Topic: Books on piano technique (to compensate for teacher...)

Can anyone recommend books on piano technique, to compensate for a teacher who says things like "oh, it looks fine" when I ask for details on arpeggios or whatever?

Oh, I do know about YouTube.  I am specifically looking for books with which people have had actual experience.

Edit, partly for most recent post:  The exchange about my arpeggios went like this:  me:  they hurt, please look. them: they are fine, you might be sore because you are building muscle.  Me:  I know the difference between exercise and bad movement pain, please look again.  them:  Oh, you should change this that and the other thing.  If my arpeggios were fine (unlikely at ABRSM grade 1 anyway), then why change when you actually bother to look? Probably the best pianist in the county, or one of them, but ...

Thanks!

Last edited by wws (03-09-2023 03:33)

Re: Books on piano technique (to compensate for teacher...)

I have read some books, there are some contradicting points among them, the three I most liked were the following:
*The art of piano playing, by George Kochevitsky
*Piano playing, motion and expression, by Gyorgy Sandor
*Mastering piano technique, by Seymour Fink (I believe this one included a DVD)
*Hanbook of Piano Playing, by Eric Hope


Also, I watched the videos of the Taubman approach (which were available in YT at the time (I found this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP1nofz...Institute,  idk if the complete series is still online)

I don't know at what level you are, in my experience, these books/videos did not improve my technique in any way, but gave me comprehension on why we players do some things instinctively. I find very interesting the Kochevitsky's book, it is the less technical of the three but reviews the evolution of piano technique. Also, even though the Taubman approach is very interesting, I find it quite arbitrary and dogmatic (don't get me wrong, I'm being also abritrary and dogmatic saying this..., but when someone is too confident on a method without explaining the reasons, I find it a bit suspicious).
Last, but not least, I suggest you to read the following books (which don't deal with technique very much, but are very interesting):
*Piano Technique, by Karl Leimer & Walter Gieseking (I consider the first half a 'must read')
*The Art of Piano Playing, by Heinrich Neuhaus

Much of these books are very old, but in any case I hope they help you.
Kind regards,
Marcos

Edit: may be you are doing things just right, and your teacher is doing the right thing when he or she says that everything is fine.

Last edited by marcos daniel (03-09-2023 02:23)

Re: Books on piano technique (to compensate for teacher...)

While this quite presumptuous on my part, I'm concerned about any teacher who says "it looks fine" as the point of piano playing is how it sounds.  There are a variety of ways to achieve a particular sound from a technical standpoint.  While I too grant that pain can be a function of building muscles and skill, I don't at all believe that piano playing--particularly if you've been doing it for some time, should be painful.

Without seeing a video of your playing or knowing what score you're trying to learn, it's somewhat difficult to make a recommendation.  Also, technique guides--either written or visual--will only show one perspective or "school" of technique.  For example, the German, French, and Old Russian schools involve entirely different hand postures and wrist positions.  (Horowitz and his famous "flat finger" technique is typical of the Old Russian school, but as a rule, most of us who still play in that fashion focus on having the pads of the fingers strike the keys while not necessarily raising our knuckles as high as he did.)  French and German styles, particularly the German, tend towards a much higher angle of attack with the finger pointed down into the key (thus supported by the bone) for a sharper or harsher sound when the key is pressed.

While any of the schools are going to be generalizations and without more information, I'd recommend looking at your hands and determining what your greatest strengths and weaknesses are physiologically.  From there, you can determine what about your hands you can favor or not as you play, avoiding strange habits of course (one concert pianist got into the terrible habit of 1+3 octaves which is a horribly dangerous idea).  See if there's a way to play that better fits your hand size, shape, and strengths.

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Re: Books on piano technique (to compensate for teacher...)

What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body

Re: Books on piano technique (to compensate for teacher...)

'Playing through the pain' is definitely not worth it. The longer you persist, the more you put yourself at risk of not being able to play at all. If you are getting pain when attempting something as basic as a Gr1 arpeggio, there is something fundamentally wrong which needs to be thoroughly investigated. Your teacher should be encouraging and helping you to keep your hand relaxed and flexible so that it doesn't hurt. 'Oh, it looks fine' just doesn't cut it. Time to move on? I would say so, but it's your decision to make.

Re: Books on piano technique (to compensate for teacher...)

Books by Alan Fraser:
http://www.alanfraserinstitute.com/natu...-piano.php

And also DVD:
http://www.alanfraserinstitute.com/craf...no-dvd.php

Basic ideas of understanding traditional "finger action school" vs. more modern "arm weight school" and problems of each. And the better understanding of anatomy and function of fingers, hand, arm, torso etc. and then examining how pianist can have best of both schools.

Re: Books on piano technique (to compensate for teacher...)

Ecaroh wrote:

Books by Alan Fraser:
http://www.alanfraserinstitute.com/natu...-piano.php

And also DVD:
http://www.alanfraserinstitute.com/craf...no-dvd.php

Basic ideas of understanding traditional "finger action school" vs. more modern "arm weight school" and problems of each. And the better understanding of anatomy and function of fingers, hand, arm, torso etc. and then examining how pianist can have best of both schools.

I didn't know about these, they look really good and worth serious consideration.