In piano playing, there is something comforting about hard facts – given that so much of what we do is subjective and not always so easy to pin down. Players in one camp object to the way players in another camp do things, and we only have to look at the world in general to see that hostility will ensue when fundamentalist thinking is involved. One hard fact should be apparent, that there is no one correct way to play the piano!
One of the great piano teachers, Theodor Leschetizky, claimed he had no technical method as such. His approach was a deep knowledge of the score, right down to the minutest detail, from which he helped the student find a technical solution. Because of his place in history, Leschetizky insisted on a thorough technical training via scales, chords, double notes and studies (mainly by his teacher, Carl Czerny) and he produced many notable and successful pianists. To suggest his students succeeded despite this regime of studies and exercises strikes me as arrogant in the extreme.
Theodor Leschetizky
I think we can all agree that one of the greatest impediments to fine and natural piano playing is tension. Much has been written about tension, especially on how to deal with the physical manifestations of it at the keyboard. I am very interested in helping pianists move more freely at the piano and do so all the time, but no amount of technical work will completely solve the problem if the tension originates in the mind.
One place where tension might manifest is during leaps and jumps, and may very well start with a thought:
This leap is dangerous and difficult, and I might land on the wrong notes and mess it all up!
If we are scared, we become frozen – literally scared stiff and unable to move freely. Mental tension translates into physical or muscular tension, and muscular tension results in immobility.
In a jump, we need to be aware of how we release the note(s) we are jumping from, rather than focussing only on the note(s) we need to land on. If we release the key(s) freely and with enough thrust, we are mobile and can land anywhere we want on the keyboard. Once we begin to trust the basic truth of this concept, we notice our results improve and we become less scared.
Leaps or jumps require a certain discipline in practice, so we don’t have to think about them as we play. A few months ago I recorded a series of three videos for Pianist Magazine on dealing with the subject of tension and the second of these, on managing leaps and position changes, has just been released on YouTube. I hope my video will give you a few ideas you can apply to your own practice.
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This is an important concept. Many times we, or our students, find large leaps intimidating. For my own playing, I found that finding some sort of imagery can help remove the tension and increase accuracy. I imagined tossing my hand and arm to the note. It was a picture that created a relaxed flow and also increased accuracy.
Thanks so much for your comments, Elaine. Imagery is such a vital ingredient of what we do at the piano, using it can help solve many a problem.
Great advice Graham, one thing I always struggled with was tight muscles when it came to jumps due to the fear of not landing on the correct key.
Hello Graham, I just discovered your site and what a find! I was looking for tips on playing piano softly (enjoyed that post). And then I decided to check out your blog. Your observation has broad application. So often we are indeed focused on where we are going in life that we miss where we are — and how wonderful for us to acknowledge where we are and release that moment before moving on to the next one! I was just experiencing this on guitar, with which I have less experience. After reading your post above, I realized that I was so focused on where my fingers are supposed to land on the fretboard that I was not paying attention to the release.The way you discuss the notions of release and thrust makes it easy to remember and grasp … your tip for releasing the notes on the piano and letting your hands land in your lap is fantastic. This text from your post above especially resonated with me: “…no amount of technical work will completely solve the problem if the tension originates in the mind.” So true! It affirms for me the practice of relaxing the mind. Wonderfully expressed and a relief to read, too, and to know that I am not alone. Thank you for sharing all of your tips in the article and in the video, too!
Thank you so much for your comments, Manisha. Yes, I think these ideas can apply to all instrumentalists and I am extremely glad you found them helpful.
The advice to jump higher using the forearm rotation is brilliant and much easier than what I’ve always played and taught. Thank you. I am confused about jumping to a lower note, though. It looks like you are using the same rotation where you rotate to the right – sending the thumb into the air – and then proceeding the opposite direction. It seems counter-intuitive and feels a bit awkward. Did I understand and see this correctly? Might there be a case instead for releasing the first note in a motion towards the lower end of the piano instead, thus sending the 5th finger upwards?
Many thanks for your comment. The movement (pronation) is the same both up and down in the Pathetique example I used, since both landing notes are played with the thumb.