Practicing after a break

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goals, motivation, new insights, practice journal, returning after hiatus, slow practice

Source: Pixabay. Public domain. Let’s go!

Today I am starting to practice again after a break.  This post explores some aspects of returning after taking time off.

Not perfect?

Although we may vow to practice every day without exception, we all find ourselves taking a break from time to time, whether planned or due to illness, other responsibilities, being on hold with ConEd, travel, etc.

Feeling guilty? 

In the past, I would get angry with myself.  Not helpful!  That leads to yelling at yourself when staying calm would be the way to go.  When you acknowledge that everyone has days off, getting back into the loop is much less of a struggle.

What we can expect

What can we expect when we start again?  (Note that I did not say “start over.”)

Perfection?  Probably not.  However, if you are going back to music you have practiced recently, you can expect improvement!  Somehow, “ignoring” the music for a while lets it “cook.”  You will most likely find new insights when you return to it.

Jell-O fingers?  Yes… so I use the first practice session to concentrate on my warmup.  Skipping the warm-up after time off just doesn’t work well for me.  I need to feel the muscles in my fingers, so I exaggerate the movements.

Playing at performance tempo?  Even if that were possible, wouldn’t we be inviting wrong notes, fingerings, errors in dynamics and phrasing?  Practicing under tempo is useful, but extremely slow practice is not necessary.  I’ve already learned the notes.  But right now, performance tempo invites mistakes that I’d rather not add to the mix.

First day back

I usually dislike my playing that first day.  That is frustrating, but by now I expect it.  By the second day, it starts to sound better.

The first day back also seems to be a good time to assess fingerings.  If something feels uncomfortable (a level or two below “rusty”), this may be the time to experiment.  See whether a different fingering feels better.

Dynamic changes may not sound smooth.  In addition to that, if a notated dynamic contrast is completely missing, mark the spot in your music!  That means you didn’t learn that spot well enough.  This is a great time to eliminate the “oops” and fix the gap.  When you’ve remedied the problem, that phrase will usually fit into the whole more easily when you return to performance tempo in a few days.

I find it extremely motivating to set a goal, such as a performance date.  With a concert in place, I am far less likely to return to vacation mode.  (I have an aversion to making a fool of myself on stage.  Wonderful incentive!)

It is also helpful to keep a practice journal.  You’ll be able to see your progress.  I have found that dropping and then returning to a program speeds my progress toward my performance goal.  If you have a journal from the time you started learning the notes, you will be able to eliminate guess work and have accurate feedback.  (Do you remember what you did a week ago?  A month ago?  Keeping a written record is very helpful.  There is no reason to expect oneself to remember everything.  Remembering the notes is enough!)

Mix it up!

In an online piano forum, participants were exchanging ideas about how to return to practicing after a break. (What’s the secret? How can I make this easy?) Differing viewpoints emerged, as one might expect. Looking through the comment thread was invaluable.

One participant advocated starting out exclusively with etudes. Another suggested practicing only new repertoire. Someone else planned to play familiar music, waiting to add new pieces until s/he was back in shape.

While reading the thread, it seemed that perhaps taking something from everyone might be best.  In that way, etudes are included but not intimidating. Familiar music needs to be there so we feel like we know how to play! And new repertoire keeps us making progress.

What do you think?

This post has been updated from 2010.

What do you do when returning to practice after a break?  How do you help your students get back into it?  How much time do you need to get back to normal?

Comments welcome!

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Please take a look at my e-book!

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My book will help you take a step back, save practice time, learn more music, and perform with confidence. Whether teaching, playing solo, or collaborating with other musicians, you will find many practice- and performance-tested suggestions here.

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Q&A: Ergonomics of piano playing

Tags

exercise, health, healthy eating, piano, practice, stretching

Source: Pixabay

While a computer tech was trouble-shooting at the house this week, he was interested in my ergonomic keyboard. In fact, he is going to purchase one.

Take a look!  http://www.thehumansolution.com/keyovation.html

That got me thinking about this post, first published in 2010.

