By Cynthia VanLandingham
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Many aspects of playing the piano such as note reading and ear training are intuitive.
They just make sense. There are, however, important aspects of piano which are not
intuitive. In fact they are counter-intuitive to most of us. That's why a good piano teacher
is so important.
Students imagine playing in a way that makes sense to them and "feels" comfortable.
You can call this your "default" setting, what you do naturally out of habit. Ever try to
change a habit? It's difficult. It takes conscious effort over time, because the mind-body
connection is un-conscious and powerful. If you're a piano student who wants to improve
your playing, the best way to do this is to change your habits so that they reflect your
goals. In this way you'll be playing with self awareness, rather than out of habit. And
that's a good thing!
Here are some simple steps to begin developing a powerful good piano habit that will go
a long way toward helping you reach your goals.
Step 1
To see how you can improve your playing, sit up straight on the edge of the piano bench,
with an arch in your lower back, (move the bench way back from the piano for now.) Put
the palms of your hands together in front of you. Now separate your hands so that your
forearms are parallel, but your palms are still facing each other. Now lift your forearms
arms and then drop them, like they are asleep, from the elbow with your palms still
facing. If your arms are completely relaxed, they should have fallen so that the tips of
your fingers are pointing to the floor and your arms are completely extended, because
there is no way to catch the weight of your arms with your elbows when you drop them.
Step 2
To improve your posture, try this again. Only instead of allowing your palms to face each
other, turn them flat so your palms are horizontal, facing the floor. Bend your arms a little
so that the tips of your elbows are pointing more toward the "walls," and not toward the
floor. Now lift your forearms toward the ceiling and then drop them from the elbows
again. This time the weight of your forearms should catch in your elbows. Move your
piano bench closer to the piano, but not too close (your elbows should be in front of your
7
tummy.) Practice lifting and dropping your arms, catching the weight in your elbows, as
you play one note, repeatedly. Lift and drop; lift and drop.
Step 3
Now practice this technique while playing octaves. Do this hands separately. With finger
three, bounce from one key to the next, between octaves, lifting and catching the weight
of your forearms from the elbows. Bounce and land; bounce and land, lifting your hand
high over the keyboard. Now keep practicing this until it feels comfortable. Keep this
posture as you play your pieces and remember to hold your hands "flat" with elbows outturned
to add buoyancy, spring and flexibility to your playing.
Now you know a powerful piano habit to dramatically improve your playing and help
you your musical dreams - So keep doing it. Soon it will feel so natural you'll wonder
why you didn't think of it!
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Cynthia Marie VanLandingham has been teaching piano in Tallahassee, Florida for 20 years. She is an alumna of The Florida State University College of Education, owner of TallyPiano & Keyboard Studios, a member of the American College of Musicians National Guild of Piano Teachers, and President of TallyPiano Enterprises, LLC.
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