Technical exercises and etudes

[pianowelsh]

It occurs to me that technical excersises are VERY different from etudes. One being an abstract style of technique and the other being intergrated.  It also occurs to me that value can be derived from both kinds of technical practice.  What are your experiences of teaching the two in tandem. Have you observed a cross pollonation of ideas and importantly what are the ways you differ in your approach to teaching and coaching excersises and etudes.

I appreciate this is likely only to be beneficial to those who do teach excersizes. But hopefully it will spark some disccussion as there has been a derth of discussion in reccent times.

[lenkaolenka]

I use exercises with beginners of any age, beginning from 2+ years old toddlers. I start teaching them with Hannon#1, Chromatic Scale, Triads and C major. The way I do it is quite simple. Here are the videos: -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/frvipiex.html

The purpose of exercises for beginners is to 'awake each finger awareness' and explore and learn the entire piano keys like children learn their own house room by room. The exercises have patterns, which could be memorized easily and kids love to play it over and over again, before they learned a new song.

Once I was a guest on a talk show and they gave me a girl from audience. She was 6 and never played piano before. In 20 minutes live I trained her to play several songs and I started with exercises to make her fingers move. At the end of the show the girl performed. Here is some fragment of the show:

Here another fragment of the same show, when 3 years old kids play exercises:

*Unfortunately, I have only videos with Russian translation over my voice. English version only on a CD*

Any way, many think, that exercises is panacea for developing piano technique. It is not so due to the fact, that exercises and partially etudes are based on patterns and when we play them we 'driving on autopilot'. But in order to develop technique fully, we have to learn how to drive on unpredictable roads. I have a friend ( he also belongs to team of our programmers), who taught himself to play piano and developed his technique to a very advanced level by sight-reading only.
Watch this video:
-https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/yurupesopaby.html

[pianowelsh]

I believe you are hitting on something there lenka. I think it needs further discussion.  It is my belief that technic is minimal 3 fold.  1. Mental assent - one must problem solve and plan a course of action to get around a technical obstacle (sounds like what your friend did). There is also the 2. conditioned reflex (developing physical coordintation) which is what we fall back on when we are under pressure and undergirds our playing...this can only be developed by repetition of the same patterns or similar patterns over weeks/moths years. So it becomes a habitual base. (ie so when we stop playing a piece we dosnt suddenly forget all the associated technics we have aquired through that work - kinda retention work) I find a few short excersizes in the core areas of technic very very helpfull in this regard.  Then of course there is the 3. application of technic. Because technic is no technic atall if it is stactic and immobile...it is all to do with dynamism and application to a musical context. To me this is where etudes feature most strongly as they take a principle which is in our gamut (through stage 2) and apply it to the situation currently in question. This is a vital skill for us as we do this all the time. One reason why I never teach excersises alone (always alongside etudes).. This ties in strongly with number one and applies number two. the analytical skills we apply here are usufull when translating to other repertoire. (poss no4)

[lenkaolenka]

Dear piano welsh, before we would discuss the 'technique', let's specify, what do you mean by 'technique'. I want to be at the same exact ground with you.

[pianowelsh]

To me technique is everything which is needed to assist the pianist in a finely crafted and authoritative performance. It includes firstly the artistic image of the work and an understanding of what is needed and then works its self out in finger strenghth/control..good fingering a good knowledge of pedal technique and how it realtes to our fingerwork.  Of course tone production and creating a palette of musical sounds and colours on the instrument.  basically we spend our lives developing it - we are never done. With every work we study we further our technique.

[lenkaolenka]

To me technique is everything which is needed to assist the pianist in a finely crafted and authoritative performance. It includes firstly the artistic image of the work and an understanding of what is needed and then works its self out in finger strenghth/control..good fingering a good knowledge of pedal technique and how it realtes to our fingerwork.  Of course tone production and creating a palette of musical sounds and colours on the instrument.  basically we spend our lives developing it - we are never done. With every work we study we further our technique.

You mix two different points here: management and execution. It is not accidental! We all consciously or unconsciously understand, that technique has to develop first in human' mind. But many of us went far in perfecting execution, without learning much about management.

