4. The Chopin Method: the fingers

In this episode we will explore attributes of each finger according to Chopin's piano method, plus a biomechanical analysis.
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#piano #technique #pianotechnique #chopin #classical #music #finger #thumb #fingers #lesson #classes #tips #keyboard #pianokeyboard #carpal #wrist #method #tutorial #biomechanics

[@nintendianajones64]

"Chopin is the greatest of them all, for with the piano alone he discovered everything." - Claude Debussy

[@captainp.2721]

Chopin was amazing, but wasn't the greatest, far from it. The greatest, was and still is Beethoven. The man composed the most incredible pieces in history with hundreds on instruments and parts WHILE DEAF. That qualifies him as above all his contemporaries. And this is not an opinion, it is divine fact. I would also put Liszt in front of Chopin in skill.

[@ghonneriajones8212]

i love the bussy too

[@joaquindalessio]

@@captainp.2721 Absolutely, but in the piano world, Chopin rules...

[@bait5257]

@@captainp.2721 I would say bach And beethoven himself would agree

[@Swissen]

@@captainp.2721 Hear hear, Beethoven is unrivalled on the piano. Chopin in fact had a bust of him upon his piano.

[@markdomanico7936]

As a guitar player, I found this video fascinating. The idea that we should not train our fingers to simply be equal, but lean into their unique voices is beautiful.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Sorry for the late reply Mark. Yes! In the beginning I was surprised by the number of guitar players who are interested in this channel. But now it makes sense. There are substantial neuromuscular differences between playing both instruments, of course, but searching for similarities makes you ask great questions. Thank you for commenting.

[@HieuPham-gc4jd]

Great ❤

[@traeza777]

Yeah guitar actually teaches you to use each finger individually... One because each string has a different tensile strength...and feel

[@Shnazzleboxxin]

Fucking same dude. Same.

[@chaosinsurgency6636]

Finger style is dead i guess

[@DJLane214]

If You learn this technique at a young age, you can literally become a classical pianist. It literally links your brain to your fingers like a wifi signal. Feels like I have Violet Evergarden's hands. This is crazy!

[@injeolmi6]

I hope I am not too late to learn!

[@jilianneakianiceto6408]

is below 13 a not too shabby age?

[@pelikanflyeralseinehandels8952]

@@jilianneakianiceto6408 that's the perfect age to learn this!! your brain will adapt to this and learn it insanely fast!

[@azearaazymoto461]

What technique? The part where you let your finger fall on the keys?

[@momentsoftriumph5972]

@Tony B I enjoy Huberman’s podcast. Do you happen to have an idea the name of the episode you’re referring to?

[@drmichaelshea]

I am fascinated by this. I am a senior self-taught pianist with no talent but lots of interest. I have had some very challenging movement problems with my right hand that I originally ascribed to a focal dystonia, but I no longer believe that’s the case. Now I think the problems are mechanical, not neurological. Sometimes I have thought it would be useful to really study the biomechanics of the piano, but really do not have the time or the right medical training for that. Now, out of the clear blue, this video has popped onto my screen. All of this must be written somewhere, but I’ve never been able to find it. Exercises are good, but intelligent exercises are far better. In my own case, I have found that slow and deliberate practice is far more helpful than I ever imagined it would be. Now I think with sorrow how I used to be criticized for slow playing when I tried learning the piano. Another discovery that is contrary to what I taught is that watching my hands during slow play also makes practice far more productive. If there are resources regarding the biomechanics of playing the piano, I’d love to know about them. Not that I hope to gain much personally (I’m 73), but because knowing this might help some younger learner.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Hello Dr. Michael. Thank you for commenting. Slow, deliberate and technically correct if I may add! Unfortunately, the scientific method in piano teaching is worrisomely scarce. Not even Chopin's insights were able to prevent the dominance of the popular piano concert, which requires a different technique and piano technology. 73 is relatively young in nowadays standards, and the brain is a very plastic thing at all ages. Hopefully you will continue your technical improvement. Warm regards!

[@kitora8885]

talent is overrated

[@krazykanos98]

73 is young as ever! The only limitations exist in your mind, so play on, my friend!

[@amezcuaist]

@@thechopinmethod7257 Hello Dr Michael One great help in my past has been the Cowling Institute system for finger agility . If you combine these valuable exercises for finger independance and then combine with the Chopin method you will be far better equipped .The Cowling Institute is Free on the internet . Enjoy them together I used this for violin and my left hand is much better than my right .

