Technique and methods
44 posts
Started 18 Jan 2017
A
A pianist
If you lay your forearm on the table top and pull with your lumbricals, the action of the fingers is an entity unto itself. If your fingertips are stuck to the surface, the lumbrical pulling action will pull the heel of your hand (and your forearm as well) towards them. If you could lay your forearm on a supporting surface near the keyboard so your fingers could manipulate the keys while the forearm was thus supported, it would be clear that the finger's action is solely to manipulate the key, not to act against some counterforce from above.
It always has to be both though, for the finger to produce a large force. This is what I mean by the counterforce- the force that pulls backwards enough that the forearm cannot be drawn forwards by each and every finger action. In theory, if the arm had no mass at all and no force pulling backwards at the wrist, it would just float forwards and leave the finger able to apply very low forces. However, in theory, a severed hand tied to a piece of string that was being pulled away from the keyboard could pull out a big tone, thanks to the stabilisation.
A
A pianist
I hate to harp on an old theme here, but your is falling off because your fingers aren't working enough. Go back and find out where you could move them more.
Yeah, it's surprised me just how the hand can get involved in these. Quite honestly, my arm doesn't feel like it's doing anything at all beyond balancing. It's strange to look at how the whole forearm faintly pulsates up and down while repeating the octave, but I barely feel anything other than the plucking from the hand. Almost everything else seem to just be allowing passive responses to that.
I think the exercise of touching the fingers very faintly against the lap and squeezing sharply is very good for this. It can be done just from the thumb and the fifth. I've found that most of my students really tend to struggle to get much bounce from this at first, so I think it can take a while to build up. You just have to train yourself not to allow any active actions beyond the squeeze and to allow the reaction to affect your arm completely passively. I think conscious intent to move the key down can be the biggest enemy- as the whole arm wants to pile on top rather than allow this free response.
A
Alanfraserpiano
OK I was completely unclear as to what you meant by the counterforce... this is much more understandable. Cool!
AFF
A
A pianist
Thank's for the advice I now realize that that is exactly what has been going- on lazy fingers.
As for "tantric" I'm a bit hobby-buddhist I like the KBT-part and as I understand tantric means secret or hidden teachings kind of stuff gurus taught to dedicated practioneers. Those teachings goes parallell with traditional texts but sometimes contradict them as well. I've never ever had a teacher saying anything intelligent about the thumb until I came across your DVD from there I found out that Sandor had some good advice there are probably more to find I'm sure but it is fragmented and hard to come across.So in a way tantric!
Cziffra never said a word about the thumb but when it comes to thumb he is a good "practioneer". As I've been focusing on the thumb lately I've started to think that that is maybe one of the few things in the hand you really can develop by fysical exercises. If you watch eg cziffra playing at age thirteen you see that he clearly(or am I wrong here?) has not developped the thumbthing yet which indicates that it's not a natural genetic thing for him it's acquired.He is a a very good example because his hands and forearms was really messed up big time and the way back must have been a conscious and long trial and error procedure.
Well the title could bee All thumbs: the tantric teachings in piano technique
or maybe All thumbs: what they wont tell you at Julliard piano departement.
Just do it:-)
A
Alanfraserpiano
OK, I get it... I was thinking of Tantric Yoga and was trying to figure out where witholding ejaculation comes in with regard to the thumb... was a real puzzle!
Hmmm... actually an interesting concept, maybe we could develop something here...
Interesting that Cziffra actually those amazing thumbs and wasn't born with them...
I am closer to a title for the book:
The German will be: Because the thumb is like a second hand...
What would the French equivalent be???
AFF
A
A pianist
En voilà un malentendu plutôt marrant je vois que qu'il est quasiment impossible de trouver une définition unanime du mot "tantrique".
Pour les traductions j'hésite les traductions littéraux se font difficilement en français:
Pouces: vers une téchnique du piano bien coordonée
Les deux mains gauches: téchnique du piano bien coordonée
En français "gauche" a plusieurs sens comme "maladroit" et autres...
On pourrais éventuellement substituer le mot "coordoné" par " temperé" en faisant allusion au Clavier temperé.
Quant à Cziffra c'était pour mieux dire des spéculations vous pouvez regarder le clip quand il a 13 ans sur youtube.
Bien à vous!
A
A pianist
Coordonné avec 2 n bien évidemment...
A
Alanfraserpiano
Je ne cherche pas un traduction literal mais enfin un qui va avoir l'esprit du titre en anglais. Nous disons "all thumbs" pour ce qui est vraiment maladroit.
peu-t-etre, "Les Pouces Gauches: Vers Une Technique du Piano Bien-Temperee!"
AFF
A
A pianist
Peut-etre "Coup de pouce: vers...."
C'a un autre sens (arranger aider) mais c'est une expression assez courante, pouces gauches c'est plutot une sorte de tautologie. Enfin je crois.
A
Alanfraserpiano
Bravo! C'est ca! Nous avons le titre, seulement maintenant d'ecrire le livre!
Merci Eric!
AFF
Create an account to reply
It's free and takes a moment. Already have one? Log in.
