Two Things I Never Look at in a Music Score—and Why You Shouldn’t Either

SEASON 2 FINALE: From Practice Frustration to Major Progress!

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2257824/open_sms] https://LisaSpector.com/Groundhog Register for the Masterclass. Free through Feb. 7. ⬆️ Welcome to the last episode of Season 2 of the Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast! 🎧✨ In this special episode, I’m taking you inside a YouTube Live Masterclass where we tackled one of the biggest struggles pianists face—feeling stuck in slow progress. If you've ever repeated the same passages over and over with little improvement, this is for you! I’ll introduce you to Piano Ninja Tricks designed to help you:  ✅ Develop smart practice habits ✅ Gain confidence and ease at the piano ✅ Play with intention rather than mindless repetition ✅ Remember your “why”—what first inspired you to play Plus, I share a personal story about how I fell in love with the piano as a child and the powerful role warm-up pieces play in making music from the heart. 🎶💙 🌟 Watch the full masterclass recording (for a limited time!) 📺 ➡️ lisaspector.com/groundhog Feeling stuck? Frustrated that your practice isn’t paying off? Tired of guessing what to play and how to improve? Imagine sitting at the piano with total clarity—knowing exactly what to practice, how to practice and making real progress while enjoying the process. Join the Piano Ninja Tricksters Club and connect with a supportive community of pianists who “get you.” No more wasted practice—just confidence, structure and real results playing the music of your dreams. You don’t have to do it alone.  🎼 Welcoming new members to the Piano Ninja Tricksters Club through Feb. 6.  Learn more ➡️ https://LisaSpector.com/membership 🎼 Join the Piano Ninja Tricksters Club! We close Feb 6 and there will be a price increase the next time we open.  👀 Season 3 Preview: I’ll be back in about six weeks with fresh new content and exciting surprises for Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast Season 3! Stay tuned! 🎉 Music opening and closing played by Lisa Spector Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisaspectorpiano/] IG Broadcast Channel [https://ig.me/j/AbYC7e6u7ljl027G/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Focused 20-Minute Practice Checklist [https://lisaspector.com/practice] Piano Ninja Tricksters Club [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Website [https://lisaspector.com/] Podcast Art by Cindy Wyckoff at Design It Digital [https://designitdigital.com]

STOP REPEATING MISTAKES: Smarter Practice for Chopin's Revolutionary Étude

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2257824/open_sms] https://lisaspector.com/groundhog [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkluVVFlVWstMmFjNjd3S0RwY1Nzdmx5Tkwxd3xBQ3Jtc0tsZ1piMjNPWlNfdnBCYVloMFVrVzdRci1TZ2tqRnZsRTA5R21WVDNKQjUtOHByOVF1NGcwS285ZnRDeVllU2RxNVdFX3dXZ09RWFByTDJuNkRQdTVLUEtsWlQyQl8tMGlablc1SGliWjNMQzJ6cVVyZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Flisaspector.com%2Fgroundhog&v=ly9Dg95GRaU] Is your piano practice is stuck on repeat—practicing the same sections over and over with little to no progress? 🔁 You're not alone! In this episode, I bring you into my live, sold-out performance of Chopin’s Revolutionary Étude and share the smart practice tricks I used to prepare for it. 🎹 Featured in This Episode: 🎶 Live performance of Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude 🎶 How I overcame challenges post-hand injury to play this piece again 🎶 Essential Piano Ninja Tricks to avoid Groundhog Day practicing 🛑 Stop Repetitive, Ineffective Practice! Join my FREE Groundhog Day Masterclass this Sunday, February 2nd and learn how to make faster, smarter progress at the piano. 📅 Register Here → https://lisaspector.com/groundhog [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXJBMFhfU2FXekpBS3JZMUZyNUZoVVJEc2RDQXxBQ3Jtc0tuN242TTdSMG5RWFpRWm8wT1lhNXY4bjBqNWtHdFc5WnFRZlIxX28xTDZHVGhyR2NpNG9rNzFreXZOUHlVWnlva0lJOEQ3VEpFNFVXbWpaTmlnUWppZ2dMRnZiVXVlS1ZkSHBGaEJEM3R1eGxsWEQyaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Flisaspector.com%2Fgroundhog&v=ly9Dg95GRaU] 📍 When? Sunday, February 2nd @ 12 PM PT | 3 PM ET | 9 PM CET 🎟️ VIP Access ($10): Get my scores, an exclusive Q&A and a virtual green room meet-up! Music opening and closing played by Lisa Spector Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisaspectorpiano/] IG Broadcast Channel [https://ig.me/j/AbYC7e6u7ljl027G/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Focused 20-Minute Practice Checklist [https://lisaspector.com/practice] Piano Ninja Tricksters Club [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Website [https://lisaspector.com/] Podcast Art by Cindy Wyckoff at Design It Digital [https://designitdigital.com]

