Sight-Reading: There's an App for That?

   Well, maybe not exactly an app, but there is a new book just published and available for perusal at Amazon. The idea here is to practice sight-reading with a partner in four-hand settings. When playing with others, one feels more pressure to keep going no matter what. Here's the publication blurb:

   Learn to sight-read more fluently by practicing with a partner, an experienced guide at your side. Of course, we know to keep our eyes on the page and look ahead. We know to begin by scanning for surprises of meter, accidentals or key change. We know, too, that setting a reasonable tempo based on the fastest note values ensures a successful performance. But in the final analysis we must learn not to stop for mistakes, the wayward flat, the dangling mordent or what-in-the-world-kind-of-scale was that, anyway. It would be rude to abandon a partner in search of the aforementioned and if social pressure isn’t enough, just remember that might very well be your teacher there at your side, cracking the whip. So, look into these pages of colorful harmonizations from the collection of chorales by J.S. Bach, just to get started. There are forays into rare occasional pieces by Chopin, Schumann, Arensky, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. And the intrepid will find a 20th century organ prelude and a complete duet sonata by Mozart, just to name a few.

Slow Practice: Eliminating Errors?

A student writes: I want to apply this type of [slow] practice to one piece in particular I am having difficulty with, mainly with random errors. So I have a couple of questions:

1. Is slow practice good for eliminating random errors?
2. How slow should you go? (I have read half or quarter speed) 
3. How many repeats in a session should you do in this slow practice?
4. Should you alternate tempos within a session or over days?
5. How long would you stay doing these slow practice sessions?

     My reply: Yes, random technical errors will be solved in slow practice if it is conscious slow practice. Slow practice is essential for working in quick technical passages. The finger/hand/arm collaboration works best when it has the opportunity to sense clearly the movements required of it. The first

step, though, is to figure out what those movements are, which, of course includes such details as the best fingering to employ. Many pianists make the mistake of playing slowly without discovering what it is they need for speed. Then in speed they do something different from what they did at the slower tempo. 

     Once you are comfortable at your slowest speed, gradually work through several tempos to the desired tempo.This is not for an entire movement, necessarily, but rather for the particular

passage. Make sure that the passage continues to feel easy at each successive tempo. If it doesn't, that means something technical hasn't been solved. This is my favorite use of the metronome. Write in your score the metronome mark of your desired tempo, the top tempo. Then below it write your starting tempo. Work between these two tempos. I usually say that you shouldn't play slower than you need to or faster than you can (easily). Don't be discouraged if one passage seems to want to go faster than another. But do keep track in your score by marking the metronome setting of your fastest, easy tempo.

     This is a good way to begin your daily work on a given piece, starting with those passages that feel difficult. But once you have achieved the desired tempo (feeling easy) in all of the questionable passages, it is usually not necessary to go back to the original slow tempo, although I always practice two or three tempos slower as a review.

     

Extremely slow practice, even in a slow movement, can also be helpful in securing memory because it removes some of the digital memory.

Stretching Exercises for Pianists: The Topic That Won't Die

     

One contributor to a music forum for pianists offered a YouTube video of a pianist "stretching" his fingers using the keyboard as his stationary block. He worked his fingers in and out of the black keys and against the rail, claiming that these stretches made him limber. Needless to say, discussion ensued. Some wise pianists—these are the ones who agree with me—observed that such gesticulations had nothing at all to do with piano playing. If that's true, if these stretches are not about piano playing, what might they be about. I say "might" because I can only speculate. I put these "limbering" exercises in a category with other feel-good, possibly therapeutic, activities that are akin to warmup stretches that dancers, athletes and yoga practitioners use.

     I know how good stretches can feel because I do them myself— on a mat on the floor—in order to increase circulation in my limbs and "wake up." I can imagine that this pianist of the video experiences similar feelings of release as he manipulates his fingers. But, no, this has nothing to do with piano playing.

     The size of the hand is determined genetically. Tendons cannot be stretched. This is not to say that we can't learn to use what we have without abusing it. Speaking of abuse, one contributor shared that he derived benefit from Dohnanyi exercises. Do you know the ones? The pianist is asked to hold down certain notes and lift other fingers away from the hand. This pianist feels he derives a "certain kind of overall limberness that's hard to describe." I suspect he can't describe it because he can't relate it to piano playing.

