Unless you have a compelling reason to change fingers, it’s perfectly rational and musical to simply re-use the same finger. In other words, changing fingers is not a rule. There are, however, at least two compelling reasons to consider changing fingers: Changing fingers may be required to get your arm, hand, and fingers into an … Continue reading Piano Technique: Do You Change Fingers on Repeated Notes?
Category: Piano Technique
Learn how to move your body in a way that fluently expresses your musical intentions
Piano Technique: Proprioception & Visualization
Proprioception, sometimes called the sixth sense, is essential for the proper coordination of all our body motions... Proprioception in Action Let's do an experiment: Close your eyes and set your hands in your lap. With your eyes still closed, lift your left hand and touch your left index finger to the tip of your nose. … Continue reading Piano Technique: Proprioception & Visualization
Piano Technique: Muscle Memory
Muscle Memory is developed every time we repeat a motor activity (also known as practicing) until it becomes automatic... Muscle Memory Defined When a particular movement is repeated again and again, a long-term, sub-conscious memory is created for that movement, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. This process, called automatization, makes complex … Continue reading Piano Technique: Muscle Memory
Piano Technique: Micro-Lessons
Short & sweet insights to get your whole attitude toward Piano Technique moving in the right direction...
Piano Technique: Visio-Spatial Awareness: Major Triads
Using the major triads as an example, we are going to explore the sometimes-quirky patterns on the piano keyboard... ... and the impact, both mental and physical, on our technique. Enjoy! https://youtube.com/watch?v=EIzsdIiEaLA&
Piano Technique: Octaves Made Easy
As usual, it is not by brute force that we conquer the piano, but my the mindful use of our bodies... https://youtube.com/watch?v=gfC7Kzr3EAk&
Piano Technique: Prepared or Unprepared Attack?
The word attack is way too harsh and forceful, literally and figuratively, to describe what your body does to get a piano key to go down... But "attack" is so widely used in piano circles that using another word might cause confusion, so it will have to do for now. Two Kinds of Attacks A … Continue reading Piano Technique: Prepared or Unprepared Attack?
Piano Technique: “Fast” Versus “Slow” Playing
Did you know... that the real reason we can't play something "fast" is that we don't know how to play it "slow" either... learn more... Piano Technique
Piano Technique: Connect the Dots
Welcome to a lesson that illustrates the critical importance of momentum, preparation, and continuity in fluid technique... A Thought Experiment Imagine that each dot below represents a note in a legato phrase of music in all of its dimensions: sight, sound, thought, emotion, location on the piano keyboard, and position of your body parts in … Continue reading Piano Technique: Connect the Dots
Piano Technique: Fingering Revisited
Good fingering and good technique are inseparable, but "good fingering" is so much more than just knowing which finger goes on which key... If you want to take your playing to the next level, you must appreciate two other important factors: where and how your fingers make contact with the keys. https://youtube.com/watch?v=v9-a8ElhVB0 learn more... Piano … Continue reading Piano Technique: Fingering Revisited