Something to think about, and maybe discuss with Alan first before you start doing this yourself.
Sometimes, when my students really can't form the arch with their fingers without tensing all up, I have them do the reverse: COLLAPSE THE ARCH ON PURPOSE, finger by finger on the edge of a table. They put the tip of one finger of their right hand lightly on the table top and collapse the arch (the fingertip joint and the "knee" joint naturally bend; the hand and the other fingers are now down somewhere alongside the edge of the table. No arm weight pressure from the right hand!)
Then, the left hand presses down on the back of the right hand. The finger will react at the knuckle to try and keep the structure. Don't overdo the pushing and do the exercise with all fingers separately. This simple exercise really strengthens the arch structure, and the needed functionality to play with arches up appears by itself.
When practising at the instrument, you may want to consider the following: A little "arm/hand weight", enough to push your knuckles up to get a stable hand on the keys, but not enough to push the keys down will greatly enhance your ability to find balance and work the keys effortlessly. I think your left hand does that correctly already, but you will have to teach your right hand to do the same
Paul
Something to think about, and maybe discuss with Alan first before you start doing this yourself.
Sometimes, when my students really can't form the arch with their fingers without tensing all up, I have them do the reverse: COLLAPSE THE ARCH ON PURPOSE, finger by finger on the edge of a table. They put the tip of one finger of their right hand lightly on the table top and collapse the arch (the fingertip joint and the "knee" joint naturally bend; the hand and the other fingers are now down somewhere alongside the edge of the table. No arm weight pressure from the right hand!)
Then, the left hand presses down on the back of the right hand. The finger will react at the knuckle to try and keep the structure. Don't overdo the pushing and do the exercise with all fingers separately. This simple exercise really strengthens the arch structure, and the needed functionality to play with arches up appears by itself.
When practising at the instrument, you may want to consider the following: A little "arm/hand weight", enough to push your knuckles up to get a stable hand on the keys, but not enough to push the keys down will greatly enhance your ability to find balance and work the keys effortlessly. I think your left hand does that correctly already, but you will have to teach your right hand to do the same
Paul
Yes. I hope he's going to show up soon. Your advice and your etude recommendation were great. I've never really played a piece of this kind. It really smoothens your finger action. Nick was however right. Every time I try to weigh the keys (I mean every different day not on the same day) I obtain different results. 2 days ago it was great. I had the feeling that the key went down truely and the hand and the key became one unit. Yesterday it worked fine but the feeling was partially gone. The notes don't sound so legato anymore, they are rather shortened. The smoothnes and flow however were still there.
Also yesterday I did some exercises away from the keyboard and obtained (I think for the first time or the first time in a while) that "smooth as a baby bottom" arm Alan was talking about in one of his books and DVDs. I managed this by following your advice and activating the fingers very lightly on my desk top as if I had played the piano. The whole arm weight actually stood on one finger. I have never felt my shoulder so relaxed. I succeeded for a minute then never again. It's extraordinary how much extra muscular effort there was before. When you truely relax you realise that you were doing things that you shouldn't had. I don't know how can I obtain this feeling again. And speaking of the real playing experience I've never succeded in obtaining it while playing the piano.
For your purposes, the feeling of smoothness and flow is already a great achievement and I encourage you to go on along this path. Also, think of this:
Real physical legato CANNOT be achieved on the piano (Alan's legato (overlapping) exercises have a merely didactic purpose). Of course, you can create the ILLUSION of seamlessly joining the notes in a phrase (even if those notes cannot physically be tied), but that is more a game of
1) volume/dynamics from one note to another in that same passage
2) "gaps" between the notes of such a passage
3) the feeling of playing certain notes in one "bow stroke" (think violin or cello) or in one breath (think singing), while deliberately detaching others.
For example, when you want a brilliant effect in fast passage work, there should actually be a slight "gap of air" between the separate notes in such a passage. A little pedal on such a passage gives an unbelievable brilliance. On the other hand, if you want a more "legato" effect, then the "gap" between the notes is reduced to a minimum.
Also, if you want to bring out a "legato" melody as such from a "busy" accompaniment without forcing the sound of that melody too much, then it often works to play the surrounding accompaniment a little detached (those same "gaps") and softer, but give the notes of the melody more or less their full length without hammering out the sound. The audience will now get the illusion of a very beautiful legato throughout, although it will probably not realize how you achieved it.
Paul
Yes. I hope he's going to show up soon.
I was in touch with Alan a few weeks a go. He said notifications are not working on the forum at the moment, so if you do want to bring something to his attention them email is probably the way to go.
I don't know how can I obtain this feeling again.
The difficult thing is not to try to go straight for the feeling. You have to do the process that creates the feeling - focus on the journey rather than the destination, so to speak. As you noticed, it will not always produce the same results - sometimes different and worse, sometimes it will different to previous success and yet still be better.
Took a 2 days' pause and managed it again. But nick couldn't be more right.
Anyway...this time I also perceived a strengthened tone...what Alan named "professional sound". It was amazing...I have really felt the weight of the keys and felt that the process was under my control...I could feel the key going down to the bottom and remaining there. However after 20 minutes of practice...the old reflexes got back a little...the important thing is that I have the correct coordinates and I now how the thing should feel now.
