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Intro to Piano Kinematics
Alan Fraser

Intro to Piano Kinematics

13

New to the site? Why not start here and get acquainted with what we are all about here

Big Sound
Alan Fraser

Big Sound

10

Big sound - how to archive it? Lessons, lectures and tutorials on big sound

Basics of piano somatics
Alan Fraser

Basics of piano somatics

16

From a lecture given in Berlin, January 2023

Activate the fingers to make the piano sing
Alan Fraser

Activate the fingers to make the piano sing

7

A lesson where we take a very simple Czerny etude and show you how to activate the fingers which are straining instead of zinging.

Recently updates series

Engage the whole body to cure stage fright

A lecture/atm on stage fright. Alan incorporates Feldenkrais principles and gives demonstrations

Dystonia Exercises - Scale Patterns

Alan works with an advanced student who has had dystonia for a few years now.

Use the whole self to grow the hand arch

An APTM that was given in Oxford, OH 2024 workshop

Chopin - Nocturne Op. 48 No. 1

We are looking into Chopin's nocturne Op. 48 No. 1 and how better physical organisation and function can help us archive better musical expression

New to PianoTechnique.org?

Scales with Injury

Alan helps out a student with an injury. A unique insight on how to practice and treat an injured hand.

Performance Injury - Road to Recovery

Alan's video diary as he goes though recovery process (herniated discs in neck)

Intro to Piano Kinematics

New to the site? Why not start here and get acquainted with what we are all about here

How to do Cortot exercises

Alan goes through a set of Alfred Cortot's exercises from the Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique

All series

Engage the whole body to cure stage fright

A lecture/atm on stage fright. Alan incorporates Feldenkrais principles and gives demonstrations

Dystonia Exercises - Scale Patterns

Alan works with an advanced student who has had dystonia for a few years now.

Use the whole self to grow the hand arch

An APTM that was given in Oxford, OH 2024 workshop

Chopin - Nocturne Op. 48 No. 1

We are looking into Chopin's nocturne Op. 48 No. 1 and how better physical organisation and function can help us archive better musical expression

Alan's bits

Small, bites sized videos from Alan on various topics, generally piano and piano technique related

Activate the fingers to make the piano sing

A lesson where we take a very simple Czerny etude and show you how to activate the fingers which are straining instead of zinging.

Practical applications of piano somatics

Derived from the lecture Alan gave in Hanns Eisler music school 2023 in Germany

Translucent sound for improved expression

How does physical approach translate to the sound we're getting?

Basics of piano somatics

From a lecture given in Berlin, January 2023

The Basics - Lying Standing Walking Running

Some of the key concepts explained to a beginner student

The hand arch and the body

Taken from the lecture of the same title Alan gave in Rovereto, Italy

Awakening an inert hand

A jazz player who has worked with Barbara Lister Sink has a first encounter with Alan and his teaching

Alan's insights

Alan's thought on various subjects, piano and music related of course

"Horizontalizing" the piece

Alan is working with a student on Prokofiev Vision Fugitives, Op. 22 and they are attempting to "horizontalize" the piece, that is, change the approach from vertical to horizontal

Quick improvement in intermediate repertoire

An impressive improvement after only one lesson on the Debussy Arabesque

Awareness through piano movement

A concept Alan developed which is based on awareness through movement lessons but this one is targeted for piano players.

A dozen a day

Alan going through these exercise with a piano teacher and talks about them in his style.

Kemal Gekic in Montreal (1988)

This is how Alan met Kemal. Kemal was bumped put of the final round of this competition and Alan organized a people's choice recital which was a truly life changing event for Alan. He ended up moving to Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and studying and collaborating with Kemal. A friendship which has spanned for over three decades. Also an iconic tv interview with young Alan where he explains his reasons behind his move.

Hanon exercises

Alan talks about Hanon

Move the arm laterally to improve finger agility

We are discussing finger agility and phrase eloquence. Jeff's intelligent questions and quick responses are a large component in the success of this series.

Legato

Kinderszenen - Robert Schumann Op.15

A set of lessons on Schumann's Kinderszenen

The thumb is the basis of standing

Your thumb is the main pillar in supporting your hand. Taught on Scarlatti toccata d minor

Pulse Patterning

This is a 5 minute intro to Pulse Patterning DVD by Charles Aschbrenner. Full DVD can be purchased on <a href="https://app.pianotechnique.org/pulse-patterning" class="has-text-warning underline">our site</a>

Pianimals

Long awaited pianimals video series is finally here. Follow along as Alan goes over every concept in a very short and approachable manner

How to do Cortot exercises

Alan goes through a set of Alfred Cortot's exercises from the Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique

Chopin ballades

All 4 of them in one series.

