EGON PETRI

[PaulNaud]

The following are a few of Petri's teaching principles, gleaned from Robert Sheldon's notes and remarks:

GENERAL APPROACH

Never try to gain volume by hitting the keys.

Try to find out how little effort you need.

People are too interested in the beginning of sounds and not in their continuation.

Continuity of movement is one of my obsessions.

Draw your attention to the vibration of the strings rather than the knocking of the hammer.

I know all the rules, but if the rules don't fit, I break the rules rather than break the music.

Think primarily in terms of fingers and keys rather than arm.

What happens at the end of the fingertip is what is important.

When you change fingers unnecessarily, you invite trouble.

In very soft playing, the firmer the hand, the more control you have.

The greatest finger activity is in the knuckle joint. The fingers are prepared for both the black and white keys by the first two finger joints.

At the instant the key reaches the bottom (keyboard), four things happen: You hear the sound, you feel a resistance which stops you, you free yourself (either by releasing the key or by holding the key down lightly. Fourth is the moment you count "one" or feel the beat. This rebound feeling makes piano playing seem to be upwards.

Practice is arranging things in your mind until they become automatic.

Do not try to overcome difficulties; find another approach that causes these difficulties to vanish.

[arensky]

Wow...that's one of the best approach summaries I've ever read, maybe that's because it resembles my own approach. Still it's nice to be validated by someone like Petri! 

Merci, Paul

[PaulNaud]

An article in The American Music Teacher in 1939 quoted Petri regarding practice: A pedestrian who was on his way to Athens met a peasant working by the roadside and asked him "How far is it to Athens?" The peasant replied, "Walk!" The man said "I know I have to walk, but tell me how long will it take me to get there?" The peasant repeated, "Walk!" When the third inquiry drew forth the same information, the traveler, giving the peasant up as a hopeless idiot, walked away with great strides. After a few seconds the peasant called out: "Half an hour!" Greatly surprised, the man turned back and said: "Why did you not tell me that at once?" Whereupon the peasant replied, "How could I tell you before I saw how you walked?" So what would be the use of telling a pupil how long to practice without knowing how he practiced? You can't help being your own teacher and pupil when you practice. If you learn quickly and incorrectly, that's bad. If you learn quickly and correctly, that's good. If you learn slowly and correctly, that is also good. But is you learn slowly and incorrectly, that's the worst. If you do the exercises right, you don't need them. If you do them wrong, they may do you harm.

[bernhard]

The main problem I find with this kind of “commandments” is that I would like them to be expanded. Sometimes I am not sure that I am understanding correctly what the author is saying, and that my disagreement is superficial and could easily turn into agreement if the author was allowed to expand on it with comments and examples. Anyway, I mostly agreed with everything, but with those I disagreed:

Think primarily in terms of fingers and keys rather than arm.

To me this is similar to the proper way to punch. If you focus on your fist you are likely to punch weakly and injure yourself. A powerful punch must come from the hips. So concentrate on the hip movement and the fist will take care of itself. Likewise, fingers are very important as the ultimate point of contact with the key, but they need the whole support of the playing apparatus (from the shoulder girdle down). So I would say very much the opposite: think primarily of arm motion and the fingers and keys will take care of themselves.

What happens at the end of the fingertip is what is important.

Yes, it is important, and it may even be the most important, but it is not the only important thing. To me, the forearm is just as important, and so are the arm and the shoulder. The problem is that their motions are mostly invisible, we are not really fully aware of their inestimable contribution.

The greatest finger activity is in the knuckle joint. The fingers are prepared for both the black and white keys by the first two finger joints.

There is just as much activity at the forearm level (I am a big believer in forearm rotation).

Practice is arranging things in your mind until they become automatic.

I would say that this is the smallest part of practice ( but of course, very important). The bulk of practice (timewise and effortwise) is always investigative practice: figuring out the best, easiest and most comfortable motions to bring out the musical conception one desires.


With everything else I agreed wholeheartedly.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

An article in The American Music Teacher in 1939 quoted Petri regarding practice: A pedestrian who was on his way to Athens met a peasant working by the roadside and asked him "How far is it to Athens?" The peasant replied, "Walk!" The man said "I know I have to walk, but tell me how long will it take me to get there?" The peasant repeated, "Walk!" When the third inquiry drew forth the same information, the traveler, giving the peasant up as a hopeless idiot, walked away with great strides. After a few seconds the peasant called out: "Half an hour!" Greatly surprised, the man turned back and said: "Why did you not tell me that at once?" Whereupon the peasant replied, "How could I tell you before I saw how you walked?" So what would be the use of telling a pupil how long to practice without knowing how he practiced? You can't help being your own teacher and pupil when you practice. If you learn quickly and incorrectly, that's bad. If you learn quickly and correctly, that's good. If you learn slowly and correctly, that is also good. But is you learn slowly and incorrectly, that's the worst. If you do the exercises right, you don't need them. If you do them wrong, they may do you harm.

Excellent story

BW
B.

[pianistimo]

the only one that has me stumped is the one about playing a pianissimo passage with a stiff hand.  i thought one should 'meld' and have the lightest touch possible.  i'm never stiff when i play a very soft note.  this stumps me.  why is this so?

i guess i sort of understand.  like when you play a chord.  but what about individual notes?

[jakev2.0]

Props to the original poster for bringing this forum's attention to the great-all-but-forgotten Petri.

I think that Petri's 'commandments' are ambiguous as they are and require context and elaboration from the man himself. ...But anyone who has heard Petri's astounding recordings of Liszt as well as what is in my opinion the finest recording of the Alkan Symphony knows that the guy was one hell of a pianist.

[mephisto]

Pluss when he recorded all of this he was way beyond his prime.