Play Octaves Faster With Ease: Piano Technique Tutorial | Kate Boyd The Piano Prof [1/2]

[@yusefandersen]

I took your good idea to relax between octaves to heart - now I eat a snack, have a little smoke, or even a cat nap between octaves....and it works! Never, never do have any more tension 🙃 thank you! (just joking)

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

That's perfect! It might now take you 90 minutes to get through a 2-bar octave passage, but hey - at least you're not tense! (You're welcome!) 😂🤣😂

[@videray6812]

Amazing, just amazing! I landed on your channel while searching for help playing octave passages at tempo. Your tips and explanations and demonstrations in parts 1 and 2 are so on-point that I experienced immediate improvement. These many tools you’ve shared will serve well as they’re applied over and over in the future. Thank you! BTW, I would never have thought about choreographing a passage, and it worked.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thank you! I am so glad to hear it's helpful!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

To watch the second video in this 2-part series, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIWkaWpqpbBnp6c

[@billligon4005]

Wow. This is just what I needed to play my pieces. No one ever mentioned this information to me. Thank you. Thank You. thank you.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

You're very welcome!

[@stephanierend1261]

Fantastic video, once again! Although octaves such as those are not yet present in my repertoire, I have been struggling with playing octave notes in sequence. I don't know the name for this, but what I mean is going repeatedly from F5 to F4, for example. The issue of a tense steady hand definitely happens in this situation. Can't wait for the next video on this topic! If I may give you a suggestion relayed to KZbin, short format videos have been doing a great job of expanding the reach of creators, maybe you could benefit from adding more of those :D

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks so much for your suggestion! I decided to experiment with short-form video, chronicling my preparation for upcoming performances. Regarding your question, do you mean leaping octaves, or are you referring to broken octaves? If you are talking about leaping octaves, I think the key is to focus on releasing in the direction of the next octave. If you're talking about broken octaves, often I think the issue revolves around thumb tension, and rotation is essential. Hope this helps!

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

How play octaves on the piano (from the arm and from the wrist): kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2nUXnaNdpihn9U

[@beverleyturney9207]

Hello from Canada Love your explanations Thank you🎶🎹🎶

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks so much - glad you're here! Happy practicing! 😊🎹🎶

[@BalatonDreamer]

A common source of hand fatigue for me is other activities such as grip-intensive yard work or exercise. My hands can get quite tired or sore, enough that it's noticeable as I practice piano. I try to practice through that kind of fatigue, though I don't know if that's a good idea. I do take it easy at those times, working on piano activities that are less physically demanding, or slowing down and practicing for precision rather than speed. I’m strictly a hobbyist on the piano, so I don’t have the need or luxury of taking care of my hands like some people might.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Fellow gardener here - I can totally relate. Also, carrying heavy grocery bags from their handles puts pressure on my hands/wrists. In addition to not doing one activity for too long, for me what works is separating those activities from each other in terms of time; i.e., waiting until after my piano practice to weed the garden or transplant that shrub.

[@gorbeenatter]

I always found just playing the first note then 2 then 3 then 4 etc each time returning to the start is helpful somehow for octaves I don’t know why but it just helps. Obviously large sections have to be broken up into groups

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Definitely a helpful practice technique!

[@josephinebrown6631]

Thank you kindly🤍

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

You're very welcome!

[@user9-9-9-9-9]

what if the octave section is legato and I can't let go or relax in between notes?

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Release the thumb and don't keep it tight even though you are connecting the notes. If the octave passage requires stretches that exceed an octave between 5 and 1, use the arm to help move the thumb into place and avoid straining/reaching with the thumb.