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Shortly after college, my teacher insisted that I work through Alfred Cortot’s “Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique.”
It is no exaggeration to say that this book changed my playing forever.
Exercises
Cortot’s instructions indicate that the exercises begin in C Major, 5-finger position (one finger on each key, C-G). After that, you do the same exercise in C minor. As soon as that’s comfortable, you move up 1/2 step. That, of course, immediately changes one’s perception of how easy the exercise is.
After becoming comfortable at C-sharp, you will continue moving up 1/2 step at a time.
After doing several exercises in this way, you begin to think that the C-sharp 5-finger position can be just as comfortable as C Major.
Results
Feeling in hands
Working on these exercises allowed me to feel the weight of my hands for the first time. I had a new sense of where I was on the keyboard, and could feel intervals.
Finger independence
This book shows you how each finger can play independently of the others. You learn that you can use combinations you never would have thought of. And playing one part more prominently than others in the same hand is much easier.
Directionality
Passing the thumb under the right hand on the way up a scale is so much more than that. I can now proceed in the direction of the line I’m playing. My hands are no longer square with the keyboard at all times, and I can feel my arm moving.
Fingering choices
Any fingering you need becomes available to you because you develop so much more flexibility. The fingerings indicated in the exercises make so much sense.
Sticking
Like a gymnast ”sticking” the landing from a dismount, I feel like I can stick to the keys.
Security
Because of practicing scale and arpeggio passages in 2 groups, thumbs and everything else, I know where I’m headed and find each new hand position quickly.
Price drop!
This book was $90 (or was it $100?) when I was in college. It is now under $20! The recent Hal Leonard publication is identical to the original Salabert edition, except that the cover is now coated and will last longer.
Where to order
If you need a source from which to order, call or log onto www.eble.com. They answer the phone, take your order, put down the phone and ship it immediately. You’ll receive it in 2 days!
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Have you come across these wonderful exercises? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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Pianist and Vocal Coach
I’m really glad to see someone talking about this book, Gretchen!
After I’d worked through precisely the exercise you highlight, I started practicing all my scales with the C major fingering, including contrary motion. Getting them up to speed with that fingering was…hair-raising.
HOWEVER, my impression is that working through the whole book would take a phenomenal amount of time. I’ve tended to use it when there’s a particular technical issue in a piece I’m working; C. always has good ideas.
AND, his section on repertoire is a keeper.
%%robert
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your comments.
“Hair-raising” is an excellent description! But so worth it.
I did 1/2 the book in 6 months. But there was nothing to do but practice, so that worked out.
Great to hear you like this book so much. I finally just got it from my library after putting in a request more than a year ago (they must have needed to replace a lost copy or something) and am excited to dig in!
Hi Rebecca!
More than a year? That’s great that you finally got it.
Go for it! Let me know how it is.
‘Guess the book help you establish your “core” values. (Alfred). Thanks for suggesting a good read, Gretchen.
Hi Mark,
Yes, you have to play with a “core” to the sound, something I hadn’t done before.
Thanks for stopping by!
[...] Source: GretchensPianos [...]
Gretchen, thanks so much for this post! I had recently discovered the value of just plain pentascales moving up the keyboard chromatically, with the first note on C, then the first note on C#, then on D, and so on until I complete the cycle. It has been giving me a much better “feel” and “stick-to-the-keys” than I had had before, even after nearly 4 decades of playing piano. So your post immediately hit home with me and opened up even more possibilities.
Interestingly, the piano method I use for teaching hands-on theory, solfege, and transposition–the Stewart Method–does have the student play all the keys’ scales in Book 1…using only the C-Scale fingering for all of them (this is Book 1 only). I had always assumed that the method taught just the one fingering in Book 1 because this makes it possible for even a beginning student to learn all the scales, and to play in any key, easily and quickly.
Yet you and Cortot are absolutely right–and he knew it all along: this approach has also given my students a wonderful feel for intervals, “sticking” (as you say), finger independence, and security on the keyboard. Plus, my students eagerly learn to transpose into any key, which gives them great confidence at the keyboard.
Most likely you have never heard of the Stewart Method, by Elsie Stewart. It is a little-known but fantastic method, self-published since the 1960s. The small company does have a simple website, http://www.stewartpiano.com/. Neither the website nor the look of the books will impress modern-day consumers. However, lesson-by-lesson analysis will convince the competent teacher that Elsie Stewart was a genius. Now, after reading your post, I am wondering how much Cortot she studied. Thank you for this insight.
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for your comments.
You’re right ~ I’ve never heard of the Stewart Method. I’m glad you talked about it! It’s always a boon to know great resources.
My college students are sometimes insulted when I have them do major & minor pentascales and triads in every key and every octave- hands separately, together, & even hands crossed. Usually in the end they are really glad they did.
Hi Gail,
I’d guess the students who are insulted would prefer an app for that? Glad to hear it works out after a while.
After reading your post, I did a little research. I found a good discussion of this book over in the forums at pianoworld and then I found the entire book available online as a download here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/32976785/Rational-Principles-of-Pianoforte-Technique
Hi Frances,
Thank you! Much appreciated.
Nice post!
I am currently studying from this book for my degree! I have been playing for well over 10 years but not like this! Not to many of my teachers really worked on technique like this! Technique is largely what I am missing,
For chapter 1 I just work on one measure for a week of section B but I am transposing within the key that I am studying for the week. So each week I get a new key and a new measure to work on! Some of the patterns are difficult in some of the keys but the idea of being so rounded in all the keys is nice to do for pianists.
I have only been using the book for a few months so its hard to tell if it is working. My teacher says that this book is going to be my warm-up for the next 500 years of my life!
Over the summer I am going to look at the section on scales and see if that would help my scale work to go more smoother!
I look forward to having fine technique and the brain telling my fingers what to do not vice versa!
Thanks so much for your comments!
Yes, the book is slow going. And it’s SO worth it.
After working on the most difficult hand positions, fingerings we will rarely use, etc., almost everything else seems so easy!
Hang in there… I still use Cortot to warm up.