Fundamentals of PP - Eating before Practise/Illness and Brain Damage

[jacobrudduck]

Hi everyone,

I was just reading through the Fundamentals of Piano Practise online (https://www.pianofundamentals.com/book - for those unfamiliar), when I come across this statement in the section on Endurance:

Practicing after a large meal also increases the blood supply and conversely, resting after every meal will reduce stamina – there is a well-known Japanese saying that claims that you will turn into a cow if you sleep after a meal. Since most people do not have enough blood to engage in strenuous activity with a full stomach, your body will rebel by making you feel terrible, but this is an expected reaction. Such activity must be conducted within safe medical limits; for example you might initially experience digestive problems or dizziness (which is probably the rationale behind the belief that you should not exercise after a large meal). Once the body manufactures the necessary extra blood, these problems will disappear. Therefore, you should stay as active as you can after a meal, in order to prevent anemia.

I was wondering what everybody at Piano Street makes of this advice, and indeed the entire book in general. Personally, it seems to contradict everything I've ever read on the matter of exercise/activity after eating. The claim that staying as active as possible after a meal in order to prevent anemia sounds utterly bizzare, and I have no idea where the author got that information from.

I personally don't believe the idea that eating just before a practise session is in anyway beneficial, and somehow changes the body's physiology. And speaking from experience exercising straight after a meal is a sure way to make one feel nauseous. I've never heard that recommended before.

There's something else:

'There is much more brain activity during piano play than most people realize. Infections do not affect the whole body equally; they usually settle opportunistically in stressed organs. If the person is running a fever and then plays the piano, there will be some risk of brain damage.

Does that claim sound a little far fetched to you? I can obviously understand the possibility  if somebody is running a 107F fever, but again, I think the author is scaremongering again.

How does this book rank in other pianist's eyes? I've been reading it through and trying to adapt my practise routines to the "ideals" described. However, quite often I come across proposals that I don't quite understand, almost like the author is other-complicating things, particularly in regards to finger and wrist movements...thumbs over as opposed to thumbs under, that kind of thing.

Thoughts?

[keyboardclass]

That all does sound bizarre.  I believe he's an engineer - the book's based on his daughter's piano lessons.  I think he says it's OK to break in finger joints - I tried it for months - not good.

[j_menz]

Thoughts?

Sounds like complete pseudoscientific crap to me.

[thalbergmad]

This book has been discussed several times before. As with many methods, some say it works for them, others say it does not.

A couple of sections from the website, immediately sends me rushing in the opposite direction:

"This web site provides free piano lessons, piano teaching material, and piano tuning instructions. You can learn piano up to 1000 times faster (learning rate calculation) compared to other methods"

"I don't quite expect you to remember me, but I sent you an email a little more than a year ago.
I would like to let you know how piano has been coming along for me using your method. I began playing the piano about Christmas of 2002, using your method from the beginning. Mid-March of 2003, I entered my high school's concerto competition for fun and experience - not in the hopes of winning their $500 scholarship. I unexpectedly won first place, competing against more seasoned pianists of up to 10 yrs. It did shock the judges when I told them I had been playing for 3 months"

Perhaps this is all true, but history is full of quacks with remarkable claims and generally a farmers wellingtons smells only slightly less of pure bullcrap.

Teachers are better than books and any teacher that would prescribe this method to his students instead of a tailor made programme, should be tied up with piano wire and electrocuted.

Thal

[m1469]

*currently eating a salad and about to madly practice* 

[ajspiano]

That seems a little wild..

I haven't read it cover to cover - I think it has some fairly excellent points in it from some sections I've seen, but I would also suggest that this is perhaps not one of them.

I've used (my understanding of) chord attack and parallel sets with success for both myself and students, amongst other things in his book. As with anything though, it should only be maintained if it works for you - and I don't think one should adhere to any one method exclusively as it risks severely dogmatic practice, which is never that great for increasing your understanding/learning.

[goldentone]

*currently eating a salad and about to madly practice* 

That shouldn't sap your blood supply you need for practicing.

[db05]

"I don't quite expect you to remember me, but I sent you an email a little more than a year ago.
I would like to let you know how piano has been coming along for me using your method. I began playing the piano about Christmas of 2002, using your method from the beginning. Mid-March of 2003, I entered my high school's concerto competition for fun and experience - not in the hopes of winning their $500 scholarship. I unexpectedly won first place, competing against more seasoned pianists of up to 10 yrs. It did shock the judges when I told them I had been playing for 3 months"

Actually, that testimonial in particular is true. He's an old member of PS. Right around the time both bernhard and Chang were active. https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=5 I checked his website, and exchanged emails too. This was back in 2008, I think.

It's amazing what a forum can do for you. I think PS should take half the credit.

Back to the OP...

Practicing after a large meal also increases the blood supply and conversely, resting after every meal will reduce stamina – there is a well-known Japanese saying that claims that you will turn into a cow if you sleep after a meal. Since most people do not have enough blood to engage in strenuous activity with a full stomach, your body will rebel by making you feel terrible, but this is an expected reaction. Such activity must be conducted within safe medical limits; for example you might initially experience digestive problems or dizziness (which is probably the rationale behind the belief that you should not exercise after a large meal). Once the body manufactures the necessary extra blood, these problems will disappear. Therefore, you should stay as active as you can after a meal, in order to prevent anemia.

Well it already contradicts itself a bit. Both extremes are not recommended, though. At least for people susceptible to reflux and other digestive oddities. If you lie down after a meal, there's a chance the food comes back to haunt you. Personally, I can't exercise after a meal because my tummy would hurt. I have been known to skip meals prior to gym class.

There's a local belief here that it's hard to think with a full stomach because the brain is busy directing the digestion. And what about the Spanish traditional siesta, which is a break right after lunch, when some people actually do sleep? But I would rather sit around than sleep.

Maybe if you're full AND running a fever, and still playing the piano furiously, you're asking for brain damage.

[m1469]

That shouldn't sap your blood supply you need for practicing.

Good, because I am sinning in this way, yet once more as we speak  .

[ted]

I can say that without doubt, I have always played the piano better soon, but not too soon, after a decent feed. By decent feed I don't mean bulging and bloating, just an ordinary intake. Training ? No, never. That would just give me cramp and a gutsache.