Play It Like You Mean It!

Supercharge Your Playing and Let Your Piano Work for You

Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
277 Pages
Reviewed on 04/22/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

Play It Like You Mean It! Supercharge Your Playing and Let Your Piano Work for You by Emile Pandolfi shows readers how to play those keys not just by ear but also by heart. If you love playing the piano, this book is for you. Regardless of your playing level, your objective is to play with meaning and passion, with finesse in translating those keys to sound. Each chapter of this book focuses on a particular ingredient of music-making designed to grab your attention until you have shifted a paradigm in your thinking. This is a lesson that requires no memorizing. Rather, it guides you to move into a new consciousness by calibrating the musical domain of your intelligence. The first part gives you a walk-through of the art and craft of piano playing while the second part deals with application and performance. As an added bonus, the author gives you ideas on what to expect should you decide to pursue a career in music.

The piano is considered to be one of the most sublime musical instruments ever invented, but playing it is no walk in the park. It is an artistic motor act, and you rarely find a book that walks you through the essentials of playing. Thank Emile Pandolfi for writing Play It Like You Mean It. His accessible writing style does not intimidate piano students as it is voiced with wit, empathy, and encouragement. Pandolfi points to the areas of concern, with a keen analysis of the physical, mental, and emotional requirements for piano performance as well as the structure and function of the piano as an extension of the pianist. Pandolfi has given a simplified explanation of the mechanisms of performance and the associated conditioned reflexes necessary to learning. Music lovers are likely to benefit from reading the invaluable lessons presented here.