Technique

[mknueven]

Hello,
Can you tell me what are some things that have helped improve your technique?

I'm talking now more about the beginning stages - although I'm interested in all stages.

mk

[franzliszt2]

Learn new pieces all the time. My teacher give me pieces in grades, so got harder each time. I did a lot of Hannon and Czerny early on, as well as lots and lots of scales. Moved onto Chopin etudes, Liszt etudes, Scriabin etudes, other etudes.

I never concentrated on technique for a long time, my teacher did it all for me. I wasn't interested in it at all for the first 4 years of playing. I just did my scales because I had to pass exams, and wanted good grades so I practiced them properly. It was only when I was 14 and got a new teacher that I started to realise what technique was.

I don't believe that technique can be developed without a teacher at some point. I was efficient when I was 14 but a few small things were holding me back, and I didn't no what. My teacher pointed out simple things that I was doing (hand movements, arms etc..) and I was sorted.

Don't do Chopin etudes to develop a technique, you have to have the technique secured long before touching them. You see crazy people learning op25no6 and then can't even play scales in 3rds! Crazy!

For beginning stages I'd say only a teacher could say, becasue people all have individual problems in the early days. Coom ones are collapsing knuckles, hands collapsing towars the 5th fingers, and bad wrist position, I total lack of freedom in the upper arms, but that is common even amongst "advanced" players. 

[ramseytheii]

I'd have to say practicing improved my technique!

Walter Ramsey

[mattgreenecomposer]

Read, read, and then read some more....
I find the best way to improve technique is to do alot of reading and don't look at your hands.  This requires you to "feel" the piano and play into the keybed.  I have many friends who are Jazz players who's technique is severely deficient and they are poor readers.  I think there is a direct correlation here.  The more repetoire I get through in the 4 major periods (baroque, classical, romantic, 20thc.),  the easier I find passages that may have been difficult a year or 2 ago.  The technique sort of takes care of itself when you focus on listening to the "sound" your producing rather than looking at the notes your hitting.

[counterpoint]

Playing Beethoven Sonatas improved my "technique" the most.

[rc]

Read, read, and then read some more....
I find the best way to improve technique is to do alot of reading and don't look at your hands.  This requires you to "feel" the piano and play into the keybed.  I have many friends who are Jazz players who's technique is severely deficient and they are poor readers.  I think there is a direct correlation here.  The more repetoire I get through in the 4 major periods (baroque, classical, romantic, 20thc.),  the easier I find passages that may have been difficult a year or 2 ago.  The technique sort of takes care of itself when you focus on listening to the "sound" your producing rather than looking at the notes your hitting.

I think you're onto something, I've heard it said in a variety of ways that musical thinking is more natural for the hands than purely physical thinking, and I agree...  I've just never connected the idea with reading but it makes sense