Someone searched this blog recently for “ergonomics of playing the piano.”  Let’s replace that with “playing the piano safely.”

We can maintain our ability to play the piano for decades by being aware and looking for variety.

Awareness of warning signs is important to avoid injury.  Once someone incurs an injury, s/he becomes more vulnerable to further injury in the future.  So even if you think it could never happen to you, it happens all the time.

Be Aware

If you feel numbness, tingling, or pain, you need to take a break.

If anything hurts, even a stiff neck, you need to look at that.

Practicing mindlessly for hours on end without a break is never a good idea.

Incorporate Variety

What’s your plan?  How do you practice?

Going at something as fast and loudly as possible will get you injured in no time.

Here are a few ideas about staying safe.

You can practice:

• hands alone
• slower than performance tempo
• loud/soft
• changing range on the keyboard
• alternating difficult passages with less stressful ones
• mixing up a stint of staccato practicing with legato (use your body in different ways)
  
• for leaps and glissandi, measuring distances and calculating timing by faking it (above the keyboard ~ no need to play all that often)
• feeling chord shapes in your hands, also above the keyboard
• more carefully when you’re tired
  

You can:

• alternate practicing and gripping activities with passive activities, such as reading or taking a walk, talking on the speakerphone.  For example, lifting weights and practicing are both stressing your body, thus making you more vulnerable to injury.  Your body needs a break in between.
  
• play with your hands and arms in a natural position (you don’t have to be exactly lined up with the keys!)
• look at your practice setup ~ lighting, chair height, your distance from the keyboard (do you have room to navigate?)
• always use healthy body alignment (feet on the floor, supporting your body ~ no slumping forward, no legs wrapped around chair legs, no feet on chair rungs, no head on hand on elbow resting on the piano)
  
• look at the music away from the piano
• conduct, sing, walk the rhythm, clap, speak the text in rhythm, try dynamic changes out with your voice
• take a 20-min. break every hour
• practice in more than one chunk of time during the day
• eat 3 healthy meals every day (don’t skip a meal in order to practice!)
• exercise!
• stretch your body and warm up your hands before practicing (5 min.)
  
• stretch your arms, shoulders, and back after practicing (5 more min.)

Computer use (i.e. more use of your hands)

Same thing.  Look at your setup, use good body alignment (don’t lie on your bed, resting on your elbows).  Take breaks.  Move your arms, shoulders, and back when you type, like you would on an old manual typewriter with tiered keys.  Stretch before and after computer work.

Computers probably demand more fast work without breaks than practicing an instrument.  No one talks about good body alignment in workplaces.  Deadlines are much more important.  (Fed-Ex leaves in 5 minutes!  Are you done yet?)  And, unless you’re self-employed, you’re likely to have someone who wants you to produce more, faster than you need to be going.  Pressure means vulnerability to injury.

Why not take a look at your usual approach to the computer during your time off, at home?  Try looking at yourself in the mirror, or ask a friend to help.

At work, you can set your phone alarm to alert you once an hour.  Stand up, walk around, stretch, breathe, and something relaxing.  Take a break!  The up side of leaving your work where it is for a few minutes is, you won’t turn into a pretzel!

What do you think?  What is your approach to practice and computer use?  Do you have certain ways of going about it that work particularly well for you?  Do you take breaks?

Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section!

You can read much more about ergonomics here.

And while you’re here, please take a look at my E-book! “Goal-oriented Practice” is all about being smart, saving time, and achieving better results.

If this post has been helpful and you think your friends and contacts would benefit from reading it, please share. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

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How a piano technique book changed my playing forever

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"Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique", Alfred Cortot

Image via Wikipedia

Would you like to improve your technique and feel more secure on the keyboard?  This free download will put you on the path to improvement.

(Reposted from 2011.)

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.

Does this provide instant improvement?  No.  Not if you’re looking for the kind of results that come from calling the number on your television screen in informercials.  One commercial features a guy who promises pie-in-the-sky results.  Learn to play the piano in 5 minutes!  In fact, his method works so well, he demonstrates how to play with a red and white checked tablecloth thrown over the keyboard!

