Play light, quick, legato, and soft at the same time?

[sumpianodude]

it's impossible. I need help. Anything I try to play fast and soft comes uneven, and staccato. If. Try to hold it becomes loud.(when I try to play fast I end up bringing the keys down faster...). My thumb is also incredibly loud on these occasions.
Also how do you bring out a single not on the pinky when playing a chord?

[rubinsteinmad]

I have all your problems, too!

[hardy_practice]

It is obvious your ear is not directing the proceedings, your fingers are.  In runs there is always an accent every 4th note.

[swagmaster420x]

If you cut off your fingers, I suspect you will not experience this problem.

[bronnestam]

Seems that you need to practice more wrist movements and more relaxation. You describe the symptoms of a stiff wrist and tense muscles rather well, I think.
Not that I am a teacher or that good, but I recognize what you describe ... Also, the fact that your thumb seems "noisy" is because you are not relaxing it enough. Play some slow exercises and concentrate on observing your thumb, checking out that it is totally relaxed every time you play with your other fingers.



Then I recommend that you study the following videos. One is to pay for (cheap, worth every penny) and the others are from YouTube. I have used them all and I think they have been extremely helpful concerning the issues you describe. Yes, it is true, you address these things with your wrist and arm movements!

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/27507/115504807

(follow to part 2)

[hardy_practice]

Not that I am a teacher or that good, but I recognize what you describe ... Also, the fact that your thumb seems "noisy" is because you are not relaxing it enough. Play some slow exercises and concentrate on observing your thumb, checking out that it is totally relaxed every time you play with your other fingers.

That's my point.  Paying attention to the thumb is like looking at the finger that's pointing to the moon.  I am a teacher and when a student plays heavy with the thumb I deal with the dynamic not the appendage.  It's the ears dummy! or as we say over here: the ears have it!

[dcstudio]

it's impossible. I need help. Anything I try to play fast and soft comes uneven, and staccato. If. Try to hold it becomes loud.(when I try to play fast I end up bringing the keys down faster...). My thumb is also incredibly loud on these occasions.
Also how do you bring out a single not on the pinky when playing a chord?

   It sounds to me like you have set your hand up a little high off the keyboard and instead of letting the weight of your hand fall on to the keys... you are just playing with your finger tips.  From what you describe you are also carrying a lot of tension in your hands as well.

When you land on a chord you add a little more weight/force to the pinky and it will sound louder than the other notes ... some degree of finger independence is mandatory for this though--and you have other technique issues to solve before that will happen.

[hfmadopter]

Before you dive in too deep make sure your piano is capable of this light playing. If regulation is needed, voicing etc. etc.. You can fight tooth n nail with light playing and if your piano can't do it then it will be fruitless. Just sayin.

[louispodesta]

it's impossible. I need help. Anything I try to play fast and soft comes uneven, and staccato. If. Try to hold it becomes loud.(when I try to play fast I end up bringing the keys down faster...). My thumb is also incredibly loud on these occasions.
Also how do you bring out a single not on the pinky when playing a chord?

From a prior post of mine:

1)  These exercises were written for pure wooden sound board pianofortes which in no way have the same keyboard resistance of a modern grand, and

2)  It has to do with the concept of direct keyboard tactile touch at an extremely slow tempo and then morphing this into a Rachmaninoff-like speed tempo.  My major teacher, the late Robert Weaver, taught the first part of this to all of his students.

3)  You sit very quietly at the keyboard, and that includes your breathing and whole body relaxation.  This is important because you are building positive muscle memory from the ground up.

4)  You play a five finger scale in each hand, with super soft staccato.  This is done by striking the key from its surface (just the way Egon Petri taught Earl Wild!).

5)   You get it where you can do this with both hands, depending on your own individual level of dexterity.  So, when you can do this with no forced effort, you can move on to the speed practice.

6)  From this point on, you view every technical section as a scale cluster, broken chord section, or an arpeggiated section.  This is played up or down, hands separately or hands together.