We can compare our brain performance with computer works at some point. When little baby laying and constantly moving lags, hands and head – it is like a Window installation. All the major neurological pathways are getting connected in a unit. Baby looks at baby's hand from different perspectives and connects cybernetic awareness with vision. Baby is looking at mother's face and hearing her voice and pathways between visual and audio are getting linked. During this 'installation' it is impossible to run any other 'programs' – such as teaching baby how to move his/her legs gracefully or to develop baby's voice with perfect pitch.

Well, most likely everybody may already have forgotten how to be a baby. Another example! You drive a car FIRST TIME IN YOU LIFE! Remember that experience? You are trying your best to please an instructor, dealing with all the mirrors and signs on the road and your foot pushing gas or break. Would you be able to enjoy the view outside the car window that very time? No! Installation is in process and no other programs could be running at the same time

Another example: when you are in a foggy road, why do you always turn the radio-music off or play it very softly? Because you are dealing with unpredictable road and trying to concentrate on this 'program' as much as you can.

You have all these discussions about fingers development, waited keys, piano technique. But do you realize, how exactly skills are getting build and what comes first and what comes second? What 'programs' are running first in your students' heads? Many teachers try to teach everything at once without realizing that a lot of information they are trying to establish just falls into deaf ears, because 'computer is too busy with new program installment'.

We used a very advanced device to measure establishing, building and advancing skills to play piano and read music of any human in precise numbers. Here what we found:

1. The basic program for any piano player – is a skill to provide an instant link between piano keys and music notation. Without this established momentary reaction the 'house' of music literacy has no foundation and the piano player has no future! Until any student would be able to instantly find piano key corresponding to the music note, he/she has no 'room' to consider 'freedom of muscles', fingering, duration, quality of sound (weather it is Casio keyboard or Steinway) and dynamic.
2. Building skills have the following stages:

a. Matching music notes with piano keys
b. Recognizing music that it learned at some point and trying to make some duration differences
c. Playing with metronome and being able to improve some coordinationsl problems
d. Working on artistic performance.

By trying to do a b c and d from the very beginning we put our students under a lot of stress and can damage their natural development. It is like to take a flower bud and open it with your fingers.

But thithout a, b and c we can't build music mind and go to d.

[pianowelsh]

But Lenka. I dont suggest a mix I suggest as you do a progression, but we start the otherway around. We begin with what we want to achieve and then work out pathways to get there.  You must know this coming from the Russian system. So in your system what do you call technique? the ability to read notes and put down the keys or is it more subtle.  Im sorry - Im trying to understand.

[lenkaolenka]

But Lenka. I dont suggest a mix I suggest as you do a progression, but we start the otherway around. We begin with what we want to achieve and then work out pathways to get there.  You must know this coming from the Russian system. So in your system what do you call technique? the ability to read notes and put down the keys or is it more subtle.  Im sorry - Im trying to understand.

I know, that you start other way around! I was the same!
You see, we got all the ideas about pianists' piano technique from the best piano players. But the best piano players on another hand didn't get their knowledge from above. They have naturally free hands, because they are confident. They are confident, because they SEE piano keys and music notes within.

Russian system is the most advanced in the world due to the simple fact: we have more man-hours in teaching music. Our students in music schools have 7-10 ours of music training every week for 5-7 years. This training helps students to SEE keys and notation. Bitter truth is, though, Russians also didn't combat total music illiteracy: many graduate school with no idea how to play piano.

To play scales and etudes is important for technical development, but it is like to ride a car or plain on autopilot. True technique comes with riding on 'unpredictable' road. Fluent music reading is essential for technique development. We had a very famous piano teacher in Moscow conservatory – Maria Artobolevskaya – she never polished pieces with beginners, trying to give them skill to read and go through a lot of music in order to build their music mind.

Look at this video: -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/yurupesopaby.html
Yuri Rusakov is one of Soft Mozart programmers. He NEVER took piano lessons in his life, never played scales, never worked on 'technique'. But he can open ANY book and read it fluently, because he has advanced music mind. He performed for us for hours.

[pianowelsh]

Yes I see Lenka but isnt easy of reading tackled in the conventional system too. I agree with your professor  of the Moscow sometimes quantity is actuall more beneficial than labouring quality BUT both have to be fostered.  I see in soft Mozart you teach Hanon...how and why do you do this?? I fail to see where we really differ, other than perhaps the early priority you would give to the visual reading stimulus over the mechanical training...but im not even sure we differ there because I give coordintation exercises for my students pre reading so they can learn freedom and good sound then we go intensively onto reading where they read all their new pieces and talk back to me what they are seeing ...we then talk about what that means when we play it through and they then play.  To me your method seems more related to sightreading - am I correct or not?!?