     Another writer felt moved to compare what pianists do with athletic training, claiming that "piano playing is above all else a motor skill." Well, I don't argue against that. But he goes on to explain that the refined motor skills we need at the piano are the same as what athletes use, suggesting that stretching and building strength are also part of the pianist's catechism. He could not be persuaded that athletes train large muscle groups for strength and endurance, whereas pianists train for refined physical coordination.

Alicia de la Rocha

     Alicia de la Rocha, the distinguished, diminutive pianist of the Spanish persuasion entered the discussion by way of support for the idea of stretching. Someone claiming to know whereof he spoke stated that de la Rocha stretched her tiny hand so that it could reach a tenth, enabling her to play Rachmaninoff and other giants. Well, I don't know what she did. But she herself stated that she was blessed with a wide space between thumb and index finger and an extra long fifth finger, enabling her to reach a tenth despite having a small hand. 

   So, don't waste time and energy and risk injury by stretching and pulling your fingers. Use them according to their design in the way that produces maximum results with the least amount of effort. 

The Pianist's Guide to Practical Technique

     

     I am happy—no ecstatic—to be able to  report that the "Look Inside" feature finally is available at Amazon for the complete volume. For those of you who have expressed interest, please have a look and let me know what you think. Volumes one and two contain the same material, so I didn't press the Amazon team to include those in the Look Inside program.

      Just to recap, this is the collection designed to help pianists develop technique, musicianship and repertoire without using valuable practice time for "studies" by Czerny and his colleagues. So, you can put away studies by Czerny. Put him and the others into a closet and turn the key. Instead, use these passages from music you intend to play—music by master composers—as building blocks for technique and musicianship.    
     Suppose for a moment that we don’t accept the notion that a good piano technique requires strength training, or that it is even really possible to “strengthen” the fingers to any noticeable degree, in the way that authors of yore would have us believe. Those concepts indeed have long ago been discredited. Suppose, too, we discard the notion that independence of fingers is a physical action and not instead a musical objective. Well, you might ask, for what then do we train? Let's use our knowledge of how the hand was designed to work in order to train for refined coordination. 

     In this volume you will find ample material for just such a study. Here are threads of Bach Inventions, early Haydn episodes and mainstream Mozart. Here are passages from the grandeur of late Beethoven and the Romantic exuberance of Schumann and Chopin. Here are morsels from standard repertoire that, if used as part of your daily regimen, will at the very least provide a colossal head start on the building of skills, musicianship and a catalog of music you want to perform.

Lang Lang at the Phil: I Rest My Case

     If you've been following this blog for awhile, you know how I feel about unnecessary tension in the hands. You also know that, although there are many technical approaches to making music at the piano, it is possible to play virtuosically without exaggerated extensions in the playing apparatus. This latter approach I call a natural one, using the body according to its design. By that I mean stretching or pulling to extremes has no place in a fluent and efficient technique. It's what I prefer.

Sergei Prokofiev.

     The technical sensation Lang Lang appeared in Los Angeles recently, offering up the Prokofiev 3rd concerto. He played it, apparently, with considerable flair, as expected, though Mark Swed, the Times critic, thought he seemed somehow bored with it. I didn't hear the concert, but I've heard Lang Lang on other occasions and I can report that he is a technical phenomenon. (I can't imagine how a pianist could be bored with this piece. I have to admit, though, that once as I was sitting on a competition jury, having heard several Prokofiev 3rds in a row, I decided then and there never to hear it again.)

   

Lang Lang at the L.A. Phil. Photo by Lawrence K. Ho
 in the L.A. Times.

 In his review, Swed made the following observation: "His technique looked like a spectacular acrobatic embellishment of Chico's exaggerated finger work in Marx Brothers movies. That, too, may wind up a big deal. A physician in the audience quipped at intermission that he hopes the Chinese superstar has a good pension plan. Hands cannot sustain that kind of playing for long."  I have to agree. 

     Side note: Look at Prokofiev's hand on the keyboard above.

The Pianist's guide to Practical Technique: Sample Pages

     Amazon has had problems setting up the "Look Inside" feature for these titles, problems we're expecting to solve soon. In the meantime, as some readers have requested, here are some sample pages. Excerpts from the introduction can be found elsewhere in this blog. The levels of difficulty range from early intermediate to advanced and include left-hand studies along with scales, arpeggios, leaps and virtually all manner of technical necessities. The examples are from Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Chopin, etc. I've included one example of a practice guide, of which, along with practice hints, there are several throughout the volume. The Index is at the bottom of the page.

