I am very sceptical about pivoting technique. If you do it without watching what is going on with your wrist in a process, you get twisted wrist- one of the most frequent reasons for the injury. If you observe the movement, trying to avoid the twisting, you end up with too frequent movements of the elbow out and back, which make the use of pivot in fast music ( especially when direction of the passage changes a lot, as in LH of Fantasy- Impromptu) very constricting and uncomfortable. I use pivot only when randomly, having descending passage in RH it is necessary to have , for example, 5 th finger after the 4th. In this case,I move the elbow closer to the torso ( still keeping it distant from the the body, while ulna ( the outside bone of the forearm ) is moving a bit down), and then immediately restore regular placement of the forearm/ hand- parallel to the keys, or slightly out elbow/ hand/ fingers position, if the crossover is following. As to getting over the distances in legato, there is excellent rotational/ shifting strategies, developed by Tobias Matthay and Dorothy Taubman.
I played chopin etude op 25 no 1 for one week. I hace a pretty regular hand size, but i dont reach some 10ths of the etude. I practiced with the fixed hand position for a week after watching a video from another channel and ended up with lots of pain on My third finger. Now i have been playing for another week since i saw some of your videos and i don't have any pain at all. Actually i feel it much more natural. SO thank You very much!!!
Hi Craig, Again a great video. 🙏 Is it posible to make one regarding moving your hands over the keyboard, as in walking with your fingers and thumb over the keys? Kind regards, Jos Tobben
Great video🙂, as always, thanks for sharing! I first encounteref pivoting with Chopin C#m Nocturne. It changed my perspective on playing. I found that somehow it also improved my orientation skills..
wait a minute....are you related to the Action Lab guy? because not only your channel is named similarily, you actually look and sound like him as well xD
Dear our online piano teacher, I would like to appreciate your effort in preparing this material as the rationale for us to understand about fingering technique. Stay healthy and happy for you and your family! 🌻
I am gravitating to more of your video teaching sessions than other online teachers at this point. Your manner is easy going and short lessons clear as to why you are recommending such and such. I am in the minority of academy-classically trained guys who has now migrated to mostly arranged jazz, some blues and pop styling. This lesson was pretty replete with-that the specific techniques are context dependent. Example, you're showing broken chords pretty much slow. My scores have scads of 4-5-6 note chords meant to be played at once. Sometimes that means stretching the hand/fingers to some 10ths, my hand size limit, some majors I have to roll, with some notes in between; other times it is a congested tone cluster with all fingers playing adjacent semi-tones together with another small interval. I have to learn to play on the front edge of keys, not avoid it. I'm sorry but breaking up the chord unless absolutely necessary for hand size gives a completely different effect, often, I think, not intended by the composer/arranger. If it is intended to be broken, it is written that way. Then the pivot move really comes into play. I keep making the same points to an excellent teacher like you and anyone who will listen: it is impossible to keep the forearm directly parallel behind the hand and square with the keyboard in but a small percentage of music, at least the scores that I learn/play. A little more on this business-your overhead demonstrates exactly my point. Your wrist is "twisted," albeit only briefly and in continuous movement, more relaxed, than the rigid muscling of the arm and hands which, to your point and credit, is mostly counterproductive or harmful. You label a pivot but it is a twist of sorts. Your forearm is seldom square behind the hand and keyboard. Your caveats are like "as much as possible" and "context dependent," but most of the scores I see require context dependency from beat to beat, riff to riff. The bigger points I glean are: play with as "much relaxation as possible," avoiding prolonged rigidity, in other words play what's required in the moment but don't stay rigid and frozen in any musculature. Strong and clear, even softer though soft playing seems more advanced, but not rigid and stressed, some muscle is necessary. All is not dreamy gliding. Dissonance is beautiful when handled well. Watch George Shearing, Errol Garner, Oscar Peterson, Ellington, not that I'm in their league by from here to Pluto, but they are supple, flexible, confident but lots of big chords and FAST, INTRICATE runs, which I find most challenging, which is why I'm learning from you and others about faster and smoother playing. Art Tatum "broke all the rules" of classical pedagogy but was one of the fastest players we know about. Tatum, stride piano competitor, looks like he's working