WE D N E S D A Y , J UN E 1 7 , 2 0 0 9

Mastering Piano Technique - Practice in

Chords
With this post, I will begin a
series o arti!les whi!h will
present "# te!hni!al i$eas%
&an# people eel that goo$
piano te!hni'(e is the
pla#ing o glitter# piano
passages !leanl#, '(i!) an$
spee$# pla#ing, an$ big so(n$% *n the other han$,
interpretation o the pie!e is also an i"portant
!o"ponent o peror"an!e "aster#% In a$$ition
to inger $e+terit#, ele"ents o tone pro$(!tion,
rh#th", pe$aling, $#na"i!s, an$ "(si!alit# "(st
be ta)en into !onsi$eration%
In "# own e+perien!e, tr(e "aster# o te!hni'(e
!a"e when I s($$enl# ha$ the !ontrol to
repro$(!e with "# ingers what I hear$ in "#
"in$% I will begin a series in this blog !alle$
,&astering -iano .e!hni'(e/ whi!h will help #o(
an$ #o(r st($ents $o the sa"e% I will e0en $is!(ss
the tea!hing o a n("ber o a0orite st($ent
pie!es ro" a te!hni!al stan$point%
A Simple Exercise
As I ha$ "entione$ in a pre0io(s post, one o "#
a0orite e+er!ises is to pra!ti!e passages in
1 **2 S ,
3 E 4 *3 D I N 5S ,
2 E Y 1 *A 3 D S
- *- U6 A 3 - *S . S
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The Piano Blog: Mastering Piano Technique - Practice in Chords http://the-piano-blog.blogspot.com.es/2009/06/mastering-piano-techni...
1 de 6 28/07/2012 2:44
!hor$s% -assages that len$ the"sel0es well to
pra!ti!e in !hor$s in!l($e Alberti base passages7
si"ilar passages with the right han$, passages
!onsisting pri"aril# o bro)en !hor$ patterns, an$
o !o(rse, arpeggios%
Some of the advantages of practice in chords
include:
1) Establishing a good set of fingering patterns 8
When #o( blo!) a passage o(t in !hor$s, !han!es
are that the wa# #o(r ingers all into the !hor$s
will be the !orre!t ingering to (se or these
passages%
2) Proper positioning of the fingers 8 1#
pra!ti!ing in !hor$s, #o( tea!h #o(r ingers where
the# nee$ to be pla!e$ to peror" the passage
a!!(ratel#%
3) As an aid to memorization 8 6earning the
!hor$al patterns o(n$ in the "(si! is an ai$ to
"e"ori9ation%
) !astering Arpeggios 8 Arpeggios, are basi!all#
an e+ten$e$ !hor$, or e+a"ple, a 4 &a:or !hor$
repeate$ o0er 2 or ; o!ta0es% -ra!ti!ing in !hor$s
will help #o( gain the a!!(ra!# an$ spee$ nee$e$
to pla# arpeggios !leanl# whi!h !an be $ii!(lt to
a!hie0e% 3ather than tr#ing to !onne!t ea!h
!hor$, ater pra!ti!ing in !hor$s, pla# the
arpeggio b# :(st '(i!)l# hopping o0er to the ne+t
!hor$ while )eeping the ingers !lose to the )e#s
to "a)e it so(n$ !onne!te$% Also, be s(re to )eep
the th("b pointing $own in a slightl# $iagonal
position rather than lat to )eep the arpeggio
s"ooth an$ e0en% .he res(lt will be a 0er# !lean
C!ean and
#rticu!ate $uns
One thing that I
pride myse!f on is that my
students are ab!e to p!ay
c!ean and articu!ate runs in
their performances. y
fo!!o"ing a !ogic...
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The Piano Blog: Mastering Piano Technique - Practice in Chords http://the-piano-blog.blogspot.com.es/2009/06/mastering-piano-techni...
2 de 6 28/07/2012 2:44
an$ well arti!(late$ arpeggio%
") An Eas# Exercise for Students to do 8
-ra!ti!ing in !hor$s is a 0er# si"ple e+er!ise or
the st($ent to $o, #et this pra!ti!e te!hni'(e
alwa#s #iel$s res(lts%
$ere are some examples %here practicing in
chords is effective:
Advanced Elementar#
&ittle Song b# 'obert Schumann 8<a0e st($ents
pra!ti!e the let han$ in 2 note !hor$s e%g% !@g,
$@g, e@g @g, et!% .han ha0e the st($ent pla# the
let han$ '(ietl# an$ e0enl# "aintaining the
position o the !hor$s% <a0e the st($ent pra!ti!e
the right han$ with goo$ tone, sin!e this is the
"elo$#% Ater ea!h han$ is "astere$, ha0e the
st($ent peror" the pie!e han$s together%
(altz b# Shosta)ovich 8 I in$ that ha0ing the
st($ents pra!ti!e the let han$ in !hor$s or this
pie!e is 0er# ee!ti0e towar$s gaining "aster#%
<a0e the st($ent pla# the entire let han$ in
!hor$s (sing single notes in the non@!hor$al
passages%
*ntermediate
+lementi Sonatinas 8 .he 4le"enti an$ 2(hla(
Sonatinas i""e$iatel# !o"e to "in$ with all o
the Alberti bass passages%
%ads
,ene)i'e -ife .ciences
)or* at (ome !og
(ea!th P!ans P!us !og
1 6 *5 A 3 4 < I A E
/011 213
/004 253
.eptember 2/3
6une 213
Mastering Piano
Technique -
Practice in Chords
May 213
March 213
S U 1 S 4 3 I 1 E . *
A 1 *U. &E
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Comments
The Piano Blog: Mastering Piano Technique - Practice in Chords http://the-piano-blog.blogspot.com.es/2009/06/mastering-piano-techni...
