — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:19:20 +0000

Seek understanding. Have fun.

Comment on Bach Partita No. 1 B Flat Praeludium by Naomi

Naomi — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 00:43:16 +0000

What a beautiful piece! I love it!

Comment on Recommendations by yiyiku

yiyiku — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:13:19 +0000

Naomi – Thank you for leaving such nice comments on my website! You have been a wonderful student and you have made so much progress! You are so musical, and it has been a pleasure to teach you. May music continue to enrich your life!

Comment on Recommendations by Naomi White

Naomi White — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 04:28:45 +0000

I am tremendously blessed to have Yiyi Ku as my teacher! She is caring and sensitive, and without a doubt an extremely talented musician. She is kind and patient in her approach, as well as very informative. I’ve learned more about piano in the one year I have been taking lessons with her than I have in four years with another teacher. You are the best piano teacher I’ve ever had! I look forward to even more progress with you, and I’m honored to be able to learn from your experience and talent. I can only hope that some of it will rub off on me. Thank you so, so much!

Comment on Do-Re-Mi by yiyiku

yiyiku — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 08:04:13 +0000

Tina,

Glad you found my post helpful! Your Solfege Tank Drum sounds like fun! I will have to check them out!

Comment on How to practice cross-rhythm by yiyiku

yiyiku — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:59:40 +0000

Dear Ruth,
Thanks for commenting. Please do not confuse solfege with the suzuki method. Learning in solfege does not mean mimicking patterns set up by the teacher. Learning in solfege can and should be done alongside learning basic theory such as note values, the only difference is that English letters are not used, but instead the solfege names. The advantage is that students learn to think of notes as actual pitches, rather than speech sounds such as letters C, D, E. Why do you think that students who learn in solfege can not read music? they are simply naming the notes in a different “language” – their ability to read is no less than those who learn with letters (example: people in different countries have different names for numbers, but the fundamental principle of addition and subtraction is the same; just because someone does not pronounce “1″ as”one”, does not mean they can not add or subtract!)

Teaching in solfege does not mean merely substituting letter names with solfege names. The teacher must be fluent in solfege themselves and always refer to the notes in their actual pitches, so when you say “Do-Re-Mi”, you are not saying, but you are really singing. In fact, singing is a big part in solfege training. In the first year or so, students and teachers must be singing out aloud everything they do. Eventually, the singing happens in the mind, and students automatically sing everything they play. This makes their playing more musical. In my opinion, the biggest advantage of teaching a student in solfege is that the student, if started young enough, and if the training is correct, will inevitably have perfect pitch – it is natural, and they can not help not have it. If they student is older, or if the training is not complete, they will still benefit by having a much better sense of relative pitch. I do want to stress that having perfect pitch is not necessary in order to be a good musician, but it does help a lot! Another advantage for learning in solfege is ease of memory – students memorize more easily.

Comment on How to practice cross-rhythm by ruth

ruth — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:18:04 +0000

Hi Yiyiku-
I am trying to understand this method that you are referring to, as I have a new student who’s mother desires me to teach her daughter a beginning level of piano in the solfege method. “Minor” detail: while I am familiar with solfege and the basics of it (as in, the names of do, re, mi, etc.) I simply do not understand how you, as a teacher, would transfer teaching solfege to beginners to teaching the students in reading music so that their musicality advances beyond just mimicking an order (pattern, set up by the teacher) of solfege tones and movements. Doesn’t the teacher still have to teach a student how to read music? Doesn’t a student still have to learn the basic difference between a quarter note and a half note? How does starting with solfege aid this whole process of learning music?

Comment on Do-Re-Mi by Tina Robbs

Tina Robbs — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:43:13 +0000

I came across this site because I was researching ways to explain the importance of learning solfege. My partner and I make a handcrafted melodic hand drum out of old propane tanks called Tank Drums. We initially made them in all scales. My partner is a brilliant musician and while brainstorming one day we realized we could make a C Major scale tank drum and label it with solfege and we have an ideal instrument to introduce children(and anyone wanting to learn music) to solfege – the Tank Drum requires no technique/skill to produce a perfect note, it stays in tune, A=440, and it’s portable. I am writing some marketing pieces and your wonderful explanations have helped me to understand what I am trying to convey. Thank you for this post! Let me know what you think of my Solfege Tank Drum!

Comment on Do-Re-Mi by yiyiku

yiyiku — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:19:13 +0000

Dear Jamieson,
Thank you for commenting on this post, and for your very kind compliments! I have not yet published a method book, but teaching, playing, singing and making music in solfege is what I do everyday, and I would love to share more with others. I need to really sit down and find the time to do this, especially now that I know there is support from people like yourself for such a project. Thank you for your input on the emotional qualities of vowels – so true – the vowel “om” is used in meditations to enhance focus and connection with ones inner self. Many vowel sounds also have common meanings in different languages – the primitive nature of our raw emotions are the same regardless of race. That is why I believe singing in solfege encourages more expressive playing in young children.

As to lessons, I currently live in Murrieta, CA. I notice your email address is Suffolk county New York, where I used to live two years ago! Oh well, may be when I set up lessons by Skype (another project I have been wanting to do).

Thanks again for your support!
Sincerely,
Yiyi

Comment on Do-Re-Mi by Jamieson Steele

Jamieson Steele — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:09:00 +0000

Dear lady,
I’ve always believed the “emotional makeup” of the vocal chords wwere (1) vibrato (pitch & distance) and (2) the vowels (a,e,i,o,& u). How do I know this? Your facial muscles will triple in strength. This is tremendous advantage in singing, avoiding fatigue, diction and pronounciation of words, phrases and chordal progressions. This is how to handle long pieces like mozart. This is how to pitch a song or piece. It closes a contract.
I would like to purchase your method book or any work you’ve written. You’re natural, gifted & talented but most of all sincere & ingenuous. Please reply since I’m in a certain field where I can use your great gift of communication each and every day. If possible also include your address so I may take some lessons. Thanks, Jamieson

Comment on What to do when students want to quit lessons? by Daniel Lee

Daniel Lee — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:35:07 +0000

nicely written. I’m gonna try on my students parents =)

Yiyi, joseph is very talented. No wonder you guys are siblings

Comment on What to do when students want to quit lessons? by Daniel Lee

Daniel Lee — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:32:06 +0000

nicely written. I can now talk to my students parents