     Click on the example to enlarge.

Alberti............... 19, 31, 40, 42, 44, 55, 65, 124, 155, 172, 222

Arpeggios 23, 26, 40, 41, 99, 103, 109, 131, 143, 152, 156, 173, 193, 200, 213, 215

Art of Finger Dexterity, The................................................................ 7

Articulation............................................................................... 27, 106

Bach, J.S.

Invention in A minor.............................................................. 13

Invention in C Major............................................................... 12

Invention in F Major............................................................... 31

Well Tempered Clavier Bk. I

Prelude in D Major............................................................. 62

Beethoven, L.

Op. 10, No. 1

Allegro..................................................................................... 101

Finale........................................................................................ 107

Op. 10, No. 3.............................................................................. 119

Rondo...................................................................................... 125

Op. 110

Morsel...................................................................................... 241

Op. 13............................................................................................ 111

Op. 13, Pt. 2................................................................................ 113

Practice Guide..................................................................... 118

Op. 14, No. 1.............................................................................. 131

Op. 2, No. 1

Prestissimo............................................................................ 103

Op. 2, No. 3................................................................................ 158

Trio.............................................................................................. 99

Op. 22..................................................................................... 25, 156

Allegro........................................................................................ 89

Op. 26............................................................................................ 150

Rondo...................................................................................... 162

Op. 27, No. 1.............................................................................. 165

Rondo...................................................................................... 140

Op. 27, No. 2.............................................................................. 173

Op. 31, No 1............................................................................... 146

Op. 53

Allegro..................................................................................... 181

Op. 53............................................................................................ 152

Op. 54............................................................................................ 135

Op. 57............................................................................................ 176

Andante................................................................................... 170

Morsel............................................................................ 234, 239

Op. 76 "Ruins of Athens"

Variation 1.............................................................................. 124

Variation 5.............................................................................. 123

Op. 81a

Wiedersehen........................................................................ 143

Op. 81a Allegro

Morsel...................................................................................... 242

Op. 90............................................................................................ 222

Variations "Venni amore" 1790

Variation 1................................................................................ 22

WoO 80 C Minor Variations

Variation 22........................................................................... 134

Variation 26........................................................................... 129

Variation 27........................................................................... 129

Variation 28........................................................................... 149

Variation 4................................................................................ 78

Variation 5.............................................................................. 102

Variation 6................................................................................ 85

Variation 7................................................................................ 43

Variation 8.............................................................................. 122

Variation 9.............................................................................. 161

Variations 1-3........................................................................ 109

Variations 14, 16.................................................................. 130

Brahms

Letter................................................................................................... 8

broken arpeggios.......................................................................... 155

Broken Octaves.................................................. 98, 119, 143, 158

Broken Sixths.................................................................................. 119

cantabile style.................................................................................... 18

Chopin, F.

Ballade in F Minor

Practice Guide..................................................................... 206

Ballade in F Minor, Op. 52................................................ 200

Ballade in G Minor

Practice Guide..................................................................... 228

Ballade in G Minor Coda................................................... 229

Practice guide...................................................................... 233

Ballade in G Minor Op. 23...................................... 213, 224

Berceuse Op. 57............................................................ 194, 221

Leaps......................................................................................... 167

Etude Op. 10, No. 12

Morsel............................................................................ 234, 236

Etude Op. 10, No. 4

Morsel...................................................................................... 235

Etude Op. 10, No. 8

Morsel...................................................................................... 238

Nocturne

Op. 27, No. 1........................................................................ 193

Nocturne Op. 27, No. 2

Morsel............................................................................ 237, 238

Prelude Op. 28, No. 3

Left Hand............................................................................... 139

Scherzo in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 39............................... 215

Sonata in B-Flat Minor

Alternate.................................................................................. 198

Sonata in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35........................................ 196

Chords...................................................................................... 200, 221

Clementi, Muzio................................................................................ 7

Complex Rhythm......................................................................... 108

Coordination 55, 58, 78, 85, 123, 124, 125, 150, 188, 189, 215

Coordination).................................................................................... 71

Counterpoint.................................................................................. 134

Invention in A Minor.............................................................. 13