7)  You then play a particular section of the piece in question as fast as you can, utilizing your pre-disposed soft, surface quick staccato tactile sense that you gained from the first section of this discourse.  Accordingly, you alternate between full arm weight and no arm weight.

I use the term Rachmaninoff-like technique because this is what he taught his students.

[sumpianodude]

From a prior post of mine:

1)  These exercises were written for pure wooden sound board pianofortes which in no way have the same keyboard resistance of a modern grand, and

2)  It has to do with the concept of direct keyboard tactile touch at an extremely slow tempo and then morphing this into a Rachmaninoff-like speed tempo.  My major teacher, the late Robert Weaver, taught the first part of this to all of his students.

3)  You sit very quietly at the keyboard, and that includes your breathing and whole body relaxation.  This is important because you are building positive muscle memory from the ground up.

4)  You play a five finger scale in each hand, with super soft staccato.  This is done by striking the key from its surface (just the way Egon Petri taught Earl Wild!).

5)   You get it where you can do this with both hands, depending on your own individual level of dexterity.  So, when you can do this with no forced effort, you can move on to the speed practice.

6)  From this point on, you view every technical section as a scale cluster, broken chord section, or an arpeggiated section.  This is played up or down, hands separately or hands together.

7)  You then play a particular section of the piece in question as fast as you can, utilizing your pre-disposed soft, surface quick staccato tactile sense that you gained from the first section of this discourse.  Accordingly, you alternate between full arm weight and no arm weight.

I use the term Rachmaninoff-like technique because this is what he taught his students.

Hmm... I don't have a grand. I have a Yamaha WX-7(if anyone recognizes that)
The keys, Imo, are super heavy. It helps a little to press the una corda pedal, but I don't think I can ever do a glissando on this piano. Or maybe I just suck. Not sure how you do it without effort at all.

Just out of curiosity, how do you NOT get a stiff wrist?

Gee swagmaster. Thanks for your helpful suggestions!

[dcstudio]

Hmm... I don't have a grand. I have a Yamaha WX-7(if anyone recognizes that)
The keys, Imo, are super heavy. It helps a little to press the una corda pedal, but I don't think I can ever do a glissando on this piano. Or maybe I just suck. Not sure how you do it without effort at all.

Just out of curiosity, how do you NOT get a stiff wrist?

Gee swagmaster. Thanks for your helpful suggestions!

it's more about letting gravity pull your hands into the keys instead of you pushing them.. a lot of people are giving you suggestions... everybody is an expert it seems...lol.

it should be effortless.... but it takes a lot of effort to become someone who can really play effortlessly. lol... some people play for decades and never achieve that smooth polished sound...

[hardy_practice]

Yes, gravity is very much your partner.

[louispodesta]

"Just out of curiosity, how do you NOT get a stiff wrist?"

In the case of individual notes, you let the weight (gravity) of the entire upper body rest on each individual note in a strike and release fashion,  Regarding chords or octaves, with a slightly arched wrist, you strike with upper body weight (gravity), and then immediately release.

[louispodesta]

In terms of my first suggestion, as I learned this from the Taubman/Golandsky tapes (re-enforced by my coach Thomas Mark), it is very important to collapse the rest of the hand after reaching the next note.

That is the importance of learning the very slow soft staccato technique.  It is the prelude to this.

Every one yammers about finger independence, but they don't ever teach you how to do it.

[sumpianodude]

So.... Am I really just using my entire upper body to play?
A few things....
"With a slightly arched wrist" doesn't that make tension?
"These exercises were written for pure wooden sound board pianofortes which in no way have the same keyboard resistance of a modern grand, and..." So how does the exercise help me? Is it even possible?

If anything sounded hostile or defensive, it was not meant to be. Sorry about that.

[hardy_practice]

Regarding chords or octaves, with a slightly arched wrist, you strike with upper body weight (gravity), and then immediately release.

That's very important.  You have an arch because the hand is hanging from the wrist i.e. relaxed.  I learnt from a student of Matthay so nearly horse's mouth.  