Chopin - Nocturne in E minor, op. 72 no. 1

Playing with the broken arm

Trills and Embelishments

Jazz Piano & Physical Movement

Alan working with jazz pianists.

The Physics of Orchestration

In Alan's own words: "Probably the best lecture I have ever given".

Prokofiev - Sonata No 3 in a Minor

Kemal Gekic teaching Profokiev's sonata in a minor no 3 in Banja Luka, 2019

Big Sound

Big sound - how to archive it? Lessons, lectures and tutorials on big sound

Biotensegrity: A New View Of Anatomy And Its Implications For Piano Technique

A talk Alan gave during MTNA conference in Spokane, WA. How did Alan come to connect the ideas of tensegrity and piano technique and what it all means to us.

Quick Technique Tips for the Chopin Etudes

Alan's massive teaching experience boiled down to 3-5 minute segments on each and every Chopin's etude.

Chopin Etudes Op. 25

Chopin's Opus 10 etudes. A video on each. We are discussing technique, musicianship and best practices

Chopin - The Second Ballade with Kemal

A real lesson on Chopin's second ballade Op.38. Also a re-publish from 5 years ago but with enhanced audio. The lesson is in English.

Alan teaches Scriabin Op.9

A collection of tutorials and lessons on Scriabin's Op.9

Intro to Piano Kinematics

New to the site? Why not start here and get acquainted with what we are all about here

Weight Unsuited to Moving a Lever

A lecture on weight in general in piano playing.

Unstable Equilibrium

Let's explore this concept a bit further

Chopin Etudes Op. 10

Chopin's Opus 10 etudes. A video on each. We are discussing technique, musicianship and best practices

Arm Weight Technique - Myth and Reality

MCMTA talk Alan gave in April 2018

Bach's Inventions

We will be taking a look into each and every one of Bach's two part inventions and 3 part inventions (sinfonias)

Performance Injury - Road to Recovery

Alan's video diary as he goes though recovery process (herniated discs in neck)

Micrortiming And A New Expressive Aesthetic

The art of microtiming and we are not talking about rubato.

Let's Learn The Well Tempered Clavier

Let's learn JS Bach's WTC together. We'll talk about the form, score, fingering, technique issues and performance on each and every one of the pieces in Bach's Well Tempered Clavier!

PianoTechnique.org News

Occasional updates from Jovan, creator & developer of PianoTechnique.org.

Physical Organization for Piano Teachers

What about piano teachers? The way they sit and move around the piano and students

The Three Pianistic Cardinal Directions of Movement

Flexion-Extension - Side bending - Rotation

Piano Technique and Jazz Pianists

We are exploring how Alan's ideas have an impact on jazz players.

Rhythm is Everything

Alan is talking about the importance of rhythm and rhythmic pulse.

The Thumb Integrated Into the Hand

Larger and Warmer Sound

How do we get a big and warm sound? By taking out all the "down".

The Antigravity Function and Biotensegrity

Alan talks about the real foundation for healthy piano technique.

Alan Fraser & Other Musicians

We are featuring other instruments in this series and discovering what we can learn from them

Kemal Gekic Recital - Koningsfeld 2015

Germany 2015, same program as in previous series but slightly bigger.

All About Scales and Arpeggios

Building blocks of good piano technique. Bits or the whole dedicated lessons only to scales.

The Art of Frederic

We are exploring his genius and unraveling mysteries of his compositions.

Alan's update

Occasional video updates from Alan about his latest work, institutes, discoveries

Kiddie Craft Demo Series

Based on Alan's Kiddie Craft (link in the footer), this series illustrates major concepts of Alan's approach but adapted for young pianists or any beginners really. It is an open framework for students and teachers and we welcome all the feedback.

How to Teach Arm Weight Technique?

Alan approaches this tricky subject using the right terminology and examples

Technique & Musicianship

The first movement of The Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 - R. Schumann. In this series we really discover the nature of the work and delve into it in detail. All technical concerns are clearly mapped on to the specific musical content of the piece, and we arrive at a whole new understanding of this somewhat enigmatic work.

Q&A with Alan Fraser [Season 2]

Season 2, more questions and answers as well as latest news from Alan.

Pianists and Focal Dystonia

Focal dystonia is a real problem for many pianists. Fortunately, Alan has been able to help numerous people providing valuable advice.

The Good Arm Weight Technique

A new explanation of arm weight technique based on Alan's recent work with Kemal

Practical Technique Tips

Series dedicated to small tips useful when learning a new piece or we get stuck somewhere in the score.

