Piano Technique (HOW to play)
The Italian pianist Vanessa Benelli Mosell (b 1988) sums up my thoughts here: "Technique is just a way to achieve expression, and sometimes a difficult passage can be solved by thinking about what you are trying to express; they are one thing together." Sometimes I hear younger musicians sneer at any interest in developing a pianistic technique with a comment like "just express your heart". Usually their experience of piano teaching is scanty, if they've done any teaching at all. So "just express your heart" sounds lovely and fuzzy, but I've yet to hear that comment from a pianist who has reached grade 8 or above. My most advanced pupils are also very likely to need no prompting to ask questions regarding how to master difficulties in pieces. Fingering is only one issue: often when I suggest alternative fingering, the improvement is immediate and these pupils are quick to acknowledge the transformation. RSI (repetitive strain injury) is caused by bad practice technique and (if unchecked) can ruin a professional career due to the pain in the arms/back etc.
If your technique is 'bad", you 1) may develop RSI, 2) take longer to master a passage/piece than necessary 3) find some chords/runs/riffs/whole pieces impossible to play.
Footnote: some pupils are just plain stubborn and don't want to admit that they are wrong.....
If your technique is 'bad", you 1) may develop RSI, 2) take longer to master a passage/piece than necessary 3) find some chords/runs/riffs/whole pieces impossible to play.
Footnote: some pupils are just plain stubborn and don't want to admit that they are wrong.....