These tutorials are gems of wisdom and technique where you demonstrate their value with examples from Chopin’s difficult etudes among others by Mendelssohn, etc. It provides the student with tangible qualities to work toward. Progress need not be a struggle if you know what to do.
Josh thanks so much for replying to my email and posting this great video! I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this. It’s great that you sampled so much Chopin in this video, I am trying to build a Chopin-heavy repertoire and will surely revisit this in the future. Thank you 🎉
The problems of ghost notes and uneven power may be caused or made worse by the condition of the piano. Have a technician regulate the action, particularly the letoff, and blow distance. Quite a few pianists are better players than they think because their instruments are not responsive.
What really works for me is playing a lot of staccato and mezzo, forte piano (each finger same dinamic) even when the score asks for sotto voce or whatever, basically playing lounder and heavy can improve softly gentle touch because after that you'll have more control over the keys 😊
I like the breathing into the fingers idea! It's more of an energetical sensation to get to the end result. Would love to hear more thoughts on the energetical and spiritual side of technique and connecting with the instrument.
I agree with what you say about avoiding bobbing movements. However, it's a rather indirect way of saying the fingers need to be the real source of moving the keys, no? I think a lot of people who have these excesses need it because they have so little finger articulation available in their technique. In those cases, it wouldn't be possible to simply strip away the bobbing unless there's a clear sense of how to replace it. I think it's much easier when having a clear breakdown that fingers move keys while the arm produces smooth lateral continuity. Almost all bumps in sound are the arm having to do a job that the finger is failing to do. Overly quiet sounds too are typically from piling too much arm in but then trying to subtract by letting the finger turn to jelly. All precision is from the fingers, with the arm in the lateral role.
This was very helpful (the reminder at the end that this sort of thing is difficult and takes a lot of work in particular!) If you ever felt like doing a similar quick run-down of techniques that would help for bringing out voices in a contrapuntal texture, that'd be so good to see (especially if you used an exposition from a Bach fugue to demonstrate). You don't already have a video like that, do you? :D
Can playing on the key escapement help with evenness and with maintaining the color for the accompaniment or those right hand arpeggios? I find that it helps me as long as I'm conscious of the escapement on each single finger/key. I feel that each finger has "space" or is "breathing" (as you said) and it helps me keep the balance between the melody and the accompaniment, allowing me to "listen" to the melody and "connect" it better in between notes. It also prevents me from tightening and keeps me very relaxed. Using the pedal appropriately is essential too.
Why has no one mentioned the regulation of the piano? New Steinways from the factory need regulation, and all pianos need it periodically as the felt in various places within the guts of the action compress and wear. Let-off (the point when the key lets go of the hammer, i.e. the end of the "bump" you feel), after touch, and the resting distance of the hammer from the string are independent adjustments, each one affecting the other. If these are not consistent key to key you will have to memorize which keys respond differently and adjust as you play - an impossible task. In addition, the hammer flanges (hinges) need to have a specific resistance (3-4 grams) that's also consistent key to key. Not to mention friction within the key itself, which has three possible points of friction. Finally, if escapement "drop" and let off are not simultaneous, the key will feel spongey (there will be two "bumps"), and again, possibly inconsistent key to key. Oh, and there's the voicing of the hammer itself, whether bright or mellow. Brightness should change depending on the volume you're playing, plus have a similar quality, though softer, when the shift pedal is engaged, and vary subtly as you go up in the treble, yet be consistent key to key. It goes on and on... That's what piano technicians do inside there.
Josh, you're terrific and modest -- and generous. Thank you!
These tutorials are gems of wisdom and technique where you demonstrate their value with examples from Chopin’s difficult etudes among others by Mendelssohn, etc. It provides the student with tangible qualities to work toward. Progress need not be a struggle if you know what to do.
