Piano and Music Videos

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today, let’s talk about one of the trickiest aspects of piano playing: the fourth finger. If you’ve ever struggled to get this finger to cooperate, you’re not alone! The fourth finger is often a challenge for many pianists, and it can make some passages more difficult than they need to be. But why is it so tricky?

Why Is the Fourth Finger So Difficult?

Try this: lift just your fourth finger while keeping the others on the keys. It’s harder than it sounds, right? The fourth finger is naturally weaker than the others, and it doesn’t move as independently as the thumb or middle fingers. This can be especially challenging when you’re trying to play with evenness and precision. In fact, even great composers like Robert Schumann were frustrated with their fourth finger. Schumann struggled with its weakness so much that he used a contraption to try to strengthen it. Although the details of the device are unclear, it was said to involve pulleys and weights—but unfortunately, it caused more harm than good. So, let’s not take extreme measures like Schumann did! There are better ways to strengthen the fourth finger without causing any damage.

Strengthening the Fourth Finger

The good news is that there are ways to work on strengthening the fourth finger that will help improve the independence of all your fingers. One of the unique challenges of piano playing is that the strongest fingers (the thumbs and middle fingers) are in the middle, while the weaker fingers (the pinky and fourth finger) are on the outside. This imbalance can create problems when you need to achieve even voicing in your playing. For example, if I let my hand fall naturally onto the keys, the sound might end up uneven. The result is an imbalanced sound, with the stronger fingers dominating. To fix this, you need to shift the weight of your hand toward the weaker fingers—especially the fourth and pinky fingers. This will help you balance out the sound and create a more even tone. By practicing this, you’ll learn how to distribute the weight properly, which is crucial for bringing out both the bass and the treble lines in a piece.

Clean Scales: Focus on the Release

Another issue pianists face is sloppy scale playing, which can often be traced back to poor finger release. If your fourth finger doesn’t lift cleanly from the key, it can leave an unwanted sound behind, making the scale sound messy. To improve this, focus on the release of each note so that the note is cleanly released from the key. You can practice this by slowing down your scales and exaggerating the release:

1.Set your metronome to a slow tempo.

2.Play one note per beat, making sure to lift each finger high enough to clear the key, especially the fourth finger.

This slow practice will give you the time to pay attention to your hand and make sure the notes are released cleanly. Over time, this will help you build strength and control in your fourth finger, and your scales will sound much cleaner.

Developing Control Over Melody and Harmony

Your thumbs are naturally stronger, so when you’re playing, the tendency is for them to dominate the sound. But to bring out the melody clearly, you need to practice controlling the strength of each finger and where the weight is placed. A good exercise is to practice bringing out each voice in a chord progression. For example, take a simple chord progression and focus on each voice: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. This can be a good way to practice controlling the strength of each finger and ensuring you can highlight the important voices in your music. By practicing this way, you’ll get better at controlling each voice in more complex pieces, too. Whether you’re playing a simple hymn or a more intricate score, you’ll be able to express each line clearly and evenly.

Embrace the Fourth Finger

The fourth finger might be a little tricky, but with patience and practice, you can gain control and strength in that finger. By focusing on clean releases, proper hand balance, and making sure you lead with the right fingers, you’ll improve your overall playing and get a more even sound. So, next time you’re practicing scales or a challenging piece, take it slow and pay attention to those little details. With time and careful practice, your fourth finger will become strong and reliable. I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Store. Thanks for joining me, and I’ll see you next time!

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Welcome to LivingPianos.com! I’m Robert Estrin. When you think of power, what comes to mind? For many pianists, the instinct is to play loudly, often pushing to the limit in order to achieve a sense of strength. But what if I told you that true power comes not from playing loudly all the time but from creating contrast? Let’s take a closer look at how this works, using the third movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata as an example.

The Fire Analogy: Power in Reserve

Imagine you’re watching a fire. If it’s just glowing embers and small flames, you feel the warmth, but there’s no real sense of danger. Now, picture the same fire, but this time, every so often, large flames burst out unexpectedly. That sudden flare gives you a sense of awe—and maybe even a little fear—because you can’t predict how much power is hidden beneath the surface. You have no idea how much energy lies in reserve.