Cortot’s exercises, done daily for a few minutes, will have you playing so much better in 6 months, though.  That sounds worth the effort, doesn’t it?

Full disclosure:  I completed half the book in six months, opting not to continue.  I use what I learned every day, and it has been a long time since my first introduction.

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 as a block of notes, I know where I’m headed and find each new hand position quickly.

Free download!

This book was $90 (or was it $100?) when I was in college.  It is now available as a free PDF!

​Also available for purchase from Amazon for $15.54

Have you come across these wonderful exercises?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

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Are you heading into June without a teacher? Need fresh ideas to share with your students? 

My E-book helps you practice more effectively, teach students as individuals, and perform with confidence.

http://gretchensaathoff.com/e-books/e-book-goal-oriented-practice/

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Related articles

• How to learn piano and organ fugues
• Guest Post: How I chose the piano as my instrument
• Adult beginner sees the light!
• Basic piano skills: the ultimate guide to why you need them

Stretches for finger and hand flexibility and range

Tags

automobile accident, finger stretches, hand injury, keyboard span, stretching

A stretching lion at Ouwehands Dierenpark. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Inspired by my friend Louise

A friend asked the other day how she could stretch her fingers following an automobile accident which put her hand in a splint for several weeks.  She has lost the span needed to play Beethoven on the piano. Since she plays for her own enjoyment, ways to maintain flexibility and range were something she needed to check out.  Her first thought was, “I’ll never be able to play again!”

Most people are familiar with large muscle stretches for sports, for example.  Hand stretches might be a little different.This is what I told her.  Perhaps something in this post will be helpful to you or someone you know, as well.

To stretch your fingers ~ yes, you can do that.  But you have to be careful.  The hand injury specialist who treated me said to stretch to about 80% of your max.  Small structures can’t be over-stressed, because they can be permanently injured.

With one hand cupped (imagine holding a tennis ball), turn your hand palm-side down, level w/the floor.  Support your upper arm and elbow against your body.  No gripping! You are not holding the ball, just imagining the shape.

With your opposite hand, gently stretch one finger at a time, keeping finger curved when stretching back, away from finger tips, toward back of palm.  (So your middle joint aims for the ceiling, fingernail ends up near 3rd joint.)

Next, stretch the same finger down to palm, so fingernail almost touches inside of wrist. Straighten finger, keeping it relaxed. Now stretch the same finger, using your opposite hand, to the left and then right.Stretching in all directions is important to maintain the balance in length of the tendons. Each stretch can be repeated, gently, 2 or 3 times in one session.  You could do a couple of sessions each day.

You can soak your hands in hot water for a few minutes On a cold day or in a cold room, avoid going into stretches with cold hands. And, for instance, you wouldn’t want to stretch in front of a cold blast of air from an air-conditioner, or in front of a fan.

Don’t expect instant progress… you haven’t been using your hand for a while.

Stretching both hands adds a 15% benefit!

Don’t overdo it or go too fast out of frustration.  That’s the hard part for me.  Robert Schumann, the composer, became frustrated that his 4th fingers wouldn’t lift off the keyboard as far as 2, 3, and 5.  He built a wooden machine to stretch his 4th fingers, and ruined his hands for life.

When you have finished stretching, take a break.  Any strenuous activity with your hands needs to begin no sooner than 10 minutes later.

While you are regaining your flexiblity, go ahead and play your instrument!  You can leave things out. Playing something is so much more fun than not playing at all and becoming worried that you won’t be able to.  Given a little time, your flexibility will return.  It takes attention to the situation and caring for your hands where they are right now, today.

Surgeons play finger games to maintain flnger flexibility.  So, while playing an instrument may seem like a niche activity, maintaining flexibility is also applicable to other professions.

Hope this helps!

Comments?  Please use the “Leave a Comment” link at the top of this post.

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Crucial stretches for every keyboard user

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articles, links, related posts, staying healthy, stretching

This post is for musicians and computer users.

“Keyboard user” is a conscious decision for inclusion in the title (rather than “keyboard player”) because  computer operators need to stretch.  So do organists, harpsichordists, pianists, electronic keyboardists, and others who use the small structures of their hands and arms in repetitive fashion.

