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STUDY GROUP LESSONS & LECTURES FOR PURCHASE

In this bi-weekly study group, a participant prepares a piece from the repertoire to be studied - often an easier piece, one that we often give our pupils. We're ascertaining which of the Pianimals exercises would best help the pupil improve the composition in question.

In this online roundtable format, we discuss possible approaches to the piece, the participant performs it. and then after further discussion, Alan leads the group through an Awareness Through Piano Movement (ATPM) lesson growing out of issues raised - created on the spot.

If you wish to purchase recordings of past sessions, please browse the detailed lists of repertoire already covered below, then click on the appropriate link to purchase your preferred series.

PIANOTECHNIQUE.ORG: THE PIANIST'S NETFLIX


When accessing video recordings, if you are not an active member at PianoTechniqe.org, you must first subscribe to create an account. PianoTechnique.org is run more or less on the Netflix model. Your initial subscription fee gives you automatic access to our main library with 1300+ lesson videos, over 85 tutorial series curated especially for pianotechnique.org, and your own personal library where all your lesson videos can be gathered in one place - making the study process even more convenient and rewarding. Access to all this is included in the initial pt.org subscription fee, but access to certain specific workshops does require a small surcharge.

If you would like to join the current Study Group, you are more than welcome! Simply return to the Current Study Group page to register.

STUDY GROUP I SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP I: MAY 1 - SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 - Sessions 1-8


The first Pianimals Online Study Group had a fairly large group of participants :

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
MAY 1 Mozart: D minor Fantasy The Cardinal Directions of the Hand
MAY 15 Chopin: Waltz in C# minor
 Sensitizing the "Hand Hip Joint" in Standing
MAY 29 Bach: Little C Minor Prelude Linking the Collarbone to Finger & Hand Action
JUNE 12 Prokofiev Visions Fugitive #10 Link Fingertip to Whole Body
JUNE 26 Chopin Waltz in E minor "The 4 Sitz Bones:" Link Fingertip to
Piano Bench with Whole Body Movement
JULY 10 Chopin: Nocturne in Eb Major Op. 9, #2 Differentiating the Hands
JULY 24 Mozart: Sonata K570, 1st mvt. Differentiate Standing Thumb & Swiping Finger
SEPT 18 Mendelssohn: Venetian Boat Song in F# minor Stand on Thumb, Move Arm

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP I SESSIONS.


STUDY GROUP II SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP II: NOVEMBER 13, 2021 - MARCH 5, 2022 - Sessions 9-16


The second Pianimals Online Study Group had a fairly large group of participants :

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Nov 13 Mussorgsky - The Tear Side Bending and Arm Shift
Nov 27 Beethoven Moonlight Sonata, 1st mvt Amorphous Amoeba for Magical Moonlight Sound
Dec 11 Bach: Ab+ Prelude and Fugue, WTC I Connect Sitz Bones to Fingertips to Transform a Bach Theme
Jan 8 Mendelssohn: Spring Song Choreograph the Opening of Mendelssohn Spring Song
Jan 22 Nyman: The Heart Asks Pleasure First The 3 Cardinal Directions Linking Sitting & the Hand
Feb 5
Feb 19 Bach: D+ Prelude & Fugue, WTC I Teetering Toucan for the Bach Prelude in D major
March 5 Brahms: Ballade, Op. 10, No. 1, "Edward" Amorphous Amoeba in Brahms

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP II SESSIONS.


STUDY GROUP III SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP III: MARCH 19- JUNE 25, 2022 - Sessions 17-24


The third Pianimals Online Study Group had a slightly smaller group of participants :

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Mar 19 Burgmüller Studies, Op. 100, #2, #15, #12 Link the Thumb to the Whole Arm to the Body
April 2 Kabalevsky Children's Pieces, Op. 27, #3, #12, #20 Another Lesson on That Old Thumb
April 16 Debussy: Arabesque, Golliwog's Cakewalk Lie on Thumb to Improve Arm
April 30 Czerny: Etudes, Op. 139, #75-6 The Thumb & Rotation in Scales
May 14 Clementi: Sonatina, Op. 36, #1 "Teetering" in Clementi... The Thumb... Arpeggios
May 28 Grieg: Gade, Op. 57, #2 Opening the Hand
June 11 Schumann, Op. 68: Mignon, Merry May Floating the Hand or Rooting the Finger
June 25 Brahms: Ballade, Op. 10, No. 1 "Edward" Amorphous Amoeba in Brahms

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP III SESSIONS.


STUDY GROUP IV SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP IV: OCTOBER 8, 2022 - JANUARY 28, 2023 - Sessions 25-32


The fourth Pianimals Online Study Group had a stalwart core of faithful participants :

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Oct 8 Mozart: A major Sonata, K331, 1st mvt The First Theme of Mozart's K331
Oct 22 Mozart: A major Sonata, K331, 1st mvt Amorphous Amoeba in K331 1st mvt, Var 3
Nov 5 Burgmuller: The Pearl (Big Chords) Big Chords Without Banging: Functionality
Nov 19 Heller: Avalanche. Kabalevsky: A minor Etude Lay Down the Thumb, Differentiate
Dec 3 Schumann: Traumerei Floating the Opening of Traumerei
Dec 17 Chopin: Db major Prelude The Whole Self in Massive Chords
Jan 7 Debussy: Golliwog's Cakewalk; Little Shepherd Oblique Whole Arm: A New Musical Dialect
Jan 28 Kabalevsky: Morning Exercises, Op. 3/86, #2 and
Drummer, Op. 14, #1

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP IV SESSIONS.


STUDY GROUP V SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP V: FEBRUARY 18 - MAY 27, 2023 - Sessions 33-40


The fifth Pianimals Online Institute ran from February to May 2023 with a relatively small group of participants.

SESSION COMPOSITION RELEVANT EXERCISES ATPM
Feb 18 Beethoven: Pathetique Sonata, 2nd mvt.
Mar 4 Brahms Intermezzo Op. 76 #7
Mar 18 Matteo Albeniz: Sonata in D
April 1
Kathleen		 Brahms: Waltz in A flat Skating Sloth
Floating Flamingo
LH m. 9 Barmy Bunnies &
Rotating Rattlesnake
M. 36 Tai Chi Strolling Stork,
Singing Stork		 Sensitize the Wrist in Kangaroo Chords
April 15 Bach: Sinfonia (Three-Part Invention) #11 Termite Temerity
Teetering Toucan ("rope fingers")
Skating Sloth
Singing Stork (l.h. m. 9)
Floppy Flamingo		 "Baroque Style"
April 29 Brahms: Intermezzo in A minor Op. 76 #7
May 13
Siri		 Heller: Etude in A flat major, Op. 47 #23 - Teetering Toucan
- Bonging Bells
RH thumb:
- Skating Sloth plus
- OrangaThumb		 Teetering Toucan expanded to an arpeggio
May 27 MacDowell: To a Water Lily, Op 51 #3; An Old Love Story, Op 61 #1

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP V SESSIONS.


Purchase the STUDY GROUP VI SESSIONS BELOW



STUDY GROUP VI: AUTUMN 2023 - Sessions 41-48


The sixth Pianimals Online Institute ran from September through December 2023.

SESSION COMPOSITION RELEVANT EXERCISES ATPM
Sept 25
Christine 		Burgmüller:
Etudes, Op. 100
#2 Arabesque
#12 Farewell
#15 Ballade
#5 Innocence
Oct 7
Christine		 Burgmüller: Tarantella,
Op. 100 #20
Oct 28
Kathleen 		Pythagoras: The Scale of E Major The thumb in scales:
- a slinky 'Pacman' move between thumb and hand activates the 1st dorsal interosseous while keeping it soft, almost 'empty'
Nov 4
Christine		 Chopin Preludes:
E minor Op.28 #4
B minor Op. 28 #6		 E- l.h.:
Floating Flamingo (chords)
Kangaroo Chords (thumb)
Skating Sloth (chords)
Rocking the Body
E- r.h.:
Sauntering Sandpiper
Teetering Toucan
B- r.h.: Tai Chi
Empty Step (orchestration)
B- l.h.:
Barmy Bunnies
Rock the body		 - Enhance Skating Sloth, Floating Flamingo for E minor chords

- Enhanced Teetering Toucan for E minor melody

- Ultra-Slow Motion Barmy Bunnies for B minor melody
Nov 11
Alejandra		 Manuel Ponce: Intermezzo - Whole Body (l.h. page 1)
- Floating Flamingo (page 2 r.h.)
- Possums, Mozart Monkeys, Teetering Toucan
- OranguThumb (l.h.)
- Stretching Spider (glide palm)
Barmy Bunnies, FLoating FLamingo. Chuckling Chicken (cadenza)
Nov 25
Astrid		 Berkovich: Paganini Variations (var. 7) Floating Flamingo
Floppy Flamingo
Kangaroo Chords
Forte Flying Fox
Tamara Tiger (leaping springboard)
Skating Sloth (horizontality)
Rocking the Body
Cockatoo Carol
Barmy Bunnies for rippled l.h. chords at end		 Octaves: Growing and 'disintegrating' the hand arch to bring 8ves to life
Dec 2
Astrid		 Mozart: Viennese Sonatina C dur K439b
Dec 9
Christine		 Debussy: Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum Barmy Bunnies +
Teetering Toucan
Chuckling Chicken (r.h.)
Most Beautiful Sound
Thumbs:
6 OranguThumb,
10 Alligator Yawn,
11 Thumb Troll Tromp
Lazy Lion (l.h. low Bb)
Pogo Stick (l.h. coda)		 Bringing the thumb to life in an empty, skeletal way: internalizng the extrenal hand movements of Debussy's Dr. Gradus
Dec 16
Grace		 Maykapar: Toccatina Op 8, #1 Barmy Bunnies r.h.
Chuckling Chicken
both hands
Tightrope Walker
Pogo Stick
Orangathumb
Floating Flamingo
l.h. opening		 Combining Chuckling Chicken and Barmy Bunnies; sensing the participation of the sitz bone muscles

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP VI SESSIONS.


STUDY GROUP VII SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP VII: SPRING-SUMMER 2024 - Sessions 49-56


The seventh Pianimals Online Institute ran from March through July 2024.

SESSION COMPOSITION RELEVANT EXERCISES ATPM
March 23
Christine		 Tchaikowski
The Seasons,
Op 37
March and April		 March, lh: Skating Sloth,
Cockatoo Carol, Tai Chi walking
March, rh: Floating Flamingo,
Rotating Rattlesnake,
Teetering Toucan, Barmy Bunnies
April, lh: Skating Sloth,
Kangaroo Chords (chords; leaps),
Strolling Stork, Tai Chi walking
April, rh: Barmy Bunnies, Orangathumb		 A slow motion, body-connected version of Kangaroo Chords
April 13
Sinden		 Mompou
Payysages		 - Kangaroo Chords (leaping)
- Sleepy Bear, Skating Sloth (memorizing)
- Chuckling Chicken (low bass note)
- Stretching Spider & Flying Fox		 Sober Lateral Forearm movements
April 20
Grace		 Clementi
G major Sonatina Op. 38, #2 		- OrangaThumb, Kangaroo Chords (Alberti Bass)
- RockaBye, Barmy Bunnies (m. 68)
- Prancing Stallion Thumb Troll Tromp (16th note passages, thumb)
- Teetering Toucan, Flopping Flamingo, Elegant Alionus (control of cadences)
- Snapping Scale, Barmy Bunnies, OrangaThumb, Yawning Alligator (scales)		 Refine Vertical Wrist Movements, Connect Them to the Forearm - More Extension than Flexion
May 4
Kathleen		 Schumann
Der Dichter Spricht		 - Floating Flamingo, Fox Fandango (smooth chords)
- Sauntering Sandpiper (m. 10
Tightrope Walker (end of the cadenza)		 Three Strategies to Join Chords Smoothly
May 25
Fraser		 Repeated Note Exercises TBD TBD
June 8
Christine		 Bach
G+ prelude, WTC I		 TBD TBD
July 6
Hans		 Schubert
Moment Musical #1		 TBD TBD
July 20
Grace		 Schubert
F minor Moment Musical		 TBD TBD

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP VII SESSIONS.


STUDY GROUP VIII SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP VIII: - Sessions 57-64


