Piano Technique: Circular Playing

Lesson Goal: To learn how to change direction at the piano without stopping, thus eliminating muscle tension, enabling physical ease, and ensuring musical continuity…

Circular Playing YouTube

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Video Highlights

• Just as there are three dimensions in space there are three dimensions at the piano: up / down, left / right, and forward / back.
• We also have three rotations, one for each of these three dimensions.
• The key to changing directions is to never stop moving and to always moves in curves.
• Stopping creates at least two problems: invites muscle tension to set in almost immediately and interrupts the physical continuity of the music.
• The key to changing direction without stopping can be accomplished by “circular playing”. To get the picture, imagine the sweeping circular arm, hand, and baton motions of a conductor leading an orchestra… always flowing curves, never abrupt changes of direction.
• Such circular playing is impossible if you’re “all fingers”.
• Such flowing choreography is a perfectly natural process–tracing out curves by simply outlining where the notes on the keyboard are in three dimensional space and time.

So, incorporate circular playing into all your music making and enjoy the results!

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learn more… Piano Technique