Playing pianissimo

[valentina65]

How does one play pianissimo? This may sound like a stupid question but how do you play pianissimo while maintaining a secure touch and not losing touch with the keys or playing with weak fingers?

[awesom_o]

It's all about being in control of the hammer itself.

It sounds like your touch needs quite a bit of developmental work!

[pianistaw]

It's all about being in control of the hammer itself.

It sounds like your touch needs quite a bit of developmental work!

You have been talking about developing our touch in your last two posts awesom_o...

Why don't you tell us what this kind of developmental work is to get superb touch? I am sure we'd all like to know! 

[awesom_o]

The ABC's are what you have to start with!

[cabbynum]

The ABC's are what you have to start with!

Its true, my touch and control over the piano has improved an incredible amount since I started the ABC's. Not just pianissimo, but pianississimo and FFF, as well as control and confidence over more intricate spots.


When will you post a video on them?

[pianistaw]

The ABC's are what you have to start with!

Alright...I guess I have not been all too serious with them...but it is just because I have a lot of new repertoire and have to maintain some pieces for competition that I have not had the time to do them...

I'll start with them on monday, because the competition is on saturday...wish me luck!

I'll be locked away in my practice room on friday  

[nyiregyhazi]

How does one play pianissimo? This may sound like a stupid question but how do you play pianissimo while maintaining a secure touch and not losing touch with the keys or playing with weak fingers?

Join with the keys resistance before moving it. Then move the finger slowly but deliberately. You cannot hold back and get consistent results. Move extremely deliberately but slower than when playing louder. To feel the resistance, tap the surface of the key with as much force as possible without moving it. Then sound the key after settling.

[awesom_o]

Its true, my touch and control over the piano has improved an incredible amount since I started the ABC's. Not just pianissimo, but pianississimo and FFF, as well as control and confidence over more intricate spots.


When will you post a video on them?

I'm hoping to get that done today.

[total_failure]

I think there are two kinds of pianissimo, the slow pianissimo and the fast pianissimo.
A pianissimo with adagio quarter notes feels totally different to the hand than with allegro sixteenth notes, the later beeing much more difficult.
But isnt it something that develops from itelf? Like speed or touch? In my opinion this is one of the things one should not work on seperately, just wait, until they come.

[ryankmfdm]

The ABC's are what you have to start with!

I've been reading a lot about these "ABC's" 'round these parts. What does this acronym stand for?

[future_maestro]

The piano action has to be good in order to play pianissimo without losing notes.

If you can't achieve pianissimo without losing notes, then don't play pianissimo, play as quiet as you can and don't worry about it. It is better to get all the notes and play slightly louder than play to quiet and lose notes.

Dynamics can be expressed in many more ways then just loudness and softness of sound. Playing a piece slightly slower (more relaxed) and making your hands look like they are delicately touching the keys will give a more pianissimo effect, while playing a little bit faster and making your hands look like they are stabbing the keys will give a forte effect.

[pover]

What are the ABC's you guys are talking about? Do you just mean "practice the basics" or is it a specific exercise (routine)?

[chicoscalco]

First of all, there is not only one way of approaching the keys. There are a lot of techniques, and most of them are valid. Now, to my mind, it all comes down to "weight distribution". You have to be completely relaxed, always, when you play piano. I was taught and preach a lot of articulation from the fingers in pianissimo or general piano passages. You should use only your finger articulation, the "weight" from your fingers. Practice the passage with high articulation from the fingers, and just kinda let them fall... It's complicated to explain, but don't attack the piano. Use distance and weight. You will never attain a pp or ppp touch pushing the notes, I believe.

I think I didn't explain this very well, but it's almost 2 AM and I'm a bit drunk, so I should stop here.

[deidre]

Sometimes, I think we complicate things. I tend to practice my scales, pianissimo. Every day.

Whatever technique one struggles with, it takes practice to resolve it. Pianissimo is about being gentle yet firm. It is challenging for me, probably the more challenging of techniques. I practice it with scales, because scales (to me) are very difficult to play ...pianissimo.

I like the suggestion very much, to allow your fingers to 'just fall,' as opposed to attacking the keys. That is probably the best way I could imagine describing 'how to' go about learning pianissimo.

Or choose only pieces that require mezzo forte, from now on. lol Just kidding.  

[gvans]

Sometimes, I think we complicate things. I tend to practice my scales, pianissimo. Every day.

Whatever technique one struggles with, it takes practice to resolve it. Pianissimo is about being gentle yet firm. It is challenging for me, probably the more challenging of techniques. I practice it with scales, because scales (to me) are very difficult to play ...pianissimo.

I like the suggestion very much, to allow your fingers to 'just fall,' as opposed to attacking the keys. That is probably the best way I could imagine describing 'how to' go about learning pianissimo.


Or choose only pieces that require mezzo forte, from now on. lol Just kidding.  

Excellent post.