When listening to some of the great pianists of all time like Horowitz and Rachmaninoff, sometimes the fast finger passages sound almost jewel-like in the shimmering clarity of the notes. One of the secrets to developing this kind of technique is practicing slowly with raised fingers. You see, it is not just the placement of the attacks of the notes that creates this pristine evenness, it is the precise release of notes that gives the even spacing that creates the trademark sound that is so beautiful.
Try putting your fingers on a table and lifting each finger separately. You will notice how difficult it is lifting up individual fingers, particularly the 4th finger. By practicing slowly with raised fingers, you will develop the strength of the release of notes which will enable you to get that glistening stream of even notes in your fast passage work that is so compelling.
When you hear your favorite singer, you know who it is instantly by the voice. Even listening to wind players and string players, you often can identify the player by the tone. What about piano? Can you tell who is playing just from the sound they get? The answer is, yes, sometimes.
The secret to getting a great tone out of a piano (or a more pleasing tone out of a lesser instrument) is to support the tone like a singer or wind player supports the phrase with the breath using the diaphragm. String players utilize the bow for a smooth line and spend years developing a technique to get a beautiful sound. So what is the analog to the breath on the piano?
A phrase generally has a rise and fall, just like a breath. If you were to calculate each note of a phrase played on the piano to make each note successively louder to the peak then each note softer than the next to the end of the phrase, you would end up with a very calculated type of playing! The secret is to use a constant weight of the arm which grows to the top of the phrase and diminishes to the end of the phrase. The fingers support the weight and transfers the weight smoothly from note to note. So you exert downward pressure on the key not just on the attack, but throughout the length of the note. This enables you to get a smooth line by using the weight of the arm as the constant like the breath of a singer.
When playing large chords loudly, you can get a beautiful sound by playing from the surface of the keys. If you strike from above with the arms, this creates a slapping sound which is harsh and ugly. By staying in contact with the key and releasing energy to the bottom of the key bed with strength, you will get a beautiful sound no matter how much energy you expend. Try this in these 2 different methods and listen to the difference in the sound. You will be amazed.
Use the music: After you have the piece memorized, you must periodically go back and read the score carefully. I suggest playing slowly without pedal and using the metronome for the most dramatic results.
Practice slowly: Fast practice is like moving in quicksand. You dig yourself into the ground by reinforcing mistakes instead of identifying and eradicating them as you do in slow practice. Slow practice is like putting newsprint under a microscope. You see all the imperfections. This enables you to refine your playing by identifying rough edges.
Practice without the pedal: While the pedal makes everything sound better, when practicing, you can not only hear more critically without the pedal, but you will also be able to quickly hear fingering problems before they become ingrained.
Use the metronome: Even in music that has fluidity with the tempo will benefit from metronome practice. You need a reference of time to know how much you are bending the phrase with rubato. Also, when learning difficult passages, it is usual to slow down. Over time you may even overcompensate for difficult passages rushing them. Difficult passages can be mastered by increasing the metronome a notch or 2 at a time to speed up particularly difficult passages.
Take very small sections at a time: It is tempting to try to learn large chunks to save time. The problem is that it becomes overwhelming. If you take tiny sections at a time and master them, you will be able to sustain a productive practice much longer.
Practice in chords when possible: Not only does reducing the music to chords help to clarify the structure, it also helps to figure out the best fingering.
Always put corrections into context: Fixing a mistake isn’t enough. After you have mastered a correction, go back and connect the phrase to the preceding phrase. Then go back to the beginning of the section and connect, or you will find your old mistake recurring.
Practicing should be like a fine meal, served in courses: If you divide your practice into different sections of activities, you will be productive longer. First you may do some memorization. Then you can work on refining previously learned material. Then perhaps scales and arpeggios, and then perhaps some sight-reading. Doing any one skill for too long takes much greater mental effort and you may not work at optimum level.
Use the 80/20 rule: If you focus the majority of your time on the few places that are weak, you will get much better results than practicing equally on all sections of your music.
Be keenly aware of how you feel: It is essential to be relaxed, sitting comfortably at the right distance from the keyboard and at the right height to avoid injury. Also, you should take periodic breaks to stretch or at least take a short walk to keep your body limber. Be aware of any lingering pain and take appropriate steps to avoid injury.
