Jeffrey Biegel: Ask me anything!

I'd also like to add to Michael's question: there's a video I've seen from a pianist named Bennett Lerner (linked to the specific part below), who had learned to practice with very high fingers from Sascha Gorodnitzki, a student of Josef Lhevinne. He felt pain, and was told to power through it (he decided to leave the teacher instead). I wonder what your opinion is on this, as it seems like you've also been taught to practice a similar way, coming from the same grand-teacher.

Bryan Thanks for providing this link to a valuable presentation of Arrau’s teaching on technique,, which does seem the polar opposite of Professor Biegel’s. Playing is driven by upper extremity motion through stiffened fingers kept in an anatomically relaxed position.

Professor Biegel: In practice, do you incorporate elements Arrau’s upper extremity technique, or do you think of it as the road not chosen?

Bryan Thank you for that video Bryan! 

Michael Thank you for your question. Basically, playing to the bottom key has nothing to do with force or anything that can cause unnecessary muscular use. It is meant to avoid a superficial glossing over the keys, without making sure you reach the bottom of the keys. There honestly isn't much depth to a piano key, and does not require such a force that causes physical injury. I actually believe that the fingers follow the voice. I teach students to sing when they practice so the fingers are only reflecting the music being made by the core of the body. The fingers are attached to the bridge, to the wrist, to the elbows, to the shoulders. In reality, the fingers are quite detached from the actual body. Like a tree, the fingers are like the leaves.

I don't advocate attention on the fingers to do all the work. The weight of the sound comes from the body, the back forward toward the instrument. Think of the keyboard like a tennis court. You move your body to where the ball is coming toward you, and to where you want to send the ball.

When I say to use the wrist, the wrist is merely a separation between the forearm and the fingers. The looseness of the wrist to never tighten is what helps the fingers move freely. I also advocate using the arms for a pianist much a like a conductor might for an orchestra, or a string player does with a bow. Nothing should ever be tight or constricted. Imagine a ballet dancer with tight wrists. That is a base of comparison for a pianist to understand how to use their total body in playing the keyboard. The word 'gravity' is perfect, as you say, because doing anything against gravity creates tension, whether the arms, wrists, etc. The neck is another issue, as well as shoulders. Many pianists hunch their shoulders or have tight wrists. Both constrict the natural plow of playing. This is why I like to sing out loud when practicing. The voice is seemless, without separations, like fingers. Singing, over time, creates a seemless quality to playing.

Bryan I don't know what to say about the high finger technique. I was taught that earlier on as well. My guess to that theory is, like anything else, nothing in excess. Raising the fingers first to get motion of the fingers from a higher point dropping into the keys, is ok, as long as it is not overdone or to excess. This can lead to injury. It also avoids that superficial light playing that lacks depth of tone, just brushing through the hammers lightly. That is like dusting the keys - which is good for certain music and for certain effect. Adele Marcus taught everything with the idea of a free wrist behind it all. This is why I never hand issues. High fingers with tight wrists will be a bad thing. Adele Marcus used to relax the wrist often. I think this is why her sound was so beautiful, because nothing was ever constricted or strained - or overly played.

Jeffrey Biegel Jeffrey Biegel Thanks for your thoughtful reply!

Tammy One thought might be to try sliding the lower note finger 2 to 2 in the following thirds: m41 beat 1: 3rd to 4th sixteenth (4/2 to 3/2), beat 3: 2nd to 3rd sixteenth, beat 4: 3rd to 4th sixteenth; m42 beat 2: 2nd to 3rd sixteenth, beat 3: 3rd to 4th sixteenth. This takes the pressure off the thumb, which creates a thud and also overtaxes the thumb. Please let me know if this helps.

Victorino Repeated notes is always a challenge. Every hand is different. I might try using 3-1-3-1-3-1-3-1 on those repeated Gs, or 3-2-3-2-3-2-3-2. I like the 3-1 to relax the palm of the hand. Another way to nail these down trying different fingerings until you find one that feels good without tightening the wrist or arm, is to shift the accent on the 2nd or 4th sixteenth to reinforce the finger playing the repeated note on that note. Slowly is good practice too. You can also try what I call the 'add-a-note' technique. Play the first note, then play it again but add the next note. Go back and do the first two and add the third, etc etc. Try: measure 1: on the repeated Ds: 2-1 then beat 2 repeated Gs 3-1-3-1; measure 2: beat 1: 3-1-3-1 beat 2: 3-2-1-2. M3 ok. measure 4: beat 1: 1-3-2-1 beat 2: 3-1-3-1, measure 5: beat 1: 3-1-3-1 beat 2: 3-2-1-2. As you can see, I am avoiding the use of the fourth finger. Some prefer to use it, though. Every hand is different. I would suggest trying different things until you feel you have arrived at something that you can play without being stressed or tense with.

Lea Gariepy Hi Lea! Thank you for sharing this! I like to start with a simple diminished seventh chord, just to open the hand, lift the fingers individually without tension, then some Hanon any 2 or 3 from 1-20 to loosen up. It is like lubricating the hands, much like the oil can to the Tin Man in 'The Wizard of Oz'! Varying your organization is good too, so you don't get bored or lose focus and attention. Change the diminished seventh chord like C-Eb-F#-A-C one day, to G-Bb-C#-E-G another day. Make sure you have the 2nd and 3rd fingers on the sharps/flats for the shape of the hand. I believe the technical regimen videos explain all of this, and I also outline the organization of this regiment in those videos. Don't do everything the same every day. You might also do a four day scale/arpeggio schedule, for example:

Day 1: Major scales and Arpeggios: C, G, D

           minor scales and arpeggios: a, e, b

Day 2: Major: A, E, B

           minor: f#, c#, g#

Day 3: Major: F, Bb, Eb

            minor: d, g, c

Day 4: Major: Ab, Db, Gb

            minor: f, Bb, eb

Work on your new pieces, sightread alittle on pieces a level easier than what you are playing, and review an old piece, perhaps something different every day.