Keyboard users move their hands and arms (and backs and shoulders and necks and heads) primarily in one direction, often for long periods of time.  Work, music, and play can become mesmerizing.  We forget to take breaks, or postpone them to do “one more page.”  And then, an hour later, we’re still at it.

We have all seen athletes stretch.  That makes sense, right?  We are also athletes.  We use smaller structures that are not built for the amount of stress we put on them.  Stretching helps address the problem.

New discussion

A discussion of stretches recently came up on Facebook.  This link takes you to a new article on the subject.

I am delighted to see ongoing interest in stretching.  Everyone benefits by having the topic back at the top of their “to do” lists and reading about others’ experiences.

My friend Michael Meltzer and I continued the discussion.  Michael said:

My last teacher was the late Louise Curcio in New Jersey, who began every lesson with about ten minutes of stretches. She explained, “We are creatures of habit. When you are not properly stretched, you’ll begin your practice in slightly incorrect or imprecise arm & finger positions and configurations. Your brain will remember those incorrect lineups and unconsciously seek to recreate them, interfering with learning and mastering your pieces.”

… looking at it carefully, I think the exact words SHE would have used would have been “arm and finger postures” instead of finger positions & configurations (my words).

Used by permission. Thank you, Michael!

Why stretch?

When playing or using a computer, our muscles and tendons adjust to accommodate our repetitive, uni-directional motions.  The muscles and tendons on the top of the forearm and hand lengthen, while on the underside, they shorten.

This results in an imbalance which can result in injury.

The stretches we need to do help things return to normal.  We need to stretch in the opposite direction from the way we have been moving while playing an instrument or using a computer.

The following comes from a previous post about ergonomics as applied to keyboard use.  As school revs up and we all become busier, combating stress and tension are even more important.

We can maintain our ability to play an instrument or use a computer for decades by being aware and looking for variety as we proceed.

Awareness of warning signs is important to avoid injury.  Once someone incurs an injury, s/he becomes more vulnerable to further injury in the future.  So even if you think it could never happen to you, please read on.

Be aware

• If you feel numbness, tingling, or pain, you need to take a break.
• If anything hurts, even a stiff neck, you need to look at that.
• Practicing mindlessly for hours on end without a break is never a good idea.

Incorporate variety

What’s your plan?  How do you practice?

Going at something as fast and loudly as possible will get you injured in no time.

Here are a few ideas about staying safe.

You can practice:

• hands alone
• slower than performance tempo
• loud/soft
• changing range on the keyboard
• alternating difficult passages with less stressful ones
• mixing up a stint of staccato practicing with legato (use your body in different ways)
• for leaps and glissandi, measuring distances and calculating timing by faking it (above the keyboard ~ no need to play all that often)
• feeling chord shapes in your hands, also above the keyboard
• more carefully when you’re tired

You can:

• alternate practicing and gripping activities with passive activities, such as reading or taking a walk, talking on the speakerphone.  For example, lifting weights and practicing are both stressing your body, thus making you more vulnerable to injury.  Your body needs a break in between.
• play with your hands and arms in a natural position (you don’t have to be exactly lined up with the keys!)
• look at your practice setup ~ lighting, chair height, your distance from the keyboard (do you have room to navigate?)
• always use healthy body alignment (feet on the floor, supporting your body ~ no slumping forward, no legs wrapped around chair legs, no feet on chair rungs, no head on hand on elbow resting on the piano)
• look at the music away from the piano
• conduct, sing, walk the rhythm, clap, speak the text in rhythm, try dynamic changes out with your voice
• take a 10-min. break every hour
• practice in more than one chunk of time during the day
• eat 3 healthy meals every day (don’t skip a meal in order to practice!)
• exercise!
• stretch your body and warm up your hands before practicing (5 min.)
• stretch your arms, shoulders, and back after practicing (5 more min.)

