Piano Lessons- Music Theory Lessons

This question comes from a viewer and while this is a very specific example, the solution is something that will help you with a wide range of music. The problem with negotiating this example is that from measure 21 to measure 40, there are a lot of fast notes in the left hand that needs to be played quietly. This can be a huge challenge because it’s extremely difficult playing fast and light on the piano. So how do you overcome this challenge?

This is kind of an odd topic because I’m sure many of you have experienced both extremes in performance. Sometimes you will see someone who barely moves at all during a performance and looks robotic. Other times you might see someone who is very demonstrative and animated in their movements. So is there a right or wrong way to move during a musical performance? How much attention should you give this subject?

Sometimes this can actually be part of the act and can bring people into the performance. Lang Lang is a pianist who is extremely demonstrative during his performances and he will often motion and smile to the audience while he is playing. You get the sense he is enjoying his performance and for many people that draws them in making his performances more engaging. He is also very good at giving the audience cues as to when the exciting parts are coming and when they should be feeling certain emotions. Some people might scoff at this technique and think that eliciting emotions in this manner from the audience might be a superficial way of maintaining their attention. But it works well for him and isn’t necessarily a gimmick; it can be considered an integral part of his performance.

Sometimes motion can actually be a detriment to the artist. Some musicians let themselves go too much and actually affect their performance in negative ways. Glenn Gould, for example, would sometimes even create sounds while playing so they had to place a screen between him and the microphones during recording sessions. If they didn’t, the noises would be captured in the recording. In a concert hall you probably wouldn’t hear these sounds but in recordings, it could become distracting.

So how does this happen? At some point, a performer develops mannerisms while playing and their teacher never stopped it! They continued to play this way and eventually, it developed into something beyond their control. An extreme example of demonstrative playing is Keith Jarrett. He stands up and gyrates around the piano during performances! People seem to love or hate it – it gets a reaction.

Motion in performance elicits some sort of reaction from your audience. The bigger the motions the more polarized the reactions will be. Is this something you should control during your playing? It’s really up to you. While I’m sure you don’t want people being overly critical of your motions and find them distracting, but you don’t people to feel you are lifeless if you sit completely still either. It’s a delicate balance and you must decide what’s right for you.

This is a very good question and it can be different from person to person. However, there are some general guidelines that apply to all of us that can be helpful to everyone.

Personally, I like to start memorizing music early in the day while my mind is fresh. After I get up in the morning and have a nice meal, I like to warm up and refresh the music I worked on the day before. After that, I will delve right into memorizing music.

This is not to say that this is the only time to memorize music. In fact, studies have shown that if you memorize things right before you go to sleep you will retain more information. Your mind will assimilate what you’ve memorized as you sleep!

This is not to say that either method is correct or incorrect because one size does not fit all. Some people might have their minds working best in the evening while others will be scattered and unfocused later in the day. Personally, I can work late into the night as easily as early in the day, but starting early allows me to assimilate more.

This brings us to the subject of how much you can attempt to memorize during the course of a day. You really can’t overload yourself with too much information at once. For example, if you were moving your household if you attempted to take all the boxes and furniture at once without stopping you would become completely exhausted and probably wouldn’t finish the job. However, if you were to take your time and take frequent breaks in between you would be much more capable and productive. The same thing is true for your mental work. Learning to pace yourself and work a little bit at a time is much more beneficial to you than trying to cram it all into one session. I recommend working a bit on your memorization and then taking a break by doing something completely different. Keep coming back to it throughout your practice and you will be amazed at how much more you are able to retain over time.

The soft pedal is something that every pianist must learn to utilize effectively. While it’s commonly referred to as the “soft pedal” its actual name is the una corda pedal. Today we are going to discuss when and how to use the soft pedal effectively in your music.

Una Corda actually translates to “one string”. On older pianos, there used to be two strings for each of the notes. By pressing the una corda pedal you would move the hammers over so they would only strike one of the strings. New pianos are a bit different as they have three strings for each note for most notes of the piano. So, when you press the soft pedal it will move the hammers over and they won’t strike the strings in the middle of the hammers, so it produces a mellower tone.

