How to do effective fortissimo

[aewanko]

Any tips? My hands have become weak due to chores. And it's also because of my parents making me play pianissimo at night because its "disturbing" our neighbors, which is not.

[faulty_damper]

"Punch" the keyboard.  Forcing your arm down wastes a lot of energy and requires lots of muscular conditioning and building.

Pretend your hand is playing handball and your "ball" will strike the keyboard and then rebound off the fallboard.  Speed is what makes the hammers strike the strings faster, not strength.  This is the general description that should make it easy.  There are other smaller movements that will make it even easier and much more comfortable.  Figure them out yourself and come back and tell us about them.

I offer you this.  Offer us what you've learned.

[michael_langlois]

I think there are two things that might help you.  The first comes from a former teacher of mine, Evelyne Brancart - on my first lesson, when she was teaching me how to use weight at the keyboard, she told me that one of the fundamental components of piano technique is "the drop."  In describing to me how to do it, she had me raise one hand, and then allow it to fall to my lap, saying "no hope."  After this, she had me transfer the idea to the keyboard with one finger, anywhere on the keyboard.  I believe the idea was that I feel as though my hand would go straight through the keyboard if the keybed did not stop it.  In any case, this came first - letting gravity do all of the work, and knowing how to uses the earth's #1 renewable resource (and it's free!).

The second idea, which builds on the drop, is what Sandor calls "the throw."  It's basically the drop, except using some force from the arms (or, really, the back).  You can try it on the fallboard; on the keys, without regard to accuracy at first; with isolated notes, paying attention to the metacarpal ridge; with chords; with groups of notes; with groups of octaves; etc.

I would encourage you to experiment with these, with and without actual music, because it seems to me that the proper combination of a founded core, the use of gravity, and a healthy participation of the fingers, one can get a rather meaty forte (& fortissimo).

[Bob]

Use the trunk of the body and just lean into it.


Or, what you need is the effect of ff.  Build up to it so it sounds louder than everything else.  Maybe it's really mf on another piece, but in that moment, it can sounds FF.

[aewanko]

Thanks for the advices. They worked although I discovered that by setting your wrist to an angle and by using flat fingers, I could do a good FF, maybe even FFF. That way, I could use little force on my upper arm.

Wow, I just taught myself again. We never stop learning, do we?

[dorfmouse]

My teacher just helped me with ff staccato chords in  the Pathetique last movement by having me think of an upward movement, rather than a heavy movement; eg imagining how you'd spring off  the proverbial hot tin roof if you landed on it with bare feet or rebounding off a trampoline.

[dan101]

Once you acquire the strength to do ff and fff, decide whether you want a percussive or melodic sound. For example, Bartok may require a percussive approach, in contrast to Chopin.

Percussive effects involve striking the piano keys , while the melodic approach involves playing from the keys' surface. Good luck.

[faulty_damper]

Once you acquire the strength to do ff and fff, decide whether you want a percussive or melodic sound.

Playing loudly is not about strength.  If it were, you'd see pianists hitting the gym.

[michael_langlois]

Playing loudly is not about strength.  If it were, you'd see pianists hitting the gym.

Yes - it's a lot more to do with coordination.  That having been said, though, physique had something to do with Richter and Gilels' sounds - I believe that strength (or perhaps, body mass) affects sound production, but is not the primary factor.

[faulty_damper]

Yes - it's a lot more to do with coordination.  That having been said, though, physique had something to do with Richter and Gilels' sounds - I believe that strength (or perhaps, body mass) affects sound production, but is not the primary factor.

True.  A heavier arm's weight ratio is greater than a lighter arm's weight ratio.  The former requires less momentum to depress the keys because it's heavier.  That's why ants can't play piano.

[aewanko]

Once you acquire the strength to do ff and fff, decide whether you want a percussive or melodic sound. For example, Bartok may require a percussive approach, in contrast to Chopin.

Percussive effects involve striking the piano keys , while the melodic approach involves playing from the keys' surface. Good luck.

I tend to be percussive when playing FF.

[faulty_damper]

I tend to be percussive when playing FF.

Loudness or softness is often discussed as absolutes.  They are not.  They are mostly related to the character of the piece.  They should be understood to describe the character of a section of a piece just like a tempo marking.


If someone were yelling, that doesn't mean he's angry.  If someone were speaking softly, that doesn't mean he's being kind, either.

In the context of music, allegro doesn't mean fast nor does adagio mean slow.

In the context of music, forte doesn't mean loud nor does piano mean soft.

To be "percussive" when playing ff means that the music requires such an expression.  If it is used without context, that is a description of sound, not music.  That same ff in different contexts can be related to joyousness, jubillation, terror, torment, anger, etc.

[dan101]

A big sound from the surface of the keys gives more of a singing tone then a percussive hit from a distance. Having said that, the root of your problem lies with your practice restrictions. I would suggest that a keyboard with volume control and headsets would ultimately be your best bet. If you go that route, then get a weighted keyboard. 

[lostinidlewonder]

Open up your piano.

[gyzzzmo]

Pick up a big hammer, and start pounding.

[aewanko]

A big sound from the surface of the keys gives more of a singing tone then a percussive hit from a distance. Having said that, the root of your problem lies with your practice restrictions. I would suggest that a keyboard with volume control and headsets would ultimately be your best bet. If you go that route, then get a weighted keyboard. 

Oh come on! We currently cannot afford those weighted keyboards. Well then, maybe I'll just go to my friend's house just to play piano even though it's out of tune.