Sound boards have always been wooden, I take it you mean frames which were all iron by the end of the 19th century.  Actions also got heavier over the 19th century (due to better, harder steel requiring heavier hammers).  Use of armweight developed to cope with this.  Use of bodyweight!? only on massive chords!  You should still use fingers where appropriate but I do believe the Golandsky people deny that.  I use the technique the composer used - makes sense to me.

[sumpianodude]

here's me playing the C major scale. If that helps you know exactly what I'm doing wrong(most probably already do, but no harm done with this post)

Also, if your hand is hanging from the wrist doesn't that mean your shoulders/ arms are tense?

[hardy_practice]

Only the biceps which hold your forearm (wrist) up are a little tense when hanging hands from the wrist.  You think it could be less tense to hold up the hands rather than hang them?  Hmm.   In your scale the swiveling your wrists I would say is a problem. 

[sumpianodude]

That's very important.  You have an arch because the hand is hanging from the wrist i.e. relaxed.  I learnt from a student of Matthay so nearly horse's mouth.  

Sound boards have always been wooden, I take it you mean frames which were all iron by the end of the 19th century.  Actions also got heavier over the 19th century (due to better, harder steel requiring heavier hammers).  Use of armweight developed to cope with this.  Use of bodyweight!? only on massive chords!  You should still use fingers where appropriate but I do believe the Golandsky people deny that.  I use the technique the composer used - makes sense to me.

Also, if your wrist is completely loose when striking a chord, wouldn't it end up ON the keys as you pressed down with your arms?
I tried making it so I wasn't swiveling my wrist but that ended up putting more tension in my wrists, and my thumb felt strained and could barely press the note cleanly. Can you explain a Little more about the swiveling and why it's a problem or is that already posted here?

[outin]

Also, if your wrist is completely loose when striking a chord, wouldn't it end up ON the keys as you pressed down with your arms?
I tried making it so I wasn't swiveling my wrist but that ended up putting more tension in my wrists, and my thumb felt strained and could barely press the note cleanly. Can you explain a Little more about the swiveling and why it's a problem or is that already posted here?

You should be able to play the scales without such twisting of wrist. But I won't even try to explain how to do it in words. A teacher could show you what to do.

Also supple wrists is what you need, not floppy ones. Loose is not the best term because it's easy to misinterpret. You must always move your wrist in a controlled way. When efficient the wrist movements are often so small they are almost in noticeable to the untrained eyes.

[hardy_practice]

Also, if your wrist is completely loose when striking a chord, wouldn't it end up ON the keys as you pressed down with your arms?
I tried making it so I wasn't swiveling my wrist but that ended up putting more tension in my wrists, and my thumb felt strained and could barely press the note cleanly. Can you explain a Little more about the swiveling and why it's a problem or is that already posted here?

You need to tense from finger tip to shoulder for the moment of key depression only - immediately relaxing afterwards.  Don't worry about the thumb, squeeze it into your palm in scales so you don't move bigger muscles (and swivel).  That's kind of a rule: don't move a big muscle if a smaller one will do it however uncomfortable it seems. 

[louispodesta]

Also, if your wrist is completely loose when striking a chord, wouldn't it end up ON the keys as you pressed down with your arms?
I tried making it so I wasn't swiveling my wrist but that ended up putting more tension in my wrists, and my thumb felt strained and could barely press the note cleanly. Can you explain a Little more about the swiveling and why it's a problem or is that already posted here?

To clarify what my coach Thomas Mark has taught me, I will try.  For the best results, God forbid that Piano Street would arrange for a film crew to show the world exactly what this man's technique genius is.

Absent that pipe dream, one needs to sit erect, not stiff, but relaxed, at the piano.  Also, the level of the forearm should be equal/level to the top of the white key.

Then, while in this position, gently raise both forearms articulating from the elbow (about six inches).   This is done with a completely relaxed hand and wrist, utilizing the natural gravity associated with such an action.

