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Topic: Pianistic "Foundation"?  (Read 1681 times)

Offline m1469

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Pianistic "Foundation"?
on: July 10, 2014, 06:31:02 PM
It seems to me that the concept of a pianistic "foundation", as a kind of technical concept or skill set which pianists build their entire pianism upon, should be something which could be boiled down into one or two sentences ... or maybe even one (or two) word(s)?  How would you describe what a pianistic foundation is?

Sometimes when I post here and ask questions, I already have a particular idea in mind and I find it helpful to listen to other people's viewpoints to help deepen or strengthen or sometimes modify my concept, or sometimes I am less organized in my own thinking and find more organization as a result of reading others.  Thank you for your thoughts on this and many other topics :)
"The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving"  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Offline dima_76557

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #1 on: July 10, 2014, 07:10:13 PM
How would you describe what a pianistic foundation is?

The ability to think "vocally" and/or "orchestrally" and "intonate" EVERY element in the score on your instrument with your fingertips. Without this foundation, nothing else makes sense.
No amount of how-to information is going to work if you have the wrong mindset, the wrong guiding philosophies. Avoid losers like the plague, and gather with and learn from winners only.

Offline alessandro

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #2 on: July 10, 2014, 07:33:34 PM
I'm not good in formulating ideas, especially particular ideas.   Supposing that there is a piano at disposal, some fingers at hand(s)...

Transform with your body,
earthly power, the fruits of all senses,
fill out the best possible silence,
incarnate time and try to play.

Anyway, kind greetings to you all !

Offline ted

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #3 on: July 10, 2014, 10:23:15 PM
Love of music and physical agility at the instrument, preferably developed simultaneously and while young.
"Mistakes are the portals of discovery." - James Joyce

Offline m1469

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #4 on: July 12, 2014, 07:05:43 PM
Thank you, the individuality in these replies is doubly helpful!
"The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving"  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Offline zerozero

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #5 on: July 19, 2014, 08:41:22 PM
Be able to reach all chords and scales, in whatever shape instantly - jazz perspective. Build a repertoire.

Offline nyiregyhazi

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #6 on: July 20, 2014, 09:29:48 PM
It seems to me that the concept of a pianistic "foundation", as a kind of technical concept or skill set which pianists build their entire pianism upon, should be something which could be boiled down into one or two sentences ... or maybe even one (or two) word(s)?  How would you describe what a pianistic foundation is?

Sometimes when I post here and ask questions, I already have a particular idea in mind and I find it helpful to listen to other people's viewpoints to help deepen or strengthen or sometimes modify my concept, or sometimes I am less organized in my own thinking and find more organization as a result of reading others.  Thank you for your thoughts on this and many other topics :)


Anything THAT concise is at best oversimplified and at worst a meaningless soundbite.

Offline hardy_practice

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #7 on: July 21, 2014, 05:42:17 AM

Anything THAT concise is at best oversimplified and at worst a meaningless soundbite.
In my book better than a meaningless soundgorge.
B Mus, PGCE, DipABRSM

Offline nyiregyhazi

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #8 on: July 21, 2014, 11:56:32 AM
In my book better than a meaningless soundgorge.

Not in mine. Oversimplification of the role of the arm was ruinous to me. Oversimplification of the role of the fingers (without reference to linking the arm) would be ruinous too. I'd rather hear something vapid and airy than misleadingly simplified.

Offline zerozero

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #9 on: July 21, 2014, 01:20:35 PM
I think going back to basics is really useful. Two basic approaches though - the notation led player and the improviser. What I mean is that the two camps can be separate skill sets, of course ther is fusion too, but one can build a whole career in either camp or blend.

If one is content to be led by others, then notation reading (well executed) is all that is required.

If you really want to conquer the piano, using it as a composer or as improviser, then there is much more to be done, its more than just learning your chords and scales up and down hills - there is the mastery of form.

Form is the big one for me. Its taken a long time to get ready for it 'in the wild'.

Z

Offline mohab95

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Re: Pianistic "Foundation"?
Reply #10 on: August 08, 2014, 06:16:10 PM
They can be thought of as two pillars: Advanced technique and polished musicality. Both require tremendous amount of work and study no matter how much talent exists.
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