Legato

I was just reviewing all the subjects under discussion here and noticed that there is no mention of legato! But that is the starting point! All the discussion about hand muscles, finger shape, articulation etc. should take place in the context of being able to really join two keys together thus blending their sounds and creating the illusion of legato that is so crucial to making the piano sing. At the risk of boring you by repeating myself, I am still finding in my work with pianists worldwide that this is the missing link. We think we do it but we DON'T. And our ears now accept a non-legato sound as legato - our whole aesthetic now accepts the slightly plodding, regular melodic line that remains earthbound because of the imperceptible breaks between notes, the slight jar that robs the line of all sinuousness and capacity to soar. Last weekend I was working with a group of very advanced pianists in Montreal, and I risked offending them by showing them that their beautiful, bold, singing cantabile could actually use improvement. Luckily for everyone, egos took a rest and we all advanced in our appreciation of what the piano can do, and the technique needed to make it do it. Try the overholding exercises you find in the demo, and try to hone your ears to hear the difference when your melody is really freed from its physical straitjacket. And get back to me, I want to hear what happened! From beautiful Prince Edward Island, I remain yours faithfully, Alan Fraser