How Tiny Changes Can Produce Amazing Results in Piano Performance: Part 6
Over time – or rather quickly – tiny changes can produce amazing results in piano performance by altering some detail of the physical environment or concerning the performer’s body. You can reread those sections at the end of this writing, but now let’s get into the other category: Improvements in the physical and mental functions in the actual performance. These most definitely will have an impact on improving piano performance overall.
- NOTE RECOGNITION:
I’ve always remembered a kindergarten teacher’s remark from 20 years ago: “Not having (useable) pencils is a train wreck!” This successful teacher recognized that pencil (and paper) were the foundation to her students participating in her lesson. That point can apply to many areas of learning and producing in life. One needs the basics on which to build.
For the pianist, the foundation of any performance – at any level – is the ability to read the notes and locate their corresponding piano keys. The exception is that relatively small group of musicians who play without reading – who have an ability/talent/6th sense, whatever – that enables them to just play gorgeous music seemingly without effort. I’m definitely not writing to that group . . .
So many students shortchange themselves by not learning to actually read music. Instead, they learn to compensate for note reading by recognizing the position of notes in relation to one another. It’s possible that this can become quite a handicap.
Here’s an article that explains the difference between playing by rote (copying a visual without additional thinking) and true sight-reading using a thinking process. And one more here.
The best instructional books of any kind or any subject are structured using Instructional Design. It’s like the difference between learning to read English phonetically by the sound each letter/syllable represents – as opposed to learning to read one whole word at a time by sight – just by the way it looks.
This is the difference between knowing and reading every note in every song (like being able to read any and all words in all books – or knowing how to play by rote just one song (having one song/book memorized). The Revolutionary Piano Method is totally based on the Instructional Design educational approach.
2. USE THE DAMPER PEDAL:
Your piano may have three or just two pedals for your feet to press. The pedal on the right is called the damper pedal. On a grand piano when the damper pedal is pressed down, all the dampers are raised from the wires so once keys are played the sound continues until the pedal is raised. This is like ringing a metal bell and stopping the sound when your hand touches the bell.
The sign to use the damper pedal is a line drawn under the staff showing when to press down or raise up the pedal. The horizontal line means to press down and keep down the pedal; the upstroke line of the notch means to quickly raise up the pedal; the downstroke line of the notch means to quickly press it down.
This site shows the pedal line markings and also has good pictures with the explanations of all three pedals.
For the student just beginning to use the pedal –
Listen carefully to make sure sounds are clear and not blended together – but also that there are no gaps in sound (silence) between the notes.
Go slow – you are multitasking. Brain and body need time to coordinate. At some future point you will not even think about your pedaling.
Try playing a scale (without the pedal) and listen to how smooth and connected (legato) the notes sound.
Then pedal EACH note/key of the scale so that it is just as legato as finger-playing only.
For the more advanced pianist here is a site you may find helpful.
3. FINGERING:
Most beginner instruction books for piano use finger numbers which indicate which finger the student should use to play a certain note and key. Numbers can be quite useful in complicated written music, and they enable the pianist to play perhaps faster and easier. For a piece to be played by memory, it is pretty essential to use the same fingering each time it is played so that muscle memory is better formed.
However, most all beginners view fingering as just another thing the brain has to think about. Hence, it seems more difficult to use fingering.
In the battle to make fingering work for you, and not against you by seeming like an un-welcomed chore, here’s a few things to try:
- Choose a practice time when you will not feel rushed and in a hurry to finish.
- Circle the first fingering number in each measure for both hands for the first line of music.
- Play hands separately and make yourself use the correct finger for every first note of each measure.
- Play hands together using the correct fingers for both hands for every first note. Do this for 2 days.
- Repeat for the next line of music for 2 days of practice.
- Repeat for the entire first page of music. Next week do this for the entire song.
You will likely find that you also are playing the next note’s fingering correctly – and perhaps even more. After a month, use the fingering shown for all the notes in the first half of the first page of the music; use at least the fingering for the first note of each measure with the rest of the song.
The point is, correct fingering makes it easier to play because it was “mapped out” by the composer. However, I do not stress using all the fingering shown because it does take extra time to consider it. Using fingering is similar to using the pedal. At some point it becomes automatic, and that’s a great time to look forward to!
Over time – or rather quickly – tiny changes can produce amazing results in piano performance!
“If you can get 1% better each day for one year,
you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done.”
Excerpt from Atomic Habits by James Clear
Improvements in the environment and the body
Details on these first four can be examined here:
Room Temperature
Shoe Heel Height
Piano Bench
Seat Cushion
Two more, that you can reread:
Dehydration
Healthy Snacks
Added category about hands – nails, strength, and exercises – that you can reread.
Distractions – hair, clothing, shoes, corrective eyewear, eye-to-page distance. For details read here.
I invite you readers to offer more areas that are not covered here, with your own suggestions about what has worked for you and/or your students.
Leslie Young is the author/composer of the Revolutionary Piano Method. She co-founded a K-12th grade charter school in Texas and has been a piano teacher for about 40 years. She has had experience teaching a variety of students tackling piano for the first time or as returning student
She states: “In teaching piano to students of varying ages, what also varies is a commitment of time and the amount of dedication. Children of certain ages may do very well with a parent as teacher; others may need someone who is not family to instruct them. Some older children and adults prefer to make progress on their own, and this method is designed to act as a meticulous guide through new material. Some adults and teens insist on professional teachers, which also encourages continuity. Because these books are self-explanatory, a new or experienced professional teacher will have no trouble using the Revolutionary Piano Method with students. It is an easy way to learn piano.”
Leslie believes that “learning to play the piano is more about diligence and perseverance” – but would add that just as critical to success is the method that is used, the encouragement of critical thinking, and the instructional principles that promote immediate success.
What Would the First Lesson for a Young Student Look Like?
What Would the First Lesson for a 6 to Teen Look Like (video)?
View sample pages of all the books for students
ages 6 to teen:
View sample pages of all the books for students
4 to 5 years old:
View sample pages of all the books for older
teens and adults:
View the books on Amazon:
