Piano Ninja Tricks
The Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast is the show for adult classical pianists wanting to play the classical music of their dreams with joy and ease. Meet your host, Juilliard alum and Piano Ninja, Lisa Spector. She's sharing her treasured tricks honed through years of study with legendary mentors Earl Wild, Leon Fleisher, John Perry and Lillian Kallir. But here's the remarkable part: Lisa's journey to piano mastery was interrupted after an unexpected fall led to seven complicated right-hand fractures, resulting in four surgeries over several years and a medical professional telling her she'd never play piano again. Her resilience and unique insights will inspire you. If you're a classical pianist yearning to practice less and play more, you've found your musical oasis. Dropped every Thursday. Season 2 starts October 24, 2024. Tune in, and you'll soon discover your inner Piano Ninja!
Episodes
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 ...
https://lisaspector.com/groundhog
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 C...
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 ...
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 q...
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 ...
🎹 Welcome to 2025 with the Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast! 🎉
In this special 51st episode, Lisa Spector introduces her new four-legged companion, Sundance, a 17-month-old career-change dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind. Sundance is already learning the art of settling during piano practice! 🐾
Lisa dives into essential strategies for setting achievable, measurable, and specific goals for the new year and discuss...
In this milestone 50th episode, I share practical Piano Ninja tips to help you make major progress with minimal practice during the holiday season. 🎹
We’re halfway through the free Holiday Harmony Challenge, but there’s still time to join! These quick, 2-minute daily audio prompts will guide you through stress-free and efficient practice habits. Plus, I celebrate Beethoven’s 254th birthday with a mini-performance and ...
Join Lisa Spector, the Piano Ninja, as she explores how focused micro-practice sessions can lead to faster progress at the piano. Inspired by her upcoming 12 Days of Holiday Harmony Challenge (Dec. 12–23), Lisa explains why short, intentional practice is scientifically proven to be more effective—and shares actionable tips for making the most of your time at the keys.
Discover:
🎵 The power of 20-minute focused pra...
🎹 Celebrate International Ninja Day with a Special Episode! 🎹
Feeling the holiday rush? Discover how to create harmony—both at the piano and in your life—through focused, efficient practice sessions.
In this YouTube Live episode, Lisa Spector, your Piano Ninja, shares tips to help you maximize your practice time during the busiest season of the year.
Learn how shorter, intentional practice sessions can lead ...
The holiday season is here, and your piano practice time might feel squeezed. But don’t worry! In this episode, Lisa Spector shares actionable tips to help you accomplish more in less time.
✔ Discover how short, focused sessions can transform your playing
✔ Avoid brain fatigue and eliminate poor practice habits
✔ Master essential techniques like cyclical rhythm, fingering, and pedaling
Special Event! 🎉 Celebrat...
https://LisaSpector.com/BlackFridayWaitlist
This Black (& White) Friday week, discover the ultimate piano productivity boost. Learn twice as much at half the price!
Discover how recognizing patterns in your music can accelerate your learning process exponentially. In this episode, Lisa Spector, Your Piano Ninja, breaks down the importance of pattern recognition and demonstrates its application in wor...
https://LisaSpector/BlackFridayWaitlist
Welcome to a special and deeply personal episode of the Piano Ninja Tricks podcast. This week, I’m stepping away from the usual format to remember my beloved black Lab, Gina, who passed away this week at 15 and a half years old. Gina was my agility champion partner, my devoted companion and a familiar presence during my YouTube sessions.
In her memory, I play ...
Grab my focused practice checklist ⬇️
https://lisaspector.com/practice
In this special election-eve episode of the Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast, host Lisa Spector demonstrates the subtle but vital differences that set professional pianists apart from amateurs: inner pulse and touch. Amid the uncertainty and stress of the moment, Lisa shares music that calms and centers, sharing the importance of an internal...
Happy Halloween from me and my bumblebee sidekick, Gina! 🐝 🐶
Today’s Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast episode features a quick dive into fast, efficient fingerwork and musical expression. Playing in my bumblebee costume, I perform Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee and share tricks to tackle challenging, quick passages. From keeping fingers close to the keys for light, efficient movement to my trick o...
🎉 Season 2 of the Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast is here!
I’m Lisa Spector, your Juilliard Alum Piano Ninja, helping adult classical pianists play with more joy and ease. This season, in addition to Piano Ninja Tricks that help your technique and musicianship, we’re also focusing on mindset mastery, because every great performance starts in the mind.
In the 1st episode of Season 2, I’m sharing powerful tricks to...
In this closing episode of Season 1 of the Piano Ninja Tricks podcast, join your host Lisa Spector, The Piano Ninja, as she shares Piano Ninja Tricks from her recent all-Chopin YouTube Live concert. Lisa shares Chopin's Nocturne in C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1 as performed in her recent All Chopin program on YouTube Live.
WATCH THE FULL CHOPIN PROGRAM ON YOUTUBE HERE ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/live/E92z-cy...
Quick bonus episode to invite you to My Favorite Chopin Sunday night on YouTube Live in memory of my mom.
https://www.youtube.com/live/E92z-cyEgWM
Add to your calendar of choice here.
👍 Sunday, August 4
TIME 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET
My mother and I shared a deep love for the music of Chopin. In Trudy's memory, you're invited to "MY FAVORITE CHOPIN: A Night of Romantic Elegance"
...
Welcome to the 40th episode of the Piano Ninja Tricks Podcast! This episode is all about the tricks of touch.
Play into the keys? Pull up the keys? When? Why? How?
Learn the art of touch and knowing when, why and how to apply specific touches can make you sound like a Piano Ninja!
Join me as I prepare to perform My Favorite Chopin in a YouTube Live concert in memory of my mom, a passionate lover of C...
This week, I’m sharing my preparations for an upcoming all-Chopin concert on YouTube Live, happening Sunday night, July 28th. Etudes, nocturnes, scherzi and mazurkas... oh my!
https://www.youtube.com/live/E92z-cyEgWM
I’ll also demonstrate the more subtle use of my Quick Reflex Motion Trick with Chopin’s Ocean Etude, showing you how to practice smart and effeciently. Tune in to get inspired, learn new pian...
In this episode of the Piano Ninja Tricks podcast, Lisa Spector shares her latest adventures in the world of piano. Lisa talks about her recent YouTube Live performances, including a special American music concert featuring works by Gershwin, Earl Wilde, Zach Gulaboff Davis and Amy Beach.
She introduces her new YouTube Live series, "Piano Practice in PJs," and demonstrates how she applies multiple ...
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