The best/right way to play piano

[rewe2]

Probably the Subject isn't that clear, what this topic is about.
So I ll explain it a bit more:
I wanted to ask you all, what is the best/right way to play piano?
I wrote best/right , because i dont know if there s really a right way to play piano.
for example: 
- play with fingertip or back of the hand or ...   ?
- wrist at the same height as the keyboard or higher or... ?
- having arms tensed while playing ( fast & loud ) or ... ?
- round hand ( like holding a tangerine in your hand) or ... ?
- ...

I m sorry about my bad english and hope for soon and many response.

thanking you in anticipation

[artsyalchemist]

To be honest, I don't think there's any standard "right" way to do it, since there are SO MANY schools of playing out there.  It comes down to personal opinion really.

[rewe2]

@ artsyalchemist
That's why i wrote right/best , if there are many ways / techniques then tell me the one , which is the best in your opinion.

[richard black]

You're obviously connected to the internet - have a look at Youtube, there are thousands of videos of pianists, many of them very highly regarded worldwide. Then you'll realise why your question is silly.

But regarding -

play with fingertip or back of the hand or

I'd like to see you playing with the back of the hand!

[rewe2]

Just like you said : " there are thousands of videos"
So which one is the right or which are the right to learn from?
And with the back of the hand i meant if i should use the muscle of the back or only the power of my finger ( fingertips ) .

[jgallag]

I can take a stab at what I've learned so far, but technique is the most varied aspect of piano playing and hardly anyone agrees on it. Here's what I've gathered, addressing your points along with others:

1. Start with posture. The head, neck, and torso should be aligned (this does NOT mean straightening the natural curves of the spine) and, at the start, balanced over the "sit-bones" (sit on your hands, you'll feel them). The torso moves as a unit, we do not break the alignment though we may tilt left and right, forwards and backwards. This does not mean rigidity or tension, however.

2. Playing should be done first with the upper arms (in combination with the torso), then with the forearms, then the hands, and finally the fingers. What this means to say is that we often use the smallest parts of the mechanism (the fingers) to do things they shouldn't/can't do. For instance, fingers do not locate the keys, this is done by a combination of upper arm and forearm. Fingers do not shape chords, this is done by the stretch of the palm muscles. Fingers often don't even press the key down, the upper arm, forearm, and hand are all capable of doing so in various combinations. Fingers serve as an extension of these larger bones, allowing them to do their work.

3. Any tension is always at impact. When you press the key, your muscles tense for an instant, and then relax. Once you have played the note, you can do nothing more than hold the dampers up, and the weight of your arm will be fine for this (or the pedal). Excess pressure into the keys is called "keybedding" and results in slow play and tension. So, to answer your question, your arms are not tensed throughout the playing, it is a tension at impact and then immediate relaxation. You must tense to play the keys, but you must not carry over this tension to the next key depression.

4. The combination of the forearm, hand, and fingers form a natural arch, simply by their structure (See Freeing the Caged Bird by Barbara Lister-Sink). If we maintain this arch while playing, it allows for maximum power to be transferred from the upper arm and torso to the keys. If we break this arch, we cut off the power from the larger bones of the mechanism.

5. Your wrist question. Position of the wrist has nothing to do with the keyboard. In fact, position of the wrist is a result of forearm flexion/extension and hand flexion/extension. When both are extended (to a certain point), one can draw a trace a straight line from the knuckles of the hand over the back of the hand and arm to the elbow. When both flex, an arch forms as the forearm rises and the hand dips. From what I have seen so far, there is no reason (and it could be harmful) for the wrist to dip below the alignment point during extension, but I have to verify this. Either way, extremes in wrist position are to be avoided, as they do cause tension.

6. Play with the fingertip or the back of the hand? I have no clue what you mean by back of the hand. You don't play with the fingertip, you play with the joint that connects the finger to the hand. This allows freer movement and faster play.

7. Round hand. Yes. This is in keeping with the natural arch statement before. You can either get the feel by holding a tangerine, as you say, or if you hold your hand as if you have a baby bird or a delicate flower in it, and then turn it over. Notice that while the fingers are curved, it is not extreme. The fingers may curve more or become flatter while playing, but there is always a slight arc and they never curve to the point of paralysis.

That is by no means complete, but I hope it helps.  

[jgallag]

Just like you said : " there are thousands of videos"
So which one is the right or which are the right to learn from?
And with the back of the hand i meant if i should use the muscle of the back or only the power of my finger ( fingertips ) .

Never actively lift the fingers. If you have a good control of power in your arms, there is no need to worry about them hitting stray notes.