Computer use

The same awareness is important here.  Look at your setup, use good body alignment (don’t lie on your bed, resting on your elbows).  Take breaks.  Move your arms, shoulders, and back when you type, like you would on an old manual typewriter with tiered keys.  Stretch before and after computer work.

Computers probably demand more fast work without breaks than practicing an instrument.  No one talks about good body alignment in workplaces.  Deadlines are much more important.  (Fed-Ex leaves in 5 minutes!  Are you done yet?)  And, unless you’re self-employed, you’re likely to have someone who wants you to produce more, faster than you need to be going.  Pressure means vulnerability to injury.

Why not take a look at your usual approach to the computer during your time off, at home?  Try looking at yourself in the mirror, or ask a friend to help.

At work, you can set your phone alarm to alert you once an hour.  Stand up, walk around, stretch, breathe, and something relaxing.  Take a break!  The up side of leaving your work where it is for a few minutes is, you won’t turn into a pretzel!

What do you think?  What is your approach to practice and computer use?  Do you have certain ways of going about it that work particularly well for you?  Do you take breaks?

Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below!

You can read more articles on this blog about ergonomics here.

Also, while you’re here, please take a look at my E-book!

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Student clears a hurdle!

Tags

hand position

Image via Wikipedia

One of my adult students made an extraordinary leap last week!  It’s right up there with getting religion and learning to walk.

The hurdle

Just as she finished playing one of the exercises in A Dozen A Day, I happened to glance at her hand.  She had developed a bridge!

Why not sooner?

I’ve asked myself that question many times.

Possible contributing factors:

• This student, an adult beginner, has difficulty relaxing at the keyboard.
• She often over-thinks, which leads to a downward spiral.
• Her instrument at home is an electronic keyboard.

My approach

During lessons, we have discussed:

• Hand position.
• Being aware of feeling in the arms, hands and fingers.
• Using weight from the back, shoulders, and upper arm.
• Transferring weight from finger to finger rather than just pushing down the keys.

This seemed to result in a rather vague understanding of what was needed.

The “aha” moment

Was this a random occurrence?

We were doing an exercise in 3rds from A Dozen A Day.  When we worked on it briefly, I demonstrated playing the first 3rd (right hand C and E), keeping the notes depressed, then lifting the fingers for the next 3rd (D and F), and on to the next (E and G).

My student’s response was, “So I lift my fingers after I’ve played the first chord?”

I said, “Lift your fingers before you play the next one.”  (When playing in a slow tempo, preparing too far in advance creates unnecessary tension.)

Voilà!  Something clicked!  She did it!  No pushing!

And then I looked, and saw the bridge!

What is a “bridge” in the hand?

Having a bridge in the hand means that the hand appears to be holding an imaginary ball.  The fingers are rounded, and the palm is arched.  Now look at the knuckles across the top of the hand.  The knuckles form the “bridge.”  They are the highest part.

Why is the “bridge” important?

• When the hand is in this position, the thumb passes under the hand easily.  This is needed in order to play scales and arpeggios.
• The fingers play the keys with the contact points falling in a straight line.  When this happens, one has more control of dynamics, speed, and tone quality.
• The hands are stronger with this alignment.

Why did the “bridge” happen at this moment?

I think the contributing factors were:

• The specific exercise we were working on.
• The acoustic piano my student practices on during her lunch hour (very stiff action).
• Just plain luck.

More about A Dozen A Day

This series is appropriate for some adult beginners.

With this student, my goal is to introduce various problems she will encounter in piano music she plays, both now and in the future.  Working on each exercise for an extended period is not helpful to her.  The exercise doesn’t get better after a certain point because thinking takes over, and then she becomes frustrated.

I try to ensure that she understands what the exercise is about, and then we move on.

The Instrument

Perhaps this is a good time to repeat my feeling that acoustic pianos are better for developing piano technique, tone quality, pedal technique, dynamic contrast, velocity, sustained phrasing, variety in articulation, and many other things.

Although some electronic keyboards claim to have weighted keys, I have played several.  When adjusting the key resistance, I couldn’t feel any difference.