[lenkaolenka]

Yes I see Lenka but isnt easy of reading tackled in the conventional system too. I agree with your professor  of the Moscow sometimes quantity is actuall more beneficial than labouring quality BUT both have to be fostered.  I see in soft Mozart you teach Hanon...how and why do you do this?? I fail to see where we really differ, other than perhaps the early priority you would give to the visual reading stimulus over the mechanical training...but im not even sure we differ there because I give coordintation exercises for my students pre reading so they can learn freedom and good sound then we go intensively onto reading where they read all their new pieces and talk back to me what they are seeing ...we then talk about what that means when we play it through and they then play.  To me your method seems more related to sightreading - am I correct or not?!?

Well, I can't say that the Soft Mozart is the method. It is just a tool, that helps to develop coordination, reading, music ear, memory and music mind intensively at the same time.

There is a rule of thumb in neurology: to build a complex skill requires building all the neurological pathways at the same time. It means, when you offer you coordination exercises you miss all the other components of training. I compare this with learning to ride a bike on cardio stationary bicycle.

In years 1999-2000 I was providing a research about awakening fine motor skills. From all the exercises I selected 4 that can give people 'fine motor skills to play piano awareness'. I also find out with experiments, that when children reach 24 month they are capable to control each finger at a time and coordinate both hands. So, these exercises is starting point, but not a panacea for technique development.

[pianowelsh]

Hi Lenka, Im unsure as to which elements im missing out with the coordination exercises, could you list them?? It seems to yield good results. But Im very open to improving my teaching.  I see that your product is a 'tool'. we piloted one in college which was fundamentally an ear training one - you had the visual element of a not flashing up and you then had to identify it on keyboard as quickly as you could. This worked its way upto chords and short phrases ie 2 or 3 chord progressions. This was primarily developing the ear to recognise and identify pitches and relate it to the written symbols.  Is your system along these lines.  We were assigned several hours of this a week to improove our aural dictation...worked I think...I got first class!! my rhythm wasnt so good though. A failing of this particular trial version I think.

[lenkaolenka]

Hi Lenka, Im unsure as to which elements im missing out with the coordination exercises, could you list them?? It seems to yield good results. But Im very open to improving my teaching.  I see that your product is a 'tool'. we piloted one in college which was fundamentally an ear training one - you had the visual element of a not flashing up and you then had to identify it on keyboard as quickly as you could. This worked its way upto chords and short phrases ie 2 or 3 chord progressions. This was primarily developing the ear to recognise and identify pitches and relate it to the written symbols.  Is your system along these lines.  We were assigned several hours of this a week to improove our aural dictation...worked I think...I got first class!! my rhythm wasnt so good though. A failing of this particular trial version I think.

Dear pianowelsh,

Here the 4 major exercises, which, to my opinion, every child is capable of playing and has to learn from 2-3 year old:  -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/frvipiex.html

We placed some short descriptions, what is  'nutritious' about these exercises for fine motor skills and music mind development. These exercises basically cover the most common motions in piano playing and capable of drastically improve brain development of young children.

But as I stated before, the most important thing in music training should be human's music mind. Without understanding music as a language, music ear development and music memory all the 'piano technique' is practically worthless. When person knows the language – he/she would manage the vocal chords to speak it with no cramps and tension. When person knows music language and become the part of the whole unite: mind+instrument+music score, the technique is developing naturally with no tention and cramps.

What is the music mind? Music mind has the same definition as mind in general.

The music and non-music minds have similar stages of development. Let's take a look how humans learn to think. Pronunciation ( speech) – is essential point of thinking process . It has the following stages:
1.   Pronouncing and memorizing new words out loud along with understanding their meaning
2.   Pronouncing words inside our minds and storing it in 'short memory department' of our cerebral cortex
3.   Integration the learned words into 'long memory department' in form of 'instant imprinted images'   
4.   Use of the 'imprinted images' of words in creative way by using them in personal thinking process

The same process we ought to have in music mind development. The difference is:
1.   The form of pronunciation. In music we could pronounce with our fingers and piano is the best instrument for music mind development.
2.   Role of reading in learning music as a language is essential, because music language has multiple layers and can't be fully presented and repeated only with one voice.

