Believe it or not, you can get drastically different tones out of the piano simply by pressing the keys a different way. How to approach the keys is a major part of playing the piano and especially important when it comes to chords.
In the video example provided, I demonstrate a bad technique by “slapping” the keys; it produces a very harsh sound. So how do you avoid this? It really starts with both the mental and physical aspects of your playing. Don’t think of hitting the keys; instead think of putting pressure onto them. Think and play with the sensation that you are trying to apply pressure onto the keys and push them into the key bed. Playing them with pressure and force will produce a much more pleasing sound. To be technical, you will be releasing the weight of your arms into the key bed.
But what about quiet chords? The general rule is that the softer you play, the more effort you will have to make to delineate the melody notes (generally the top notes). When it comes to playing loud, you can play the chords with the same amount of force and the top notes will come right through – this isn’t the case with quiet chords. You’ll want to reach for the top notes in quieter chords and let the melody sing through despite the lower volume. The video accompanying this article gives a great example of this.
Thanks again for joining me and be on the lookout for part 2: How to Play Fast Chords on the Piano. I’m Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
3 thoughts on “How to Play Chords on the Piano Part 1: Slow Chords”
Thank you so much Robert for pointing out these “pearls of
wisdom. Have a nice holiday and a happy new year, Hope to
see you soon,
Brandon Morad
Just watched the video on playing slow chords. I did hear the difference when you played “piano” or softly on the piece in the video. You said we needed to “reach” on the melody line..what does that mean? Play that part a little louder with a little more weight on the “right” arm?
I have the same question as Francine. What to you mean when you say to reach for the top note? I would greatly appreciate an answer or a separate video on the technique to accomplish this. I have a student who could benefit from understanding how one exactly can bring out the top melody in a large chord.