Developing a solid octave technique on the piano can be a great challenge. Many pianists want to learn how to play octaves legato (smoothly connected) instead of having them sound choppy and disconnected. There are instances where octaves should be played staccato, but there are times when octaves are meant to blend as seamlessly as possible. Today we are going to discuss some methods and techniques to help you achieve smooth legato octaves in your playing.
You might think that the pedal would be a great option. However, you shouldn’t depend upon the pedal alone to achieve connected octaves. As I’ve stated in the past, learning to play without the pedal, is a very valuable skill for your practice. The pedal should be used to enhance the music but not as a crutch to connect what you can connect with your hands.
There is a very simple technique for connecting octaves. The secret is in focusing on the notes you can connect and not trying to connect what you can’t. Instead of playing all your octaves with the first and fifth finger, try alternating the fourth and fifth finger for the top notes in the right hand and the bottom notes in the left hand. But how do you tell which fingers to alternate? It’s actually very simple; use your fifth finger on all the white keys and use your fourth finger for all the black keys.
In reality, you’re not actually connecting both notes on the octaves, but it creates a great illusion – even without the pedal!
If your hands are big enough you can utilize the third, fourth and fifth fingers with octaves.
The great thing about learning to play octaves this way is that not only does it apply to playing octaves legato, it’s a great way to play them staccato as well since you spread the work among more fingers.
I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions about this topic or any other, please email me Robert@LivingPianos.com for more information.