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Awakening an inert hand

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

Piano technique teaacher
Your teacher

Alan Fraser

Born in Montreal in 1955 Alan Fraser studied piano but also delved into composition, cello, classical singing and had several stints as a pop musician. Alan’s main pianistic influence was the pioneering research of Phil Cohen who studied alongside Ronald Turini, Andre Laplante and Janina Fialkowska with Yvonne Hubert, who had been Cortot‘s assistant in Paris. Alan spent several years with Cohen after an apprenticeship with two former Cohen students, Alan Belkin and Lauretta Milkman.

12 episodes 57:59 Intermediate Ongoing
1
When playing the piano, weight is a burden, mass is a tool! 06:06

The skeleton manages the weight completely

2
The weight in no longer part of the equation 02:37

The piano lever is always totally free because the skeleton carries the weight

3
You are relaxed, good, now do something 06:26

Enrich the sensation of the palm to your own advantage

4
If you stand up really well, your forearm is floating 05:24

Wrists don't have to be high

5
Get the stand up action happening before the arm relaxes 04:29

Relaxation is present but action needs to happen a bit sooner

6
The cure for tension is action 03:36

"If you use relaxation to cure tension you replace one problem with another"

7
A couple of exercises to get the hand in shape 05:21

Building up the arch..

8
Five metacarpals, five points of contact with the key 06:45

Feel the thumb metacarpal

9
So many pianists play from the bottom two joins 00:00

and neglect the metacarpals

10
The movement of thumb opposition is the key 04:57

The more you oppose the better all the fingers work. Get that power to your hand

11
Activate these things for 10x more power 02:09

A few simple tips from Alan

12
Real organic connection 10:09

This series closing episode is packed with useful info