[@evineetullos3402]

Can you help me share how to practice this? I am having a hard time understanding and putting it to practice

[@rinoceronte1]

Chopin was a genius. if you understand this, your entire approach to technique will change. that's why slow practice is so important. it allows you to be able to quickly recognize what sort of intricate movement is needed from all the fingers, entire hand, and arm, just to play a set of 3 notes. of course, at high speeds all this intricate minute movements cannot be seen. only the chef knows what's in the soup. mean while the spectators think the pianist is gifted, or a genius.

[@igorz3551]

Love this comment

[@waltuh2.3bviews3secondsago3]

I’m a cellist and not very good at piano so idk about that, but on the cello I can only play quickly because I know what to do slowly

[@jeremydm7646]

@@waltuh2.3bviews3secondsago3 it applies to most instruments, When practicing fast you could develop muscle memory but wouldn't be aware of what notes you may be playing compared to playing slowly

[@aviation8168]

Unfortunately i don't actually understand this I would love to, but i can't

[@tatianaes3354]

*THE ATTITUDE might change,* but if you do not have a natural talent, you can learn to play only well enough to enjoy it yourself. This is already good enough for many, but not those who dream of fame within the classical music industry.

[@Robopup325]

Chopin, also known as the final boss for most players. I love his music but I have hardly any time to practice with life going on, so I often end up giving up on learning his pieces because I end up making so little progress it’d take way to long to get to the final.

[@bb2501_]

i started with chopin 💀

[@sciaj]

no that s how you re supposed to do it he s a life long piano teacher 5 min learn an extra chord in a month that s 30 chords that d be a solid chunk of the total song

[@za-mm]

rachmaninoff is the final boss💀

[@user-xt4dx7ky3c]

@@za-mm nah it’s Liszt

[@marcraider]

@@user-xt4dx7ky3c nah is Bach, I prefer to play and suffer (in the good way )any Lizst work instead of those crazy fugues written by J.s.B.

[@borkovitch5227]

As an intermediate piano player, I've played a couple of Chopin pieces and i feel like they always 'feel' good to play. The the hands match the piano and the piano matches the hands in a natural way. Maybe its because of Chopin's theory of not going against nature but being in harmony with it?

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Hello Oscar. Yes! Chopin's technical approach uses Nature as its ally. Thank for commenting.

[@TommenIBaratheon]

Chopin opened the world of finger technique over 30 years ago when I was only 6 years old, and my grandmother showed me how Chopin utilized the piano.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Congratulations JBS for having such wonderful grandmother. Glad to know that you have developed a good finger technique!

[@DJLane214]

This instantly fixed my hand speed and my staccato. My hands can fly over the keys now! Time to practice scales. Thank You and Chopin!!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Wonderful!

[@roxiethecockapoo1138]

@@thechopinmethod7257 I'm a bit confused as to what you mean when you say your fingers should 'drop' onto the piano. As in, they fall of the key after it is played, or is the wrist simply more relaxed or flexible?

[@Frederic_Francois_Chopin]

You are welcome

[@nagi3854]

Wow! I was just reading today letters from Chopin to his students on posture and such, and to come across this channel immediately after is amazing. Not to mention the great editing and presentation, thank you and I hope to see this channel grow.

[@rproctor83]

Google is definitely tracking your searches

[@cecilsproject6796]

Where dis you find thèse please?

[@purpleAiPEy]

@@cecilsproject6796 Chopin, pianist and teacher. It is a great book and no doubt vital for this video

[@Supermoneygang12]

lol it’s not that crazy man google owns the algorithm

[@JaeMaaroufi]

I never thought that a piano can reach to a degree of details like this. Will be extremely helpful.

[@MrPhatcat98]

Ergonomics and an understanding of biomechanics/anatomy is an under-appreciated aspect of all musical endeavors. Excellent video!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Many thanks!

[@Akyo_Az]

Thank you so much for these lessons, it helps self-taught pianists like myself a ton and shows how important relaxation is and how to achieve it. Much love from Brazil!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you Anderson!

[@LenaSin]

Not everyone can play Chopin. His music and technique are brilliant. Only very gifted pianists can play as soulfully as Chopin. Now there are many pianists who technically play fast, but how little soul there is.

[@SaltedMallows]

Best Fingering tutorial on YT

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you!

[@99centfrog68]

this is incredibly helpful! it always excites me to understand more about the composer’s true intentions. thank you!

[@dedos-pima]

Very interesting and informative. I don't play piano, but as a guitarist, the information is absolutely "need to know" primarily for the left hand, but also useful in right hand technique.

[@manriro4283]

I don't even play piano, bit your teaching abilities kept me captivated all through, keep up the good work man!

[@RaptorT1V]

Your videos are very valuable! Thank you for all your hard work! It is a great contribution to the teaching of the piano arts!

