Russian regimen

[mmm151]

Despite previous adverse comments,I chose to invest in A Peskanov's Russian Regimen.
After many years of studying piano technique to a high level, there was always something lacking in my technical control - until incorporating Peskanov's ideas,notably the extremely dropped wrist. The latter allows complete release of unnecessary tension.
I am now in command of the Chopin Etudes as never before.As a result, I totally endorse this technical approach to anyone wishing to master this level of repertoire.
In order to fully understand the Regimen, however, it is wise to tackle these ideas at the source, as I do not believe it can be done through brief comments on the Forum.

[birba]

Very strange.  I looked up the profile of mmm151.  Apparently he signed up last september and has one solitary post in his history here.  An endorsement of M° Peskanov's "Russian Regimen"...

[drazh]

hi
can you explain more?

[birba]

I, for one, cannot see how an extremely dropped wrist is going to release unnecessary tension and help you conquer the chopin etudes.
And, no, I am not going to buy his method to find out.

[drazh]

hi birba
what do you recommend for wrist position?
high, low or straight?

[birba]

I don't  know if there's a same rule for everybody.   Horowitz and Gould sat very low.  Gieseking sat very high.  So di Rubenstein.  Argerich sits level.  I think when you get hung up on some aspect of technique, you get stuck.  When I want to excercise my fingers, I sit low.  When I accompany singers,  I sit high.  When I perform solo, I sit level to high.
I don't think I'm the one to ask...

[p2u_]

@ birba

I am not familiar with the "Russian Regimen" (c) and its technical principles (rather strange for someone who lives in Moscow within a stone's throw distance from the Conservatory, right?), but I suspect the topic starter is not talking about sitting high or low. Neither is this about an extremely low wrist. As a matter of fact, when you look at Mr. Peskanov himself while he is playing, he doesn't seem to be doing anything extreme: Peskanov Plays Peskanov - "Joker's Waltz".
P.S.: An actual video demonstration of how to practise slowly according to Mr. Peskanov's principles would have been far more valuable than just some commercial slogans, of course. I don't like guessing either, so unless such a clip appears, I'll just have to avoid this thread.

Paul

[drazh]

I don't think I'm the one to ask...

why not?

[birba]

Because i don't think there's ONE way to hold the wrist that holds for everyone.  The basis for a valid tecnique is muscular freedom, and if you have to tense muscles to keep the wrist at an arbitrary position, you're going against this freedom.  Beware of schools of "technique" that dictate a particular "regimen" guaranteeing an execution of chopin's etudes.
I supose if i had to choose one position of the wrist, it would be level with the keyboard, permitting a free oscilation, up and down.
That said, i went to the " joker's waltz" and i must say peskanov plays a mean piano.  He's a fine pianist.  I didn't notice a particularly low wrist.  What i did notice was complete musclar freedom of the hand. 

[mmm151]

Hi everyone who responded to my post. I know the Russian regimens principle of a dropped wrist seems too simple to be valid and I certainly do not endorse a one size fits all approach to piano technique.I will try to explain...
Years ago, when I was a tertiary student, I was lucky to learn for a short time from a Russian concert pianist - Igor Hmelnitsky. He taught me to practise slowly with very active finger work, with the fingertips slightly above the key surface, and with a firm, but not forced, follow- through of the finger stroke to the keybed in the Revolutionary Étude and pieces of similar difficulty. In addition, he advocated a downbeat on every 2nd semi quaver, then every 4th semi quaver in Étude Op 10, No 12 at a moderate speed. As the tempo is increased, he pulsed in this way with a tension-free wrist on every 8th note - the idea being to think in larger mental groups and pulse less often as the music's tempo increased. He didn't, however, advocate dropping the wrist during this pulsing to its extreme range whereas the Russian regimen does so IN PRACTICE ONLY. This extreme movement becomes a mere "give" at the wrist when performing the finished piece.
 
Also, this wrist dropping doesn't determine stool height which can be adjusted to suit the individual and the piece he or she is playing if you wish. I personally sit with my forearm at least level with the keys (parallel to the floor) and begin my students this way. Any lower would result in poor hand posture and lazy finger action in my beginning students and for myself would not provide that sense of space to descend into with the arm and hand during the "pulsing" on significant beat notes in the piece.

Because my technique was above average, but never completely assured, especially when playing virtuosic repertoire, I have studied many technical approaches over time including the Taubman approach from which I have always gained valuable insights. Dropping the wrist more fully, however, has unlocked a whole new dimension for my technique in all repertoire at speed, especially the Chopin Etudes and Op 10, No 1 in particular.

I am talking physical freedom and facility at speed only here. There are many other subtleties to piano playing besides the pure physical mechanics.....for other posts maybe if I can offer something relevant and helpful.

[birba]

Now we're talking!
You're explanation has clarified a lot.  I remember when i, too, changed from a french school (deppe) to a german one (breithaupt) and my teacher who had studied in moscow (ansorga) made me practise for 3 months raising my wrist very high and dropping it very low on each note.  It was very daunting, to say the least.  I don't know how i just did't give up and and went on to study french literary criticism.  But i persisted,  and i did gain greater freedom and closer contact with the keys, and cosequently with the music.  After that i came to italy and worked in the school of vitale and learned muscular freedom of the hands and fingers.  All this, just to say there was more than ONE regimen in my studies.  Each one with it's own valid teaching.
Perhaps you're right.  The russian regimen might provide all the answers.    But for everyone?  I don't know.

[ted]

Not strictly adhering to this thread, but Mr Peskanov's novelty rags and little lyrical pieces on youtube are very attractive. Let's hear more of this aspect of the man please, and less belting out scales in double notes, which exercise I would sooner hear him perform on my silent Virgil Practice Clavier.

[mmm151]

Hi p2u,
For a very clear demonstration of the dropped wrist in practice go to Peskanov's.com/Merchant5/isos1c.php and view the beginner video. You're right when you say that Peskanov doesn't seem to be doing anything extreme in his playing. The point is that this is only a practise method that promotes freedom and a sense of letting go of all unnecessary tension at frequent intervals during the playing so as to avoid fatigue, and worse, pain. It also brings the weight of the arm behind every playing finger allowing enormous power without forcing when needed. At speed, the dropping of the hand and wrist with a subtle impulse on significant notes, while lightening the touch on all other notes, allows for extreme facility with minimal effort. Technically, at the end performance stage, one will also sense in each group of notes an overall physical shape of the hand where the wrist may go up gradually from a low point or vice versa, or in an elliptical fashion, etc (See Taubman on shaping).

I have to confess that I have not been practising millions of Russian regimen scales, but have applied the ideas directly to advanced pieces with surprisingly good results, particularly Chopin Etudes Op 10, No 1 and Op 25, No 6.