Category: Piano technique

The waterfall technique is designed to solve all technical problems at the piano. This means all issues regarding fingering, speed, comfort, control, forearm rotation, dynamic control, weight distribution, posture, everything. That is a bold claim, I know. But, the waterfall technique is not like other piano practice methods. It is based on mindfulness meditation, and…

The basic movement in piano playing is dropping the forearm. When I play a difficult piece, that’s what it feels like to me, just dropping my arms to the beat. Very easy. Let me now say that this article is directed mainly for beginning pianists. If you are an advanced pianist, or an advanced musician on…

What does it mean to “play a piece”? Often, this concept is viewed as either being too obvious to discuss, or treated in near-overwhelming complexity. I might suggest, however, that we can think about this in a way that is both clear and helpful. The concept I would like to offer is that playing a…

“Which finger do I use? Does my wrist go up or down? What do I do with my elbow?” Pianists often struggle to play fast enough, softly enough, expressively enough. Often, our bodies just don’t seem to respond to our musical intentions, leading to intense frustration. As a result, many of us head down the…