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Topic: If it were possible to master piano technique with three main exercises?  (Read 1979 times)

Offline m1469

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Would you do it?  I don't mean "if I told you it were possible" or "if Liszt rose from the grave and told you were possible" or "if Bach recommended it in a book" ... I mean, if it were possible.

All you have to do is scales, arpeggios, and chords, in some specific patterns, utilizing concepts that grow and develop over time, requiring utmost focus while practicing these everyday for 20-30 mins.  Then, applying principles and concepts from exercises to pieces and, vuala!

If it were possible to master technique by doing this, would you insist on forging your own way and fighting against it, arguing and debating about whether to use 1 ply or 2 ply toilet paper, or would you just do it and move on with your life already?  ;D :-*
"The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving"  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Offline outin

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Would you do it?  I don't mean "if I told you it were possible" or "if Liszt rose from the grave and told you were possible" or "if Bach recommended it in a book" ... I mean, if it were possible.

All you have to do is scales, arpeggios, and chords, in some specific patterns, utilizing concepts that grow and develop over time, requiring utmost focus while practicing these everyday for 20-30 mins.  Then, applying principles from exercises to pieces and, vuala!

If that were possible to master technique by doing this, would you insist on forging your own way and fighting against it, or would you just do it and move on with your life?  ;D :-*

If it was the only way to master piano I would go and buy myself a cello. NO end result would make up for the boredom I would had to suffer. I do not want to learn the piano quite THAT much.

Offline awesom_o

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If it was the only way to master piano I would go and buy myself a cello.

What makes you think you can play cello without practicing scales, chords, and arpeggios?

 :)

Offline dima_76557

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arguing and debating about whether to use 1 ply or 2 ply toilet paper

I wouldn't care what quality toilet paper they were printed on; I would simply do it. :)
No amount of how-to information is going to work if you have the wrong mindset, the wrong guiding philosophies. Avoid losers like the plague, and gather with and learn from winners only.

Offline amytsuda

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In fact, you don't practice chords on cello even!  :o  I used to play cello in a school orchestra and I could do it even without practicing Arpeggio! Only scales :) And of course, bowing. I am not talking about people who play Dvorak concerto. That has a lot of "chords" and jumping around. 

Offline awesom_o

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In fact, you don't practice chords on cello even!  :o  I used to play cello in a school orchestra and I could do it even without practicing Arpeggio! Only scales :) And of course, bowing. I am not talking about people who play Dvorak concerto. That has a lot of "chords" and jumping around. 

Every concerto has chords.... Dvorak just has LOTS of chords.
Every Bach suite also has chords. Believe me... you have to practice chords on cello!  ;)

Lots of chords!

Offline j_menz

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[ pointless waffle ]..... and, vuala!

Maybe if it got me to voilà instead.
"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility. There are so few of us left" -- Oscar Levant

Offline cwjalex

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it's kind of a silly and pointless question.  it's like when people say if it were true god existed would you believe in him?  well of course if he existed I would and of course it were true doing nothing but these exercises would make you a master of piano technique i would.  the problem is there is no way to prove either to be true.

i personally don't think doing chords, arpeggios and scales is necessary to master technique.  I'm sure they help and all but I don't think it is absolutely necessary.  I learned to play grade 8 pieces before I ever learned a single chord, arpeggio, or scale.  I think to master piano technique you just have to keep trying to play pieces that challenge you and push your technical limits.

Offline m1469

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it's kind of a silly and pointless question.  it's like when people say if it were true god existed would you believe in him?  well of course if he existed I would and of course it were true doing nothing but these exercises would make you a master of piano technique i would.  the problem is there is no way to prove either to be true.

Ah gawd.  Good points.  Game over  :(  :'(
"The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving"  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Offline outin

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What makes you think you can play cello without practicing scales, chords, and arpeggios?

 :)

I don't. But then I wouldn't have to do it on the piano :)

Offline awesom_o

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I don't. But then I wouldn't have to do it on the piano :)



Nonsense! You have to play both piano AND cello to know where the fun is at  8)  ;)

Offline outin

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Nonsense! You have to play both piano AND cello to know where the fun is at  8)  ;)

Ok, I'll just play my flute then! Can forget about the chords  ;)

Offline awesom_o

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Yes... if you really, really want to escape playing chords, you can play a woodwind or brass instrument! ;)

Even singers have to sing polyphony these days though...  :o

Offline outin

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Yes... if you really, really want to escape playing chords, you can play a woodwind or brass instrument

Even singers have to sing polyphony these days though...  :o

You're referring to the other thread? I did all kinds of experiments with my voice when younger. But to do that with the flute? That's an experiment...

So can people sing 3 or 4 note chords as well?

Offline awesom_o

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So can people sing 3 or 4 note chords as well?

I don't think so. 2 voices is tricky enough as it is!

Offline outin

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I don't think so. 2 voices is tricky enough as it is!

So can I then practice 2 note chords on the piano as well?  ;)

Offline awesom_o

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I think 2 notes is just an interval.

Chord is 3 or more. Right?

Offline outin

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I think 2 notes is just an interval.

Chord is 3 or more. Right?

 some theory books do mention 2 note chords, at least in my language...

Offline awesom_o

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Sometimes I pretend to know what I'm talking about. That's usually when it's best to just ignore me. ;)


I think of two notes as being a distance..... two points, connected by a straight line. A chord I think of more as being a three-dimensional musical shape.

Offline outin

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Sometimes I pretend to know what I'm talking about. That's usually when it's best to just ignore me. ;)


I think of two notes as being a distance..... two points, connected by a straight line. A chord I think of more as being a three-dimensional musical shape.

It's all semantics anyway  :)
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