What is the first thing you teach about technique?

[keyofc]

For beginning students - what is the first thing you teach concerning technique?

[gerryjay]

dear c major:

very important question, to which i have a very simple answer: how to sit.

best!

[pianisten1989]

How to sit is oftenly very different, from each person. But I would show them a picture on how to sit, in general.. But then I'll go for the rexaled part. Make sure the student istn't tense in the arms or back. To be relaxed in the hands woöö come later, since it's harder.

[gerryjay]

How to sit is oftenly very different, from each person. But I would show them a picture on how to sit, in general..

hi, pianisten!
i think there is some kind of contradiction here: if sitting is different from person to person, what good could be a picture?

learning how to sit is about knowing your own body, and basically discovering how wrong you sit in your daily tasks. in particularly, pre-teens and teens (with all body changes) have an awful sitting behaviour, which is destructive at the piano, both for their spines (at long term) as for their technique. adults, in the other hand, are old dogs...

this issue have enormous importance to me, because what i mostly see are teachers who just let their pupils sit and play and then, when their develop stiffness or bad posture, those same teacher blame on the pupils themselves.

best!

[javacisnotrecognized]

dear c major:

very important question, to which i have a very simple answer: how to sit.

best!

Do you also force them to sit at a specific height and distance from the piano?

[gerryjay]

hi, there. you probably didn't understand my point, so let me answer your question with all the politeness you demonstrate not know:

Do you also force them to sit at a specific height and distance from the piano?

"no, i don't. the main issue in this case is body awareness and how a pupil feel when s/he sits anywhere: at the piano, at school or work, at home. furthermore, if you read more carefully what i wrote, it's not how to sit at the piano, but just how to sit, what is something i do actually far away from the piano itself. finally, is not a matter that finishes in the first class: as much as anything new in technique influences the whole body sensation, how a pupil sit is always developing and changing."

best!

[a-sharp]

I usually teach proper position at the piano during my interview, so it doesn't take up time at the first lesson. This absolutely begins with proper distance from keyboard, sitting up tall, proper placement on the bench and height relative to the surface of the keys. Almost always, a simple adjustment in height or distance will correct a bizarre hand position later. So it has to start with position. The elements of arm weight and ideal hand position I go over at the first lesson (and every lesson thereafter to infinity it seems! lol)...

As for a specific technique "exercise" - it totally depends on age and developmental readiness... Assuming it's a child, I start with simple blocked 5th exercises. ONLY the things they have the strength and capability to do. For really little ones, I keep their hand in a "cluster" until their fingers are strong enough to function individually. I don't teach legato anything for quite a while - again, depending on lots of things. Every student is different.

I don't teach scales requiring thumb cross-unders until they have established a good hand shape and a strong "bridge."

Of course - sometimes we get transfer student who lack that and are already doing scales... so you just work with what you have. Nothing is going to change overnight.

HTH!

[pianisten1989]

I don't really think I would learn then how to sit. I tell them if they are doing terribly wrong, but not more than that.

And about the picture:
I show them, cause indivduall sitting possition will come after some years, not at the same time as they start playing.

[m19834]

For beginning students - what is the first thing you teach concerning technique?

Depends on the individual.

[gerryjay]

And about the picture:
I show them, cause indivduall sitting possition will come after some years, not at the same time as they start playing.

let's go, perhaps it will be funny...hi, pianisten!
some years? had you actually accompany such a development?

furthermore, nobody said that a proper position would come at the time they start playing. first, because it starts before playing; then, it is a main issue of the class situation (not something to hope for).

of course, that is my modest opinion, and there are other valid approaches. notice, please, that i don't criticize your use of photos. i just don't find any help in it, mainly because photos don't translate a complete idea of a 3D situation. perhaps a video would be a nice call, but i never did try that.

best!

[meli]

After teaching them the correct sitting posture, I would show them how to relax their shoulders. I would include breathing as part of relaxation, and maybe do some simple breathing exercises together like taking deep breaths and exhale. I think its important to teach them about this as some students unconsciously stop breathing while playing a demanding passage, which may lead to stress.

[kitty on the keys]

As a teacher of young students--using Suzuki and other methods too, I work on posture and position at the piano. You can always spot us suzuki teachers at recitals--we have our foot stools---pillows for the bench---and various books to sit on. The results---great posture--position and tone production.

kitty on the keys

[dan101]

A relaxed hand position is important to me. Scales (one octave) soon follow. I don't overdo my talk about posture, as kids seem a bit turned off if you harp on that subject for too long.