Josh thanks so much for replying to my email and posting this great video! I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this. It’s great that you sampled so much Chopin in this video, I am trying to build a Chopin-heavy repertoire and will surely revisit this in the future. Thank you 🎉
Merci à vous! Très belle sonorité ! ❤️
The problems of ghost notes and uneven power may be caused or made worse by the condition of the piano. Have a technician regulate the action, particularly the letoff, and blow distance. Quite a few pianists are better players than they think because their instruments are not responsive.
So true, and it’s often when you play on an unfamiliar piano that these things happen
So true! I had a key that wasn’t working, and spent the $$$ to have the hammers of my piano filed. That fixed the problem.
piano and music is one of the few good things humanity has done
What really works for me is playing a lot of staccato and mezzo, forte piano (each finger same dinamic) even when the score asks for sotto voce or whatever, basically playing lounder and heavy can improve softly gentle touch because after that you'll have more control over the keys 😊
Appreciate your videos, Josh!
I like the breathing into the fingers idea! It's more of an energetical sensation to get to the end result. Would love to hear more thoughts on the energetical and spiritual side of technique and connecting with the instrument.
That is one nice suit!
Ich spiele leider kein Klavier 🎹, aber ich höre sehr gerne die wunderschöne Klavier Klänge , die sin wunderbar, vielen lieben Dank dafür 👍
Very much appreciate the question - I have the same problem. Thank you, Josh, for the answer, suggestions.
Thank you for sharing Josh, just what I was looking for. Also, enjoying your high level piano playing, very beautiful!
Thank you so much, Josh, very valuable.
Big thanks
I like this. It can only help my playing.
It's my problem uneven finger pressure on the piano keyboard. Thank you very much for your details advices on uneven sound .
Happy subscriber here, Josh!
I agree with what you say about avoiding bobbing movements. However, it's a rather indirect way of saying the fingers need to be the real source of moving the keys, no? I think a lot of people who have these excesses need it because they have so little finger articulation available in their technique. In those cases, it wouldn't be possible to simply strip away the bobbing unless there's a clear sense of how to replace it. I think it's much easier when having a clear breakdown that fingers move keys while the arm produces smooth lateral continuity. Almost all bumps in sound are the arm having to do a job that the finger is failing to do. Overly quiet sounds too are typically from piling too much arm in but then trying to subtract by letting the finger turn to jelly. All precision is from the fingers, with the arm in the lateral role.
This was very helpful (the reminder at the end that this sort of thing is difficult and takes a lot of work in particular!) If you ever felt like doing a similar quick run-down of techniques that would help for bringing out voices in a contrapuntal texture, that'd be so good to see (especially if you used an exposition from a Bach fugue to demonstrate). You don't already have a video like that, do you? :D
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Can playing on the key escapement help with evenness and with maintaining the color for the accompaniment or those right hand arpeggios? I find that it helps me as long as I'm conscious of the escapement on each single finger/key. I feel that each finger has "space" or is "breathing" (as you said) and it helps me keep the balance between the melody and the accompaniment, allowing me to "listen" to the melody and "connect" it better in between notes. It also prevents me from tightening and keeps me very relaxed. Using the pedal appropriately is essential too.
Why has no one mentioned the regulation of the piano? New Steinways from the factory need regulation, and all pianos need it periodically as the felt in various places within the guts of the action compress and wear. Let-off (the point when the key lets go of the hammer, i.e. the end of the "bump" you feel), after touch, and the resting distance of the hammer from the string are independent adjustments, each one affecting the other. If these are not consistent key to key you will have to memorize which keys respond differently and adjust as you play - an impossible task. In addition, the hammer flanges (hinges) need to have a specific resistance (3-4 grams) that's also consistent key to key. Not to mention friction within the key itself, which has three possible points of friction. Finally, if escapement "drop" and let off are not simultaneous, the key will feel spongey (there will be two "bumps"), and again, possibly inconsistent key to key. Oh, and there's the voicing of the hammer itself, whether bright or mellow. Brightness should change depending on the volume you're playing, plus have a similar quality, though softer, when the shift pedal is engaged, and vary subtly as you go up in the treble, yet be consistent key to key. It goes on and on... That's what piano technicians do inside there.