[iroveashe]

There is no general best technique, the things you mention can be the best for certain passages or styles. You don't use the same movements to play Bach as you do to play Chopin. You could use flat fingers to feel the keys more since the cushions at the end of the fingers have more sensitivity and because in the flat position you can use a bigger area of your finger, reducing the chance of, for example missing black notes; while you could use curved fingers to preserve the arch form of the hand and to get in the spaces between the black keys.

Besides that, every person is different, different hand sizes means different approach, some fingers are thicker than others, some arms longer, etc. so what might be best for someone might be uncomfortable to someone else.

As to which pianist to imitate when it comes to movement and technique as main focus of your observations, I'd go to Zimerman, because of his economy of movements and the perfection he achieves musically.

[go12_3]

Besides that, every person is different, different hand sizes means different approach, some fingers are thicker than others, some arms longer, etc. so what might be best for someone might be uncomfortable to someone else.

Yes, I agree with this statement.  What may work for one pianist may not work for another.  And each piece requires a different technique and approach. 

best wishes,

go12_3

[ahinton]

I am not a pianist but have had a lot to do with pianists and piano music and written a fair amount of music for the instrument so, whilst I have more than a possing interest in the subject, I will sensibly refrain from being more proscriptive that I am practically qualified to be.

One recommendation that I would offer is never to make any physical movements at the piano whose result cannot be clearly heard and which are not entirely germane to generating the sound that you seek to produce; we've all seen pianists and other performing musical animals making all kinds of demonstrative movements while playing, though what those activities usually demonstrate has little or no direct connection with actual sound production so they can arguably achieve nothing beyond some inevitable distraction from the physical and mental energies and concentration required to play. Compare, for example, pianists such as Pollini and Powell (who are still with us) and Ogdon, Cherkassky, Rakhmaninov and, perhaps above all, Michelangeli (who sadly are not) with any number of more gymnastically inclined players and the point will surely make itself.

Another suggestion (though not directly related to physical approaches to the piano) is, as the brilliant but deeply unfortunate person who gave me piano lessons years ago warned me, never to practice without imagining that there is an audience of at least one person present, for if you don't do this, there is always a grave risk that you'll not be listening carefully enough yourself.

There's my two cents' worth...

Best,

Alistair

[richard black]

Just like you said : " there are thousands of videos"
So which one is the right or which are the right to learn from?

All of them.

[jgallag]

You could use flat fingers to feel the keys more since the cushions at the end of the fingers have more sensitivity and because in the flat position you can use a bigger area of your finger, reducing the chance of, for example missing black notes; while you could use curved fingers to preserve the arch form of the hand and to get in the spaces between the black keys.

Perhaps I need to elaborate on flat fingers.



This, to me, is a good flat finger. The pad makes full contact with the key, allowing for control and accuracy, but none of the joints of the finger are inverted, thus maintaining the natural arch.



This, to me, is a bad flat finger. Yes, the pad keeps full contact, but both joints are inverted, straining them.

Also, I find it interesting that you go after my concepts concerning the finger first. Do you have problems with the rest of my advice? I'm seriously interested, because if I'm wrong it hurts me too, and I don't want that. But I do notice a preoccupation with the finger...

I also agree with Alistair. No unnecessary movements, and you should always be practicing as if it is a performance.

[iroveashe]

Also, I find it interesting that you go after my concepts concerning the finger first. Do you have problems with the rest of my advice? I'm seriously interested, because if I'm wrong it hurts me too, and I don't want that. But I do notice a preoccupation with the finger...

No, your advice is great. I typed my comment before you posted yours and it was addressed at the original poster.

[iroveashe]

Just to illustrate how different opinions on "best technique" can be, here's an Alan Fraser video where he asks the student to bend the 5th finger in an inverted form:

(He starts talking about it at around 01:35)

Some traditional teachers could yell at you for doing that.

[jgallag]

I'm going to watch that video in a minute. If I don't get my practice started now, there's going to be problems.  However, I will say that my flat finger rule must be modified. As I said, it's from what I've heard, and it comes mostly from the Lister-Sink video and the Alexander Technique principles of skeletal alignment. It seems sound advice, and I don't know of a passage where you would need an inverted finger (I'm sure this video will teach me, though), but I have seen Argerich doing it, and I'm not going to argue with her technique.

So I would look at it this way: Avoid inverting the finger unless you have a specific reason for doing so.

BTW, has anyone read Fraser's book? I'm in the middle of Seymour Fink's at the moment, but I plan on purchasing the Fraser around Christmas.

