Best book for piano technique

[etude_3]

There are so many books on piano technique out there I'm wondering if anyone has discovered the the best all round book on technique that is easy to understand, apply etc . I'm around grade 10 level.

[keyboardclass]

I'm around grade 10 level.

Then you should be looking at something more specific I would think.  Tankard's book is excellent on exercises.  Free Tobias Matthay books here are worth a read www.archive.org though dense.  I really loved Amy Fays Travels - again free at archive.org.

[steinway43]

Hard to beat Liszt's book of technical exercises.

[viking]

Thomas Mark.

[olsonpiano]

The best technique I have ever found is Ernest Hutcheson's book - Piano Technique.  It really must be shown by a teacher and demonstrated to understand what he is saying.  But it boils down every piano technique one will ever need to play anything in the piano literture in all in less than a few dozen pages. 
Most people are looking for technical books like Czerny, Hannon etc.  But if you are really looking for a true book on piano technique, Ernest Hucheson's is tops. It is so simple and yet so straight forward it is amazing to realize how basic playing the piano really is.  It takes hours to polish every aspect of technique - actually a life time. 
FYI he gave up his career as a concert pianist to start a little school called Julliard!

[keyboardclass]

Thomas Mark.

Mark's assumption that the the bones will support without tension is erroneous.  The second doctored pic shows what happens if you try to put a key down without tension - the joints just break in.

[scottmcc]

search this forum for a thread by me entitled "the rachfan reading list," or something to that effect.  I think my favorite of that list was "the russian piano school."  cheers.

[keyboardclass]

Oh, that reminds me - you must get The Russian Piano School translated and edited by Chris Barnes.  A lot of it's student notes but Samuil Feinberg's stuff is genius.

[viking]

Mark's assumption that the the bones will support without tension is erroneous.  The second doctored pic shows what happens if you try to put a key down without tension - the joints just break in.

He is talking about support and allignment, which has everything to do with preventing tension.
Playing the piano is more of a transfer of weight, with "pointed" fingers.
Your picture denotes what would happen if the fingers weren't pointed, focused, supportive, etc...

[keyboardclass]

As he says in the caption - 'the arch...can be the basis of playing without tension'.  There is no such thing.  Without tension during key depression your joints collapse (ultimately you fall off the piano stool).

[birba]

I had never heard of Thomas Mark.  I went to google him and I could only find "comedian and political activist".  Thomas CARSON Mark.  Interesting.  A Taubmann offspring.
Anyway, you're right, it's impossible to play without tension.  It's how to RELEASE the tension immediately after playing the key that's the secret.

[rayneval]

Those who know 'Ernest Hutcheson's book - Piano Technique'
What level is this aimed at? Could the less advanced player (more towards intermediate) be able to use this?
Should one master each exercise first before the next? So spend lots of time on each progressively going through?

[jbmorel78]

How about the Chopin études?

[viking]

As he says in the caption - 'the arch...can be the basis of playing without tension'.  There is no such thing.  Without tension during key depression your joints collapse (ultimately you fall off the piano stool).

Words words...

He is talking about allignment of the bones, which is the most important aspect of playing with a precise and focused movement.

Tension is usually referred to the unnecessary and detrimental tensing of the muscles, as what happens when one continues to press into the keys long after it would have any effect.

As birba states, the release is extremely important.

It seems that hardly anyone would call the ability to remain on the piano bench without falling off "tension" with any type of practical implication.

[keyboardclass]

I had never heard of Thomas Mark.  I went to google him and I could only find "comedian and political activist".  Thomas CARSON Mark.  Interesting.  A Taubmann offspring.
Anyway, you're right, it's impossible to play without tension.  It's how to RELEASE the tension immediately after playing the key that's the secret.

You have a friend for life!  and yes it is very much a secret.

[stevet]

The best technique I have ever found is Ernest Hutcheson's book - Piano Technique.  It really must be shown by a teacher and demonstrated to understand what he is saying.  But it boils down every piano technique one will ever need to play anything in the piano literture in all in less than a few dozen pages. 
Most people are looking for technical books like Czerny, Hannon etc.  But if you are really looking for a true book on piano technique, Ernest Hucheson's is tops. It is so simple and yet so straight forward it is amazing to realize how basic playing the piano really is.  It takes hours to polish every aspect of technique - actually a life time. 
FYI he gave up his career as a concert pianist to start a little school called Julliard!

Thanks! It's out of print and out of copyright, but I found it here as a pdf download or read online  version  https://archive.org/details/elementsofpianot00hutcuoft

[andrewkoay]

Words words...

He is talking about allignment of the bones, which is the most important aspect of playing with a precise and focused movement.

Tension is usually referred to the unnecessary and detrimental tensing of the muscles, as what happens when one continues to press into the keys long after it would have any effect.

As birba states, the release is extremely important.

Wow this is really interesting. I will try this out...

[awesom_o]

How could reading a book help someone play better?

[hardy_practice]

Or reading a forum?  Or a blog?

[j_menz]

How could reading a book help someone play better?

Liszt apparently advocated it to relieve boredom while doing drilling exercises. I think a Victorian potboiler was probably more to his taste than a textbook on playing, though.

[kevin69]

How could reading a book help someone play better?

I've read several posts on this forum by you that have resulted in improvements in my playing.

Reading allows us to make use of other peoples experience to guide our own development.
I don't think anyone would claim to be able to play better without playing, but there are certainly
more and less efficient ways of spending your practice time.

[awesom_o]

I've read several posts on this forum by you that have resulted in improvements in my playing.

Reading allows us to make use of other peoples experience to guide our own development.
I don't think anyone would claim to be able to play better without playing, but there are certainly
more and less efficient ways of spending your practice time.

I am both touched and thrilled that you have made improvements based upon reading my posts!

I agree with what you have said about more and less efficient ways of spending practice time.

I haven't read too too many books on the subject of piano-playing, as I'm always a bit more interested in developing my own point of view than in allowing my own point of view to be influenced by others.

However, I will admit that my practicing methods have changed slightly since I read the book

'Piano Technique' by Walter Gieseking and his teacher, Karl Leimer.

The book makes for a very short read (great in terms of value-for-time-investment!)
but contains some incredible information about practicing that many folks would benefit from.