What is your method?

Another myth to debunk: you don't play only with your fingers!

Unfortunately, at the Conservatory I attended until a few years ago (I avoid saying which one), it was a fairly common opinion among pianists that one should play the piano sitting straight on the stool, motionless, without moving the shoulders, moving only the fingers. If I were to play like that, people who know me would laugh in my face because I become a different person This is not good in music!

Look, I believe that "technique" must adapt to the anatomy and psyche of the pianist. I cannot teach one of my students to play exactly as I play: that would be absurd!

As far as I am concerned, I am asking myself many questions and I have understood that the whole body contributes to playing: the shoulders, elbows, wrists, chest, abdomen, legs, and even the anal sphincter and eyebrows One must alternate moments of tension, almost of "effort" (careful, effort is not the same as rigidity), and moments of "floating". Some teachers would fail me for this approach of mine: patience! The result is what counts. Logically, the road is long and I certainly know less than a teacher; but I believe I am on the right track.

Excuse some “little undiplomatic” phrases!

I am not a presumptuous person. But things have happened in the past that have left me with a feeling of anger.

thanks Simon!!! you really reassured me. coincidentally I am actually learning the K330 right at this moment... the first movement for now, by memory. with a bit of difficulty but less than I thought. I realize that having the score in mind, even if you make it available, gives you a security that you otherwise wouldn't have, and this also helps a lot with the interpretative part.

in terms of Hanon, I have always done a lot of it, when I was studying as a young girl, and also now that I have resumed after so many years. but I am not sure if it is truly of any help. in every piece there is always a bar or two that is critical which, despite Hanon and Hanon, I have difficulty resolving. so perhaps Chang's method, which is also what you suggest in the end, of working on the piece, is the best.

the only thing is that I didn't quite understand how the parallel sets that his method is based on are applied. do you know anything about it? the book (at least the first edition in Italian and the second in English) can be downloaded from the internet.

congratulations to Francesco for the brilliant result!

Ceci wrote:

so perhaps Chang's method, which is also what you are ultimately proposing, of working on the piece, is the best.

l the only thing is that I didn't quite understand how the parallel sets upon which his method is based are applied. do you know anything about it? the book (at least the first Italian edition and the second English edition) can be downloaded from the internet.

If you mean Chuan Chang-i Fundamentals of Piano Study, I had created this old topic, there is something online

http://www.pianoconcerto.it/forum/index.php?/topic/626-chuan-chang-i-fondamenti-dello-studio-del-pianoforte/

I accept compliments for musical results, not for the grade which is just a number, even though it is very pleasing to have it high.

Congratulations on the grade and for your dedication. I haven't intervened until now, but I have read carefully. For Ceci: The 330 was also a youthful study sonata for me. Francescochopin90: I am pleased that you make certain observations and clarifications regarding the pedal. That one does not play with fingers alone is evident, and if you are making these considerations, it means that your level of technique and technical research is "advanced". Congratulations again

francescochopin90 wrote:

On 17/10/2014 at 20:57, francescochopin90 says:

I believe that if the fingering is consistent with the gesture, it holds true both in slow tempo and in speed. If instead a new fingering is necessary at speed, then it was inconsistent with the gesture.

Moreover, I have my own idea of speed. There isn't "a specific tempo" for every piece, but there is "the tempo" coinciding with our breath. A largo involves fewer notes per breath, a presto many notes within the same breath. But the tempo is always the same! The tempo of our soul! The tempo of our breath! And it is cyclical within the piece. Many will tell me something about what I have stated, but this is how I think and this is how I play.

I agree with the Hanon method as long as music is being made. I repeat: with the piano, one can make ONLY music!

Let's take exercise number 1. The pianistic breath is this: you start with calm, you reach the tension of the upbeat, and you return to the calm of the following downbeat. This must be rendered through sound and, to a small extent, also through agogics. It applies to Hanon too, why not! On the upbeat, I would even add a tiny bit of pedal.

Let's apply this reasoning to individual cells: Do mi fa sol la sol fa mi re. The do is in calm, tension increases up to the sol, the la is already in the phase of returning to calm which is realized in the re, and the same game repeats in the next cell.

Then we expand the discussion. The first notes of each cell together form a scale: do re mi fa sol la si do. Same thing: do in calm, maximum tension, the si brings the calm that is realized with the do. We can increase the tension by increasing the dose of pedal at each upbeat of every cell time after time.

You will say: but it's an exercise. And I answer: what better exercise is there than moving fingers and feet in sync with the breath? If you learn it with Hanon, you can apply it to any piece!

Compliments, I like your idea of "humanized" speed through breathing