In order to develop music mind we ought to teach beginners to read music score the sooner the better – from 2-3 years old. This is priority #1 in learning process. Every child ought to learn how to play easy touch keyboard with Elementary music score presentation long before he/she starts school. Every child have to develop skills to read music score from Elementary to abstract level.

When 'music mind' is established and developed, each person would have choice: somebody would learn piano technique on artistic level – some would become just amateur and educated listener. The same way like we have with language skills. We ought to teach everybody to read, but someone to recite.

[will]

lenkaolenka, I have been reading your posts with interest and been browsing -https://www.doremifasoft.com. and -https://www.softmozart.com. You look to have many creative and effective ways of teaching.

Watching the  4 main exercises on -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/frvipiex.html I have some questions.

In the modified Hanon exercises do the children have trouble stretching between fingers 5 and 4 when descending with the right hand and when ascending the left hand? This seems like a horrible exercise to give to children of ages 2-3. If you insist on using this kind of exercise wouldn't it be better to eliminate the stretch and simply play CDEFGFED DEFGAGFE EFG..... and so on?

For the white cat- black cat video you say it is common mistake of beginners not to keep their thumbs on the piano keys properly. I was taught to always keep my thumb over the keys but this often results in a cramped hand. Look again at the modified Hanon video and notice that your thumbs are commonly not over the keys.

In the video 'My method' at

I notice students sitting very low and with legs hanging in the air. You have said that you wish students to develop technique without tension or cramps. This would be better achieved if you have students sitting at a more comfortable level on height-adjusted chairs and by having something for the students to rest their legs and feet on.

[lenkaolenka]

In the modified Hanon exercises do the children have trouble stretching between fingers 5 and 4 when descending with the right hand and when ascending the left hand? This seems like a horrible exercise to give to children of ages 2-3. If you insist on using this kind of exercise wouldn't it be better to eliminate the stretch and simply play CDEFGFED DEFGAGFE EFG..... and so on?

Dear Will, I teach young beginners on light key keyboard with stickers: -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/pikeystforit.html
When they SEE pictures and sing names of music notes Solfeggio at the same time, their fingers know where to make next step and it helps with 4-5 fingers development.

For the white cat- black cat video you say it is common mistake of beginners not to keep their thumbs on the piano keys properly. I was taught to always keep my thumb over the keys but this often results in a cramped hand. Look again at the modified Hanon video and notice that your thumbs are commonly not over the keys.

From watching the videos you are free to make 2 assumptions:
1.   I was not taught properly and play incorrectly and received my Masters in Russian school for nothing
2.   Thumbs over the keys is not always essential rule for playing piano

PS. Little hint: Iogan Sebastian Bach was first composer, which involved thumb and pinky in the process of playing keyboard instruments. Before his approach all the keyboard instrument players used primarily 2-3-4 fingers. 

In the video 'My method' at

I notice students sitting very low and with legs hanging in the air. You have said that you wish students to develop technique without tension or cramps. This would be better achieved if you have students sitting at a more comfortable level on height-adjusted chairs and by having something for the students to rest their legs and feet on.

Yes, ABC group that was making the story had decided that it looks more impressive like that and in fact they were right!

If to consider 'proper sitting' at the instrument, I have to ask you to watch this video and answer my question for further discussion:

&eurl=

To your opinion the guy on this video could possibly have problems with cramps or not. Explain, why he could or he couldn't.
 

[will]

Dear Will, I teach young beginners on light key keyboard with stickers: -https://-https://www.doremifasoft.com/pikeystforit.html
When they SEE pictures and sing names of music notes Solfeggio at the same time, their fingers know where to make next step and it helps with 4-5 fingers development.

I understand that the children can play this exercise but is it hard for them physically? It seems unwise to introduce the hard movement of stretching between 4-5 to a young child with small hands, especially in their earliest lessons. Shouldn't the earliest lessons promote an easiness at the keyboard?

From watching the videos you are free to make 2 assumptions:
1.   I was not taught properly and play incorrectly and received my Masters in Russian school for nothing

I am not fussed what your qualifications are. I know several mediocre teachers who have oodles of qualifications while one of the best music teachers I know does not have any qualifications in music whatsoever. Your technique does look to have a few quirks.

