Week 1: Improving Your Right-Hand Thumb Technique with Piotr Kozłowski
Welcome to Week 1 of the latest Two-Week Intensive!
For Week 1, Piotr has curated an assignment to work on below.
1. Please view Piotr’s video
2. Work on the exercises!
3. Post your progress and video so that Piotr can observe and provide further feedback!
Video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoyLJR3UVYo
Attached above, are two samples and downloadable exercises from the “School of Virtuosity!”
Thumb Exercise:
Record yourself playing the thumb exercise (Sample No. 1), cycling through all the keys starting from C Major.
Use the following fingering:
- For C–Eb: 12121
- For E–G: 13131
- For Ab–B: 14141
Stretching:
Stretch before and after the exercise using Sample No. 2.
Practice Tips:
Practice daily, and monitor your progress, focusing on the movement and how you're using your thumb, especially on black keys.
47 replies
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Hi Everyone,
I’m here if you need me and will be happy to answer any questions you may have :) Hope you enjoy this little challenge!
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On Exercise #2, I cannot reach a minor 10th (thumb on middle C and 5th on Eb). Do you have a suggested note modification?
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Would this also be useful for the left hand? Also, my piano is down for hammer replacements and I have a keyboard loaner. Any changes necessary for a keyboard? I've never played one before :-) Thank you for doing this!
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Thanks Piotr for doing the first week of this TWI. I can't quite manage the minor 10th (yet). I am using f# instead of f natural.
We moved house some months ago and my studio stuff is not yet re-connected so that will be an added outcome of this short course.
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How do we up upload mp4 files? I recorded 3 scales from Exercise 1 to one file and 3 dom 7th chord exercises to the other file. I am guessing the files are too large since I tried to upload from my phone and I got an error message.
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I had surgery recently to correct trigger finger which has left my hands still swollen. Prior to the surgery I could reach the F# and Eb. Now my fingers don't spread that much so I'm modifying what notes to play on the first exercise. I'm hoping this will give me some mobility down the road. I like the ideas so i'll stick with it.
Thanks for the new ideas.
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Hello Piotr!
Thank you for these exercises.
For exercise #2, I am only doing the first half measure, as you suggested for Ellen. I have a little trouble with the lower half. I notice your wrist is raised. Mine is raised even further and it feels quite stiff/tense, especially when I play the note on the 3rd finger. Is this something that should improve as I practice more? Or do I need to try something simpler to help lead up to that configuration?
Thank you.
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Here is my Day 1 of Exercise 1. I played Eb, G and B scales with the 121, 131, 141 fingerings. I found that the 141 fingerings to be the most awkward, particularly the Ab and Bb major scales.
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Here is my Day 1 of Exercise 2 using 3 dominant 7th chords. I didn’t play the 2nd half as I cannot reach a 10th. Not very even and hit some wrong notes. Can only improve from here.
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Hi Piotr. I just wanted to thank you for the tutorial. My RH is a problem due to being left handed. I feel this exercise is the one which can improve my RH. I was curious and watched your perfomances on YT. You're wonderful pianinst. Fortunate to learn from you.
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Hi Piotr. Thanks for these exercises. Here are short clips of my initial try. I think my fingers are a little stiff?
https://youtube.com/shorts/KGGe0Gub6iM?feature=shared
Here is a video (painful to watch! 😲) of the stretching exercises. I assume these would get easier and more fluid with time.
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Hi Piotr!
Here are my videos after 1 day trying to follow your advice re exercise 2. I have only included short sections so as not to bore you with too many mistakes, but hopefully these will be adequate to gain some feedback.
Thank you!
Michele
Exercise 1, with 1-2 fingering
https://youtube.com/shorts/95srCJJwgPo?feature=shared
Exercise 1, with 1-3 fingering
https://youtube.com/shorts/bRxej6dckp8?feature=shared
Exercise 1, with 1-4 fingering (obviously a lot more practice needed!)
https://youtube.com/shorts/VtCVcX34bEo?feature=shared
Exercise 2, first few - feeling looser on these compared with my first attempt.
https://youtube.com/shorts/O9QDSBfIWi0?feature=shared
Exercise 2, really really awkward when thumb is on black key and index finger is on a white key!