What is piano technique?
The skills and methods used to play the piano well are called piano technique. Through consistent practice, a pianist learns to master the proper posture, hand and finger coordination, and finger dexterity to perform musically and healthily at the piano. In this article, we will discover some resources that can assist in developing these valuable technical skills.
Is piano technique important?
Practicing good piano technique is vital when it comes to mastering the instrument and producing music that is beautiful and engaging. When a pianist has mastered proper technique, they are able to express their musical ideas effectively and bring out the desired dynamics and nuances within the music. A solid technical foundation provides room for continuing musical growth so that the pianist can learn and perform more challenging repertoire. By learning to play with proper technique, a pianist can also avoid hurting their body while sitting at the piano bench for long periods of time. An improper technique can cause physical problems, such as forward-head posture, headaches, and other issues.
How to improve piano fluency
Focused daily practice is the best way to improve technical fluency at the piano. This practice should include scales, arpeggios, and Hanon exercises, which train hand coordination. Always begin and end by checking to make sure you’re using good piano posture, which means maintaining your body in an optimal position at the piano, and using your arms, hands, and fingers to play the notes on the piano in the correct way. In time, good piano posture will become a well-established habit and feel natural to you as you play.
Another important technique at the piano has to do not with the way you play the notes, but the way you learn the notes. By breaking down the challenging passages within a piece into smaller sections and practicing them at a slow tempo, you can improve your accuracy and build muscle memory. These skills can be used to help learn other pieces too. Each piece you learn makes you a better piano player.
Finding a skilled teacher and using online resources for technical drills are also extremely useful in perfecting proper technical skills at the piano. Read on for access to some online resources!
How do you practice piano techniques? Here are some helpful tips!
One way to develop your technique is to practice with a metronome. If you are unfamiliar with these devices, check out our blog article on the Metronome! You can also watch this video to help you get acquainted with practicing with a metronome.
Using a metronome is helpful for improving your musicality, rhythm, and timing. To practice technique with a metronome, set the metronome to a slow tempo. First, feel the beat of that tempo in your body and then practice the exercise. Make sure to set goals for each practice session, such as: “I want to play every note in sync with the metronome” or “I want my wrist to feel free and not tense.” When you’re ready, speed up. Remember that it will take some time to get used to the metronome, so stay positive and keep trying!
Another important aspect that pianists often forget when playing is to breathe! It might seem silly, since we use our fingers and not our respiratory system to play the piano, but breathing is always important. By breathing steadily and calmly as we play, we calm our body and allow our technique to work best for us. If you notice yourself holding your breath as you play, take some time to breathe without playing before restarting your practice. When you notice the tension leaving your body, resume your technical focus.
Contrary to what you might think, developing each hand’s independence at the piano is really important to playing well with both hands together. This involves practicing scales, arpeggios, and other exercises and drills that focus on strengthening each hand individually. First, play the scale with one hand, and then the other hand. It’s important not to rush to put hands together. Each hand needs time to learn to play on its own. Adding metronome to this practice, practicing slowly, and then speeding up that practice really strengthens the independence and coordination of each hand and builds your confidence.
Piano technique books and exercises
Practicing technique doesn’t have to be difficult. There are lots of books and other resources out there that can help you develop a strong piano technique. For people who get bored with finger exercises, some of these technical exercises are written to sound like beautiful music, such as the exercises in the Streabbog, Schmitt, and Duvernoy books. Check out our list below:
Hoffman Academy Blogs and Videos:
- Finger Skip exercise videos:
- Guide to All Major & Minor Scales, and MORE!
- Major Scales Fingering Guide
- Minor Scales Fingering Guide
For more technical resources for piano, sign up for our Premium membership!
Technical Exercise Books:
- TO BE RELEASED SOON: Hoffman Academy Skill Builders (Alex Isackson/Joseph Hoffman) – For elementary though intermediate pianists.
- A Dozen A Day: Technical Exercises for the Piano (Edna-Mae Burnam) – For elementary through intermediate pianists.
- Junior Hanon (C.L. Hanon) – For elementary/intermediate pianists.
- The Brown Book of Scales: Scales, Chords and Arpeggios for Piano (Frederick Harris Music) – For late-elementary/intermediate pianists.
- Streabbog: Twelve Very Easy and Melodious Studies for the Piano (Jean-Louis Streabbog) – For late-elementary/intermediate pianists.
- Practical Method for Beginners on the Pianoforte (Carl Czerny) – For late-elementary/intermediate pianists.
- Practical Method for Beginners, Op. 190 (Louis Köhler) – For late-elementary/intermediate pianists.
- The First Lessons, Op. 117 (Cornelius Gurlitt) – For late-elementary/intermediate pianists.
- 25 Progressive Pieces, Op. 100 (Johann Friedrich Burgmüller) – For early-intermediate pianists.
- Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist (C.L. Hanon) – For intermediate/advanced pianists.
- Schmitt: Preparatory Exercises for the Piano (Aloys Schmitt) – For intermediate pianists.
- Duvernoy: The School of Mechanism for the Piano (J.B. Duvernoy) – For intermediate pianists.
- Gradus ad Parnassum (Muzio Clementi) – For late-intermediate/advanced pianists.
Make sure to choose resources from this list that correspond with your current skill level and with the areas that you would like to improve upon technically.
We hope you’ve had fun exploring piano technique! Remember, consistent practice, focus on proper hand and body posture, and taking things slowly and a little at a time are key to improving your skills. Fine-tuning your piano technique will not only assist you in playing quicker and more complicated music, but it will also improve your overall musical expression.
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