Technique and methods

Hi, I'm an amateur pianist from the United States. I've owned The Craft of Piano Playing for about six months, and the concepts in the book have been very helpful in my technical development. I'm especially satisfied wit...

Hi, i found a dvd where Prof.Alan is giving a lessons to students in Germany. Would you like me to put it on server so you can download it? Lessons are great,i mean you will see. But first,i have to ask Prof. if that'...

I recently received this email and thought it would be a good thing to answer these points here on our forum. Read on... "Dear Mr. Fraser: I downloaded your video preview. A few thoughts: 1) Monkeys do have oppos...

British Pianist Rayond Banning and myself have been engaged in a stimulating debate on the Arm Weight School vs. my Hand Structure & Function school of thought. It is all too long to put on the forum here, but I have cre...

Yesterday in our lesson I wasn’t happy with the left hand of Jovan’s Winter Wind etude (Chopin Op. 25 #11) – it lacked a real desperation of expression. His left hand was good and bold, singing well, but it wanted that i...

Famous pianists I have met… Arthur Rubinstein was my first real hero. I heard him play Tchaikowsky Concerto in the Montreal Forum (ice hockey’s cathedral, home of the legendary Canadiens) of all places. I was just a k...

By the way...I have been playing piano for a while now and I wonder which is the autentic normal action? Does one regard direct attack as "standard"? I action the key down but just a bit towards me...is this ok? Your...

I've been browsing through a long exchange between cziffra and arhidesign about this and that, and amongst other things, arm weight. I have always enjoyed cziffra's real dedication and highly perceptive understanding of...

Again we have to be clear in our use of terms. Getting the key to the bed is one of the most important abilities a pianist possesses. "Keybedding" in itself is not bad, it's all in how you do it. Moving the finger to cre...

I would like to know your thoughts about the following: what is missing for you in the book and the DVD? What needs to be addressed more fully, or in a different way? What hasn't been addressed at all that needs to be? I...

How many of you are aware that the thumb is virtually a hand in itself? It totally opposes to the rest of the hand, and its musculature is almost as big as all of the other fingers' put together? Have you felt how, when...

I recently reread a chapter on leaping (Alan's honing book I think), which talked about swatting the keyboard effortlessly instead of tensing up. this works so well! I took it one step further and imagined little black d...

Hello, Do you have any suggestions to help cure tendons pain of the hand? (specifically the thumb)? would cold or hot water help?

Hello, I have a major problem when it come to play staccato presttisimo-I understand that you should do that with the fingers but should there be an slight stabilization in the wrist?I feel the hand muscles contract wh...

WHEN plaing fingers 2 3 4 in a row,is it necessary to move the wrist a bit sideways so that it will be beind each finger? -if Im playing a scale and I wan to play it louder and louder, i tend to push my arm to the keys...

I've noticed that I'm never able to pull off a 5 4 3 2 1 note sequence such as g f# e d c# with consistency at moderate to hi speed. so, what are some exercises to help with this? I've tried over holding, ultra articu...

HELLO, I have read in claudio Arrau book (if I understood correcly) that in order to play forte you should release more of the holding of the arm by the shoulder and in order to play piano there is more of a hold...is t...

Hello, your perceptions are actually right on. I have watched MANY Serbian accordionists over the years and am blown away by their virtuosity. And yes, what they do seems to go against much of what I teach. However, it...

Cziffra refers to a phenomenon I talk about on the DVD where if you curl the fingers using only the deep flexors (which curl the nail joint alone), the arch of the hand actually collapses, getting pulled down by the acti...

The triceps plays a key role in stabilizing (stiffening!) the hand and fingers on the keyboard. Your insight is very perceptive and yes, you could probably help your left hand out a good deal by doing a few dips every da...

Very important question. My answer is, "it depends." At a certain point, if you can't master holding two notes down at a fast tempo, it means there is still some imperceptible collapse still going on somewhere in your sy...

That's a tough one to explain on the forum... Printed language does have limits! Sorry! AFF

Dear Meg, or piaknow, Thanks for a clarifying and elucidating response much more detailed and to the point than mine... I couldn't agree more! All best, AFF

HELLO alan You have responded me to the question abou the weight.that it is all in the activity and not weight issues.can you (as much as possible with writing limits) to explain that to me....if Im playing a group of no...

Very clever question! No, for a you should also have more activity but of a different quality! AFF