theory of tone production

[nyiregyhazi]

No one who has ever done your 'exercises' has ever agreed with you so speaking personally, I wouldn't waste my time.

More unsubstantiated off-topic accusations? Do you have even the slightest interest in the topic, or solely in trolling? All this exercise consists of is stopping to actually use your brain while playing one key- in order to notice whether the key stops between escapement and the keybed or if it arrives there on the bounce BACK from the keybed.

[keyboardclass]

Do you have even the slightest interest in the topic, or solely in trolling?

I'm interested in the theory of tone production not your bogus ideas.   Go read a few books and get some expert advice before offering advice to others which may well cause injury to them in the long run.  I have helped students learn to play with minimum effort for many years.  To see someone with little experience or knowledge recommend adding tension is beyond the pale.  Good day sir!

[nyiregyhazi]

I'm interested in the theory of tone production not your bogus ideas.   Go read a few books and get some expert advice before offering advice to others which may well cause injury to them in the long run.  I have helped students learn to play with minimum effort for many years.  To see someone with little experience or knowledge recommend adding tension is beyond the pale.  Good day sir!

Great. Yet again, completely ignore the most significant points I have made in favour of a totally generalised and substance-free personal attack. And hey, why not also go ahead and misrepresent anything I've said via a concocted strawman argument that is quite entirely libellous to myself as a professional teacher? ie. more trolling.

Are you still unable to understand that you cannot relax an arm (without it falling) unless it has a second point to hang from? Instead of libelling me in a public forum try THINKING about the fact that it takes a muscular action to create the possibility of relieving yourself of other far greater ones. To say that using the muscles of hand is adding tension is simply spin. Not using them requires MORE tension in virtually every part of the arm. This is entirely subject to physical proof. Stop trying to win an argument and start thinking about what is POSSIBLE.

[keyboardclass]

Talking of reading books, my Gát arrived today.  What a genius!  Page 23:

To speak about "pressure" in piano playing is to use a loose expression, giving rise to misunderstanding.  This may lead to such faults as pressing down the key to the bottom of the key-bed, and even keeping it there with a display of force (vibrato).  If the pianist depresses the key he fails to take into consideration the laws of the operation of the piano's mechanism.  As the release of the hammer takes place near the middle of the downward course of the key (at the escapement level), any further movement of the finger is merely supplementary.  In examining the sides of the keys of pianos used for at least four or five years, we find that the upper part of the wood of the key is of darker colour.  This proves that keys do not as a rule touch the key-bed, otherwise their sides would have become uniformly dark.

A valuable book - you won't find it anywhere under £30!

[nyiregyhazi]

Talking of reading books, my Gat arrived today.  What a genius!  Page 23:A valuable book - you won't find it anywhere under £30!

Another author who hasn't actually realised that there is a SPECTRUM of possibility- not merely on or off? It's a classic oversimplified polarisation. Just because you don't force the key against the keybed, does not mean that it never contacts it. These failures to clarify the broader reality of the situation can be extremely dangerous if misunderstood.

There's virtually no possibility at all of avoiding contact with the pad of felt. Even in soft dynamics it's just about impossible to have any tonal control if you literally achieve this. What is possible is to either carry on forcing against it, or preferably to lean very lightly against it or even to allow a slight rebound, or "bounce". All feasible and practical possbilities that Gat totally fails to clarify. What is not possible is to avoid contacting that felt outright.

Why don't you stop quoting this oversimplified claptrap and walk over towards a piano for a few moments instead? Observe just how much room there is for the difference between lightly resting the key at the keybed and pressing it forcibly further through. There's a world of possibility. To dismiss contact with the keybed based on the fact it's bad to press the hell out of it is deeply short-sighted and overly simplistic thinking.

As I already said, stop treating this like a history debate and think about what is POSSIBLE. Sources can only DESCRIBE things- and not necessarily with accuracy. What matters is what is POSSIBLE. No amount of selectively sourced quotations will have any bearing on that.

[nyiregyhazi]

Also, the following is very significant

"to the bottom of the key-bed"

He should really have clarified himself in more depth to prevent the classic misunderstandings that are made- but note that he specifically says "the bottom". Not merely "the keybed". There are more possibilities than forcing it to the  absolute bottom and avoiding any sense of contact with the keybed at all. These totally different issues. If you're actually interested in this with regard to piano playing rather than argument, I urge you to stop and give serious thought to the actual nature of possibility.

[keyboardclass]

Another author who hasn't actually realised that there is a SPECTRUM of possibility-

And at what point will your mp3s be on sale at Amazon?  Or your books fetch £30 each?  You're delusional.

[nyiregyhazi]

And at what point will your mp3s be on sale at Amazon?  Or your books fetch £30 each?  You're delusional.

Great, another off-topic personal attack in response (which has been reported to the moderators, along with the libellous comment earlier on). Is your interest in the issues really so slight?

[keyboardclass]

whatever

[mrvladimirhorowitz]

The greatest master of tone production, was without question Horowitz. But do not idolize his hands as they have many bad habits. I would remember to play to the bottom of every key, really sink in, and even if you are playing pp or p remember to project. When playing ff sink in, use ur arms, BUT do not make a harsh sound, remember to relax and not tense up. If you tense up you will produce a hard tone, which I must say even Horowitz produced occasionally, but this is bad. play the theme and phrase every note. Every note must lead from the one before. Upbeats must be leading to the next note. And phrase off every phrase. This mainly applies to romantic music. If you want to know how to play specific pieces. Please message me, I am always willing to put my ideas across.