2.   Thumbs over the keys is not always essential rule for playing piano

PS. Little hint: Iogan Sebastian Bach was first composer, which involved thumb and pinky in the process of playing keyboard instruments. Before his approach all the keyboard instrument players used primarily 2-3-4 fingers. 

I agree that thumbs over the keys is not a rule. I thought you were trying to advocate always keeping your thumbs over the keyboard.

If to consider 'proper sitting' at the instrument, I have to ask you to watch this video and answer my question for further discussion:

&eurl=

To your opinion the guy on this video could possibly have problems with cramps or not. Explain, why he could or he couldn't.

He certainly could have physical problems if he played like that all the time. There are two main issues -
(1) He is standing with most of his weight on one leg and that leg will tire easily. He is not ideally balanced so his body will have to compensate somewhere else.
(2) The angle between his forearm and hand is excessive. The top of the forearm and hand should be in a straight line.

[lenkaolenka]

I understand that the children can play this exercise but is it hard for them physically? It seems unwise to introduce the hard movement of stretching between 4-5 to a young child with small hands, especially in their earliest lessons. Shouldn't the earliest lessons promote an easiness at the keyboard?

No, this exercise is not hard for them physically. In fact, they enjoy it! Compare to older kids toddlers would NEVER do anything that is too hard for them or they won't enjoy doing.

I am not fussed what your qualifications are. I know several mediocre teachers who have oodles of qualifications while one of the best music teachers I know does not have any qualifications in music whatsoever. Your technique does look to have a few quirks. I agree that thumbs over the keys is not a rule. I thought you were trying to advocate always keeping your thumbs over the keyboard.

Oh, no! I cannot be an advocate for any silly rules about hand position. I am a Glen Gould's fan  and believe, that the content is more important then form.

He certainly could have physical problems if he played like that all the time. There are two main issues -
(1) He is standing with most of his weight on one leg and that leg will tire easily. He is not ideally balanced so his body will have to compensate somewhere else.
(2) The angle between his forearm and hand is excessive. The top of the forearm and hand should be in a straight line.

Dear Will, thank you very much for my smile. It was just a joke! If to trust some evidences, Mozart loved to demonstrate such tricks on harpsichord. Bottom line her is: the core of music learning is MIND. If music mind is developed, you can play piano by sitting higher or lower, upside down and backwards.  Only free and advanced music mind give people freedom to play what they want and how they want it with free muscles. All the naggings about hand position rules and thumbs and piano technique are nothing but myth. Good night!
 

[will]

No, this exercise is not hard for them physically. In fact, they enjoy it! Compare to older kids toddlers would NEVER do anything that is too hard for them or they won't enjoy doing.

That is good to hear.

Oh, no! I cannot be an advocate for any silly rules about hand position. I am a Glen Gould's fan  and believe, that the content is more important then form.

Would you care to explain 'content is more important than form' a little further, perhaps creating a new topic if necessary?

Dear Will, thank you very much for my smile. It was just a joke! If to trust some evidences, Mozart loved to demonstrate such tricks on harpsichord. Bottom line her is: the core of music learning is MIND. If music mind is developed, you can play piano by sitting higher or lower, upside down and backwards.  Only free and advanced music mind give people freedom to play what they want and how they want it with free muscles. All the naggings about hand position rules and thumbs and piano technique are nothing but myth. Good night!
 

Good to hear I made you smile.
Yes you can play piano by sitting higher or lower, upside down and backwards but there are general guidelines to follow based on human physiology and piano mechanics.
Take your boy Gould for example, it seems likely that his injuries were caused by sitting too low at the piano!

[lenkaolenka]

That is good to hear.

Would you care to explain 'content is more important than form' a little further, perhaps creating a new topic if necessary?
Good to hear I made you smile.
Yes you can play piano by sitting higher or lower, upside down and backwards but there are general guidelines to follow based on human physiology and piano mechanics.
Take your boy Gould for example, it seems likely that his injuries were caused by sitting too low at the piano!

Yes, I will start a new topic about content and form in piano technique development.
BTW, Gould is not 'my boy' – it is a world-renowned genius of piano.

[pianowelsh]

Getting back to my topic!!!! I thought we were discussing the fundamental differences between abstract excersizes  and compound etudes ther relevances of both to the development of technique and the appropriate (as you guys see it) useage of these to craft a fully formed technical gamut!  Any takers??