[@WastedTimeBros]

brilliant videos just finished watching all of them. finding many applications to all sorts of arts. i am not a piano player yet but in simply understanding the relationship an artist has with their tools, and the importance of understanding more deeply how to command said tools effectively, you can have a much deeper connection with your expression.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci, an excellent presentation on the biomechanics of the hand and fingers. I have to smile at the opening biomechanical movments of your "players".

[@nijiiro2134]

Having not heard of this hand/muscle theory before, it’s kind of blowing my mind. Now it’s making me think much more about HOW I play instead of just making the piano sound like another piano in a recording

[@haroonnaz4091]

Everything we're talking and learning about is a gift of God!

[@gaelgarcia7000]

What and amazing explanation of the anatomic and mechanical factors on why certain fingers on a particular piece

[@Song]

Love how many different fascinating ways musicians convey emotions

[@quesote20]

This video is great, the animations, and the story background, plus the information. Also enjoyed it because I'm a Chopin fan myself. Thanks for the content ;)

[@Pesgueira]

Thank you for the video! Great content. I'm finally being able to retake my piano studies, and always on the lookout for interesting channels. Immediatly favorited.

[@franzliszt9332]

Thank God you uploaded! I thought you were going to stop. You’re disseminating quintessential information for us all. Thank you.

[@swinginonthespiral8765]

For each note, there are as many sounds as fingers in the hand

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you! This is very nice to hear!

[@stevef.8041]

I am only a self-taught beginner, and it's great to see that I am experiencing the same type of finger comparisons you describe on this video. I'll stop blaming my fourth finger for it's lack of strength.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Recent neuromuscular studies suggest that the 4th finger weakness may be a mind trick. The 4th may be slower to flex and extend, but there is no anatomical reason for it to be weak. Thanks for you comment!

[@davidesguevillas]

These videos are very informative and very well made!

[@gabrielcarpio5843]

Thank you so much for sharing this marvel of curated knowledge

[@yardrail3432]

Very interesting video.I enjoyed the illustrated explanations of how each finger functions relative to the hand and keyboard. I actually watched it three times because it was a lot to take in. Thanks very much for this presentation and best wishes from New Zealand.

[@davoudshojaei7834]

This was great! thanks for posting

[@wijnextrawaalwijk9434]

i'm a piano player myself and I did not know that the fingers of a hand are so special made as you explained, thankx for that. I'll pass this video to my musical friends. My best musical regards Joost Verhoeven. from the Netherlands. 🎶🎹

[@sandcastle2069]

I have played piano fot two days, except for two years training 50 years ago, and not touching a piano since. This video came up as recommended, and I understand why. It should be something every pianist should see. Chopin did what every dedicated craftsman does when he knows something so well there is hardly more to learn. They go and dig for more knowledge, knowing you are never finished learning. It is natural to speculate on the fingers role in music to perfect your playing.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you Vivid Life!

[@oresteszoupanos]

Brilliant videos, research, and animations! Thank you very much!

[@stevarion1437]

Amazingly informative!! Keep them coming

[@kyo8390]

an interesting video! as a pianist, i have never thought of my fingers with this much depth.

[@frankkeys92]

A pleasure to meet you today, Claudio! Marvelous information on the topic.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Same here! Cheers!

[@AronTheNpc]

This channel is way too underrated! Love the video keep it up.

[@theunknown6056]

I can't wait for the next video, thank you Dr. Claudio very much for these preeminent tutorials.

[@ariari28639]

This is an incredibly helpful series, thank you!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

You're very welcome!

[@emrekalis5831]

great video! very useful and well-made grafics

[@ordjk4797]

Wow this is a very in depth video. I’ve never seen such a correlation 😮

[@boriswilsoncreations]

This is one of the best KZbin recommendations that I received so far. I didn't expect I would learn a lot about this today. Thank you :]

[@user-yq9bc5om4b]

На выпускном экзамене в музыкальной школе я играла одно из известных сочинений Шопена. Помню, как мне нравилась именно свобода пальцев рук, и насколько прекрасно звучала музыка. Я тогда не знала про метод Шопена, но сейчас, при просмотре вашего видео, я вспомнила все свои прежние ощущения... Повторюсь, именно в его произведениях ощущается эта свобода и индивидуальность каждого пальца. Больше нигде, ни в одном другом произведении других композиторов, я не смогла почувствовать этой лёгкости и раскрепощенности.

[@kangkyifilion9265]

Very well explained with historical example!

[@vsrajsdb80]

Thanks a lot to U tube as well to this video Sir. Happy day.

[@HelderB]

Absolute and mesmerizing video.

[@jamesomale2913]

I like Chopin; I find this very educational. Thank you.

[@Pastorwalrus]

Can't wait for the next one!! Subscribed!!