Another thing to do is play in the air, and sing what you are playing in the air. This eliminates the actual keyboard and connects your body with your hands and fingers so you are free. I find this to help in memory as well, because the tactile connection to keys is missing. You are relying on musical memory and singing.

emilytian Artistic freedom is totally separate. How we feel about music, respond to it and feel the way we would like to play it is something from the inside out. Knowing what tastes good doesn't necessarily mean we have the abilities to cook the food, right? But, we have to create a toolbox with everything in it to work with to slowly create that fabulous meal - that fabulous piece of music. I think no matter your age, learn and play music that you can physically handle, learn without making yourself crazy, and achieve a result in a timely manner.

A career path is an entirely different subject. There are many ways to carve a career in music. There is playing, solo music, chamber music, collaborative piano, choral accompanying, vocal coaching, pedagogy, creating a summer camp and teaching piano in it, having recitals where you can play as well as your students, etc. The idea of a career as a pianist can mean many different things. It isn't just having 35 concertos to play with orchestras, or solo recitals only. I think having music in one's life is what makes them who they are. They can go into medicine, law, education, etc, but still have music in their lives. There are many orchestras comprised of volunteer musicians who have day jobs, but love getting together to make beautiful music with orchestral repertoire. people can have day jobs and create or join existing piano groups.

PeighK There are many ways. This is a wonderful question, and I am glad you asked. Like reading a book, we often read the summary on the inside cover pages to get an idea of what the book is about. Read through a piece, mistakes and all, and just see if it is a piece you relate to and want to play. In the end, you have to play it because you love it. No use playing, or being forced to play anything you don't feel attracted to from the inside out. If otherwise, one will manufacture music, thinking about it and how to make it effective, because it is not part of their totality. After reading through, be practical and figure out how much you want to learn each day. Some people like to find the most challenging passages and get those nailed down first. I like getting right to the dirty work. Opposite practice is fun to do. Anything legato, practice staccato. And vice versa. Add-a-note technique by playing note 1, then play it again adding note 2, etc until you have the fluidity of the passage. Practice without pedal - very important. Pure legato is connecting one note to the next - not letting the pedal do it. Hope these ideas are helpful.

ALICE Great questions! I think the weak beats are very important for pulse. You can emphasize the weak beats by saying or singing out loud "1 'AND' 2 'AND'", or, 1-E-and-A 2-E-and-A emphasizing the the 2nd and 4th notes. here's a metronome trick: rather than making the metronome the strong beats or downbeats, make those ticks the weak beats! yes! Not easy, but very helpful. It forced YOU to feel the pulse from the inside out, rather than the metronome drilling it into you from the outside in.

For you, perhaps doing Hanon detached, rather than legato, might help. Then, do legato so you can truly feel the difference between detached and legato. Finger strength evolves over time. Like weight lifters, they can't rush the process. Do what feels natural to you.

Michael M Variety. And move on to things to learn more and more. Get a piece to a good level, and learn more. Sometimes learning a new piece helps the older piece feel better because it is fresh, or, because there are similarities of rhythms, fingerings etc. Having them do some mechanics first, much like ballet classes start at the barre, helps loosen everything up. We have to start the car before it goes from 0 to 60 mph! Ask them what they might like to learn. Ask them to create a written list of music they like, or pieces they have heard that they might like to study. Loving a piece is half the battle before starting to learn it. I also like the Robert Starer Rhythmic Training book, because it is challenging to be able to conduct or clap the beats and say the rhythms out loud 'Ta - ta - tee-tee-tee-tee ta - ta' etc. Singing out loud also brings the music out of them. They can sightread and sing what they see, because their own vocal instrument relates to what the eye sees quicker than the fingers. Here's a phrase: Sing what you see; play what you sing.

Mathias Regenberg Good questions! Practice without pedal first is good. But do read through a new piece and use the feet naturally, how you might hear it in your head before you play it. No pedal practice is good for playing cleanly first. The pedal just seasons the sound, or helps to connect where the fingers simply cannot.

For getting gradually faster in a passage, first get an idea of just how fast the passage will need to be at its fastest. I usually use the voice as a rule because we really should only play as quickly as we can sing something.

Benjamin Woodard Hi Ben!

So, for the "Sleigh Ride", there are basically no tricks, but to merely learn it as written. It will feel comfortable after a while. Slow practice, do the 'add-a-note' technique by adding a note after the first note, then play that again and add the next, and so on. For the big jumps, double the jumps so the written ones won't seem as difficult.

Octaves - one way to play them seamlessly is to do what I say above. Play one octave, then two, then three, then four and keep playing until you have the passage. Don't over do or practice it too long. You don't want to tax the wrist more than you would simply playing the passage.

Cascading passages in the Chopin Scherzo: do hands apart staccato, then together, then legato. The opposite practice helps.Then do beat to beat, like the four sixteenths beat 2 to beat 3, then beat 3 to 4 etc. Also, take every two notes and make one interval so you feel the music in the hands, rather than just separate sixteenths. Also, try the four sixteenths in different rhythmic formations like: two sixteenths followed by two eights, or first sixteenth as a dotted sixteenth followed by three 32nd notes for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sixteenths.