Is it (really) possible to practise stamina?

[lelle]

Hello!

I have a question about "stamina".

In the wikipedia article about Chopin's etude Op 25 no 11 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89tude_Op._25,_No._11_%28Chopin%29 there is a passage talking about stamina:

"Étude Op. 25, No. 11 is a study for developing stamina, dexterity, and technique - essential skills for any concert pianist."

Likewise, a previous piano teacher of mine talked about I had to develop stamina when I was learning Op 25 no 12 (because I started to get tired when I came to the middle section). Stamina, as I've understood the concept, means endurance, i.e. how much you are able to play before you get tired. However, in some posts that I've read on this board, people say that if you get tired, playing a certain piece, you are using the wrong technique.

Doesn't this mean that the concept of stamina in piano playing doesn't exist; that if you become tired playing a piece, it means you've been practising with a faulty technique? Will practising something that makes you tired only lead to injury, rather than increasing your endurance?

[chomikchomik]

You are using bad technique if you are using too much muscles (f.e. using forearm when you should use your weight), you are not relaxed and then you get tired too early. It also hurts, so it's rather easy to see, if you are using bad technique. BUT you get tired, if you have too weak muscles, too. So, piece witch develops your stamina concentrates on developing muscles witch are needed to playing (like legs to walking). The stamina is needed in more demanding pieces.  Hope it helped you. 

[pianisten1989]

Yeah, it's not really about developing stamina, (that will probably only hurt you) but to develop a more relaxed technique...

[omar_roy]

I hesitate to speak of stamina with regard to piano in the traditional sense, but there is a certain notion of physical stamina involved with piano playing, regardless of how efficient your technique is.  In Neuhaus' book "The Art of Piano Playing" he states (i'm only paraphrasing here) that it's easy to play loud, it's easy to play fast, and it can be easy to play long.  However, to play loud, fast, and for a long time is extremely difficult, and the greatest virtuosi achieved the stamina to do just that by developing it while they were young, with playing that was too loud and too fast, and so on and so forth.  Keep in mind that a pianissimo is not the same in your living room as it is at Carnegie Hall, and so the minimum amount of volume needed to be heard differs greatly.  As such, to play in a grand hall would be much more physically taxing than to play for a small audience in your home.

So yes, there is a certain sense of physical stamina in piano playing, however, if you have not built it up already, then I don't suggest actively attempting to train it.

[angeleyescj]

Stamina is all in the technique. I recently performed an etude which made use switching semiquaver chords in the left hand. My piano lecturer pointed out two different ways of playing them; approaching the chords with the whole arm and approaching the chords with wrist action. If you alternate these two techniques it should be possible (theoretically) to continue playing fro a long period of time without wearing your muscles out (stamina). It certainly helped me!

[jzp93]

And here I thought being athletic is what helps my son because he plays
soccer 5days a week for least 2 hours. Of course the technique helps.

[jmanpno]

I can play the most demanding works for hours and not grow physically weary.  i don't think that it's stamina... It's know how to play the piano effectively.  It takes ~ 2 oz of "force" to put down a key.... that's not very much "work"....

And besides, virtuoso children don't have years to develop stamina. 

Think about it ;-)