Mephisto Waltz No. 1 with Kemal Gekic

Kemal Gekic teaching Mephisto Waltz No. 1

World Of Debussy Articulations

We are discovering the magical world of Debussy via Prelude La Terrasse des Audiences du Clair de Lune.

How do we use rotation?

Based on a question submitted by our user markeog, Alan provided an elaborate answer that perfectly suits this series.

Awareness Through Movement for Pianists

ATMs specifically adapted for musicians.

Elements of Effective Piano Technique

Lecture/Series on Technique in general. We will be talking about arm weight, rotation, arches of the hand..all the things combined and condensed for your better understanding of piano technique.

The Famous Pianists

We are covering lives of famous pianists throughout history as well as art movements and how they affected music, piano and technique.

Wilde Jagd With Kemal Gekic

Kemal Gekic teaching Liszt's Transcendental Etude No. 8. Recorded at the Academy of Arts, Novi Sad, 2011.

Young Pianists

Alan has worked with many young pianists over the years. We will be publishing some of the most interesting lessons here.

Scales with Injury

Alan helps out a student with an injury. A unique insight on how to practice and treat an injured hand.

Different Arm Use in Forte and Piano

Alan is talking about use of muscles in forte as well as piano.

How to Use PianoTechnique.org

In this series, Jovan, the creator of PianoTechnique.org is showing how to use the service.

The Thumb - Organic Approach

Lecture given during the AFF Smith 2016 Institute

The Organic Hand

From a lecture given during AFI - Leusden 2016

All About The Thumb

Everything you need to know about the thumb

Phil Cohen and Alan Fraser

Alan's sessions with his mentor Phil Cohen

Why Do We Have Technical Problems?

A mini workshop in Steinway Piano Gallery, Miami, FL - February 2016

Arm Weight - Way to Go or Not?

Alan's take on arm weight technique, pros and cons.

Q&A with Alan Fraser [Season 1]

Questions you submitted get answered by Alan Fraser himself on video.

The Craft of Piano Playing DVD

Two sections from Alan Fraser's The Craft of Piano Playing Method DVD.

Archived series

Alan Fraser's Lessons - April 2014

Alan gave several lessons in London in April 2014. This series brings most of the lessons to you. You will find a lot of new ideas explained clearly and very concisely.

Alan Fraser's Institute - Concord 2014

Lectures and lessons Alan gave in Jun 2014

Alan Fraser's Institute - Smith College 2014

Alan Fraser's Institute in Smith College, MA - July 2014

Alan Fraser's Institute - Ottawa July 2014

Alan Fraser's Institute - Ottawa July 2014

AFF Institute - Salt Lake City, UT 07/2014

AFF Institute - Salt Lake City, UT July 2014

AFF Institute - Eitorf, Germany 2014

Eitorf, Germany, November 2014

AFF Institute - London, UK 2015

London, UK - January 2015

AFF Institute - Hamm, Germany 2015

2 day workshop in Hamm, Germany, January 2015

AFF Institute - Ottawa, January 2015

January 2015

AFF Institute - Overveen, May 2015

Overveen, NL - May 1-3 2015

AFF Institute - Hope, MI 2015

Selected lectures and lessons from this year's Hope, MI Institute

AFF Institute - Victoria, BC 2015

July 6-10 2015

AFF Institute - Smith College 2015

Selected lessons from 2015 Smith Institute

AFF Institute - Vussem 2015

September 2015

AFF Institute - Ottawa 2015

Ottawa 2015

Kemal Gekic Recital - Hirschberg 2015

PianoTechnique.org exclusive

AFF Institute - SLC 2015

Salt Lake City 2015

AFF Institute - Paris/April 2016

Paris/April 2016

Kemal Gekic Recital - Tauberbischofsheim 2015

Tauberbischofsheim, Germany 2015

Hand Structure in Scales

Stand up while playing scales. A series on scales and hand structure

AFF Institute - Smith College - 2016

June 2016

PianoTechnique.org Videos in French

Videos for our French viewers

Kemal Gekic Recital - Nomus 2014

Nomus music festival, Novi Sad, Serbia 2014

Sample Piano Technique Lessons

Sample Lessons

Sample Piano Technique Lectures

Sample Lectures from Alan Fraser

Kemal Gekic Recital - Kragujevac, Serbia 2017

Kemal Gekic Recital - Kragujevac, Serbia 2017

Liszt Paganini Etude No 2

in e flat major with Kemal Gekic

Beethoven sonatas

A video or a few on each of Beethoven's sonatas.