[go12_3]

The bad finger won't produce the sound that is needful in playing a piece.  And the pinkie has been an issue with my students and I posted a topic about that in the Teachers Board.  The pinkie shouldn't be laying flat upon the white key as we strike the key.   To produce a good tone or sound, the fingers need to sink into the keys.  And the bad finger without the arch would hinder that action.

best wishes,

go12_3

[richard black]

To produce a good tone or sound, the fingers need to sink into the keys

No, they just need to push the keys down at the right speed and at the right time. Everything else is ornament.

[go12_3]

No, they just need to push the keys down at the right speed and at the right time. Everything else is ornament.

What I mean by *sink into the keys* is to produce a good tone while playing a slow piece.  I learned the concept of  using the weight, in which the arms are relaxed and the hands feel heavy so that the fingers can *strike*, *push* ,*hit*, *press*, *sink* into the keys. But, not bang nor pump into the keys.  These terms is matter on what you were taught by your teacher.  Whatever works for the pianist to produce a nice and good tone. 

best wishes,

go12_3

[iroveashe]

BTW, has anyone read Fraser's book? I'm in the middle of Seymour Fink's at the moment, but I plan on purchasing the Fraser around Christmas.

I have a long list of books I'd like to read regarding piano technique, but read none; -adly I don't have a credit card and the piano books market is not exactly popular in Argentina.

[jgallag]

I have a long list of books I'd like to read regarding piano technique, but read none; -adly I don't have a credit card and the piano books market is not exactly popular in Argentina.

It's not popular here, either, and I live in New York. I got the Fink with my debit card and Abby Whiteside's by an *amazing* stroke of luck - I found it in a used bookstore in downtown Ithaca. You should look into getting a debit card. It's a godsend. I ordered one of my favorite novels with it, and it's also how I order my music books for college (over the phone). It's also how I pay my membership dues for MTNA and other little things like that.

To help you with your reading list, James Francis Cooke's Book just happens to be on Project Gutenberg. Here's the link: https://www.gutenberg.org/etext/28026. Don't know if it's legal in Argentina, it is in America. PM me if you want more.

[ramseytheii]

One recommendation that I would offer is never to make any physical movements at the piano whose result cannot be clearly heard and which are not entirely germane to generating the sound that you seek to produce; we've all seen pianists and other performing musical animals making all kinds of demonstrative movements while playing, though what those activities usually demonstrate has little or no direct connection with actual sound production so they can arguably achieve nothing beyond some inevitable distraction from the physical and mental energies and concentration required to play. Compare, for example, pianists such as Pollini and Powell (who are still with us) and Ogdon, Cherkassky, Rakhmaninov and, perhaps above all, Michelangeli (who sadly are not) with any number of more gymnastically inclined players and the point will surely make itself.

A fantastic point.  I remember an article in The New Yorker a few years ago about an American TV personality named Cesar Milan, who has a show called "The Dog Whisperer."  The article was written from the standpoint of an analysis of personal charisma.  Showing an excerpt of the show to a movement teacher, the teacher noticed that all of his movements seemed to illustrate, punctuate, and emphasize his words.  There was a direct connection between the meaning and movement.

That is so lacking in so many pianists.  They just move this way or that because whatever, maybe they think it looks better and is more attractive to the audience.  But any movements at all should only be directed towards heightening the literal experience of the musical phrase.   In fact I've commented in the Audition Room on just this problem, a fellow who was playing Liszt 2nd Ballade (YouTube video), and while he got different sounds for each section, his physical gestures were exactly the same, and it gave the impression of monotony.

Walter Ramsey

[ramseytheii]

No, they just need to push the keys down at the right speed and at the right time. Everything else is ornament.

In many ways, this is true - crudely put but true.  The art of piano playing is the art of touch, plain and simple.  A good touch implies a good coordination in the parts.  Therefore all study of the piano should be based on the quality of sound produced.

When I say "quality" I don't mean good or bad, but "characteristic." 

The best way to refine and perfect the way you touch the piano, is to approach everything as if it was contrapuntal (and it mostly is).  Even in a simple Schubert waltz, there should be one touch for the bass line (that connects it musically all the way through), another for the chords (and even in the chords one should be able to balance them in different ways, to show different aspects of voice-leading) and one for the tune, and if the tune is written in double-stops, so much the better for you - more to practice.

One cannot have real speed without a large variety of touch, and so that helps with increasing your speed as well.

Direct all your attention towards the kind of sound you are producing.  When the sound comes out in a way you don't desire, then start to analyze the mechanism.  Not before that.

Walter Ramsey