Some Pertinent Questions About The Craft Of Piano Playing

Hello Alan, I am intrigued by your book and DVD on piano technique. I am an amateur pianist trying to play Chopin etudes but am running into obstacles along the way. For example, Chopin's etude in C Major, Op.10, No. 1. My right hand and forearm become tired very quickly playing the arpeggios. My questions are 1) Can your book and DVD help me overcome the physical challenges of this piece, including the development of speed,stretch, and dexterity necessary for its implementation without fatique and injury? I admit this piece is a challenge for me. 2) Does your approach to technique also include traditional hanon, scales, and traditional arpeggio drills? Are scales and arpeggios, if practiced, practised in a different manner? 3) Finally, are the exercises etc. in your book and DVD easily applied to a wide variety of technical challenges and piano pieces? Again, thanks for all your efforts. I would really appreciate a response. Sincerely and with passion, Mark Plimley Dear Mark, Thanks so much for your email. Very pertinent questions which I'll be glad to answer. The short answer is a resounding YES to all of them! I don't include actual scales and arpeggios etc, but I do describe special ways of practicing them, and one special way of doing Hanon as well. All these aspects of my approach aim to introduce you to the structuro-functional potential of your hand and to develop it in a practical manner. If you are already tackling Op. 10 #1, then I believe my book and DVD are tailor-made for you. The hidden impediment to easy 'stretching' is muscles that are working too hard. My approach works to have the bones take over much of the 'stress-bearing' that the muscles have been trying to cope with. When structure is aligned, things become much easier remarkably quickly. But to find these potent alignments you need to sense at a much finer level, let go of a lot of wrong efforts, and this requires slowing down. Thus as Moshe Feldenkrais so poetically put it, you have to 'go slow in order to go fast.' When you succeed with this, the resulting change in your ability will affect your relationship to all your repertoire and all styles of playing. I wish you much pleasure and progress with my book and DVD! Best wishes from a fellow Canadian, Alan Fraser