flat fingers

[flyinfingers]

Hi Everyone and Happy new year!  I've been doing some research -- well, not a whole lot, but my teacher tells me, "flat finger, flat sound!"  She's brutal, which is what I wanted but is really like a grade school nun in a catholic school hitting my wrists with a ruler!  Not many words of encouragment; that's for sure!
One extreme to the next!

So I was reading -- and I think this makes sense -- when you want to play pp, then you go towards the flatboard (I think that's what I'm reading as to be the hardware of the piano where the emblem is)  and you can play it much softer with more control.  I think that the flat fingers on the black keys are much better (allowing for more control and better contact with the narrow black keys) than curved fingers for the white keys.  I'm just experimenting with this at the moment and would like any opinions on this.

[keyboardclass]

It depends on the period.  The finger shape how-they-appear-hanging-from-your-arm is best but for Bach, Mozart more of a curl is required.

[flyinfingers]

Yes, that is what I read, mostly for Bach.  But it did seem to fare pretty well for me when I did the Solfeggietto, which is CPE Bach.  I'm not some concert pianist, but I do like playing with the flatter action on the black keys.  I think it's better for control and contact.  Don't you think?

[keyboardclass]

But it did seem to fare pretty well for me when I did the Solfeggietto, which is CPE Bach.  I'm not some concert pianist, but I do like playing with the flatter action on the black keys.  I think it's better for control and contact.  Don't you think?

Cpe would be like his dad - it was from his and WF's desciption that we know how Bach played.  Overall, Romantic repertoire is better on finger health.

[flyinfingers]

Cpe would be like his dad - it was from his and WF's desciption that we know how Bach played.  Overall, Romantic repertoire is better on finger health.

I don't know what you mean by "finger health."  I played handball the other day for the first time in ten years.  That is not healthy for the fingers!  Had to get out the racquets and felt like a wimp!   HA!

[keyboardclass]

I don't know what you mean by "finger health." 

All that Bach curling is not good for you.  I teach that period (incl Mozart) as advanced rep even if the pieces are easy.