Group 4

 

Welcome to the NEW TWO WEEK INTENSIVE on tonebase!

 

Back by popular request, Leann Osterkamp leads a crash course on the technique behind controlling dynamics! This course is highly technical focused, exploring the different components that influence and work together to create controlled dynamic levels. After breaking down the technical aspects, we will discuss practice methods and artistic applications of what we learn.

Pianists of all levels are welcome. 

More Detailed instructions coming soon!

  • Sign-Up : March 11 - 17th
  • Course Period: March 18th - April 1st
  • Class Size: ALL are welcome!
  • Optional check-In via Zoom: March 29th at 10am PT

Link for the zoom meeting here!

 

Assignment #1

https://youtu.be/Hjph7qGtzmE?si=OWRTW4PKD7G1cS2P

 

This video explains some technical foundations necessary to begin exploring how to have mastery over controlling dynamics on the keyboard. 

 

We begin by discussing some misconceptions about dynamics. Then, we move into getting a taste of the "Drop. Stay. Move." foundational techniques. 

 

We end with an analogy to see how these techniques work together to help us control our arms and, as a result, our dynamics. 

 

This week, we are leaving your assignment open-ended intentionally, to allow you to focus on whatever aspects discussed are most impactful to you. Here are some suggestions:

 

Submit a video of you discussing challenges and successes or any questions you have.

 

Submit a performance video (could be a before and after or just a singular performance) to show how the topics discussed are manifesting in your practice/performance. 

 

This is a challenging topic, so please utilize the chat to get individual clarification, help, and feedback!

 

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 Assignment #2

 

https://youtu.be/HzjdqDe-1iQ?si=TNM_5Bn8et5wMmTo

 

 

Zoom Check-in!

https://youtu.be/IyBptp74gSs

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  • Hi everyone! I am looking forward to working with you all. Please feel free to reach out to me here with any questions, thoughts, and recordings. 🥳

    Like 2
    • Mary Mathews
    • Mary_Mathews
    • 9 mths agoMon. March 18, 2024 - 8:08 pm
    • Reported - view

    Yes, I am always thinking of gravity and dropping into the key in different ways. BUT...I'm feeling in shock at the idea of running my fingers over the keys when I MOVE rather than making an arc or rainbow through the air to the new spot! I was always taught the other way, thinking more like a dancer leaping to somewhere else or like a bird flying to another tree, to get to the next spot. I can see where moving differently would prevent a burst of sound upon landing into the new area. I'm going to experiment with this idea (DROP-STAY-MOVE) and am sure it will probably result in interesting results. Thank you!

    Like 1
    • Mary Mathews yes, the arc VISUALLY is nice but PHYSICALLY will always let us down. Think of a graph... the distance needed to travel the arc will always be much larger than the direct line on the keys.... that's why you will never be able to get to full tempo with the arc. 

       

      The arc can also lead to a lot of arm tension if you are controlling the arm during the whole motion.... it doesn't allow gravity to do its job. 

       

      It is a hard switch to make but a necessary and rewarding leap of faith :) 

      Like 2
      • Tim
      • Tim_Wong
      • 9 mths agoThu. March 21, 2024 - 10:23 pm
      • Reported - view

      Dr. Leann Osterkamp He Would you mind what you mean by an ineffective arc movement and an effective movement for leaps/jumps in a video? Sorry if i missed it, but I'm wondering if there are some nuances to this point and I'm interpreting it too literally.

       

      My thinking: You do have to raise your hand a *tiny* bit before moving horizontally (otherwise the fingers will catch on the black keys). And when you raise your hand, you would probably do a combination of moving vertically off the keyboard and horizontally at the same time. We wouldn't move vertically, then horizontally, then drop down. So there is some kind of an arc shape to the movement even though it's not necessary one of great vertical distance.

       

      Like
    • Tim I find a lot of students have a similar fear of getting "stuck" on a black key or hitting a note. However, try just resting your hand on the keyboard... you will find that you can fully rest your hand on the keyboard and notes will not sound, even if a few keys are very slightly depressed. If you slide from left to right, you will notice the same thing... you can be ON the keys without sound happening. 

       

      You also have the whole range of the key to play on, from your torso to the fallboard. We never will play in a single horizontal plane on the keys... so if you find you are stuck on a black key, simply move your hand/arm mechanism slightly more towards you, so that you avoid that. 

       

      the moral is that we never ever have to raise our hand or create any true effort upwards. :)

      Like 1
    • Michael Palmer
    • Michael_Palmer
    • 9 mths agoTue. March 19, 2024 - 4:28 pm
    • Reported - view

    Hello, I am hoping to learn how to control my volume more precisely when I play, so that I can interpret pieces with more musicality and less like just getting through them . 

