Are you more technical or musical?

[communist]

.........

[kelly_kelly]

Well, I have awful technique, so I must be more musical than technical, unless of course I'm neither...

[healdie]

I am certanly more musical than technical

my technique is quite poor i suppose i should work on it but I have other things I'd rather study

[trish89]

Iam more technical, I would love to be more musical 

[db05]

More emotional and mental. Not necessarily musical, but definitely not technical. It's like mind games to me.

[franz_]

Iam more technical, I would love to be more musical 

And how did you got this technique? You played a lot of etudes or what doe you play as repertoire to have a good technique?

[communist]

i am more technical than musical because i am only musical if i like the piece.

[trish89]

And how did you got this technique? You played a lot of etudes or what doe you play as repertoire to have a good technique?

I think it comes abit naturaly and true I have played alot of etudes (Czerny), technical pieces like Hanon and also I have played more technical pieces. Now I changed piano teacher and he is more into musicality, so Iam forced to be (or try to be) more musical, but it's hard tot

[hyrst]

I echo db05. 
I play for the passion and feeling, but don't always express what I hear inside.  I think all the time about how to play well - perhaps at times neglecting the musicality.  However, I believe musicality and technique are hand in hand - the two are of greatest value when in balance.  That is my constant ideal.

[maarvel]

I'm sure i'm more musical. It's the way how to express my feelings.

[bella_brito]

More musical, certainly...
But it's horrible don't have enough technique to express your feelings when playing a piece.
I feel like this sometimes.
For me, the technique is just a way for showing your natural musicality. You can have technique without having musicality, but not the opposite.

[instromp]

I could say that i am more musical than technical. Only going by what my teacher expressed to me but not in those words exactly only by saying "your phrasing,shape and tone is better" which i believe is true at times when theres evidence to prove it  if the playing isnt too bad 

[ted]

I am lucky in that I have always had a good natural technique. Good but a bit rough that is, as you would expect from someone who has never had any technical training at all. As long as I get the ideas out I do not strive for perfect execution in my improvisation. Therefore it would be correct to say that my technique is just a means to a musical end.

[lostinidlewonder]

I would have to say more musical because I immediately know what a phrase should sound like but my hands don't always follow immediately!

[mike_lang]

I am very confused by this poll.  How can one be "technical?"  There is a technical aspect to piano playing, but it simply what allows us to communicate our musical ideas.  Are you asking whether I play high-speed Hanon for audiences or music?

[tds]

more human than anything (and humane, hopefully)

[concerto_love]

pretty good ear and WORST technique... T_T after all.

[go12_3]

Say, being technical is a skilled attribute from the fingertips---along with knowledge of music, etc.  as we all know---Then musical is a talent, it's from within and how we interpret the music we perform.  I have been musical since I was a little child.  And I feel that being musical is a feeling----feeling the rhythm and how the melody flows.  Being musical doesn't get all worked up about the technical aspects of the music.  Look at the professional musicians, of course they spend hours of practice, and yet they are musical.  Aren't they?  So with my many hours of practice, that ought to enable me to be more musical, I hope so!  Without being musical, my music wouldn't sing within me.

[communist]

I am very confused by this poll.  How can one be "technical?"  There is a technical aspect to piano playing, but it simply what allows us to communicate our musical ideas.  Are you asking whether I play high-speed Hanon for audiences or music?
[/qoute/]


by technical it means like ho fast your octaves, thirds etc... are and finger independence and all that. by musical  it means how you express the music.

[mike_lang]

by technical it means like ho fast your octaves, thirds etc... are and finger independence and all that. by musical  it means how you express the music.

So, then, you are saying that the world of music is divided into those who have the means to express something, but nothing to say, and those who have something to say and no means by which to express it, and of course all shades in between. 

It seems difficult to judge for oneself whether we have more technique than musical thoughts.  What is more easily recognized, however, is if one's technique falls short of what is required by the music...

For myself, I don't know of which I have more, but I do know that I fall short on both accounts and that I try to continue to grow in both areas.  As for which I prioritize, it is the music, because without knowing what the music is, we do not know what technical means are needed to achieve it.

It goes without saying that any professional pianist should be able to play scales, double notes, etc., at a reasonable tempo.

[go12_3]

Being technical involves the scales, etc.  But doing everything technical takes away from the flavor of the music within musicians.  There has to be a balance between musical and technical.  Some of my students, just play the notes without feeling the music.  Yet, there are some that are indowed being musical.  I can feel how their fingers touch the keyboard.  Some have the banging sensation and some
have the lighter more musical touch.  I acquire technical ability requires several hours of practice in which enhances the musical aspect within us.  Granted, we as teachers and pianists hope to attain in our lifetime, which indeed, for most of us, it will.

