piano playing techniques
How to Practice the Piano Part 2 - Sight Read Almost Anything
How To Practice the Piano
3 Part Series
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!
How to Practice the Piano Part 1 - Memorizing Music
How To Practice the Piano
3 Part Series
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 Play Piano - Part 3 - Arms Equal Power and Depth
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.
Tags: Add new tag, how to play piano, online piano lessons, piano lessons, piano playing, piano techniques, piano videos
How to Play Piano - IT’S ALL IN THE WRIST
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 Play Piano - Finger Techniques
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.
Tags: finger techniques, how to play piano, piano playing, piano techniques
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