The Secret of Technique in Two Short Paragraphs

[keypeg]

Honestly, I am not really sure what you mean there either.  You can now read from sheet music to fingertip, or to keyboard.  Isn't that what everybody does ?  I just don't get what your point is.

It was not a point for the subject of this thread, but rather exploring two ways of reading music.

If "everybody" reads from sheet music to keyboard, I was not everybody.  I read from sheet music to ear, and from ear to keyboard.  My fingers played what I heard through audiation and most people learn to transfer what they read straight to the keyboard without the audiation, or the audation comes in "as well".  I have even read of people who cannot perceive what it will sound like, but have to find out what the notes say by playing them.  I looked at the music, heard it, and then played what I heard.  Now I can do both. 

[Karli]

If "everybody" reads from sheet music to keyboard, I was not everybody.  I read from sheet music to ear, and from ear to keyboard.  My fingers played what I heard through audiation and most people learn to transfer what they read straight to the keyboard without the audiation, or the audation comes in "as well".  I have even read of people who cannot perceive what it will sound like, but have to find out what the notes say by playing them.  I looked at the music, heard it, and then played what I heard.  Now I can do both.

Okay.  I think I understand better now, thanks for explaining it.  Here is where, I think, that each individual will have an intimate relationship with their own perceptions of what is on the page.  It's difficult to put oneself in the position of another person, and to go into their head, walk a bit in their shoes, and imagine what must be happening for them, despite "your" own story about how it all goes and went for "you" ("you" is in quotes because I mean it generally and not personally to you, keypeg) -- yet, this is exactly one aspect of teaching that must happen, I think.  And then, after a person can grasp in some measure, what the other person is experiencing, then the "teacher's" own experience with these concepts can be drawn upon to help the student learn something that is pertinent to their experience *and* to piano/music playing.

Part of the reason I mention that is because I think it's difficult for me to comprehend all of the problems that another person may be facing when it comes to these subjects.  I don't really understand looking at a score and not being able to imagine what it sounds like.  This doesn't mean that I have a perfect rendition of it in my head before I play it, but I can sit down with a piano or vocal score and gain some concept of what it sounds like, even if I have never heard the piece before.  The thing is, I don't know how or why I can do that (and I know that lots of people can, so I am not trying to make myself sound special by that).

The thing is, I know that there are still "problems" with my perception of what is on the score and what I hear in my head and whether or not I can play/sing all of it at sight.  What does that mean ?  Honestly, I don't know !  But, I suspect it means that I need more practice !  However, I am mostly unwilling to "just go practice" unless I have something specific to focus on while I am doing it.  When it comes to piano playing, sometimes I am convinced that my "problems" with better sight reading have more to do with sight playing than with sight reading, if that makes sense.

Honestly, when I read about people not knowing what something sounds like unless they play it on the piano, I don't know for sure if I truly know what that means or not.  I am not convinced that this is such a bad thing, either.  I don't know that we need to "hear it in our heads" and then transfer that to our hands/arms.  Not if from page-to-hand is quicker and more effective in terms of playing and comprehending music -- you know, if it is automatic.  If we consider language, I wonder if page to head to hand is something like learning a 2nd language and constantly translating to the native-tongue equivalent before understanding what the 2nd language word means. 

The thing is, I may be taking a lot for granted since I have been reading both vocal and pianistic scores for the majority of my life.

[nia_kurniati]

To : Marik,
So my posture when playing song which need speed and power like this : left foot go to back, pushed to the floor. Right foot of course to pedal. And my body lean to the piano. In this posture my ash (sorry) can pushed to the chair.
Do you think it can give more strenght?
Thanks

[thierry13]

To : Marik,
So my posture when playing song which need speed and power like this : left foot go to back, pushed to the floor. Right foot of course to pedal. And my body lean to the piano. In this posture my ash (sorry) can pushed to the chair.
Do you think it can give more strenght?
Thanks

It all depends how you connect with every part of your body. You could still straight and have much more power or sit in this way and play with no sound, it's all a question of connection. When you have understood that, you can use a position like the one you described to gain more power!

[jinfiesto]

Secret of technique in two short sentences....


Use your whole body...
Rhythm.....

[dnephi]

Use your whole body...
Rhythm.....

That's what she said.

[thierry13]

It's funny how so many great pianists wrote whole books on piano technique, and how an intermediate student says he got it all in two sentences. Sorry Jinfiesto but you have to elaborate more if you want your point to be understood correctly. With your sentences some people will just move back and forward at the keyboard while they play haha. Anyways, I was not trying to mess with you, just finding the fact funny hehe.

[marik]

It's funny how so many great pianists wrote whole books on piano technique...

I know only two--J. Hoffmann and J. Lhevinne--indeed those WERE great pianists.

It is funny how one can be whether great pianist, or great writer  .
 

[thierry13]

I know only two--J. Hoffmann and J. Lhevinne--indeed those WERE great pianists.

It is funny how one can be whether great pianist, or great writer  .
 

Those were great pianists in execution, but I think Heinrich Neuhaus, even if he couldn't play the biggest pieces, was a great pianist also, and there are others who wrote excellent books also.

[marik]

Those were great pianists in execution, but I think Heinrich Neuhaus, even if he couldn't play the biggest pieces, was a great pianist also...

He was a great musician and personality. But only those who were great in execution knew secrets...

[leahcim]

But only those who were great in execution knew secrets...

Thomas Edison?

I guess he could have a light-bulb moment too.