4-5 Transition Problem

Hi there. I have a problem when playing arpeggios or passages involving the 4th and 5th finger on the last two notes(the 4th on a black key and the 5th on a white one). For instance when I play the arpeggiated broken Ab chord: RH(this is where the problem appears) 1 2 3 5; 1 2 4 5; 1 2 4 5; 1 2 3 5. At the 1st inversion(C Eb Ab C) the RH collapses when trying to reach the C with the 5th finger. It is not highly visible but I want to eliminate it as I don't think this is normal. This happens both on ascending and descending. When descending the same problem appears as the 4th finger tries to reach the Ab while the 5th tries not to interrupt the C. This seems to generate an unusual balance movement of the whole right hand, especially when the 4th begins to press the Ab. The same problem appears when trying to play a passage from Czerny op. 599 #40: D F Bb D(1 2 4 5). Again this happens between the 4th and the 5th. I think this also happens when playing the C F A C in the beginning of the same etude, but the problem is not so visible because only white keys are involved. I want to mark that I try to avoid extending the fingers and use the movement of the hand in order to place the fingers above the keys throughout the arpeggio. However when the 5th is used, the hand does not maintain its recommended passivity. How can I resolve this problem? Are there some extension exercises or something like that?

Have you read my book or watched the DVD? The answer is in there... Fifth finger pullups, etc would be the way to go for you, seeing as you have already done the eminently sensible thing of really using your arm to get your hand all the way to the fifth finger note so it doesn't have to strain to play... AFF

I ordered the book and dvd today. I am curious when will my order arrive? Is it possible to download the film with the help of a member account? I am eager to see the film. Oh yes. I also observed that when trying to pass the thumb under the other fingers when playing a scale, even when trying to reach the last note of the arpeggios that caused me problems, the shoulders begin to tense and the forearm seems to exert tension towards the palm and the fingers(the forearm gets quite "heavy"). This has a major impact on the accuracy of my playing and makes interpretation almost impossible. You can't control the p - mf - f differences, nor the accents. Also when black keys with the 5th finger are involved(especially in the RH), the finger sometimes tends to slip off the key. I think this has something to do with that "heaviness"(unnecessary muscular effort) which develops in my right forearm. For a couple of weeks I managed to reduce this sindrome, but it seems that I encounter both gainings and regressions throughout my study. Can this be controlled?

Where are you located? The mail to North America takes roughly 2 weeks. If you are eager to see something there are some excerpts on youtube as well as a filming of a master class by Alan. Based on what you are describing I would suggest that you do all the excercises in the DVD, espeically in the first few chapters. They might seem weird sometimes and unrelated, but done patiently they slowly develop new internal sensations that eventually translate into your sound. Regarding the problem you mention with 5th finger inaccuracy on black keys - I have a similar issue, especially when playing octaves or wide chords. When I don't pay attention, I find my whole arm and shoulder stiffen as I try to increase my accuracy, but this is a big mistake. I actually want to play with an entirely loose feeling in the arm and shoulder and a "strong-skeletal" loose feeling in the fingers. Unfortunately, when I play this way, I miss even more keys!, but I know I have to take a step backward to get forward - I have to give up some of my fake accuracy right now that comes from rigidity and develop a very fluid kind of accuracy - so I need more patience. Dynamic control will also come later for me - right now all my black key octaves sound mp. If I try to get louder I either miss the black keys or tense, but with time I believe I will be able to develop more accuracy and control over the sound without further tensing in the arm. Good luck, Zack

I'm located in Europe. I hope it doesn't going to take all summer. I previously ordered some study material and I wanted to wait until those sheets arrive before placing a new order. I hoped they would solve the problem. But it seems that not the graded difficulty(actually easiness) itself is the one that improves your playing but reassessing and changing your playing habits. I hope I will receive the dvd soon.

Should arrive in 7 days or so. We don't offer a download version although there may be something like that at some future date... We are still pirate paranoid, and would prefer not to have our products "complimented" by being stolen... All your problems indicate a lack of finger action. I sense that it is a little like explaining colour to a blind man. It might even be that the lack of finger action is so severe that even if you doubled or tripled the amount of effort you are now expending to move your fingers, it might be only 10% of what's needed to make the piano sound well and also, by the way, to do away with the sense of heaviness you now experience. At this distance I cannot really say for sure. SO: if you try to increase your finger action there is the danger of doing it the wrong way, or trying to go too far too fast. It is not easy to resolve this problem. You have to be wise and persistent in a sensitive way. That's why I say - when the book and DVD arrive, really study them until the true magnitude of the problem comes a little better into focus... I might well be wrong, it could be not that bad - but it might... Keep in touch, AFF

I love it! Yes, definitely weird and unrelated! It's great to see how normal people react to my rather unusual regimen... Regarding the problem you mention with 5th finger inaccuracy on black keys - I have a similar issue, especially when playing octaves or wide chords. When I don't pay attention, I find my whole arm and shoulder stiffen as I try to increase my accuracy, but this is a big mistake. I actually want to play with an entirely loose feeling in the arm and shoulder and a "strong-skeletal" loose feeling in the fingers. Unfortunately, when I play this way, I miss even more keys!, but I know I have to take a step backward to get forward - I have to give up some of my fake accuracy right now that comes from rigidity and develop a very fluid kind of accuracy - so I need more patience. Dynamic control will also come later for me - right now all my black key octaves sound mp. If I try to get louder I either miss the black keys or tense, but with time I believe I will be able to develop more accuracy and control over the sound without further tensing in the arm. I love this really wise approach to your own development - 100% in line with what effective learning is all about and how to make it happen well... Attago! AFF

very interesting and effective approach. anyway things improved after seeing some of your excerpts i found online. my fingers stopped shaking after applying that "hands and fingers are like a tube" philosophy. there actually was much more tension in my hands than it is now. i don't know how you managed to develop this approach to piano tehnique but sometimes i had the impression that i just listened to what you said and it simply removed a considerable ammount of the stress. yet there is much more work to do and time cannot be shortcuted. by the way...do you have masterclasses in august? i want to join...

I am really glad things are improving, please keep us informed as to further developments. It is fascinating how each pianist has their own "style," and how these universal principles apply in a different way to each specific situation. We all learn from seeing how others use this information... I will be teaching in Novi Sad from August 26 to Sept 1. If you would like to join the group I'll be working with, please contact Sophia at . All the best, AFF

However I don't really understand what you wanted to say in the following lines: Are we talking about a lack of finger action or an excess of it? Or you meant to say that the lack of finger action is so severe that the problem actually extends to the forearm and other upper parts of the hand involved in piano playing causing an excess of muscular effort? How would you define "finger action"? How can we feel this?