In this special edition technique clinic, guest expert Fred Karpoff addresses a variety of technical challenges pianists face, including coordinating trills, increasing tempo, varying arm weight and applying the vibrato motion in works by Chopin, Bach and Schubert and Mendelssohn.
Technique clinic questions
How to vary arm weight without tension – I realise I’m not clear about arm weight. If we use arm weight at times, are we holding it off at others? How do we vary weight without creating unwanted muscular tension?
Is a curling 5th finger a problem? I’ve been told that my 5th finger curls or straightens in an unattractive way while playing. Is this a genuine technical problem? Does finger length or supporting the hand along the thumb axis contribute to this, and should I be concerned?
Mendelssohn – Venetian Gondola Songs (from Songs Without Words) – How can I create a gently rocking, flowing sound while maintaining tonal warmth and balance?
Tricky Trills – I have difficulty with trills in two pieces, firstly the Prelude for Bach’s English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808. How can I combine the extended trills in bars 162–171 while keeping the left hand even and stable? And then in Schubert’s Fantasia in F minor, D. 940 (Primo part), what is the best way to come cleanly out of the opening trills?
Schubert – Impromptu Op. 90 No. 4, D. 899 – How can I increase speed in the flowing semiquaver (sixteenth note) passages while keeping vibrato motion and shaping? Should I reduce motion, stay closer to the keys, or change the way I depress them?
Chopin – Etude in C-Sharp Minor (Op. 10 No. 4) – How can I tackle the particularly tricky left-hand passages (including the challenges around bar 6 and the section from bar 25 where redistribution is often used), and what is the most effective way to bring the whole piece securely up to final tempo without tension or loss of control?
Join us!
Our next Practice Clinic will take place on Sunday 29th March at 16:30 (BST / GMT +1) as part of this year’s Piano Day celebrations.
As well as the usual range of questions pertaining to practising and related topics, this clinic will also explore topics emerging from the preceding Piano Day presentations, including questions about pedalling, articulation and musical texture.
To receive joining details, simply sign up to our Practice Clinic mailing list using the form below. You’ll also receive notifications about upcoming clinics and access to recording links afterwards!
Watch previous clinics
Recordings of past practice clinics are posted up on our blog, Facebook page and YouTube channel once recorded and you can also view our full archive of previous events via these platforms.
How they work?
Further information on how our practice clinics work is available here