Practice Slow to Play Fast

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2257824/open_sms] Free Masterclass on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2nd From Practice Frustration to Major Progress Register here ⬇️ https://LisaSpector.com/groundhog Mastering the art of slow practice is the key to unlocking precision, speed and musical expression in your playing. In this episode, I discuss why slowing down is essential for learning challenging pieces, how to incorporate under tempo and under dynamics into your daily practice and ways to keep it engaging. Opening music from Coda of Chopin 3rd Scherzo Demonstrations from Chopin 3rd Scherzo Music opening and closing played by Lisa Spector Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisaspectorpiano/] IG Broadcast Channel [https://ig.me/j/AbYC7e6u7ljl027G/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Focused 20-Minute Practice Checklist [https://lisaspector.com/practice] Piano Ninja Tricksters Club [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Website [https://lisaspector.com/] Podcast Art by Cindy Wyckoff at Design It Digital [https://designitdigital.com]

Quick Piano Ninja Tricks for Instant Progress

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2257824/open_sms] Welcome to another episode of the Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast! I’m Lisa Spector, here to make your piano practice easier and more effective so you can play and feel like a true piano ninja. In this episode: * 🐾 Meet Sundance, my new 1.5-year-old yellow lab who’s bringing joy to my life and recordings! * 🔥 Learn about my initiative to support musicians affected by the Los Angeles fires through MusiCares. * 🎵 Discover two quick, actionable Piano Ninja Tricks for mastering challenging passages and voicing. 📅 Don’t miss these exciting events: * Groundhog Day Masterclass: Transform practice frustration into progress (Feb 2). * Co-Practice Sessions on YouTube Live: Stay focused and motivated with live community practice. https://www.youtube.com/@LisaSpector/streams [https://www.youtube.com/@LisaSpector/streams] 👉 https://LisaSpector.com/shop to support musicians in LA affected by the firest via https://MusiCares.org 👉 https://LisaSpector.com/fingeringchecklist for Piano Ninja Fingering  🎵 Episode closes with Godowsky’s one-handed arrangement of Chopin’s Aeolian  Étude. Subscribe and join the journey to become a Piano Ninja! Music opening and closing played by Lisa Spector Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisaspectorpiano/] IG Broadcast Channel [https://ig.me/j/AbYC7e6u7ljl027G/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Focused 20-Minute Practice Checklist [https://lisaspector.com/practice] Piano Ninja Tricksters Club [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Website [https://lisaspector.com/] Podcast Art by Cindy Wyckoff at Design It Digital [https://designitdigital.com]

Two Things I Never Look at in a Music Score—and Why You Shouldn’t Either

Send us a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2257824/open_sms] Discover why some score markings—like editor's fingering and pedal markings—are better ignored!  Join Lisa Spector, your Piano Ninja, as she shares her top tips for choosing efficient, personalized fingering and using the pedal as a "dimmer switch" rather than an on/off button.  Learn how to make piano playing easier and more natural, whether you're tackling Beethoven, Chopin, or Debussy.  Plus, grab Lisa's free Piano Ninja Fingering Checklist to master your technique! 🎹 Visit https://LisaSpector.com/fingeringchecklist Music opening and closing played by Lisa Spector Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lisaspectorpiano/] IG Broadcast Channel [https://ig.me/j/AbYC7e6u7ljl027G/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Focused 20-Minute Practice Checklist [https://lisaspector.com/practice] Piano Ninja Tricksters Club [https://www.youtube.com/lisaspector] Website [https://lisaspector.com/] Podcast Art by Cindy Wyckoff at Design It Digital [https://designitdigital.com]