but the other guys above are smooth as glass and still get in their dramatic licks. I developed a vocal technique which can be applied to any style of music. Trying to the same with piano. That mentioned, I REALLY LIKE YOUR GENERAL APPROACH and SPECIFIC TEACHINGS, to help me advance my techniques, adapt them to my music, which means for me, more stamina, wider range of expression, more tools for best navigation of the keyboard, whatever one is trying to convey. In short, "more fun." I try to watch what you do and then develop practice methods to try it out. It doesn't disappoint. So far, very encouraged. I keep coming back to the honey pot, to ensure that I'm on track. I'm passionate about my technique development for what I have chosen to focus on. Loved the classical modalities when I was there, grew up on them, went to the academy, sang classical repertoire, but if I were to play Chopin or Beethoven now, the crowd that I play for would fall asleep or start playing on their cell phones, at home or down at Sleazy Bar and Grill. I got the message when I was 13 but didn't have the confidence to pursue it till the I was in my 60's: "Roll Over Beethoven and Tell Tchaikovsky the News!" The Ghost of Chuck Berry. What news? If you went over the hurdles with me. Thanks for your consideration. Kudos from Oregon. Dave M
Reviewing all videos now 5 months on. Good stuff. This pivoting is not "wrist twisting;" this is fluid and constant motion, hands, fingers can't stiffen up held with tension. We can land in finger spread position and move or relax to prevent "excess" tension. Anchor is another good descriptor, common finger around the pivot. Also anchor is valuable in sequential short, could be block chords, triad or so, in one hand, where finger change is easier than shifting to new position, which breaks the line somewhat, may interfere with phrasing, kind of ergonomic/economy of movement fingering. Slightly confusing for some? Referring to large "shifts" as leaps, which I have called "lateral forearm movement." Context dependent whether to pivot around common finger in broken chords/ tunes or "shift" to new position. Even in small movements the elbow lines up with 3 ish by lateral forearm movement, all the way up and down the keyboard extremes.
Great vídeo!
Thanks!
I am very sceptical about pivoting technique. If you do it without watching what is going on with your wrist in a process, you get twisted wrist- one of the most frequent reasons for the injury. If you observe the movement, trying to avoid the twisting, you end up with too frequent movements of the elbow out and back, which make the use of pivot in fast music ( especially when direction of the passage changes a lot, as in LH of Fantasy- Impromptu) very constricting and uncomfortable.
I use pivot only when randomly, having descending passage in RH it is necessary to have , for example, 5 th finger after the 4th. In this case,I move the elbow closer to the torso ( still keeping it distant from the the body, while ulna ( the outside bone of the forearm ) is moving a bit down), and then immediately restore regular placement of the forearm/ hand- parallel to the keys, or slightly out elbow/ hand/ fingers position, if the crossover is following.
As to getting over the distances in legato, there is excellent rotational/ shifting strategies, developed by Tobias Matthay and Dorothy Taubman.
why you don't talk about the Russian technique of approaching music ? most of Russian pianists have a unique way of playing piano. thanks for viedo
Just read Heinrich Neuhaus “The Art of Piano Playing” He was Richter and Gilels teacher.
I played chopin etude op 25 no 1 for one week. I hace a pretty regular hand size, but i dont reach some 10ths of the etude.
I practiced with the fixed hand position for a week after watching a video from another channel and ended up with lots of pain on My third finger.
Now i have been playing for another week since i saw some of your videos and i don't have any pain at all. Actually i feel it much more natural.
SO thank You very much!!!
Hi Craig, Again a great video. 🙏 Is it posible to make one regarding moving your hands over the keyboard, as in walking with your fingers and thumb over the keys?
Kind regards, Jos Tobben
Great vídeo!
Great video🙂, as always, thanks for sharing! I first encounteref pivoting with Chopin C#m Nocturne. It changed my perspective on playing. I found that somehow it also improved my orientation skills..
Thanks for sharing! Yes, It is simple yet very helpful!
wait a minute....are you related to the Action Lab guy? because not only your channel is named similarily, you actually look and sound like him as well xD
No relation, the name and likeness is purely coincidental!
Dear our online piano teacher, I would like to appreciate your effort in preparing this material as the rationale for us to understand about fingering technique. Stay healthy and happy for you and your family! 🌻
You are very welcome!
Fingering will become evident as the natural result of good technique. Hi on the other side of the world. Reviewing all tutorials, again.