True una corda or soft-pedals only exist on grand pianos. An upright – even with a third pedal on the left – does not truly simulate the effect of an una corda pedal. You can see this because when you depress a true una corda pedal, the keys of the piano will shift slightly to the right. On upright pianos, the soft pedal does different things, but typically it brings the hammers closer to the strings changing the touch, not the tone.

In the video above I demonstrate the effect of the una corda pedal by playing the Chopin movement from Schumann’s Carnival. I provide an example with and without the una corda pedal. You will notice that not only is the music softer but the tone is a different color.

When used properly, the soft pedal is an extraordinarily expressive device that can add new color and depth to your music. So when do you use it?

In the example I play from the video, the same theme is played twice in a row. When I repeat the theme and use the soft pedal it creates a new and different sound. It’s a really beautiful way to highlight certain sections of your music.

But using the soft pedal really is not that simple. While the example above is a good spot to utilize the soft pedal, its effect won’t be the same on every piano. This is because not all soft-pedals are the same. Every piano will have a different response when using the soft pedal. Some pianos might not produce much of an effect at all while others will produce a very dramatic change in tone. It’s very important to get to know the effects of your soft pedal whether you are playing your piano at home or performing on another piano. Room acoustics, audience noise, and many other factors can determine whether or not the soft pedal is appropriate. Many times I have performed on pianos that were a bit too bright and border on having a harsh tone. When faced with this problem I might use the soft pedal a great deal to sweeten the tone and produce a better sound out of the instrument. Sometimes you might encounter a piano that is too mellow and you might want to use the soft pedal very sparingly.

It’s important to remember that the soft pedal is not something you can simply write into your music and play at the same point on every piano. This pedal is something you should employ at times when a tonal change is suitable. As you grow and progress as a pianist you will find yourself using the soft pedal when it’s appropriate and being able to make these judgment calls for yourself.

If you’ve played Beethoven you might be familiar with this term. It permeates throughout his music and it’s a very important but sometimes misunderstood term. Many people might overlook its importance but we are going to discuss this today and I will offer some insights to help you achieve a true subito piano to great effect!

Subito Piano means “suddenly soft”: Subato means “suddenly” and piano means “soft”. This is a big trademark of Beethoven’s writing. A lot of times you will see a crescendo going to piano (which might seem counterintuitive) but Beethoven employs this method in a lot of his music. He builds up the music with a crescendo only to suddenly bring it down. If employed properly the effect is wonderful!

You might be familiar with The Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach. It really is an amazing body of work. These works are definitely worth exploring.

To understand The Well-Tempered Clavier we must understand what Bach means by “Well-Tempered”. A long time ago keyboard instruments were actually tuned to sound pure in different keys depending upon the key of the piece you played. If you were playing a piece in G major, the instrument would be tuned to sound in tune in G major. The piece would sound great but if you tried to play in some other keys it could sound horrendous! As time went on tuning became more flexible so that it was possible to play in a great variety of keys with the same tuning. While the system of tuning available at Bach’s time favored some keys more than others, it was a vast improvement in offering the flexibility to play in all keys without the need for returning.

Welcome to Part 1 in our ongoing series of the Psychology of Musical Performance. This is a very important and in-depth subject so today we are only going to scratch the surface. Today we’re going to discuss the mental stability necessary for performing and how to create a balanced state of mind for yourself.

Performing music is something that utilizes both sides of your brain. Before a performance you spend so much time practicing and making sure you’re playing technically correct. At the same time, you must let yourself go and be able to be creative with each performance. The trick is finding the right balance so that your performance is not too dry yet not self indulgent in your expression.

Sometimes emotions can completely control your performance in unexpected ways. Allowing yourself to delve into free expression can make you lose sight of where you’re going. For example, if you’re not careful you might take a tempo to a speed you can’t possibly handle! You have to be able to control your performance and reign yourself in.

While you definitely have to control your expressive side, you can’t let the technical side of you overwhelm your performance either. The last thing you want to present is a sterile performance. Musical expression is a completely different form of art from painting or photography in that it involves performance and there is a random element to that. No matter how hard you try, you can never replicate a performance again; each one is inherently unique.

We all have these conflicting aspects of our personalities and they collide with each other when it comes to musical performances. Finding this balance isn’t something you can teach easily; it’s something you must find within yourself through the experience of many performances finding the balance of emotion and reason.