Had my student not had access to an acoustic piano, I question whether the bridge in her hand would have developed.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Related post

• Adult beginner sees the light!  (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)

E-books

Goal-oriented Practice
Review by pianist and conductor Andrei Strizek

When You Buy a Piano

How to Maintain Your Piano

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Emily’s Movie: Music for Piano

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Emily Dickinson, Emily Dickinson Museum, English fingering, Felix Mendelssohn, Henri Bertini, Ludwig van Beethoven

Image via Wikipedia

Immediately after recording chorus music last week for an upcoming DVD about Emily Dickinson, we began recording some piano pieces she might have heard or played.

Again, my goal was to keep the listener in mind, achieving variety of tempi, dynamics, and styles.

Since free downloads of this music are not available, I hope my descriptions will suffice.  If you happen to be playing these pieces, then you already have a score!

Henri Bertini

Fingering for the keyboard in the 19th century was different from the system used today.  While “1” is the thumb for us, in Bertini’s time the use of the thumb was indicated by a “+” with the other numbers being 1-4.  In addition, the Bertini edition provided to me for this project replaces the “+” with a “x”!

Modern piano fingering:	1 2 3 4 5
19th Century:	+ 1 2 3 4
My edition of Bertini:	x 1 2 3 4

Confused yet?  Sometimes an “x” would appear above a note, and then a natural sign would be printed 1/8″ to the right and 1/8″ lower.  Since “x” indicates a double sharp to us, my brain needed an extra second of two to translate.

We chose six short exercises from Bertini’s “Piano Method Complete.”  The aim was to illustrate a progression in difficulty.

1. Left hand quarter notes, followed by the same music with the left hand in 8ths, same pattern (i.e. same right hand melody, with left hand playing the notes it played before, twice as fast).
2. Less predictable writing, more skips between notes.
3. 3-note chords, beginning with 2 notes in the right hand and 1 in the left; then the reverse; then a repeat of the exercise with the left hand marcato and right hand playing 8th notes on each off-beat (i.e. 8th rest, 8th note, etc.).
4. Staccato, more melodic right hand; chords in left hand.  ABA form, caprice-like.
5. Legato 8th notes, left hand, including intervals of an octave.
6. Broken chords, hands together in octaves.  Emphasis on fingering.

Mendelssohn

Op. 19, No. 2

​Left hand just noodles along
​3rd line, page 2:  E quarter note, d c 16ths, D quarter note; move tempo until 4th line, last bar.

Move left hand 8ths, last line

Move marcato 8ths at end, no ritard.

Op. 30, No. 6

This is a Venetian Gondola Song.  It just goes with the flow.  All that’s needed is to set up a groove and let it play.

End of line 1:  left hand 3rds are higher, so will sound more prominent on their own.  No louder dynamic is needed in order to honor the diminuendo indicated.  I tried it, and sounded like an outboard motor!

No ritard at the end.  The tide just keeps going, so let your gondola go off into the distance instead.

Op. 62, No. 3

Orchestrated by Moscheles, this is now entitled “Funeral March,” as it was played at Mendelssohn’s funeral.

This piece has a big dynamic range.  So practicing by skipping from one dynamic to the next is helpful.

With the 32nd-note triplets, it is important to realize when to use the pedal and when not to.

        Examples:

• 2nd line, page 2: 1st triplet needs a sustained left hand, 2nd triplet releases left hand after the 8th note while right hand sustains.  These differences provide 2 different pedalling schemes.

• 4th line, page 2:  release staccato left hand and depress pedal while sustaining the right hand.

• Last line:  I chose to pedal until the release of the tied chord; next come a G quarter and an E eighth with no pedal; then pedal to the end.

​Op. 67, No. 3

This piece requires clarity, lightness, and a moving tempo.  So many details!

In the repetitive middle section:  dynamics are “p” and “mp”.  I decided to rush from the “sf” G through the ritard.

The end has timing issues:  for me, it worked to wait for the ritard.  Keep moving.  Crescendo at least to “mp” so the final repeated notes can diminuendo comfortably.

​Op. 102, No. 6

This piece is hymn-like, but is slightly freer.  (No words!)  It needs clear phrases and dynamic contrast.