There are 3 separate skills in learning to play the piano:
• Memorizing
• Sight Reading
• Improvising
You can become quite proficient in one or two of these skills and be completely deficient in others. It is necessary to take a unique approach to develop each of these skills. The biggest mistake you can make is to not be clear as to which skill you are working on!
How To Sight Read Almost Anything
The piano presents tremendous challenges in sight reading. While basic tone production on the piano is easier than almost any instrument, (Just try to get a sound out of a flute!) composers make up for it by writing incredibly complex scores.
The secret is to keep your eyes on the music no matter what. If you look down at your hands, you will stop reading. You must count and keep your eyes moving to each measure without ever correcting mistakes. This is very unnatural since practice requires exactly the opposite approach.
If you count and keep moving, your hands will hit many right notes. The more reading you do, the more right notes you will get!
There are 3 separate skills in learning to play the piano:
• Memorizing
• Sight Reading
• Improvising
You can become quite proficient in one or two of these skills and be completely deficient in others. It is necessary to take a unique approach to develop each of these skills. The biggest mistake you can make is to not be clear as to which skill you are working on!
5 Steps To Memorizing Music
Sight-read through the piece once or twice. (First Day Only)
Begin To Practice: TAKE A SMALL SECTION AT A TIME.
A. Right Hand Alone Figure out:
1. Notes
2. Rhythm-Count out loud
3. Fingering
4. Phrasing
5. Expression
Play many times until memorized.
B. Left Hand Alone Figure out:
1. Notes
2. Rhythm-Count out loud
3. Fingering
4. Phrasing
5. Expression
Play many times until memorized.
C. Hands Together Slowly at First:
Play many times until memorized.
D. Go on to the next small section and learn it the same way.
E. As each section is mastered, connect from the beginning
HOW TO UTILIZE PARTS OF THE BODY: Power Versus Speed
In playing the piano, different parts of the body are utilized according to the requirements of power and speed. The more power required, the more mass of the body is utilized. The more speed, the less mass is needed.
Finger technique: When the utmost in speed is required, only the fingers will do.
Arm technique: When massive strength is called for as in big chords, only the arms can provide enough power.
Wrist technique: While not as powerful as the arms, the wrists are faster than the arms and more powerful than the fingers.
HOW TO UTILIZE PARTS OF THE BODY: Power Versus Speed
In playing the piano, different parts of the body are utilized according to the requirements of power and speed. The more power required, the more mass of the body is utilized. The more speed, the less mass is needed.
Finger technique: When the utmost in speed is required, only the fingers will do.
Arm technique: When massive strength is called for as in big chords, only the arms can provide enough power.
Wrist technique: While not as powerful as the arms, the wrists are faster than the arms and more powerful than the fingers. For passages that require power and speed, the wrists can accomplish both.
IT’S ALL IN THE WRIST: The Secret to Dazzling Octaves
The wrists provide the right balance of speed and power for octave and fast chord work. Octaves are accomplished by positioning the hand in two perpendicular “C’s” which utilize the power of the arch for strength and support.
HOW TO UTILIZE PARTS OF THE BODY: Power Versus Speed
In playing the piano, different parts of the body are utilized according to the requirements of power and speed. The more power required, the more mass of the body is utilized. The more speed, the less mass is needed.
Finger technique: When the utmost in speed is required, only the fingers will do.
HOW TO DEVELOP FINGER TECHNIQUE: Hand Positions and Finger Patterns
Almost all piano technique can be reduced down in its simplest form to hand positions and finger patterns. As a beginner, most people learn to play with 5 fingers of each hand over 5 keys. In time this is expanded. Ultimately this is the basis for all piano technique.
Use the metronome: Even in music that has fluidity with the tempo will benefit from metronome practice. You need a reference of time to know how much you are bending the phrase with rubato. Also, when learning difficult passages, it is usual to slow down. Over time you may even overcompensate for difficult passages rushing them. Difficult passages can be mastered by increasing the metronome a notch or 2 at a time to speed up particularly difficult passages.
Practice in chords when possible: Not only does reducing the music to chords help to clarify the structure, it also helps to figure out the best fingering.
Use the 80/20 rule: If you focus the majority of your time on the few places that are weak, you will get much better results than practicing equally on all sections of your music.