[go12_3]

I feel that a relaxed hand is important for technique, and slightly curved fingers.  I use finger exercises for my beginner students  for their minds to incorporate the curved fingers  to produce a good tone from the keyboard.  Gradually, students learn technique as they progress to a higher level.  Learning to count, read the notes, and ear training are also a part of teaching technique.  The beginner students do have a lot to learn in the first few weeks of lessons, depending upon age.  Technique has to be taught as to not overwhelm the student.  When students understand the technique, then they can progress for another aspect of technique. 

[a-sharp]

Kitty on the keys - you would spot my students doing this - only I'm not a Suzuki teacher. It's just makes good sense!

[dan101]

Relaxed hands and proper seat height.

[lovetoplay]

go12_3

Would you mind giving some examples of finger exercises?   I am starting to teach my 5 1/2 year old daughter.  She's doing well but her fingers are weak.  Thanks!

[weissenberg2]

go12_3

Would you mind giving some examples of finger exercises?   I am starting to teach my 5 1/2 year old daughter.  She's doing well but her fingers are weak.  Thanks!

Hanon (beginner), Czerny (amateur) Dohnanyi (intermediate) Brahms (expert)

[a-sharp]

lovetoplay

for a 5.5 y/o, with "weak fingers" (I assume you are referring to collapsing fingertip joints), I would not assign hanon - or a lot of exercises which require a lot of finger independence yet. Start with simple blocked fifths ... or blocked 5-finger patterns until the fingers can support the weight... "thumb on corner, pinky on tip" ... once you see she some indep. finger strength developing you can start to assign stuff like hanon (if you want) ... I actually prefer Fingerpower personally...

my 2 cents only of course

[go12_3]

I am sorry , lovetoplay, that I missed your post to reply.

I my experience in teaching *young students* at the ages of 7 years old and under, I do not even approach technique because it is hard enough for them to acquire the motor coordination.  So I just let them strike the keys as they get used to how and feel to push down each key.  That is exercise enough for a young student.  Then the ability to comprehend varies with each student. So what I do is let your young student play, play and play.  The black keys are elevated which makes it easier for the students to play on and yes, they will have the flat fingers.  But, after awhile the fingers gets more used to the key action. Their little fingers will move along and just show them how you play and they will imitate what you do.  I do the fist exercise(open and close) a few times before they play.  This helps them to recognize how the fingers and mind have a connection.  And this takes time so that eventually the flat and collapsing fingers will slightly curve for proper finger action.

Also, another exercise, is the finger-tapping on a flat surface(a table)and I have them do each finger to lift and go down, lift and go down.  This facilitates the independent finger action.  I have a list of a few finger exercies, off and on the keyboard, for young students to do.  And they are fun.  And a parent will need to know those to help their child to learn the finger exercises.  It gets their attention before and during the lesson when I find them not paying attention. 

When the student begins to recognize some of the notes, with the middle C position, A, B, C, D and E.  Then introduce the Primer Level of Fingerpower, and I used these books for all of my beginner students.  They go through Level three and then I begin on Hanon.  I know Fingerpower goes up to Level 6, but I find that it's a waste of money because after Level 3 Fingerpower, Hanon contains what the Fingerpower level 4-6 has.  For a young beginner,  the technique will come along through the pieces that they learn;  some of the passages of a piece can be repeated a few times. 

best wishes,

go12_3
 

[nanabush]

If the child doesn't know the alphabet off by heart, I teach them the first seven letters of it 

If the child knows the alphabet, I first teach them about finger numbering, BASIC posture and BASIC hand relaxation (keeping curled fingers rather than flat hands).  I'd usually shy away from stuff like this, but now I'll tell the kid they look like a monkey if they're bouncing around, and then they'll laugh and fix the posture.  I also get the kid to describe what each 'bad' posture looks like (I demonstrate, the kid describes what it looks like ).  Same thing with the hands; a week of this, and I don't have to constantly remind the kid to sit up or fix their hands every 30 seconds.

Adult beginners, I'll start right away with the C major five note scale for warmup, followed by the one octave scale (starting at middle C for each hand, and working up with right hand, and down with left hand to keep fingering consistent).  It's funny, because some adults have more trouble with basic technique than some 5 year olds.  The only difference is that adults can read fluently and can process information (I hope  ) more sound and logically than children.

[mcdiddy1]

The first i teach them are posture and hand position and note names..after all you don't want them going home and all they learned was how to sit. You should teach them to have their feel flat on the floor for balance, sit up straight, elbows hanging relaxed to the side, wrist parrallel to the key board, using strong finger tips. Then introduce them to the note names on the piano and teach them a song by rote imediaetly so they can experiece success from the very first lesson and someing thing to practice at home