    Like 1
    • Tim
    • Tim_Wong
    • 9 mths agoWed. March 20, 2024 - 5:03 pm
    • Reported - view

    Thank you for the video overview. Lots to think about here!

     

    One of the prompts I really appreciate is to review our playing and notice if there are places where we "stop." I did notice a few spots, and that gives me some actionable steps for practice. I will work on those connection points, clarify my musical intention, and decide on a specific movement pattern that I will try to execute.

     

    Just to share a specific: I am working on Ginastera's Danzas Argentinas II. Danza de la moza donosa. In Measure 24, there is a new phrase starting, with a change of color and I am really trying to manage that while playing it "sweetly and gently."  I'm spending too much (mental) effort that moment, and I notice I have a pause in my hand before playing.

     

    Like 1
    • Tim Yes, rests can be our best friend AND our enemy. Often times, we see the rest and our brain goes "yay, I can ignore this hand for a while and focus on the other hard stuff." What happens is that our hand then freezes in place and when it comes time to play again, we have to release, move, plan.... and it all falls apart. 

       

      Make sure you think about moving your RH up to the next location much earlier than you would think. This is hard while left hand is playing, but necessary. Mentally, even think of the tied A natural as an eighth note and immediately have your RH in the next location before your left hand even hits middle C!

      Like 1
    • Marcus Boman
    • marcus
    • 9 mths agoThu. March 21, 2024 - 5:39 am
    • Reported - view

    Hi, I'm at the moment practising Schubert's Piano Sonata No. 13 in A Major Op. 120 D. 664 II. Andante, and when I saw this dynamics twi I thought it could help me with playing the chords in this piece (but also with other music too). 

    Like 1
    • Steve
    • Steve.9
    • 8 mths agoMon. March 25, 2024 - 10:43 am
    • Reported - view

    The week 2 video has a long title screen, so skip to the 4:02 mark to get started.

    Like
    • Steve Yes, apologies... technology was not my friend :) 

      Like 1
    • Marcus Boman
    • marcus
    • 8 mths agoWed. March 27, 2024 - 6:06 pm
    • Reported - view

    Here's a short video from the start of Schubert Piano Sonata No. 13 in A, D664 - 2. Andante, where I'm struggling with the dynamics (and voicing). There are also two bars where I have to stretch my hand quite a lot and play forte in one of them where my hand is not very relaxed

    Like 1
    • Marcus Boman great work!

       

      ”stretch” is a word we want to eliminate from piano technique. Instead, we want to create maximum efficiency in our “move” so that we are simply moving between notes at a rapid rate so that we don’t have to stretch. With larger chords that you feel you must stretch, that has to do more with issues in placement of our hand. I noticed that some of your fingerings were causing your control to be quite difficult. I also noticed that a lot of times you were not utilizing the whole range of the key (not just side to side but also in and out and diagonal), not positioning in an optimal way, or not angling your hand in a way that would help. 
       

      hope these ideas help with the issues you mentioned :) 

      Like
      • Marcus Boman
      • marcus
      • 8 mths agoSat. March 30, 2024 - 11:28 am
      • Reported - view

      Dr. Leann Osterkamp He 

      thank you very much for your comments. This was the first time I made a recording and shared it ( not very fond of playing in front of an audience), but maybe I should make recordings more often to analyze my playing myself?

      You gave me valuable information about my playing. I try to focuse to points you mentioned.

      Looking forward to the articulation course 😊🎶

      Like
    • Mary Mathews
    • Mary_Mathews
    • 8 mths agoFri. March 29, 2024 - 3:54 pm
    • Reported - view

    By thinking about this topic deeply for the past two weeks, I find that I am approaching my playing and teaching differently. The idea of doing the percentage mapping of a piece really helps me to look at the overall dynamic structure FIRST and then I can practice accordingly. More than that, it made me realize that unless I've played the piece for a very long time, I really have not thought about dynamics nearly enough. I don't have a video to share, but I've definitely gained a lot from this crash course and know it will continue to influence my overall practice routine. Thank you!

    Like 2
    • Rashmi Lahiri
    • Doctor
    • Rashmi_Lahiri
    • 8 mths agoSat. March 30, 2024 - 10:57 am
    • Reported - view

    Dr. Leann Osterkamp He

    A new world for me, as a newbie, this very different and detailed approach to planning before playing. Love it! Will take me years to internalise and implement, but I am starting now 😊. My newbie question is: when you mention these % s, do these correspond to a ‘master template’ of the range, ppp to fff; when we decide how to shape a passage, we choose from this template (of motor skills) rather than deciding the % and weight drop from individual pieces?

    hope my question makes sense.

    Like
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