The same principle applies to your piano playing. It’s not about playing loudly all the time. Instead, it’s about creating that same illusion of immense power by playing with contrasts—soft moments followed by loud bursts. When used effectively, this approach can make the loud parts of your playing feel far more impactful.

The Misconception of Playing Loud All the Time

Now, let’s take a look at Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata—specifically the third movement. Many pianists, when tackling this piece, struggle with the dynamics. They try to play everything with the same intensity, pushing themselves to play louder and louder. The result is often a sound that feels labored, and the sense of power is lost in the struggle.

If you take a closer look at the score, you’ll notice that almost everything is marked piano (soft), except for a couple of specific moments. By underplaying the majority of the piece and only letting the louder chords flare out, you can create the same effect as those sudden bursts of flames in a fire. When playing the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata, the key to creating the illusion of power is to lighten up everything except the moments where the loud chords come in. When you do this, the contrast between soft and loud creates a dramatic effect. The loud chords seem to explode—and this is exactly what I want to highlight.

The Secret to Creating the Illusion of Power

This technique isn’t just for the Moonlight Sonata. You can apply it to any piece of music you’re working on. If you’re struggling to achieve a sense of power or dramatic expression, try this:

• Play as softly as possible for the majority of the piece.
• Focus on achieving pianissimo (very soft) in the sections that don’t require volume.
• When it’s time for a louder section, let it truly stand out.

This way, you create a vast range of expression. It’s the difference between playing everything loud (which can wear you out and feel one-dimensional) and saving your energy for the moments when loudness truly counts. This gives the impression that your power is limitless. This technique is what many great pianists use to command attention. Take Horowitz, for instance. He was known for not playing everything loud, but when he did play loudly, it was startling. His playing gave the impression of an enormous power reserve, just waiting to be unleashed. You couldn’t hear it all the time, but when it came, it was breathtaking.

Experiment with Your Own Power

Next time you’re working on a piece, try to experiment with the power of contrast. See what happens when you reduce the volume and focus on playing softer than you normally would. Then, when you reach the louder sections, let them truly shine. With this approach, you’ll find that your playing feels more powerful, more controlled, and far more expressive. The illusion of power is all about reserve—and it can make all the difference in how your music feels to both you and your audience.

Give it a try, and let me know how it works for you. Leave a comment here at LivingPianos.com and YouTube!

Master the 5 Pillars of Piano to Dramatically Improve Your Playing

•Reading (sight-reading)
•Learning (memorizing)
•Improvising (playing by ear)
•Technique
•Theory

NEW PROGRAM

•Imagine having a step-by-step system of how to work effectively at the piano, guided by a concert pianist/educator along with a support group of like-minded individuals so you can supercharge your piano playing.

•Showing exactly how to take your reading and playing to new levels so you can play music that has always been out of reach.
Where everybody is aligned towards the same goal: dramatically improving your piano playing so you can feel confident at the piano.

•I will be coaching so you have professional guidance every step of the way. I have been teaching since assisting my father, Morton Estrin, while still in high school. Studied with great teachers from John Ogdon to Ruth Slenczynska, master classes with Byron Janis.

•Where the focus is on implementation and collaboration so you don’t have to endure long trainings all by yourself.

•It feels like hanging out with friends so you get real results in your piano playing!

Welcome to LivingPianos.com! I’m Robert Estrin. Today, we’re diving into the most deceptive chord in music: the augmented sixth chord. Now, if you’re like many people, you might have heard of it but don’t really know why it’s so special or, frankly, so tricky. So, let’s break it down in a way that makes it easy to understand and maybe even a bit fun!

What Exactly is an Augmented Sixth Chord?

At its core, the augmented sixth chord sounds like a dominant seventh chord. But here’s the twist—it’s not built on the fifth scale degree (like a normal dominant seventh). Instead, it’s built on the flatted sixth scale degree. Confused yet? No worries; we’re going to go step-by-step to clear it up.

Building the Augmented Sixth

Let’s start with a basic major scale:

• In C major, the notes are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C.
• The sixth note of the scale is A, but for the augmented sixth chord, we lower it a half-step to A-flat.