Invention in C Major............................................................... 12

Invention in F.............................................................................. 31

Czerny, Carl.......................................................................................... 7

Davidsbündlertänze.................................................................... 169

Dotted Rhythm.............................................................................. 101

Double Notes. 111, 122, 129, 135, 168, 194, 200, 211, 242

Fingering................................................................ 71, 110, 193, 237

Forearm rotation.............................................................. 9, 39, 111

fortepiano............................................................................................ 18

four-against-three.......................................................................... 108

Gradus ad Parnassum........................................................................... 7

Group.................................................................................................... 10

Grouping....................................................................... 139, 236, 238

Hand Division................................................................................ 198

hands separately............................................................................... 11

Haydn, Joseph

Hob. XVI/23................................................................................ 81

Hob. XVI/27................................................................. 17, 18, 19

Variation 1................................................................................ 20

Hob. XVI/28................................................................................ 23

Variation 4................................................................................ 34

Hob. XVI/30................................................................................ 48

Variation 3................................................................................ 35

Variation 5................................................................................ 36

Hob. XVI/31................................................................................ 95

Hob. XVI/39......................................................................... 16, 42

Hob. XVI/8................................................................................... 15

Sonata 1785

Variation I................................................................................. 30

hinge.................................................................................................... 108

in 110

In/Out................................................................................................ 139

independence of fingers.............................................................. 8

inventions............................................................................................ 39

Leaps................................................................................... 79, 129, 167

Left Hand 21, 25, 41, 43, 54, 71, 76, 79, 98, 103, 122, 139, 140, 142, 149, 156, 170, 181, 189, 193, 196, 222

Lhevinne, Rosina............................................................................... 7

Liszt, F.

Concerto in E-Flat

Morsel...................................................................................... 243

Loesser, Arthur................................................................................... 8

Morsel..................................... 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 243

Moszkowski.......................................................................................... 8

Mozart, W.A.

K. 208

Variation 1................................................................................ 53

K. 265

Variation 7................................................................................ 75

K. 265 "Ah, vous dirai-je"

Variation 1................................................................................ 33

Variation 2................................................................................ 54

Variation 3................................................................................ 27

Variation 4................................................................................ 41

Variation 6................................................................................ 21

K. 279................................................................................................ 37

K. 280................................................................................................ 44

K. 309................................................................................................ 58

K. 310........................................................................................ 73, 76

Allegro maestoso.................................................................. 71

Presto.......................................................................................... 79

K. 331........................................................................................ 55, 56

K. 332................................................................................................ 65

K. 333................................................................................................ 86

K. 455 "Unser dummer Poebel"

Variation 1................................................................................ 28

Variation 2................................................................................ 98

K. 500

Variation 1.............................................................................. 106

Variation 2.............................................................................. 142

Variation 3................................................................................ 24

K. 545................................................................................. 26, 29, 40

Octaves... 43, 55, 56, 102, 119, 130, 134, 135, 140, 143, 158

out……………………………………………...110

Paganini................................................................................................... 7

Parallel............................................................................. 125, 146, 165

Practice Guide....... 18, 39, 64, 118, 188, 206, 210, 228, 233

Practicing............................................................................................. 10

Repeated Notes............................................................ 86, 109, 110

rotate.................................................................................................... 118

Rotation................................................................................................... 9

Scales 19, 29, 31, 35, 42, 44, 58, 65, 73, 75, 81, 86, 95, 107, 143, 146

School of Velocity, The........................................................................... 7

Schumann, R.

Critic.................................................................................................... 8

Fantasy Op. 17........................................................................... 211

Kreisleriana Practice Guide.............................................. 210

Kreisleriana, Op. 16, Agitatissimo.................................. 208

Op. 6, No. 6................................................................................ 168

Shape............................................................................................ 10, 188

Staccato.................................................................................................. 85

strength training................................................................................. 8

Thirds.................................................................... 129, 130, 200, 242

Thumb on Black Keys................................................................. 56

tremolo............................................................................................... 108

Trills..................................................... 27, 106, 142, 150, 161, 181

Triplets................................................................................... 16, 17, 58

Two Against Three...................................................................... 142

Two-Note Slurs.............................................................. 30, 53, 106

Voicing........................................................................... 167, 170, 221

walking arm........................................................................................ 10

weight.................................................................................................. 172

working-in................................................................................................. 8