RE: Building a fast, but quiet left hand

[araconan]

So I'm currently practicing Chopin's 10/12 Etude, and I feel that at best, my left hand is playing at mf level, with uneveness sometimes whenever I'm crossing 4th beneath 3rd going down the passages like in bar 9. The louder I play, the more even everything sounds. But the softer I play, the more uneven everything becomes.

I've tried different hand positions (playing with fingertips near the nail vs. playing with more fleshy part of the fingers), to reduce stress, but I don't think I'm on the right track, and I just can't get the loudness down to piano. Evidently there's something wrong with my technique/posture, but does anyone have any suggestions on what the problem could most likely be? It's difficult getting ideas from youtube performances as the song is so fast it's hard to nail down each position for each finger, and different pianists seem to have different postures. 

[faulty_damper]

√It sounds like the way you play is by pressing the keys down. That's wrong.  You're using the wrong movements to depress the keys.  You're also failing to align the fingers into the optimum positions before depressing the keys.

Are your knuckles collapsing?

[michael_sayers]

Hi Araconan,

Have a look at Czerny's Op. 740.

https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Finger_Dexterity,_Op.740_%28Czerny,_Carl%29


Mvh,
Michael

[ted]

In bar 9 and all similar figures further on you could try the fingering (121)(321)(32123)(123)(12) It looks silly but I find it stronger and easier to control, especially at speed.

[araconan]

√It sounds like the way you play is by pressing the keys down. That's wrong.  You're using the wrong movements to depress the keys.  You're also failing to align the fingers into the optimum positions before depressing the keys.

Are your knuckles collapsing?

Guilty as charged regarding the collapsing knuckles thing. But can you elaborate a bit more regarding why it's wrong playing to press the keys down and on optimum positions? Especially on optimum positions, I know it's not correct because I can feel small bits of muscle co-contraction, but I can't seem to find the right position.

[quantum]

Part of the optimum position equation is to achieve proper skeletal alignment so your knuckles do not collapse.  Some bad habits, such as collapsing knuckles, can have a chain effect that cause problems with the playing mechanism.  Correct that bad habit and suddenly other things start to click into place. 

[faulty_damper]

Guilty as charged regarding the collapsing knuckles thing. But can you elaborate a bit more regarding why it's wrong playing to press the keys down and on optimum positions? Especially on optimum positions, I know it's not correct because I can feel small bits of muscle co-contraction, but I can't seem to find the right position.

What it sounds like you lack is fine motor control and strength in the fingers.  As a result, you force their movement to depress the keys.

As an experiment, do grip strength exercises to increase your grip strength.  This will improve motion and control of the muscles.  You can compress squeeze balls or grip strengtheners, or lift heavy weights that require gripping bars, or do pull-ups, etc.  After a period of time, go back to the keyboard and feel for the difference in control you have.  There should be noticeable improvement.  Then work on the natural curvature of the fingers.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

I think you could slow down the Etude for awhile to like a 132 or a 138BPM, not faraway from a 160 but easier to handle with. While you do that, you should also play some apperggios. They help from making a good foundation in bar 9. My recommended fingering is 132142123412, but that's just me. When you fully master Op.10 No.12 at a 138, go back to the original speed.