I practiced the opening few bars, then jumped to page 2 to ensure that the tempo was the same.  The left hand on page 2 is in 8ths, not quarters, and in octaves.  I wanted to slow down.

You will need to plan how you want to phrase the ending, and how you want to handle the tempo.

Beethoven

The “Pathétique” Sonata, Op. 13

My main focus was on clarity, ensuring that each part speaks from its first note.

What I could have done better

• I could have settled on my preferred tempo for each Mendelssohn piece in advance.  Due to nerves and because I’ve never recorded for a DVD, my approach turned out to be a little different from what it would be for a concert.

• I could have practiced at the venue.  We have more to record, so next time, I will!

Related article

• Emily’s Movie: The Chorus (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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E-books

Goal-oriented Practice
Review by pianist and conductor Andrei Strizek

When You Buy a Piano

How to Maintain Your Piano

Emily’s movie

Tags

Beethoven, Bertini, Emily Dickinson, film, Mendelssohn

Image by flemming. d5000 via Flickr

I have been asked to record some of the music Emily Dickinson played for the planning stages of a film.  So now we know.  Emily Dickinson played the piano!

This is to be an installment in the DVD series “Angles of a Landscape:  Perspectives on Emily Dickinson.”  The title of this installment is “My Business is to Sing.”

The Emily Dickinson Museum is located in Amherst, MA, and is owned by Amherst College.  The producer of the DVD series is Ernest Urvater.

Emily Dickinson's piano may have looked like this ~ Image via Wikipedia

The music

The producer provided these scores:

• Bertini finger exercises
• Beethoven’s “Pathétique” Sonata
• Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words”
• several hymns

My job is to choose

• a few Bertini exercises to demonstrate easy, intermediate, and advanced levels
• passages from the Beethoven that would sound interesting on a sound track but do not change suddenly from piano to forte
• several “Songs Without Words” in order to provide the producer with a choice.  They can’t be too loud or too busy.

Narration

There will be narration over the music.

Since this is the first time I’ve been involved in a project like this, there is some guessing on my part at this point.

I’m choosing music that would be good as background music for a dinner party.  People conversing with music in the background seems to have many things in common with a narration over music.  If dinner music is too busy, people might stop talking.  And music that is piano for several phrases, if it then suddenly changes to forte, would also be disruptive.

My choices

This is a preliminary list.  Mendelssohn provided titles for just a few of the “Songs Without Words” (see Library of Congress article).  They are listed here as they appear in my score.  Titles are also included in the recordings I consulted.

• Op. 53, No. 2  The Fleecy Clouds
• Op. 18, No. 2  Regrets
• Op. 30, No. 6  Venetian Boat-Song No. 2
• Op. 62, No. 1  May Breezes
• Op. 62, No. 3  Funeral March ~ the Moscheles orchestration was played at Mendelssohn’s funeral
• Op. 67, No. 3  Song of the Pilgrim
• Op. 102, No. 6  Faith

My practice approach

Bertini doesn’t need much work.  The exercises are mostly in 5-finger position.

Beethoven does need work!  I started by practicing fast cadenza-like passages, sections with crossed hands, and those with difficult fingerings.  On Day #8, I practiced with both hands together, under tempo.

Mendelssohn’s writing is song melodies in one or both hands, plus an involved accompaniment.  The secondary parts are difficult to keep from overwhelming the melody, since there is so much going on.  I practice the melody alone, then the 16th-note writing that switches between hands and runs throughout the piece.  In songs where the left hand is different, such as in the “Venetian Boat-Song,” I practice the left hand alone.

No matter which parts I am practicing, I always use performance fingering.

What’s next

Having become frustrated at not being able to write in borrowed scores, I ordered the Mendelssohn and the Beethoven 2 days ago.  Both arrived today!  I can’t wait to write in fingerings.

I also need to time everything separately.

The producer returns from Europe on June 3rd.  We will get together shortly after that.  The final choice of music is his call, so I expect to make some changes.  He will also choose the order.

