I have been exploring using sliding as a way to make my hands more movable. However, sometimes my fingers just can't slide. On another occasion, often right after shower, my fingers would be too slippery and i would feel so insecure (or should I actually practice with the feeling of being insecure because of the small friction, as that feeling of security, achieved with friction, actually reduce my movability?? That is deeper question better left for another thread)
My question is, how to reliably and predictably ''adjust'' that friction? I mean being to adjust it up or down, without having any liquid or powder left on my fingers which might be bad for my keyboard....
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Alanfraserpiano
This is a fascinating question. I think the answer might really help you move forward in your technique. I think feeling that you're too slippery or not slippery enough on the keys is a function of a want of strength in the finger and hand. If the finger/hand is strong enough, you will overcome any resistance on a particularly "dry" keyboard, and be able to dig in to counteract the slipperiness of an overly "wet" keyboard.
Try the one-boned, splayed, elastic finger exercises to develop basic strength, see if that helps.
AFF
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A pianist
what's that exercise you mentioned? Is it in your books? I find that sliding out (toward myself) is easy and never a problem. But what comes out must goes in again!
Maybe it is worth spelling out what i think is going when i slide. Sliding out is easy because the lumbricals is working in sync with my entire hand (which would be moving toward myself) as the key is being played (and hugged!): both draws the finger tips toward me. As the finger plays and eventually reaches the bottom of the key bed,
There are other uses of sliding, like positioning the hand and phrasing, but for me, making my hands more movable is what makes it such a great practice.
But sliding in creates a huge challenge, especially if the friction is high: as the key bed is reached, the forward movement of the hand thrusts the finger forward along the surface of the key. While in sliding out, the finger responds by easing the pressure (exactly what we want!); when we slide in, the fingers (even when passive and exert little pressure on its own) gets pushed into the key, increasing the friction still further. That makes my hands and fingers less movable. Of course this is compensated by the fingers' response to release its pressure on the key. But still it is far from ideal. And I can feel the ease of my sliding out is suddenly hampered when I have to slide in....
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Alanfraserpiano
I'm afraid that exercise might be in my fourth book, not published yet! There might be a version of it in an earlier one but I am not so on top of everything I've written that I can cite the chapter number...
You describe a really pertinent problem and you voice it very well. I think the simplest approach is to simpy lighten up the actual amount of pressure coming down through your finger into the key when you slide forward. Just do it more lightly... Although this sounds simplistic, it just might work.
AFF
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