Now, you start building the chord in the typical way stacking thirds, A-flat, C, E-flat. But for the top note, instead of the 7th, G-flat, you add the augmented sixth. So, you end up with this: A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp!

That interval between A-flat and F-sharp is what makes this chord augmented—it’s the same note on the piano as the 7th of a dominant chord, G-flat, but it’s written as an augmented sixth, F-sharp, so it resolves differently, which really has an unexpected sound.

The Resolution: Where It Gets Sneaky

Normally, you would expect a dominant seventh chord to resolve to the tonic (a V-I progression). But when you play an augmented sixth chord, it deceptively resolves to a key you didn’t see coming! For example, let’s go back to that C major scale. When you play the augmented sixth chord (A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp), it doesn’t resolve to a D-flat chord like you would expect since A-flat is the V of D-flat. (Dominant 7th chords are V7 chords that resolve to I.) Instead, it resolves outward to an entirely different key, C major or minor!. It’s this surprise resolution that gives the augmented sixth its sneaky, deceptive character.

Three Varieties of the Augmented Sixth Chord

Now, here’s the fun part—there are actually three different varieties of the augmented sixth chord, each with its own little twist. Let’s take a look at them:

1. The German Sixth

The German sixth is the most commonly heard form of the augmented sixth chord. It’s made up of the following notes: A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp. It has that dominant seventh sound, but again, instead of resolving to the tonic, it resolves outward, usually to C major or minor chord with G on the bottom, the second inversion of the tonic chord. It has a fresh, unexpected sound!

2. The French Sixth

The French sixth is similar to the German sixth but with a slight twist. Instead of using the perfect fifth interval (as in the German sixth), it replaces it with an augmented fourth. This creates a different flavor, almost like a little bit of spice added to the chord. So instead of A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp, it’s A-flat, C, D, F-sharp.

This chord can resolve to either the C major chord with G on the bottom, or to a G dominant 7th chord, G, B, D, F.

3. The Italian Sixth

The Italian sixth is a simpler version, where you omit the fifth note of the chord (E-flat) and you double the third, C. This is done to provide better resolution. So this chord can also resolve to C major or minor chord in second inversion (with the G on the bottom), but also can resolve to a G dominant 7th, G, B, D, F. It still gives you that dominant seventh sound, but without the problematic parallel fifths which composers avoid in music.

The augmented sixth chord is so interesting because it’s not just a chord—it’s a way of tricking your ear. You expect it to resolve in one direction, but it surprises you by resolving somewhere else. This chord has been used in classical and modern music to create tension, surprise, and harmonic color. Once you understand how it works, you’ll start hearing it in all kinds of music, from Bach to Chopin, and even in film scores. It’s one of those “ah-ha” moments in music theory!

Wrapping It UpTo recap, the augmented sixth chord is a deceptive chord that sounds like a dominant seventh chord but is built on the flatted sixth scale degree of a scale. It has three main varieties—German, French, and Italian—each with their own distinct flavor and resolution. They’re a great tool for composers to add some unexpected drama to a piece, and now you’ll know exactly why they sound so unique!

For another deceptive chord, check these out:

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. I want to talk to you today about the three secrets of sight reading. When I was a kid, I struggled terribly with sight reading. Despite playing advanced music in high school, I could barely read the simplest pieces. It was frustrating, especially when I was expected to sight-read at a high level. Then, one day, I had an epiphany that turned everything around for me. I was reading through the orchestral part of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto in B-flat minor with my father. I missed a lot of notes, but the important part is that I never got lost. I learned something crucial that day: sight-reading is not about getting every note right—it’s about keeping the music flowing.

This moment revealed the three key secrets that helped me become a strong sight-reader. You have to combine what you see, what you hear, and what you feel. These are the three essentials you need to master if you want to improve your sight-reading.

Secret 1: What You See—Reading in Larger Groups

When you sight-read, it’s tempting to focus on each note individually. But this is a mistake. Instead of reading note by note, you need to read in larger groups—either complete measures or blocks of notes that make sense in the context of the music.

