Jack Kohl is a pianist/author from Long Island. His book, “That Iron String” explores the nightmarish realities of the life of aspiring concert pianists in American in the 21st century. While the book is part of a trilogy and is fictional, it highlights the plight facing so many talented, young pianists today.
Robert Estrin and Jack Kohl are both pianists from Long Island. So, even though they just met recently, there is a natural camaraderie being fellow pianists from the same area. They provide insights for pianists at a time when there are far more accomplished artists than there are possible careers available. They discuss how people like themselves find creative solutions to remaining relevant having highly accomplished 19th century skills in the modern world.
No, you didn’t click the wrong link today, even though this might sound like a topic for The Flute Show! Learning to breathe properly while you are playing the piano is an essential skill for any pianist. We can all understand that breathing is required to live but it has a great deal to do with performing music as well. Today we are going to discuss a couple of components of how breathing can positively and negatively affect your performances.
Let’s say you are playing a technically demanding piece like the Military Polonaise of Chopin. It’s going to take a lot of energy and you’re going to have to remind yourself to take some deep breaths. If you don’t plan for this you might end some sections out of breath and winded. During a musical performance, you have so much on your mind that it’s common to forget something as essential as breathing! You don’t have to plan your breathing ahead of time but you should definitely remind yourself from time to time that you need to breathe. Before you enter a complicated section you should take the time to take a deep breath. This will enhance your performance and help to settle your nerves.
Beyond just breathing, you need to relax your mind and body enough so that it won’t be a problem in the first place. It’s difficult to tell someone to just get on stage and to be completely calm; of course, most people will be at least somewhat nervous. Over time and with experience you will learn to calm your nerves and become more comfortable while playing. Learning to direct your energy into your playing as opposed to succumbing to your nerves will make a big difference.
Breathing can also be incredibly important while you’re playing with other musicians. In chamber music, for example, the breath of the pianist can actually guide the other musicians; it can help cue them as to where to play and where a phrase ends. If you pay close attention you might notice that all the musicians breathe in unison in a fine chamber group – even though some might be playing string instruments which don’t require the breath to produce a tone.
Breathing is such an integral part of playing music that even on an instrument that doesn’t require breathing – like the piano – we as musicians still want to feel the breath in music. I cover this more in-depth in an earlier video about breath in music. I also have a topic that explains why singing your music is a great way to practice separate parts and get an idea for how the music should flow.
No matter what instrument you play you should definitely be aware of your breathing and how it affects your overall performance. Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
We received this question from Luis. He wondered if it would be best to find a piano that has never been played. This is really a interesting question which we will explore today.
Does a piano benefit from being played? To some extent, yes. If a piano is neglected, some of the parts can get jammed up with dirt and dust, key bushings may harden and other action parts may eventually begin to have problems functioning smoothly. There is also the element of discovery. A piano that is played and serviced regularly will receive the attention required to keep it playing on a high level.
On the other hand, if you play the piano frequently, some parts will eventually wear out with use and will need to be replaced. So, there is no absolute in regards to how much a piano should be played.
The ideal situation would be moderate, regular use like having a car you only drive once a month. You might take it around the block every once in awhile, change the oil every three months, fill it with gas, and keep it in the garage. This may not be the most fulfilling way to enjoy your car. But it will age very slowly! Likewise, if you barely play your piano and have it serviced regularly,(assuming a stable environment) it is going to stay in ideal condition but your enjoyment of the instrument will be limited.
If a piano is in your home you should play it as much as you want. Understand that using your piano a great deal is going to require more maintenance (such as more frequent tunings and eventually replacing some action parts). However, the fear of having to invest money in your piano over time shouldn’t prevent your enjoyment of the instrument. Even with intensive practice, you should get many years of service out of a new or newly rebuilt piano before any major work is required.
This might sound like a crazy proposition to a lot of you but we get calls everyday from people looking to get rid of pianos they simply can’t keep anymore or don’t want. You might think that there would be people out there who would want any piano but it’s not that simple. Getting rid of a piano you don’t want can actually be a real challenge.
Now if you have a piano in good condition – one that plays well enough and has a decent finish – you can probably find someone who is willing to pay at least a small amount for it or at least take it as a donation. But even then it might be a challenge to find it a new home.
If you have an older upright piano that is in pretty bad condition you might think that somebody out there might want it to fix up and you can avoid taking it to the dump. Sadly, in some cases this is the only thing you can do. Finding a home for a sub-standard piano is going to be a real challenge and unfortunately many pianos are taken to the dump every year. In some cases this might be your only option. Rebuilding a piano costs thousands of dollars and if you have a piano that has the potential to be worth only a small amount, it’s going to be very hard to find a home for it.