[twiltot]

i focus on musicality more

[pianisten1989]

Both.. I am the ultimate pianist: I made my own variation of OC when I was 5, and recorded the Beethoven sonatas at the age of 3

[bandsoul]

I think that being more musical than technical or only musical... is something that appears only to REAL BORN GREAT TALENTS...
For all the others I think that the ideal way to go is with a balance of both... 

[gyzzzmo]

i suppose i got a healthy balance between both. You also need to be technically good to be able to express yourself musically properly.

[weissenberg2]

I will go with technical because my playing is not sentimental but it is emotional. I focus on control and interpretation rather than tone and expression.

[go12_3]

It all depends upon the piece, be it more technical or musical.  I'm more musical and yet
technical , oh well, it's both for me.   

[nanabush]

I usually approach a piece from a technical standpoint - "what's the hardest part, easiest part; what techniques have I seen before, what haven't I"

After a few days or so, my musicality starts setting in.  Once I'm aware of how the piece is supposed to sound, and have read some info on it, I can start adding my own 'style' to my interpretation.

Mostly technical though...

[teccomin]

I think technique is the prerequisite for musicality. You need technique to be able to produce better tone quality, to support your musical lines. Of course you can claim that you "think" in a more musical way, but the actual music you produce may not be as musical as you intended depending on your technique.

[jbmorel78]

This topic is utter nonsense!

Why confuse people?  One either plays like an artist, or like an apprentice blacksmith.  One cannot play "technically," unless you mean that this is synonymous with non-"musicality"... in which case "technical" playing is nothing but bad art, bad music, and bad pianism!

It is not one or another.... it is one before the other, chicken or the egg problem....  artistic mind must always be searching ahead to tell the fingers what to do, but the fingers must always be able to do what they are asked, and more, but never should they do more or less than what they are asked....  Is this "technical playing?"  Disobedient digits?

JBM

[pianisten1989]

This topic is utter nonsense!

Why confuse people?  One either plays like an artist, or like an apprentice blacksmith.  One cannot play "technically," unless you mean that this is synonymous with non-"musicality"... in which case "technical" playing is nothing but bad art, bad music, and bad pianism!

Omg, come on!
Ofc you can have a more musical way of playing, or a more technically.
Cziffra and Hamelin has a more technicall way of playing than, for example Per Tengstrand, who really focus on the emotions in the piece.

[jbmorel78]

Omg, come on!
Ofc you can have a more musical way of playing, or a more technically.
Cziffra and Hamelin has a more technicall way of playing than, for example Per Tengstrand, who really focus on the emotions in the piece.

Do you think that Cziffra and Hamelin do not focus on the emotions of their pieces?

Perhaps what you are getting at is that Cziffra and Hamelin choose repertoire (but not always!) that requires different types of techniques than that of Mr. Tengstrand?  When all is said and done, however, one either has the technique to express the content of the piece, or one doesn't.  Mr. Cziffra, Mr. Hamelin, and Mr. Tengstrand ALL have said technique.

Best,
Jean-Baptiste Morel

[chopin1993]

I'm more musical.
I'd love to be a bit more technical than I am now, though.

[pianisten1989]

ofc they all have great technique. But as you said: Cziffra and Hamelin rather play pieces that are more technical "Show off" (It's the wrong word, but I can't think of any other), while Tengstrand, for example, mostly play pieces which shows off musical  ideas, rather than technical.
And ofc not All the time, but in general.

[richard black]

I think it's possible to be biased a bit towards technique or music. Of course ideally one is good at both and that's when you're a world-class player. I'm more technical than musical: I'm not particularly imaginative but I can get round the keyboard pretty well, so I don't perform much but do a useful job as a repetiteur and short-notice accompanist for students etc. There's a lot of work around for people like me!

[Bob]

I'm more technical now.  By choice.  I want to have the ability to do what I want.  And it's by habit too.  I'm stuck in a technical rut.

On the 'can someone even be more or less technical' there is the approach of performing a piece of music that has emotion and just adding things into it without feeling, ending up in 'acting' the expression without really feeling it.  I would call that more technical playing.

[peterjmathis]

More musical. But I had to be a certain amount of technical to become this musical.

[prongated]

I have always thought I am musical and just lacking in the required virtuosic attributes. For example, I can bring off Schubert nicely and convincingly but perhaps not Liszt in a more bombastic way.

Now I truly realise that in order to be artistically accomplished, you cannot be anything but technically accomplished, doesn't matter whether it's Schubert or Liszt.

[magio]

I am musical since i was born.
I would describe my soul as music.
My name is music too.
When musicallity speaks at your heart who cares about your techn.?Not even your piano teacher!