When you do this, the hand and wrist will fall into a natural arched position.  That is the position you play with, and trust me, it will be a different from pianist to pianist, given their individual morphology.

Then, lower the wrist/hand back to the five finger position on the keyboard. Next, begin your soft staccato exercise which effectuates this one note at a time, with the entire arm resting in your lap after each note (relaxed, including breathing).

For the chords and the octaves, the methodology is the same, except one first allows the hand to open as it aligns itself with the particular chord or octave.  Then, one maintains the structure of the arch (with natural arm weight/gravity) when it does so.

That does not mean "stiff," and it does not mean "soft."  It means maintaining the integrity of the arched hand.

Also, as previously stated, it is not the same as playing an individual note with a collapsed hand, going from note to note.

As Thomas Mark teaches in his Octave Seminar, the first step in doing this, is to take it one scale octave passage at a time, while resting the hand in the lap in between.  The same holds true for any chord strike.

[sumpianodude]

To clarify what my coach Thomas Mark has taught me, I will try.  For the best results, God forbid that Piano Street would arrange for a film crew to show the world exactly what this man's technique genius is.

Absent that pipe dream, one needs to sit erect, not stiff, but relaxed, at the piano.  Also, the level of the forearm should be equal/level to the top of the white key.

Then, while in this position, gently raise both forearms articulating from the elbow (about six inches).   This is done with a completely relaxed hand and wrist, utilizing the natural gravity associated with such an action.

When you do this, the hand and wrist will fall into a natural arched position.  That is the position you play with, and trust me, it will be a different from pianist to pianist, given their individual morphology.

Then, lower the wrist/hand back to the five finger position on the keyboard. Next, begin your soft staccato exercise which effectuates this one note at a time, with the entire arm resting in your lap after each note (relaxed, including breathing).

For the chords and the octaves, the methodology is the same, except one first allows the hand to open as it aligns itself with the particular chord or octave.  Then, one maintains the structure of the arch (with natural arm weight/gravity) when it does so.

That does not mean "stiff," and it does not mean "soft."  It means maintaining the integrity of the arched hand.

Also, as previously stated, it is not the same as playing an individual note with a collapsed hand, going from note to note.

As Thomas Mark teaches in his Octave Seminar, the first step in doing this, is to take it one scale octave passage at a time, while resting the hand in the lap in between.  The same holds true for any chord strike.

A variety of outside posts, including this one, https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Forum/2/topic/009520/Number/0/site_id/1#import
Has made me very, VERY confused.

[outin]

A variety of outside posts, including this one, ...
Has made me very, VERY confused.

Well...People simply do not agree on how to play the piano, even good pianists and teachers.
Also you cannot play all repertoire similarly, you need to adjust your technique to suit the music.
And to make things worse, words mean different things to different people, which is why visual teaching of techniques is usually required.

If you try to follow all advice, you'll end up not only confused but also doing things that won't work together. In the beginning it's best to follow one path as long as it seems physically suitable for you. Then after you have enough understanding and skill, you can start making you own adjustments to your technique.

[bronnestam]

Also, if your wrist is completely loose when striking a chord, wouldn't it end up ON the keys as you pressed down with your arms?
I tried making it so I wasn't swiveling my wrist but that ended up putting more tension in my wrists, and my thumb felt strained and could barely press the note cleanly. Can you explain a Little more about the swiveling and why it's a problem or is that already posted here?

Think of your wrists as shock absorbers. When you strike a chord, your wrists are loose right before impact; then they act as shock absorbers but they don't just give in until you have reached the bottom point, so to speak. They are good absorbers, not worn out absorbers ...
You have to experiment a bit with this. Lift your hand a bit and then strike a chord, or a single note if you prefer that. Do this with a totally stiff wrist, with a totally loose wrist (until you fall off the keyboard and proceed down to the floor, ha ha) and then with a "shock absorbing" wrist with different stiffness. You will feel and HEAR the difference. Somewhere you will find the best tone and the best, most effortless feeling. Also explore the feeling when you work from your knuckles or with just your fingertips.

