How to Achieve a Beautiful Touch at the Piano

[@VincentBuonora]

I’m a beginner but I can definitely see the wrist action for softening the touch. Makes a big difference. Thank you for this excellent video❤

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much, Vincent!🎹

[@BillHilton]

I've just discovered your channel after getting your Bach/sports video recommended, Penny. You really have some exceptional stuff here and deserve far more views and subscribers! I'm often asked about some of the issues you're discussing here, but I have a congenital problem in my arm whereby my wrists are fused - I literally have zero rotation, which is one of the things that moved me away from classical playing (which I still love, you just wouldn't want to hear me...) to improvisatory styles. Anyhow, I always have to tell people what to do in a "do what I say, for goodness sake don't do what I do kind of way", and from the perspective of someone who doesn't have, and never has had, the same kind of arms that normal people have. In future I'll be sending people here!

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much, Bill!!😀I really appreciate your kind words and support! Relating piano-playing to sports is an avenue I hope to continue exploring!

[@pablobear4241]

This channel teaches the right things! Better than Conservatory Teachers! Better than toneBase! BRAVOO

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much! I really think tone quality at the piano deserves more attention, especially in this, our noisy day and age! 🎹❤

[@pablobear4241]

@@pennyplaysbach Rosina L. would say that's why modern pianists can't play as well as old ones haha, everyone has the noise of the cars and machines in their minds. Not the sounds of nature, and the views of beautiful baroque designs on all the furniture, and chandeliers above everywhere! Awesome choice of book BTW. My teacher studied with Madame Lhevinne, and Nikolayeva. She's super inspiring, but, more Goldenweiser school IMO than Lhevinne. Best books 1. Art of Piano by Neuhaus 2. Josef Hoffman's book on piano playing and 2.0 Josef Lhevinnes books 3. Christopher Barnes book on Russian School! HM: Sandor's book on piano tehcnique

[@pennyplaysbach]

@@pablobear4241 Ah yes, I recall writing down that quote from Rosina Lhevinne a while back. 💚Thanks for the book recommendations. I have Hofmann’s but not the others. I love books! 📚

[@pablobear4241]

@@pennyplaysbach me too! You should read art of piano by Neuhaus multiple times, and make videos on it. It’s really needed. It’s such an important book that’s super deep on so many levels.

[@tiggykatz8707]

Beautiful!👏👏👏I am in heaven. You remind me of my teacher and uni teacher:). They both also loved Bach and Rach. Thank you Penny.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much, Tiggy!☺

[@DeadBird-wp9of]

Just watched something about a microphone stand (which I don't buy), but your hints are pure gold for me as a bass guitar player - the last interesting video about music practice was from Graham Fitch (Steinway) about Rubato. Thank you for being such an outstanding teacher. Of course I learned from Jim Stinnett (he died 2021) - key info.: Practice and learn to master your mechanisms - with this in mind I play way better and be on time with the notes. It is always joy to learn something - especially music related. Greetings from Berlin, Germany.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much!🎵I really appreciate hearing from a non-pianist, and it's great to hear that the video was helpful. I love a good bass line and would very much enjoy learning to play bass guitar. With Bach, I get my bass kicks from my left hand.😅Happy practicing to you and best wishes from Canada!

[@Stigggs]

Very helpful tips and explanations. The analogies are perfect, practical and instructive. Thank you.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much! I like making analogies at the piano!🎵

[@HappyS4]

Many thanks Penny for your video: Extremly interesting and clear . It seems simple whereas it's not . Very usefull. You seem to be a excellent piano teacher.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you very much!!💙

[@aluisaac]

thank you very much for show the true secrets of the piano thecnique. thank you by hearth

[@pennyplaysbach]

I'm glad to know that it was helpful.😀Thank you so much!

[@stephaniecheng8483]

😊Thank you for your sharing by heart. Love it🫶🏻 When you really like playing the piano, you will really want to learn how to play it. Just like learning body massage, pay attention to every detail of the movements and the right posture.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Oh yes, that’s exactly it, when you love something you want to give it your all! Thank you so much, Stephanie!😀

[@rishikesh6791]

As someone getting back into playing after a long(ish) break, these tips are super useful! Thank you :)

[@pennyplaysbach]

That's excellent to hear! Thank you, Rishikesh!🎹

[@roseanneeklund9627]

So informative Penny! I loved watching your techniques so much!!

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you, Roseanne!😀 If the piano wasn't so big and awkward, I'd put a front-facing camera to show these things. Sitting simply on a chair facing the camera was the next best thing I could think of to show what the arms are doing. Lots going on at the instrument!

[@Vic9994546]

My teacher studied with Levine and Leonard shure he always told me how very passionate and “intense” they were let’s say haha they are known for many pianist quitting after studying with them because of the strict nature of their teaching style and very direct feedback. So amazing you mention these guys I took many notes on their technique and interpretation and phrasing methods my teacher taught me. There’s even a special way my teacher taught me to analyze phrases that’s the unique method and technique of Shure that he learned from his teacher and so on. It’s a ,ox of Roman numerals for the large phrase overall and then writing next to it the subdivision of the phrase such as 2+2+4 for one which shows the phrase and it’s contour and the larger macrocosm of the Roman numeral helps get the micro and macrocosm relationship balance in pieces I use it all the time for all my pieces and it is an art in itself and allows me to be blue to phrase and make decisions about structuring and scale and dynamics and especially perspective I’m still getting better at it as I’m not quite perfect at it yet I’m working to get stronger at analysis this year

[@pennyplaysbach]

Artistry really comes down to details. It sounds as though you had some very excellent training! 🎹

[@Juscz]

Excellent explanation of fundsmental piano technique and thank you for sharing, Penny.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you, John!