3 de 6 28/07/2012 2:44
Solfeggietto b# -.P.E. /ach 8.his is another one
o "# a0orite inter"e$iate tea!hing pie!es%
.here are "an# passages that len$ the"sel0es to
pra!ti!e in !hor$s%
Advanced
Schubert *mpromptu op. 01 2 in A3flat 8 *ne o
"# a0orite short pie!es, the !as!a$ing bro)en
!hor$s in the right han$ o the A se!tion o this
pie!e "(st so(n$ s"ooth, spar)ling, e0en, an$
eortless% -ra!ti!ing these passages in !hor$s will
tea!h #o(r brain the proper pla!e"ent o the
ingers% Yo( will want to s(pple"ent the pra!ti!e
in !hor$s with a$$itional e+er!ises% Another
proble" is the s"ooth transition between the
bro)en !hor$s% *n the swit!h o ingers on the
repeate$ note, be s(re to ne0er lea0e the eel o
the )e# as #o( "a)e the swit!h in ingering%
Another (se(l e+er!ise or "astering this
bea(ti(l pie!e, is to pra!ti!e a beat an$ a note
e%g% 4b@Eb@4b@Ab@Ab se0eral ti"es ollowe$ b#
Ab@4b@Ab@Eb@Eb, et!%
Yo( will in$ "an# other passages in the pie!es
that #o( peror" or tea!h that will len$
the"sel0es well to this si"ple b(t ee!ti0e
e+er!ise%
-*S.ED 1Y <E6ENE A. BCD; A&
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8ason said...
hey these are some nice posts. I thin* you
shou!d a!so mention more about the basics
The Piano Blog: Mastering Piano Technique - Practice in Chords http://the-piano-blog.blogspot.com.es/2009/06/mastering-piano-techni...
4 de 6 28/07/2012 2:44
e.g p!aying piano notes7 reading sheet music
for beginners. This is main!y "hat beginners
find difficu!t. sti!! pretty good though7 i!! be
visiting a!ot7 you?ve got some nice artic!es.by
the "ay chec* out my b!og as"e!!7 its simi!ar.
6U&E /:7 /004 1/= /@ PM
(e!ene said...
(i 6ason - Than*s for visiting. I p!an to add a
ne" post on piano technique some time this
"ee*7 so chec* bac*.
My ne;t fe" b!og posts "i!! probab!y focus on
piano technique7 since this is the area that I
specia!i'e in. #t a !ater date7 I p!an to discuss
ho" to master certain c!assica! pieces from
the intermediate through ear!y advanced
piano !iterature--the pieces that are
frequent!y taught !i*e the .pinning .ong7 Aur
E!ise7 Mo'art C Ma8or sonata. I "i!! cover
some technica! pointers for beginners as "e!!.
6U&E /:7 /004 B= CD PM
E!ise said...
(i there7 I rea!!y en8oyed reading some of
your posts. Eeep up the good "or*< I a!so
have a piano b!og. If you "ant7 you can visit it
at """.e!isemoreau.com>b!og.
6U-9 B17 /004 := 11 PM
6essica Maybury said...
than*s for this7 *eep it up< My technique used
to be so much better but I?m out of practice
no" and am at a !oose end as to "here to
begin again< .o than*s.
.EPTEME$ 17 /004 B= B@ PM
(e!ene said...
Than*s for your comments. I 8ust posted a
The Piano Blog: Mastering Piano Technique - Practice in Chords http://the-piano-blog.blogspot.com.es/2009/06/mastering-piano-techni...
5 de 6 28/07/2012 2:44
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ne" artic!e on p!aying c!ean and articu!ate
runs.
.EPTEME$ C7 /004 D= /4 #M
piano course said...
Mastering Piano Technique needs a !ot of
effort and hard "or*. I am "anted to be a
good pianist but it giving me a hard time.
That is "hy reading artic!es !i*e this rea!!y
he!ps a !ot on a beginner !i*e me.
%ECEME$ 1B7 /010 4= 1/ PM
(e!ene said...
If you have a specific question or prob!em7
!eave me a comment and I "i!! try to ans"er
it. Eeep up the hard "or*< =-3
%ECEME$ 1B7 /010 11= BD PM
-inea said...
Fery good post. There are times "hen I tru!y
en8oy running through a "ho!e bunch of
(anon e;ercises in a ro". They?re *ind of the
appeti'er of piano practice7 before you get the
meat and potatoes of the pieces you?re
current!y "or*ing on.
M#$C( 147 /011 5= C/ PM
The Piano Blog: Mastering Piano Technique - Practice in Chords http://the-piano-blog.blogspot.com.es/2009/06/mastering-piano-techni...
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