[dcstudio]

They are good absorbers, not worn out absorbers ...
feel and HEAR the difference.

Somewhere you will find the best tone and the best, most effortless feeling. Also explore the feeling when you work from your knuckles or with just your fingertips.

that is a brilliant analogy... and spot on..    I will be using that one in the future.

     although, s it's fun to go for a short ride in a "bouncy" car with worn out shocks---it gets nauseating really quickly..  just like listening to someone play who has not yet "installed" their shock-absorber-wrists...  their tone is  either  always the same... controlled unvaried and usually devoid of musicality .. or it is erratic and uneven with far too much dynamic contrast... and also, usually devoid of musicality.

[hardy_practice]

that is a brilliant analogy...

Not quite.  These shock absorbers can adjust stiffness to exactly match what is required to overcome the inertia of the key - no more no less.  Find that in the mechanical world!

[bronnestam]

I already mentioned a video here above where I learned about this shock absorber thing. I was amazed when I discovered how much richer and powerful the chord sounded when I played with looser wrists - and it was also fun, as it was more effortless. There are many different ways of striking a piano key and it is nice to explore them all as, which is said here above too, this will give a much more exciting variety in sound and feel. As with everything, there is not ONE correct way to play every key. Good pianists make shifts in their playing technique all the time, and that is how they can make these professional, vivid interpretations of pieces. And also play for hours without getting totally worn out ...

[louispodesta]

"A variety of outside posts, including this one, https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Forum/2/topic/009520/Number/0/site_id/1#import
Has made me very, VERY confused."

You should be, and anyone else that reads this garbage.  That is why Thomas Mark wrote a handbook (his description) entitled "What Every Pianist Needs To Know About The Body."  And, it is also why he gives a four hour seminar/master class on octave playing which translates directly into chord production.

Please contact me by PM if you want further direction from Dr. Mark.  Most importantly, the first thing he teaches you is that this technique is not rocket science, it is common sense kinesiology.

Parenthetically, this is why most of the piano department chairs at U.S. music schools have a copy of his book in their personal library.

[dcstudio]

Not quite.  These shock absorbers can adjust stiffness to exactly match what is required to overcome the inertia of the key - no more no less.  Find that in the mechanical world!

smart-shocks --that get smarter the more you use them     maybe someday..lol

I always described it as more like an elasticity in the wrist.. I like this one better though.

   there is no one right way to play every key... but after a while it becomes so natural that you really don't think about it...  I like hearing the analogies other teachers use..  it's a new way of thinking about something--that I really don't think about anymore.  lol

[hardy_practice]

It's what the body does.  If I ask you to throw a rock at a road sign you won't need to calculate trajectories or forces.  You'd 'take aim' and get mighty close and in fact improve over time.  You don't need to know what 'take aim' entails - from what I know about science that knowledge isn't out there (therefore a bit hard to teach).

[pianoplayer002]

Also, if your wrist is completely loose when striking a chord, wouldn't it end up ON the keys as you pressed down with your arms?
I tried making it so I wasn't swiveling my wrist but that ended up putting more tension in my wrists, and my thumb felt strained and could barely press the note cleanly. Can you explain a Little more about the swiveling and why it's a problem or is that already posted here?

The wrist should be completely loose. You should NOT press down with your arms. If you do that, then the wrist will end up ON the keys, like you say, or, you will have to tense the wrist in order to prevent that from happening. And, indeed, pressing down with the arm IS a common cause for a stiff wrist.

I like to describe it like you feel like you have a weight out in each finger tip, and you let that weight sink down into the key, and everything behind the finger tip just follows, while you allow yourself to not restrict the movement (in other words, allowing yourself to relax, to not tense up). This is easier said than done, of course.

[dcstudio]

(therefore a bit hard to teach).

no doubt...lol.   most of the time it's a matter of you got it or you don't. 

