10 years ago by
A Pianist
In a recent lesson with Alan we were working with playing détaché, in the context of arpeggio technique. Since then I've been playing around with different types of non-legato in places where I'd normally play legato. Aside from the expanded potential for sound that I have available (and in some cases quite unusual sound; I'll get to that later) I'm finding that I'm playing much more freely in places where I'd usually jam up. I'm starting to see the real technical/musical benefit of the Bach Inventions - before I perceived them as riddles for my brain and that was about it. I'm also discovering how I can be connected from fingertip to pelvis even in non-legato.
With regards to sound, the thing that has amazed me is that I'm playing very much how I was previously taught legato - i.e. the release the first note as the second goes down, yet the quality of the sound is so different from the way I used to do it (perhaps it's my improved connection, maybe also that I'm viewing it more as the ending and beginning of sounds rather than lifting and dropping of fingers).
With regards to unusual sounds, I'm sure everyone else has noticed the wonderful clicking (for lack of a better word) sound around the mid range of Glenn Gould piano (particularly prominent in this recording: ). Apparently that happens because his piano was dropped whilst being moved. However, I find that by playing détaché on the escapements I can imitate that sound pretty well. It will still be a little while before I can do it consistently, but I'm looking forward to having that tone at my command. I'm also looking forward to really exploring the sound world that exists between the extremes of staccatissimo and overheld legato - I now realise how rich it is. Previously I played almost everything legato, which I now see was a way of maintaining a false sense of control.