Coming soon

As this project progresses, I will write more posts on the subject.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Q&A: How can I improve my left hand for organ?

Tags

Alfred Cortot, keyboard, Music

Image by jimmywayne via Flickr

Thanks for the great question!

The first thing to do is realize that everyone’s left hand is 2 weeks behind their right.  And yes, that includes left-handed people.

To play a keyboard instrument, you’ll need dexterity in both hands and independence between them.

What you can do

Finger exercises played on the piano.  Most pianos have stiffer action than organs, so practicing piano will strengthen your left hand faster.

Do piano exercises every day.

Limit the amount of time you spend on them.  You don’t want to overdo it in any one practice session.  So start out with 10 min., say, for a few days.  Then 20.  But 2 hours would be way too much.

Practice left hand alone.  The better you know the left hand part, the easier it will be to put both hands and the organ pedals together.

Play the same thing with both hands together in octaves.  The right hand can help the left hand improve.

Use your left hand often throughout the day.  Pick up your coffee cup, open the door, brush your teeth (good luck!), etc.  When you begin looking for ways to use your left hand, you’ll find many situations where you can.  Have you ever eaten with your fork in the left hand?

Best book ever

The pianist Alfred Cortot wrote Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique.  Although expensive, it is more than worth the price.  The finger exercises included in this book are the best.  I recommend this method more than Hanon or Czerny because it is comprehensive.

What to avoid

If you happen to miss a day of exercises, don’t double the time the next day.  It doesn’t work that way ~ instead, it leads to potential injury.

Exercise devices are to be avoided.  You don’t need to stretch your fingers or squeeze a ball or do a workout for your hands.  Playing will take care of it.  You can, however, work out with dumbbells.  5 lb. dumbbells are enough to keep in shape ~ I would limit dumbbell exercises involving bent wrists to 8 lbs., max.

So ~ go for it, but be patient, too.  And always be aware of how your hand and arm feel.  You should be relaxed.  After you complete the finger exercises, take a break before practicing more.  Finger exercises can be strenuous.

Good luck, and happy practicing!

Have you ever done hand-strengthening exercises?  Do you assign them to your students?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Related articles

• Adult beginner sees the light! (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)
• How to learn piano and organ fugues (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)

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7 Stretches to beat “Piano Back”

Tags

back stretches, computer, Music, piano

Image via Wikipedia

This post is for computer users, too.

On days when I practice for a long time and/or use a computer, I stretch when I’m done.

(OK, I stretch every day.  It’s easy, it works, and it doesn’t take long.)

We have all seen people’s necks set forward, head in front of their shoulders.  Often the shoulders are rounded, even in young people.

We find ourselves hunching forward at times to read the music in bad light or to read small print.

Goes with the territory, right?

Well, no.  It doesn’t have to.

Stretching is one way to counteract the problem.

7 easy stretches you can do

1. With hands clasped behind back, stretch shoulders backwards for 15 seconds.  Reverse hand position, repeat.
2. Stretch arms, starting from sides, up over head.
3. Place hands on hips, then bend back at the waist for 30 seconds.  (Let head drop back, too.)  Repeat.
4. Shoulder shrugs.
5. Backwards shoulder circles.
6. Arm circles both ways with arms straight out at sides.
7. With arms still out, bend elbows so hands are facing forward.  Stretch shoulders and upper arms back several times.

Don’t overdo it.  Stretching to 85% of your maximum range is fine.  You will notice that you can stretch further after about 20 seconds.  3 reps will take care of it.

You can always repeat the stretches a few more times during the day.

Arm and hand stretches serve a different purpose, and are covered in a previous post.  They, too, are extremely important to our longevity as well as for preventing injury.

Best time to stretch

Any time!  Ideally, stretching immediately after playing/typing would be wonderful.  But sometimes we all have other things to do.

I find myself stretching while waiting in line somewhere, waiting for a bus, using the microwave, or in the shower.  Stretching also helps following a long car/bus/train ride.  Stretching more than once a day is very helpful.

I don’t want to be a hunchback any time soon.

How do you take care of your back?  Please share your ideas in the comment section below.

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