[@fitness.systems]

Terrific video Penny. This is extraordinary....no question !

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you, Gary! These were concepts I felt were very important to share.🥰

[@DailyBach]

Great stuff, Penny! Your content is criminally under-viewed.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much!💙

[@Corpsebean]

Thank you for putting out this content!

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you for watching!

[@MM-bg7in]

Love the help with technique. BTW I was at Eastman for another instrument in the 90’s and sold Steinway pianos in the Midwest for seven years, even went to the NY factory several times, Hamburg factory and London showroom.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you!!😀 That’s cool you were at Eastman. I was there from 1997-2003 and worked at Steinway Hall in 2007. I loved seeing the NY factory, I even cried when I saw the famous rim bending procedure!😅

[@MM-bg7in]

@@pennyplaysbach I was there in ‘94-95. For Steinway, it really doesn’t seem possible that a piano can be made they way they do it. Ron Losby was our regional manager at the time to the dealership. It was great to see him do so well and no surprise. Such a talented group of people top to bottom.

[@julekpaszko5322]

Hello! I appreciate your perseverance in both finding time to practice and to make such detailed videos. I am a musician as well and, just as you, I love Bach's music. I have a question for you: do you have some analysis videose for contapunctal pieces? If not, could you/are you planning to do some? I am asking because I am planning to teach myself ,,sections" of music, especially counterpoint (I hope in the future I will find a good counterpoint teacher) and would like to know how to for example write a fugue or an other contapunctal form. I hope you will have enough patience to read such a long comment haha😅 and look forward to hear from you!

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you, Julek!🎹 It is indeed a real challenge maintaining my practicing, while making tutorials!!😮‍💨 As my training (and passion) is in piano performance, my theory/counterpoint skills, therefore, are modest and in no way do I feel well enough equipped to put out a tutorial on how to write a Fugue. I am trying to learn more about these various aspects of the music and hope to include more related-info within the practice/performance-themed content. I suppose my advice then, would be, as the lyrics in Glenn Gould's "So You Want to Write a Fugue" go: "The only way to write one, is to plunge right in and write one!"😀 Happy studying/practicing to you!

[@julekpaszko5322]

@@pennyplaysbach thank you for your motivational words. I think you are a very talented pianist and a humble person.🙂

[@nagahatah]

This is a great video! It would be so helpful for piano learners, and also for teachers who are trying to help students. Wonderful explanations and very through!

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!!💚🎹

[@elsondeo]

Hi Penny. I am enjoying your productions tremendously. I'd like to pose a counter argument to this idea of "continuous application of pressure" after the key is struck. I know this idea holds wide sway, but the problem with its application is twofold: 1) Pressing the key harder than what is required to key the damper felt up does not contribute meaningfully to the tone of the held note. 2) Engaging too much nervous energy/muscle contraction on that held note interferes with the freedom of the other fingers of that hand, which have their own duties to fulfill in polyphonic playing. Here's Heinrich Neuhaus, Chapter 4 of his "Art of Piano Playing", translation by KA Leibovitch: "The finger...must cling to the key, yet it should be understood that this does not require either much pressure or much force, but only as much weight as is necessary to hold the key down...." Thanks for reading and best wishes.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you for your feedback! Continuous pressure on the keys after having been struck, is a subtle technique and should be used in conjunction with a loose, relaxed arm. It is meant to be applied to long, melodic notes, as a way of making them sing/ring/project. This technique was something that my teacher, Constance Keene, passed on to me. She was a tremendous pianist!! Rachmaninoff also used this technique. I suppose then, that the proof is in the pudding (i.e. the actual performance) and if we like what we heard, then we naturally want to unravel how the player did it. That is the case for me when I heard many of the pianists from the early days of recording. In the end, the player must do what feels and sounds right to them!🎹

[@elsondeo]

Thank you for taking time to elaborate.

[@MM-bg7in]

OMG what a difference in tone. Sadly I’m like the first example. 😅

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you so much! It comes down to many years of obsessive practice and listening to great recordings trying to figure out “how did they do it?” A lifelong quest to figure it out, for sure!🎹💚

[@elmasgun4313]

It sounds bad because you suddenly drop the sound at 7"50'. I think it is different because the movement you showed afterwards affected the ending of the sound, not the creation of the sound. Because in the second one, you do not release the keys with a vertical and sudden movement and the sound ends more softly.

[@pennyplaysbach]

Thank you for the feedback. For me, the drop from above the key has as much to do with the quality of sound as does the release off of the key. One relaxed and fluid gesture is what I aim for. Of course, there is no one correct way of playing the piano. Everyone must do what works best for them.

[@dunnkruger8825]

Dear Penny, How would a “Chopin” method differ? Tom S On the U.P. Border

[@pennyplaysbach]

Offhand, I don’t have a well researched answer.

[@pennyplaysbach]

I recall there being some clues to your question in Alfred Cortot’s book on Chopin. I just haven’t read it recently.

[@wn3408]

So in a video dedicated to teaching "beautiful touch ", you speak for 40 minutes and only 2 minutes for actual "touch"🙄hahahaha

[@pennyplaysbach]

There are plenty of performance videos up on my channel for folks to peruse.