[@nevermore3055]

extremely underrated channel!!! this teaches so much!!!

[@mickyfranky]

Very well done. Congratulation. Looking forward to watch your other videos

[@maximilianotula9011]

For us, the musicians, this type of research made by people centuries ago is the key to going forward and also to have better ways to express ourselves.

[@jasonruff1270]

I know the chopin method, but it's just refreshing seeing someone teach it again

[@opp0site]

interesting look into chopin's thoughts! I've never looked at all into his personal life so this was a neat introduction

[@taxondatrack]

A really interesting and enriching video, thank you.

[@kuozhang3769]

very useful content, thanks for the subtitles!

[@arepasexo]

Interesting educational video. Thank You. When i get a piano i follow this learnings

[@seanwar5240]

Perfect video Educational explanation Nice structure Informationally Accurate Super entertaining

[@mushifuwu4327]

It is increadible how much I learned within 10 min of a video, I will make sure to teach this to someone one day.

[@mauser2030]

Amazing! Thanks for this videos

[@dmkingdg4779]

Super insightful, I'm fascinated to find such great information! Keep educating

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you Dmking! Will do!

[@osmiridium]

Fascinating video!

[@sabmat5876]

Thank you for posting such an informative video, loved watching it.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you for watching :)

[@Jackson-lv1wm]

this method changed my life. i’m a self thought pianist and i’ve been playing for three years now. I’ve only ever learned Chopin pieces (and i’ve been told i play them well), I wonder how they’ll sound now that I know this technique!!!

[@ericspianoschool]

This series is amazing keep them coming!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you Eric!

[@cheesyingot7374]

Thanks! This helped a lot! ❤

[@dcmj3798]

Insightful! thankyou!

[@mahditr5023]

Thank you for the info. Very educational

[@cathyd301]

love this channel !! hope you continue posting videos for a long time :)

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you Catherine!

[@trevjr]

Completely fascinating!

[@eenayeah]

Excellent video! Learned a lot!

[@imoapikunnoky]

Tysm! Now i know more about chopin!

[@lucasvasconcelos5705]

Thank you for this video! Very insightful. Although I've learned more about the muscles of my hand, I still can't quite put the knowledge into practice because I'm self-learned and self-learning the piano and music theory but, like you wrote in the disclaimer, I should not try something different due to having backlash. Nonetheless, I thank you for the additional knowledge!

[@jeanpensekoi2953]

´´Hidden´´ secrets from a final boss of classical music player… such an interesting video series. Great job mister. I like this. 👍🏽 🎹🎵

[@italianv1nce18]

Very helpful, thank you

[@pianoforks8607]

Great work , wish to see more of this type of videos ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@thechopinmethod7257]

More to come!

[@lifenist772]

It's very helpful to me. Thank you 😊😊

[@alienrobotcommando]

Loved it! I never thought I'd see anything remotely to this in regards to music. 😊

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Glad you liked it! Cheers!

[@droogtchekhova32]

Thank you! Շնորհակալություն: It's very informative!

[@ifthepianocouldtalk5255]

Thank you for such a remarkable video!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you!

[@TwistedFireX]

This video is just excellent.

[@lunari3r_ryan920]

This was very informative :D

[@beatlessteve1010]

I love the graphic tutorial..very nice job!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you!

[@RhodesyYT]

I am glad to have found this thank you

[@andreschoenfeld]

Wonderful - Thank you 🙏🏻

[@richamaca8144]

VERY INTERESTING! i wish to see more videos on this!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

More to come!

[@viveroz]

Awesome, thank you

[@DeGrale.]

Excellent 👌🏻

[@Marina.Hytovf]

Thank you so much for these lessons.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Thank you!

[@edward-dq7ww]

bro floatin head

[@Roubainx]

Great video!

[@denysdragan7063]

We love your channel! please continue these amazing series!

[@thechopinmethod7257]

We will! Thank Denys!

[@lolsup9817]

Thank you mr floating head. Very insightful!

[@heresy7266]

very informative!

[@mextro5371]

Really fun to watch this as a medical student and hobby pianist.

[@thechopinmethod7257]

Wonderful to hear that Mextro, thank you. More coming!

[@barbarafuglein3918]

Tolle Erklärungsweisen!Damit eröffnet es einem,wie schwer es Anfangs ist und man stetig in Übung bleiben muss.😊Habe ein Keyboard,schon lange nicht mehr benutzt zu üben,aber ich denke,mich reizt es mal wieder zu üben, aufgrund deines Videos.Bin aber nur ein purer Laie,mal schauen,ob meine alten Finger noch beweglich sind😢.

[@wadahabbasher]

Incredible video, merci bcp