Jeffrey Biegel: Ask me anything!

Jeffrey IS HERE AS OUR NEXT FEATURED "ASK ME ANYTHING" GUEST!

An heir to the legacy of Josef Lhevinne and Adele Marcus, Jeffrey Biegel has garnered a reputation as a prolific pianist and sought-after teacher.

Considered the most prolific artist of his generation, Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA, conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters upon Mr. Biegel, for his achievements in performance, recordings, chamber music, champion of new music, composer, arranger and educator.

 

It should be noted that Jeffrey is particularly a master of double notes, one of the more frightening technical challenges in the piano literature! If you have questions regarding this, be sure to ask!

WATCH His EXCLUSIVE TONEBASE LESSONS HERE:

Technical Regimen

Scales Deep Dive

9 Practice Tips on Liszt's Feux Follets

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

  • Ask your questions right here until November 11th!
  • Jeffrey will answer questions from November 14-18th!
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    • Michael
    • Art Historian, Musculoskeletal Radiologist, Former Harpsichordist
    • MichaelP
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Your brilliant and powerful technique, and the training method you demonstrate on Tonebase, appears to be driven by force and motion at the level of the digits. Your fingers appear to make wide excursions up and down as you play each note. The sound you get is amazing.

     

    The exercises in your Tonebase regimen strengthen the force that can be generated by each digit independently, and increase the range of motion of each digit. In passing, you mention the goal of learning to “play to the bottom of the key”. You also demonstrate (octave exercises, some double note examples) exertion of force and wide range of motion (flexion/extension) from the wrist. 

     

    Some other teachers espouse a very different technique, argued to avoid injury, in which force is said to be generated by “gravity”, or by “rotation” (pronation/supination) of the hand. For them, the fingers serve a more passive role of directing the force from the arm to the correct keys, minimizing motion of the wrist and fingers, and avoiding positioning at the extremes. There is talk of depressing each key by a separate release of the forearm so that its weight is transferred through stiffened fingers.  Some suggest that “playing to the bottom of the key” is an invitation to injury by exerting unnecessary force without sonic effect. Others suggest that the “weakness” of the 4th and 5th fingers is corrected simply by a reorientation of the hand and wrist without the need for strengthening.

     

    I’m perplexed by the diversity of these (in some respects mutually exclusive) approaches.

     

    In your experience, can this digitally-driven approach be accomplished by most people without injury? In performance (rather than just when training technically or exaggerating for the purposes of demonstration) do you still focus on the digital technique, or do the other approaches play an equally important role?

    Like 3
      • Bryan
      • Bryan
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      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.

      Like 2
      • Michael
      • Art Historian, Musculoskeletal Radiologist, Former Harpsichordist
      • MichaelP
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      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?

      Like
    • Bryan Thank you for that video Bryan! 

      Like
    • 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.

      Like 1
    • 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.

      Like 1
      • Michael
      • Art Historian, Musculoskeletal Radiologist, Former Harpsichordist
      • MichaelP
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Jeffrey Biegel Jeffrey Biegel Thanks for your thoughtful reply!

      Like 1
    • Tammy
    • TT2022
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Jeffrey! Nice to meet you and thank you for giving us this opportunity to ask you questions. My question is about the descending double thirds passage in the first movement of the Grieg piano concerto — it happens twice, in both expo and recap sections marked Animato. 

    Here is a photo of that passage. I find that sometimes, I break down in the middle of the passage and I would love to be able to play it with 100% confidence, without fear of any mishaps! You can see the fingering I’m using in the photo. 

    Would love to hear any advice you have on this. Thank you! 

    Like
    • 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.

      Like 1
    • Victorino
    • Victorino
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Jeffrey! Thank you for your previous videos on Tonebase, they are very implementable and insightful. My question is on how you would approach a piece like Der Contrabandiste by Tausig/Schumann, short but full of challenges specially related to articulation and the repeated note section? 

     

    Thank you! 

    Like 1
    • 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.

      Like 1
  • Hi Jeffrey! I LOVED all of your videos so far!!! 
    My question is about piano practice in general. I’m a conservatory student and I sometimes struggle with my organization. How do you organize your own practice sessions? Do you plan it in a journal and, if so, how precise is your plan?

    Thank you!!!

     

    PS : maybe you knew my own teacher? His name is Michel Franck and he studied with Adele Marcus as well :)

    Like
    • 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.

      Like 1
    • emilytian
    • emilytian
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Jeffrey. Me and my students loved all of your videos, it's has been very helpful for the students who are currently struggling about techniques. 

    My question is , is it true that you can't have artistic freedom if you don't have technical freedom? What if students between 16 - 20 years old who doesn't have perfect technique, but nearly perfect sense of articulation and story telling want's to pursuing piano performance as a career,  would you still be encouraging them to go on this path , or give them other relative options for their career? Since there are age physical limitation on piano study. 

     

    Thank you very much for you time. 

    Like 1
    • 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.

      Like 2
    • PeighK
    • PeighK
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    I would like to know how you personally approach and learn a new piece of music. If relevant perhaps you could go into any differences due to time pressure (if you have to learn it really fast, for example), memorization (or not), chamber music vs solo, recording vs live, etc. Mostly, however, what is the best way to create a thorough, secure knowledge of the piece so as to feel free in performance. Thank you. 

    Like 1
    • 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.

      Like 1
    • ALICE
    • ALICE.1
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Dear Jeffrey, Thank you for sharing your expertise with us at Tonebase. I am an adult beginner (started since the pandemic). I have two questions:

    1. Timing/rhythm is a huge challenge for me in both singing and playing piano. I do better on sub-divisions but not on a steady pulse. What would be your specific suggestions to consistently improve this area? My teacher tells me to use metronome to start the beat and then turns it off, to not to play mechanically. 

    2. The technique my teacher teaches me is arm and wrist motions (rotation, lateral motion etc), but never any finger exercise (except scales/arps) such as Hanon. Your technique series shows your emphasis on finger strength. I'm curious how you would modify your teaching to a mid-life adult beginner. Do you think the Hanon exercise/finger development still important?  

    Appreciate your feedback!

    Like
    • 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.

      Like 1
    • Michael M
    • Michael.16
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Thank you Jeffrey for your chord stretch routine, this has helped me change my entire perspective on chord playing which I've struggled with for a long time!

     

    As a teacher, how do you keep students engaged and involved? 

    Like
    • 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.

      Like 1
  • You’ve probably already been asked but here’s my question: when you do no pedal practice, do you put on the pedal when the passage is effortless? And the second part is knowing or getting a sense of when to slowly get faster in a passage

    Like
    • 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.

      Like 1
  • Hi Jeffrey! I have a few questions for you.

     

    1. I'm interested in learning "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson and arranged for piano by Andrew Gentile. I was wondering if you could provide me with any suggestions/techniques/tricks on how to go about learning this particular piece?

     

    2. I would like to get more comfortable with playing octaves, especially in pieces like Chopin's Scherzo No. 3 in c-sharp minor and Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6. Any specific drills I could be doing?

     

    3. Speaking about Chopin's Scherzo No. 3, to this day I've always had difficulty playing both hands together and it sounding effortlessly beginning at the cascading arpeggio sections. I've attached a picture to show you one of the spots where the piece has these figures. My left hand always seems to get tripped up and it feels awkward. Your advice would be greatly appreciated on how to tackle these sections.

     

    Thank you very much for your time and expertise!

     

    Take care,

    Ben

    • 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.

      Like
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