Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales
In his wonderful book Piano Notes: The Hidden World of the Pianist (2002) the American concert pianist, author and polymath Charles Rosen writes:
“There is no agreement on how to hold the hand at the piano: most children are taught to curve their fingers and place the wrist in a middle position, neither too low nor too high, but of course playing rapid octaves generally demands a higher position for wrist and arm. Horowitz played with his fingers stretched flat and José Iturbi used to hold his wrist below the level of the keyboard.
This variety is the reason that almost all books on how to play the piano are absurd, and that any dogmatic system of teaching technique is pernicious. Most pianists, in fact, have to work to some extent in late adolescence to undo the effects of their early instruction and find an idiosyncratic method that suits them personally.
Not only the individual shape of the hand counts, but even the whole corporal shape. That is why there is no optimum position for sitting at the piano, in spite of what many pedagogues think.”
Bespoke Solutions
For some, Rosen’s words might come as a shock, or even seem offensive. Simply visit any piano forum, and you’ll likely encounter people with very strong views about the “correct” way to teach and play. Rosen seems to be saying that any such hubris is misinformed, even a little foolish.
Personally, I agree with Rosen that dogma must be avoided, but wonder whether he rather overstates his case. Understanding, teaching, and adopting healthy piano playing technique is self-evidently important, but let’s embrace bespoke solutions that work for the individual, and at each phase of physical development and growth.
I have previously written about helping an older player with a painful ganglion and certain movement restrictions (read here) and again about using breathing exercises to fix phrasing issues (read here).
These aren’t prescriptive approaches to be duplicated, but simple examples of personalised education that prioritises the player’s needs, delivered with an open, enquiring mind.
Mind, Body and Breath
Staying ever alert to the energetics of our playing is essential, developing a mindful awareness of movement and sensation, while keeping in mind common principals of efficient movement and effective piano technique.
I also think it is paramount to remember András Schiff’s point that we should foster natural breathing in order to avoid tension and injury.
And surely we do well to keep in mind that physical tension can often be traced to mental tension, anxiety and stress. We often need to explore the roots, causes, and solutions to this in order to secure progress.
Listening to dogmatic exponents of their preferred school of “correct” technique, it is surprising how some rarely even mention these basic points.
Personally, I have found the practice of qigong immensely helpful for my own playing. Using some of these stretching and breathing exercises in lessons can similarly help other players address these physical, mental, and technical challenges.
Of course I recognise that there are many other educators who have found and developed brilliant approaches for accomplishing these same aims, and that sharing them respectfully is mutually beneficial.
However enthusiastic we are for the approach, method, system or school of piano playing that has most helped us, let’s be clear that there are others. None of us has all the answers, or even that many of them, and we all have plenty still to learn.
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