All posts by Robert Estrin

New Standard for Smaller Piano Keyboards

I had the opportunity to meet the founders of P.A.S.K., Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards at the NAMM Music Trade Show. They have developed a new size keyboard which is smaller than the standard piano keyboard for pianists with smaller hands. There is a rich tradition of smaller piano keyboards going back generations.

The great pianist Josef Hoffmann had Steinway & Sons manufacture 2 custom made pianos in the 1930’s with narrower keys to accommodate his smaller hands.

Unfortunately, the practice of manufacturing smaller keyboards never became a readily available standard. Fortunately, a growing chorus of pianists with smaller hands are vying for a standard 7/8 size keyboard which is referred to as “DS5.5”. However, there are other standards that exist. The hope is, that by having one alternatively sized keyboard standard, there could potentially be actions manufactured to this specification which could be used in different pianos. Since the Steinway Model D concert grand is the piano model found in the vast majority of concert halls around the world, the hope is there could be actions available that could be used in different pianos with some adjustments.

I had the experience years ago of playing on smaller keyboards. In the 1980’s, there was a cutting edge digital synthesizer, the CZ101 manufactured by Casio. It was a unique instrument for the time being a very affordable, programmable digital synthesizer, something that didn’t exist at the time. I bought 2 of them! They had smaller keys. Much to my surprise, I had absolutely no difficulty adjusting to the smaller keys. In fact, it was a pleasure playing on smaller keys.

There are many concert pianists with smaller hands, myself included.

We learn how to break large chords we can’t reach very quickly catching the notes on the pedal. It creates the illusion of being able to play larger chords than we can reach! While this technique works very well, it requires developing tremendous strength in order to achieve. I spent countless hours building strength in order to play music which years later I discovered students of mine could play on a high level with minimal practice!

For people who have difficulty reaching an octave, smaller keyboards are essential in order to be able to play vast amounts of the piano literature successfully. My hope is that this standard smaller keyboard catches on so it provides an alternative to countless pianist the world over putting them on equal footing to pianists with larger hands.

We would love to hear from all of you how you feel about having the availability of smaller sized keyboards on pianos.

Robert Estrin at LivingPianos.com 949-244-3729 info@LivingPianos.com

What Instrument Has the Most Solo Repertoire?

The piano reigns supreme as the ultimate solo instrument. It has 88 keys as well as the ability to play complete orchestrations. It’s pretty obvious that the piano is the king of solo repertoire – it’s not even close!

Solo Music for Other Instruments:

Let’s consider for a moment some other instruments such as the clarinet, trumpet or flute. Solo music written for other instruments most often contain piano accompaniments! Often times the piano part is just as intrinsic as the solo part. They are truly duos even though they are classified as solo compositions. The violin has an immense amount of solo repertoire written for it and indeed some of it is truly solo music without piano parts, from Bach Partitas to Paganini Caprices.

The Piano Has More Solo Music Written for it Than All Other Instruments Combined!

Keyboard music started with the harpsichord and fortepiano. The harpsichord and clavichord are where it all truly began as they predate the fortepiano. Music composed by Mozart, Haydn and their contemporaries were originally composed for fortepiano and has been adapted to the modern piano. The first examples of fortepianos were a primitive yet efficient design yet were sophisticated for their time. This is the roots of true piano music.

J.S. Bach and the Clavichord:

However, pianists have taken all the wealth of music written before the piano was invented and co-opted it for the piano. For example, Bach never wrote anything specifically for the piano. All of his music was composed for the keyboard or “clavier” from the German. His preferred instrument was the clavichord which had a delicate and expressive sound. The most popular keyboard instrument for performance was the harpsichord because of its robust tone.

Early Repertoire on the Modern Piano:

Playing repertoire from the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries on the modern piano as we know it today can be a completely different musical experience in comparison to the instruments the pieces were originally written for. The modern piano is designed to handle all of the repertoire both simple to complex with ease. Even the literature of the harpsichord works well on the modern piano even allowing for dynamic expression, something the harpsichord lacked since it plucked the strings rather than hitting them with hammers as in the modern piano. So, dynamics with touch were not possible with the harpsichord. However, levers or stops could be engaged on more sophisticated harpsichords to engage different strings and felt strips to change the tone globally.

From Fortepiano to the Modern Piano:

It’s interesting how the piano developed through Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and beyond. The limits of expression were expanded throughout the ages as the piano evolved with music. For example, the music written by Chopin couldn’t have possibly been conceived on a Mozart era fortepiano. As the piano evolved, composers did as well. This was because the advancement of the instrument allowed for more range of freedom and performance due to the availability of more sophisticated musical technology. So, the wealth of piano music contains music through the ages that evolved as the instruments the music was composed for developed.

This is Robert Estrin at LivingPianos.com Your Online Piano Store! 949-244-3729 info@LivingPianos.com

When Was the Golden Era of Pianos?

Today we are going to discuss what and when was the Golden Era of pianos. You may have heard this term before and it may not be a precise time, but most people agree it was before World War II and even before the Great Depression. By the late 1920s, piano sales in the United States suddenly dropped by 80-90%.

Advent of the Player Piano

You have to go back a bit to gain perspective. The piano developed hundreds of years ago. But the player piano came about in the early 20th century. (It even had its foray in the late 19th century!) They became as common in American homes as televisions did later on. Before the phonograph or radio, the piano was the primary way you could have music in your home. Many people played the piano as a means of entertainment because there was nothing else available. The player piano changed this because it allowed people who didn’t play, to have music in their homes. If you’ve ever looked at player piano rolls, they sometimes have the words of the songs on the side of the roll so you could sing along with the music. Some more sophisticated player pianos had levers that would allow you to transpose the key. You could also adjust the tempo and volume of the instrument. There were even buttons that could adjust the dynamic range of the bass and treble sections of the piano making for an interactive playing experience.