Let me show you. I pulled up a Chopin Mazurka I’ve never played or heard before, and I’m going to sight-read it. If you watch me closely, you’ll see that I don’t look at my hands. Yes, I may miss some notes here and there, but the key is to keep going. I’ll occasionally glance at my hands, but only if I have to and only with my eyes, never moving my head down. But never look down for too long. If you look too far down, you won’t be able to find your place again! What you want to do is look at groups of notes or whole measures, depending on the context. This helps you to keep track of where the music is going and avoid getting bogged down by individual notes. You’ll be able to analyze the harmony and anticipate what comes next, just like when you’re reading words on a page—you don’t look at each individual letter; you take in whole words and phrases.

Secret 2: What You Hear—Listening as You Play

Now, let’s talk about hearing. A lot of people think sight-reading is just about what you see on the page, but your ears are just as important. When you’re playing, your ear will tell you when something’s not right, and it will help you adjust as you go.

For example, if you realize you’ve played a wrong note or are in the wrong place, don’t stop to correct it. Keep moving! If you’re accompanying someone, they’ve already moved on. You have to keep up with them. Even if you’re playing solo, you still need to stay connected to the music and trust your ear to guide you back to where you need to be. If your hands are in the wrong place on the keyboard, your ears will tell you. As you look at the music, you’ll have a better sense of where you should go next if you’re listening closely. Just as in any musical performance, listening will keep you on track.

Secret 3: What You Feel—Don’t Stop, Keep the Flow Going

The last secret is about feeling the keys. It’s so important to maintain the flow and rhythm of the piece, even if you miss a note or two. You’ll notice that I didn’t stop to correct every mistake I made during my demonstration. Why? Because I was focusing on keeping the music going. When you’re reading, it can be tempting to stop after every mistake and fix it, but you’re not really getting a sense of the piece that way. Sight-reading is about getting the big picture, not about perfection. If you go through the music slowly, stoping after every mistake, and correct everything, you’re missing out on the overall experience of the piece. That all comes later in practice.

If you want to get a feel for the music, you have to keep going forward. Even if it’s slow, even if it’s a little messy, just keep the rhythm and the feel moving. You can always go back and correct things later, but in the moment, it’s more important to keep the flow of the music. I often compare this to learning how to ride a bike. When you first try it without training wheels, it feels impossible. You wonder, “How will I stay up?” But with practice, you start to find your balance. Sight reading is similar—you have to trust that the more you stay connected to the rhythm and flow of the music, the easier it will get.

Why It’s Important to Keep Going

Whether you’re playing alone or accompanying someone, you have to keep going. If you stop every time you miss a note, you’ll never get a sense of how the music feels as a whole. Sure, you want to be accurate, but accuracy isn’t the primary goal in sight-reading. You also want to get the feel of the piece—the phrasing, the rhythm, and how the harmony fits together. I encourage you to try going through a piece without stopping, even if you’re playing slowly and making some mistakes. The point is not to fix every wrong note in the moment but to keep the music moving forward, which is essential when you are playing with other people. This is how you develop a good sense of the piece.

Sight Reading Is a Skill You Can Master!

So there you have it—the three secrets to becoming a better sight reader: what you see, what you hear, and what you feel. It’s all about combining these three elements. When you can do that, sight-reading becomes less about perfection and more about getting a feel for the music. I know it can be intimidating at first. You might think, “I can’t possibly play without looking at my hands.” But trust me, you can! Just like learning to ride a bike, it gets easier with practice. So go ahead—embrace these three secrets, and start working on your sight reading. You’ll be amazed at how much you can improve with time! Thank you for joining me here at LivingPianos.com, your online piano resource. I’m Robert Estrin. Looking forward to our next musical journey together. You can check out the accompanying video to see the demonstration.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today I’ve put together a very special presentation just for you. I quickly set up the lights, got the cameras rolling, and here I am, sitting down at this magnificent Steinway concert grand, excited to share something personal with you on this beautiful evening.

I truly hope you enjoy what’s to come.

Thank you for joining me here at LivingPianos.com, your online piano resource. I’m Robert Estrin. Looking forward to our next musical journey together. You can check out the accompanying video to see the performance.