Now let’s say you have a piano that has potential and can play OK – what are your options? If you don’t want to go through the process of selling the piano yourself and nobody is willing to take it in on consignment then you can try an auction house. Many times they will haul your piano away for you and put it on auction. If it sells you may get some money for it and not have to worry about that piano taking up room in your home anymore.
One great resource for people looking to get rid of their pianos is PianoAdoption.com. This is a website designed for people who want to find pianos but can’t afford one. All the pianos on the site are from private parties who have instruments to give away. If you are looking to get rid of a piano that nobody else is interested in you can try this website and see if you can connect with someone.
If you have a piano that’s in decent condition you can always ask us for help by filling out the small form on our website: Selling Your Piano.
If you’re stuck with a piano you don’t want, start by asking people around you: friends, family, schools, churches, anyone who might need or want a piano. You can probably find a home for it.
I welcome your comments and suggestions on this topic and as always, thanks again for joining me: Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729.
I have known many people who have started with one instrument and then for one reason or another decided to switch instruments. At some point these people came to the realisation that they were destined to play something else and they made the transition. The question is, is it ever too late to switch instruments?
This really depends upon your situation, your expectations and the nature of the switch. For example, I’ve known a number of fine violinists who switched to the Viola with great success. In some cases it was because there was a greater market for viola. Others might have simply fallen in love with the rich sound of the viola. This transition is not that radical as the foundations for the violin and viola are very similar.
If you are thinking about making a radical change from one instrument to the next – such as trombone to guitar – it could be a much harder switch and something you should consider carefully. Your fit with the instrument is important, but you should have realistic expectations about what is possible when making such a big change in the instrument you play.
I’ve seen cases where some musicians will have gone to conservatory for one instrument but always played another instrument as a secondary instrument. They may come to the realisation that their true love is their secondary instrument! Switching could be the best decision as long as they are realistic.
I have known people who have decided to switch instruments to something they are not familiar with at all and it has presented great challenges. For example, if you played the clarinet for most of your life and find that there aren’t bands or orchestras you want to play with, it could be incredibly difficult to switch to an instrument like the piano in your twenties and develop serious repertoire and fluid technique. But if that’s where your passions lie, you must follow your dream. You can certainly become an accomplished player but it is unlikely you would develop a career as a concert pianist.
As long you are realistic with your goals you should follow your heart and pursue whatever instrument you are interested in. The good news is that anything you learn in music translates to other things. If you have a background in singing you will have a foundation for music already in place so learning another instrument will not be nearly as difficult as it would be for someone who has had no music training.
Thanks again for the wonderful questions, please contact me if you have any ideas for future videos. Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
Today we have a question from Umberto, who asks, “How do you approach pedaling in the Moonlight Sonata? Do you pedal throughout all of it?”
These are excellent questions. In fact, yes, you use pedal in some parts rather sparingly, other parts very generously, but you use it throughout the whole piece in different ways. Of course the different movements have different requirements, but we’re going to focus today on the first movement, the famous melodic first movement.
So first of all, just a little primer. Whenever you’re using the pedals on the piano you want to keep your your heels firmly on the floor. You never want to put your pedal like this because it’s noisy. So you keep the heel on the floor, and then the ball of the foot is how you control best. Always keep it in contact, because if you go from above, once again you get noise. All pedals are very different on pianos. You have to experiment to find how you could play it quietly and effectively, because they all release the dampers at different points. One of the first things you want to try out when you’re playing over a concert is how the pedal responds on the instrument.
So getting to the Moonlight Sonata. As with any music, the pedal changes wherever the harmonies change. So if you were to play this piece in chords, each time the chord changes . . . and notice the pedal always comes up exactly on the beat but goes down right after the beat. So that’s the secret of pedaling. The pedal always comes up exactly on the change of harmony and goes right back down again. So if I play it now not in chords, but as it’s written, and with the soft pedal, the una corda pedal, depressed the entire time, you get this.
The reason for changing the pedal, coming up on the pedal exactly on the beat, is otherwise harmonies blur. If you were to play the pedal and put it down on the beat instead of up on the beat, you’d end up with this.
I can’t even do it. It’s so hard. I’m so trained. I’m gonna try it again. I’m gonna try to play the pedal wrong for you.
Yeah, that’s also not connected. I haven’t experimented with playing pedal wrong. It’s a hard thing to do. Any of you who are a pianist accustomed to using the pedal, try it how hard it is to play it wrong. So get in the habit of always coming up at the change of harmonies and right back down again so you get that smooth transition, and if you’re not sure where the harmonies change, break the music down to chords and it becomes very obvious for you.
Thanks for the wonderful question Umberto, and all the questions coming in and the great comments. Thank you everyone at virtualsheetmusic.com I’m Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com. Thanks for joining me.