The Expressive Player Piano

The intent of the reproducing piano was to play back an almost exact replica of a performance by a particular pianist from the classics played by Rubinstein and Horowitz, to composers such as Gershwin and Rachmaninoff. These pianos were very sophisticated for their time and still are today. They didn’t just play mechanically like standard player pianos, but would reproduce the dynamic expression of the pianos through the player system. There were people who learned to play the piano by watching the keys move; so you can get a grasp as to why they were so popular.

The Demise of the Piano Industry in the United States

You may have guessed already what killed the piano and player piano industry. Technologies were a big part of it because when radio came in, it was much less expensive than acquiring a piano and took up less room. The great depression finally hit and the U.S. went from hundreds of companies making pianos, to a small handful with many piano companies filing for bankruptcy. There were large corporations like Aeolian that bought many of the troubled piano companies. But it was never the same after that and the piano industry has never recovered to what it was in the Golden Era of pianos.

This is Robert Estrin at LivingPianos.com Your Online Piano Store! 949-244-3729 Info@LivingPianos.com

The Lost Art of Classical Improvisation

So many of the great composers of all time from Mozart to Chopin dazzled audiences with improvised music. Because of the reverence for the legacy of scores the great composers left us, it creates the incorrect impression that everything they did was written down. It’s actually quite the contrary!

Most of the music of the great composers was played spontaneously!

We only have the written scores they thankfully took the time to write out since audio recording hadn’t been developed yet. We can only imagine what masterpieces came out on the spot from the great composers and pianists of the past!

Naturally these informal performances planted seeds for works they would craft later on. Imagine being in a salon hearing Liszt take off with flights of fancy with no predetermined musical destination!

Today, jazz artists carry on improvised music improvised music.

While most jazz is based upon previously composed music, there are some artists who delve into freeform improvisation which can be quite fascinating.

I have always enjoyed making up music spontaneously. What’s funny is that going in, often times I have no predetermined game plan whatsoever as in the accompanying video. The sound of the piano as well as my deep, inner mood (which I may be unaware of at the time!) guides the music.

It’s a little bit like being naked – being open to revealing the most intimate feelings with disregard for what they may be.

The challenge is to not judge what is being played – keeping the expression honest. Every piano inspires different music. Each day brings fresh melodies. I hope you enjoy these videos. Robert@LivingPianos.com 949-244-3729

Why Class Piano Doesn’t Work

Today we’re going to explore a potentially controversial subject which is the shortcomings of class piano. First, there is some value to class piano which should be acknowledged. It’s a way to get people acquainted with the piano which can motivate people to undertake more serious study.

What else is good about class piano?

You get camaraderie with other people which mitigates the isolation of piano studies. There is an aspect of enjoyment to a class setting. One excellent possibility for class piano involving intermediate or advanced students is exploring collaborative 4-hand and 2-piano music. There is also the potential of delving into improvisation becoming comfortable with a wide range of piano styles.

However, class piano provides a poor substitute for private instruction for formative study.

Here is what I discovered years ago when I was engaged to develop a class piano program for an arts school. While I would begin each class with subjects of relevancy for all students, it would devolve into giving a bunch of mini private lessons. You may wonder why this is the case. The reason is very simple.

Piano involves so many independent skills where everybody has unique strengths and weaknesses to such a drastic extent that individual attention is essential in piano studies.

Each piano lesson one to the next, is a completely different experience. Other fields of study can be taught successfully in a class setting. For example, a biology teacher can develop a lesson plan which is refined over the years. The subject can be taught essentially the same way to different classes year after year.

Learning the piano doesn’t work this way.

For example, there are some people who easily pick up note reading while others slave over trying to recognize notes for weeks or months in order to become fluent at note reading. Rhythm requires other skills that vary from student to student. I’ve seen people struggle with clapping even the simplest rhythms. There is also the coordination of the two hands. Combining the hands is one of the most difficult aspects of playing the piano which comes more naturally to some students than others.

Memorizing music is also as skill that varies tremendously from student to student. While everyone can learn to read music as long as it is taught in a systematic way, teaching in a class setting can reduce the progression of studies to the lowest common denominator avoiding leaving people behind yet impeding the progress of other students.

So it’s not that class piano can’t work at all, but it’s not an efficient way of learning the piano.

Class piano can be fun and can provide a way to get your feet wet with the piano, but ultimately having private instruction provides an invaluable resource in order to maximize the progress of your piano studies. Ideally, you have the combination of private instruction and master classes where the you get together with fellow students on a periodic basis playing for each other, discussing theory and analysis of your music, as well as possibly playing piano duets and improvising. Combining classes with private instruction offers the benefits of both. I would love to hear your comments and experiences. Thanks for joining me, Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com. Please feel free to contact us at info@LivingPianos.com 949-244-3729

Anyone Can Improvise on the Piano

This is another freeform improvisation in which I let this gorgeous Steinway concert grand guide the exploration of tonal colors. It turned out to be based on the pentatonic scale which is a fancy way of saying, “black keys”. You can learn more about pentatonic scales here.

You can explore the sound of a piano by playing the keys like a percussion instrument creating abstract sounds if you haven’t developed any kind of harmonic language yet. This is how I started my exploration into improvisation as a young child. Over time, you will find chords and patterns you can utilize in future improvisations making them less abstract. That’s how my improvisations have evolved over the years. However, I still love to play atonal improvisations!