[hardy_practice]

The wrist should be completely loose. You should NOT press down with your arms. If you do that, then the wrist will end up ON the keys, like you say, or, you will have to tense the wrist in order to prevent that from happening.

You DO have to tense the wrist for the moment of key depression (only) that's how you transfer weight or force from the arms.  If you don't, whatever you choose to put the key down with (even only fingers), the wrist goes up instead of the key going down - that's just simple mechanics.

[sumpianodude]

You DO have to tense the wrist for the moment of key depression (only) that's how you transfer weight or force from the arms.  If you don't, whatever you choose to put the key down with (even only fingers), the wrist goes up instead of the key going down - that's just simple mechanics.

So the goal is not to be relaxed... But to relax quickly after you play a note?

[hardy_practice]

So the goal is not to be relaxed... But to relax quickly after you play a note?

When not playing a note (or reaching for one) yes, you should be relaxed.

[CC]

If you aren't already doing this, try staccato practice. No pedal, just staccato the entire piece, first hands separately, in small chunks.  This is a necessary procedure for learning every new piece; without it, unevenness and especially legato will be major problems.  It will take a lot of practice, because it is a test of your technique ability. You can tell if you make progress when you can play staccato very fast, practically any speed, evenly.

[CC]

PS:  sorry, forgot to add that staccato practice should be done soft (P) at first.

[sumpianodude]

If you aren't already doing this, try staccato practice. No pedal, just staccato the entire piece, first hands separately, in small chunks.  This is a necessary procedure for learning every new piece; without it, unevenness and especially legato will be major problems.  It will take a lot of practice, because it is a test of your technique ability. You can tell if you make progress when you can play staccato very fast, practically any speed, evenly.

Hmmmm... I tried what you said and found that I could barely play the staccato without a tight wrist... This could take awhile for me to master(if I ever do)
Thanks so much for the tip!

[louispodesta]

From my prior post:   ["one needs to sit erect, not stiff, but relaxed, at the piano.  Also, the level of the forearm should be equal/level to the top of the white key.

Then, while in this position, gently raise both forearms articulating from the elbow (about six inches).   This is done with a completely relaxed hand and wrist, utilizing the natural gravity associated with such an action.

When you do this, the hand and wrist will fall into a natural arched position.  That is the position you play with, and trust me, it will be a different from pianist to pianist, given their individual morphology.

Then, lower the wrist/hand back to the five finger position on the keyboard. Next, begin your soft staccato exercise which effectuates this one note at a time, with the entire arm resting in your lap after each note (relaxed, including breathing)."]

From your video, your hands are way to low and you are putting major weight and stress on your wrists which:  1) Does not allow for the full upper arm/body weight kinesiology to effectuate itself and 2) will eventually wreck your hand by grinding your wrists and hands into oblivion.

So, raise your bench height, if you have an adjustable bench.  And, if you don't, GET ONE!

Unless you are sitting at a normal position relative to the keyboard, all the other adjustments you might make are just metaphorical band-aids that will not solve your problem.

You seem like a good soul, so just get your kinesiology right, and then you can focus on your music, which, after all, is why you are doing this in the first place.

.

[hardy_practice]

One assumes the OP read it the first time!

[dcstudio]

One assumes the OP read it the first time!

  one could only hope... sigh... I don't get that either...

[CC]

yes; if you never practiced staccato before, it will feel awkward and will be very slow at first. But you will be surprised at your improvement with every practice, and once you get it down to a routine, you will wonder how anyone can do without it!  And it will take some time; how long depends a lot on the person. Just don't rush it, as that will be counter productive; just make sure you are not straining. You generally will notice only slight improvement during practice, but if you practice enough, you will notice something the next day.  Of course, staccato is an art in itself, so read about it, and this is a great time to experiment on how best to staccato. Use mostly finger staccato, but at higher speeds, others may need to be added.

[louispodesta]

From the OP:  "Also how do you bring out a single not on the pinky when playing a chord?"