The eighth Pianimals Online Institute ran from

SESSION COMPOSITION RELEVANT EXERCISES ATPM
October 12
Christine		 Bach: F major Invention TBD Enhance Whole Body Sitting & Finger Standing
October 26
Grace		 Bach: F#+ Prelude and/or Fugue WTCI Skating Sloth
Teetering Toucan
Rotating Rattlesnake
Strolling Stork
Flamingo Flop
Snapping Scale 		Use Arm and Body to Refine Finger Curvature
November 2
Christine & Astrid		 Brahms: Hungarian Dance #5 in F# minor Fox Fandango for improved ensemble
Teetering Toucan for both healthy standing and phrasing
Forte Flying Fox for standing
Floppy Flamingo for standing in 8ves
Barmy Bunnies simplified for the straight back arm movement that releases arpeggio movement.
Lipizzaner Leaping: open thumb to improve arpeggios		 Whole Body Evenness in Arpeggios
November 9
Christine		 Mendelssohn:
Venetian Boat Song in F# minor		 LEFT HAND:
swivelliing and palming
Begin with left elbow to the outside
Teetering Toucan to lean towards thumb
Floppy Flamingo for supination
RIGHT HAND:
Skating Sloth for legato singing
Swinging Song for legato singing
Floating Flamingo for trills
Squirming Worm for 1-1-1 legato fingering		 Free Singing Legato and Orchestration: use Tightrope Walking and Floating Flamingo
December 14
Christine		 Bach: F minor Prelude WTC II TBD TBD
January 4
Grace		 Courtney: Catalan Carol for the Birds Tai Chi walking for Melody + Chords
Barmy Bunnies for m1 triplets and rolled chords
Teetering Toucan for the melody which already rocking
Rotating Rattlesnake for freely sounding melodic notes in triplets.		 The Feet are Another Pair of Sitz Bones
January 11
Astrid		 Gurlitt: Theme & Variations TBD TBD
February 8
Kathleen		 Clementi: C major Sonatina Op 36 #1 Teetering Toucan for melodic shaping
Barmy Bunnies for lightness in passagework
Forte Flying Fox for a healthy loud dynamic
Fox Fandango for melodic shaping forwrad & back
Swinging Song for melodic shaping side to side
Skating Sloth for a smooth melody in the Andante
Yawning Alligator for LH Alberti basses		 Integrate Smooth LH broken triads: Combining Amorphous Amoeba, Teetering Toucan and Barmy Bunnies in Clementi Op 36 #1, 2nd Mvt.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP VIII SESSIONS.


STUDY GROUP IX SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP IX: - Sessions 65-72


The ninth Pianimals Online Study Group ran from March 1st to May 24th 2025. The last session will be folded into PIANIMALS X.

SESSION COMPOSITION RELEVANT EXERCISES ATPM
March 1
Hans		 Mendelssohn: Song Without Words Op 19 #1 Singing Stork, Skating Sloth, Fox Fandango Differentiate Lead
Voice and Whispering Accompaniment
March 8
Christine		 Bach/Marcello: Adagio in d minor BWV 974 Repeated chords: Floating Flamingo, Skating Sloth, Swamp Monster, Fox Fandango.
Alternate reapeated chords: Sleepy Bear, Amorphous Amoeba.
Polyphony: Taichi Empty Step - Strolling Stork. 		Three levels of key contact for organic repeated chords: skin, flesh, and bone - all informed by extreme Fox Fandango.
March 22
Kathleen		 Clementi: G major Sonatina, Op 36 #2, 1st mvt. Allegretto RH strong entry: Flying Fox, Chuckling Chicken
RH melody: Sauntering Sandpiper
LH: Sauntering Sandpiper
LH 8ves: Sleepy Bear
Rhythm: Fox Fandango
Scales: Floating Flamingo
Leaps: Teetering Toucan		 Integrate Sauntering Sandpiper
with the Whole Body to increase
virtuosity in melodies, changing
notes, scales and arpeggios
April 5
Astrid		 Bach: Little Prelude #2 in C major Integrate Yawning Alligator and Floating Flamingo with the whole body
May 3
Sinden		 Joep Beving: Sleeping Lotus, arr. Jessie Black Standing and Moving - Differentiating Musical Parts Through Whole Body Movement
May 17
Christine		 Beethoven: F- sonata Op 2 No 1 - 2nd & 3rd mvts. Refine the Basic Standing Action & Precision Choreography for Articulations
May 24
Kathleen		 Schumann: Melody from Album for the Young The Hand Lying Down, The Hand Standing Up, and Everything in Between - It's All Movement
July 5
Astrid L.		 Edna Mae Burnham: A Dozen a Day Postponed to November 29

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP IX SESSIONS.


STUDY GROUP X SESSIONS SEE BELOW



STUDY GROUP X: - Sessions 73-80 - Sept - Dec 2025


The tenth Pianimals Online Institute will run from September through December, 2025. To join the group, please visit our registration page. https://www.alanfraserinstitute.com/01-pianimals-study-group-x.php#register

SESSION COMPOSITION ATPM
Sept 20
Oct 4
Oct 11
Oct 25
Nov 15
Nov 29
Dec 6
Dec 13
Dec 20

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE PIANIMALS ONLINE STUDY GROUP X SESSIONS.


If you would like to know more about this cutting edge piano method that brings the transformational influence of the Feldenkrais Method to a developing piano technique, visit our page on

Pianimals: 28 Feldenkrais Lessons for the Young Pianist's Hand.