Legato Technique...

[omnisis]

I've been reading a lot of music related stuff (composer biographies, masterworks editor notes, etc) lately and it seems every great pianists mentions something about having a good "legato techinque".  Chopin, Bach, Horowitz, etc, they all emphasize this idea of a "bel canto style" of playing with a "singing tone".  I've have also heard some pianists talk of "playing into the keys" and "finger stroke".  Are all these things related?  How would an amatuer pianists expect to improve his legato technique and what implications does this have on arm weight, relaxation, and other pianistic devices?

If anyone can help here or maybe just provide a good summary of the reference literature that is available I'd be much obliged.  I plan on bringing this topic up with my teacher but I'd like to see what the posters in this forum have to say about this topic as well.


Thanks,

~omnisis

[lostinidlewonder]

Legato Technique comes from the fingers or pedal. Two different things. Finger legato is the idea of the fingers sticking to the keys. Pedal legato controls the sound of sustained notes. Each one requires particular touch of the keyboard.

Legato of the fingers are most appropriately studied with Bach where there is generally an absence of the sustain pedal and all legato sounds have to be produced by the fingers sticking to the notes.

When the pedal is held down the fingers can do absolutely anything they want to strike the note all the notes will sound connected and legato. But you have to question what is the desired effect you want to produce? Pedal for brilliancy? Leggerissimo?

You will improve the legato by learning pieces which use it. There is no excersise to help you or secret password unfortunately, not that I have found at least.

[asyncopated]

Actually, I am aware of a small thing that might help --

Sing the phrase (literally), and try to get your playing to immitate singing.

[ryan2189]

I just had a sit down with a priest at my church who used to be a concert pianist. The topic of finger legato came up quite a bit. He had stated that to find that singing tone that you are looking for, you must make sure that there is very little contact with the keys. What I mean is that it is as simple as keeping your fingers as close to the keys as possible. When your fingers are raised from the keys more than they should be, there is definitely more of a shriller sound. This closeness to the keys also gives you the legato that you are looking for.

As for some suggestions, I think that a simple practice of Adagio Cantabile from the Pathetique Sonata may help you to get a feel for it.

[jeremyjchilds]

Do a search on "arm weight" and you will find your answer.

THere are many excercises to practice a legato singing tone...start with your major scales.

[alzado]

I am not up on all the "high-falutin' " talk.

But I personally find I am stroking the keys, rather than hitting them, because of my own "feeling" for the music.

I really doubt the sound is any different.  Of course, it would be a bit less loud, if that's an issue.

[jeremyjchilds]

I am not up on all the "high-falutin' " talk.

But I personally find I am stroking the keys, rather than hitting them, because of my own "feeling" for the music.

I really doubt the sound is any different.  Of course, it would be a bit less loud, if that's an issue.

Stroking the key doesent change the sound, it just makes it more difficult to play really quickly, and it makes your fingers sore faster...

[m1469]

How would an amatuer pianists expect to improve his legato technique and what implications does this have on arm weight, relaxation, and other pianistic devices?

Thanks,

~omnisis

Okay, I know this thread is on the older side, but I have been thinking about this on and off for a little while now.  I had forgotten a strategy that I had found one day a couple years ago (and have used it in teaching, but not for a while), until today when I had to teach one of my students how to get a legato sound.

I will start by saying that she could not hear that she had a gap in between the sounds in the notes she was making.  Also, she could not initially hear the difference between what I was playing and what she was playing.  I am pointing this out because we could have sat there with me playing over and over trying to get a certain sound in her ear, and then her trying to replicate it (which she was not doing but thought she was), but it would have taken a lot longer and may not have happened at all. 

Singing is also a good idea but may not solve the problem for everyone in and of itself, and it actually assumes some things about the learner that may not be accurate.

Here is another approach that seems to make sense.  Start with two notes right next to each other, using two different fingers, like 2-3.  Press the first one to the bottom of the keybed and hold it there WITHOUT making any sound (requires a very slow and attentive approach) while the other finger is just resting on its note.  Let it up as slowly as possible.  Press the key down again in the same way -- without any sound.  Let it up very slowly, but this time as the first key is being let up, press the other key down very slowly -- WITH NO SOUND being produced.  It is a balance game,  as one goes down, the other goes up with the exact same amount of motion.  They should meet in the middle at some point.

Now, kinesthetically, you want to do the "same" or very similar thing when making sound (but more weight will be applied in this case, as well as more velocity).  Also, the same concept can be used no matter how big the interval -- the keys meet in the middle.  Of course, one wants to be listening too in order to hear the sound that is being produced.  But in the case of my student, suddenly she could also feel something that meant legato to her as well as hear the result of that feeling.  This took about 2 minutes at the most, and there are a lot of added benefits to doing this as well, such as control.

The motion will evolve as one trusts the movements and the legato sound is heard.

If you pay attention to what is happening in your body while you are doing this, as well as apply ideas of not being tensed, you will have kinesthetic information on how this is produced, even if you can't put it all into words (like me right now... he he).


hmmm, I hope this helps.


m1469

[sonatainfsharp]

One thing that hasn't yet been metioned regarding tone is from note to note... if one note is longer and has more time to decay, the following note needs to take this into consideration, meaning you wouldn't play the following note the same way after a 1/4-note as you would a whole-note, for example.  Also, if you play a note slightly different than your intent, you have to consider that actual sound produced before moving to the next note.

[alzado]

To JeremyChilds--

Stroking the keys does not make your "fingers sore faster."

That's just absurd.