It is the same thing, as with soft staccato.  That is the second thing my late teacher Robert Weaver taught me, which was how to produce a singing tone with a still hand.

It took him 15 years, teaching me for free, but I got there (and I am still there!).

The mechanics at play are quick release from the surface of the key.

With the staccato, you do not pedal, and you let go, but remain resting on the key.  And with the singing tone, it the same strike and quick release, except it is with pedal.

[dcstudio]

to the OP: The solutions given are tried and true... 


I was just thinking that....usually, when a student is having trouble with "fast and soft" it is because there is too much tension in the hand...   often times they will move the hand over the desired area---FREEZE IT so it will stay "right there"--then try to move their fingers to play.   Another thing I see students do on quicker passages is drop their wrist and push more weight into the keys--then they try to lift their fingers against the weight of their own hands...in essence they are sabotaging themselves and it sounds ugly.     Then there's the daredevil who firmly believes that to be the "fastest pianist" is also to be the "best" pianist.   They usually ignore all other aspects of the performance except for --"wow, look how fast I can play! aren't I the coolest?"

[hardy_practice]

I've spent all day teaching.  I can't see how anything could be achieved without a conscientious teacher by your side.  Each lesson is minute by minute, second by second advice and diagnoses - enough to fill any of these threads!

[dcstudio]

I've spent all day teaching.  I can't see how anything could be achieved without a conscientious teacher by your side.  Each lesson is minute by minute, second by second advice and diagnoses - enough to fill any of these threads!

like I said, my friend...  what do we know?  what merit is given to practical experience in this -- the very existence of this book suggests that it is possible to understand how best to teach or how best to learn without having actually having taught a piano lesson.  It is interesting how the author uses the accolades of the teacher he observed to establish his own qualifications.  In the book he is pretty clear that his is "the only one that does it this way"---his observations and research do establish him as an authority--but experience often counts far more than academia when it comes to teaching children to be interested in piano lessons.  Plus it's always your own performance experiences and pitfalls that you use to help others overcome their issues with it. If you have not overcome that yourself... if you have no frame of reference... there is NO way to really relate--because nothing is the same as performing at the piano... nothing.

[hardy_practice]

Basically, I think he does well considering the medium.  As for books, you'd get just as much done throwing rocks at your students from 20 paces!

[pencilart3]

Playing lightly is typically achieved by gently stroking the key very briefly. The key to playing legato is by not picking up the previous note until you have played the next one down to the bottom of the key. The key to playing softly is by adding minimal weight to your hand, yet still playing every note to the very bottom of the key. So, they seem to contradict. It can be done, though. Go to your piano, and try letting the full weight of your arm play the key, instead of just your hand pressing down. It may sound heavy, but now trying dropping your arm from less than an inch above the keys. Push them all the way to the bottom, but not very hard. Do it loosely, but controlled and smooth. Now, playing like that, try playing extremely legato. By that I mean keep each note down for a very long time. Longer than you think you need to. Think of, by playing it, that you are not coming down on the keys, but that you start on the keys and simply lift off of them. Think that what makes the notes sound is by your coming off. Now, with all these things in mind, try playing a simple scale in this way. Do you see improvement?


For an exercise, try printing off a page or two of this etude, and play just the right hand very, very slowly. You can speed it up later if you want, but really try to play each note as I instructed in the paragraph above. That is my suggestion.

[sumpianodude]

I do have a teacher, and she never addresses any of the technical stuff. She just gave me Hanon. And some other repertoire that is my level(which I think helps)
Therefore my mom doesn't take me seriously. If she doesn't bother listening to me about injuries from playing piano, the chances of me getting a new adjustable bench is...  Well, not high.
Also, when you don't use pedal on a piece, don't you just connect the notes by holding them longer?  And when you use pedal, don't you blur the notes into a mess?
"Use mostly finger staccato, but at higher speeds, others may need to be added" are there different types of staccatoes?
How long do you hold a note in "extreme" legato
Just to restate it, I do have a teacher