I am gravitating to more of your video teaching sessions than other online teachers at this point. Your manner is easy going and short lessons clear as to why you are recommending such and such. I am in the minority of academy-classically trained guys who has now migrated to mostly arranged jazz, some blues and pop styling. This lesson was pretty replete with-that the specific techniques are context dependent. Example, you're showing broken chords pretty much slow. My scores have scads of 4-5-6 note chords meant to be played at once. Sometimes that means stretching the hand/fingers to some 10ths, my hand size limit, some majors I have to roll, with some notes in between; other times it is a congested tone cluster with all fingers playing adjacent semi-tones together with another small interval. I have to learn to play on the front edge of keys, not avoid it.
I'm sorry but breaking up the chord unless absolutely necessary for hand size gives a completely different effect, often, I think, not intended by the composer/arranger. If it is intended to be broken, it is written that way. Then the pivot move really comes into play.
I keep making the same points to an excellent teacher like you and anyone who will listen: it is impossible to keep the forearm directly parallel behind the hand and square with the keyboard in but a small percentage of music, at least the scores that I learn/play. A little more on this business-your overhead demonstrates exactly my point. Your wrist is "twisted," albeit only briefly and in continuous movement, more relaxed, than the rigid muscling of the arm and hands which, to your point and credit, is mostly counterproductive or harmful. You label a pivot but it is a twist of sorts. Your forearm is seldom square behind the hand and keyboard.
Your caveats are like "as much as possible" and "context dependent," but most of the scores I see require context dependency from beat to beat, riff to riff. The bigger points I glean are: play with as "much relaxation as possible," avoiding prolonged rigidity, in other words play what's required in the moment but don't stay rigid and frozen in any musculature. Strong and clear, even softer though soft playing seems more advanced, but not rigid and stressed, some muscle is necessary. All is not dreamy gliding. Dissonance is beautiful when handled well. Watch George Shearing, Errol Garner, Oscar Peterson, Ellington, not that I'm in their league by from here to Pluto, but they are supple, flexible, confident but lots of big chords and FAST, INTRICATE runs, which I find most challenging, which is why I'm learning from you and others about faster and smoother playing. Art Tatum "broke all the rules" of classical pedagogy but was one of the fastest players we know about. Tatum, stride piano competitor, looks like he's working but the other guys above are smooth as glass and still get in their dramatic licks.
I developed a vocal technique which can be applied to any style of music. Trying to the same with piano.
That mentioned, I REALLY LIKE YOUR GENERAL APPROACH and SPECIFIC TEACHINGS, to help me advance my techniques, adapt them to my music, which means for me, more stamina, wider range of expression, more tools for best navigation of the keyboard, whatever one is trying to convey. In short, "more fun." I try to watch what you do and then develop practice methods to try it out. It doesn't disappoint. So far, very encouraged. I keep coming back to the honey pot, to ensure that I'm on track.
I'm passionate about my technique development for what I have chosen to focus on. Loved the classical modalities when I was there, grew up on them, went to the academy, sang classical repertoire, but if I were to play Chopin or Beethoven now, the crowd that I play for would fall asleep or start playing on their cell phones, at home or down at Sleazy Bar and Grill. I got the message when I was 13 but didn't have the confidence to pursue it till the I was in my 60's: "Roll Over Beethoven and Tell Tchaikovsky the News!" The Ghost of Chuck Berry.
What news?
If you went over the hurdles with me. Thanks for your consideration. Kudos from Oregon.
Dave M
Reviewing all videos now 5 months on. Good stuff.
This pivoting is not "wrist twisting;" this is fluid and constant motion, hands, fingers can't stiffen up held with tension. We can land in finger spread position and move or relax to prevent "excess" tension.
Anchor is another good descriptor, common finger around the pivot. Also anchor is valuable in sequential short, could be block chords, triad or so, in one hand, where finger change is easier than shifting to new position, which breaks the line somewhat, may interfere with phrasing, kind of ergonomic/economy of movement fingering.
Slightly confusing for some? Referring to large "shifts" as leaps, which I have called "lateral forearm movement." Context dependent whether to pivot around common finger in broken chords/ tunes or "shift" to new position. Even in small movements the elbow lines up with 3 ish by lateral forearm movement, all the way up and down the keyboard extremes.
Awesome! Thanks! Stretchy😆 I thought that was a funny word.
You're welcome!
Hit like if Ross pops up in your mind whenever someone says Pivot.