Fundamentals of Piano Practice

Home Page, Updated Apr. 8, 2008
Copyright 1991-2008: no part of this document shall be reproduced without the name of the author,
Chuan C. Chang

This book is dedicated to my wife, Merry, whose love and boundless energy is what enabled me to devote so much time to this project.

This web site provides free piano lessons, piano teaching material, and piano tuning instructions. You can learn piano up to 1000 times faster (!) compared to other methods (see Chapter One, IV.5). This is the first book ever written on how to practice at the piano. For hundreds of years, many teachers and other books taught you what techniques to acquire, but that is of little use unless you know how to acquire them quickly, as Mozart, Liszt, etc., did. You can download the entire book free using the links below.

Language: German, Polish, Italian, French, Spanish (partial), or Spanish1 (complete), Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese.

General Information:
List of Revision dates for 2006-8. Teachers and students: how to use this book, how to purchase printed book, send donation. I need volunteer translators!.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: the newest (Aug. 28/07) Simple PDF, and MS Word versions are available for free download. This book can be purchased at Amazon.com ($25.25); it is identical to “simple PDF” format above. Some minor typos were corrected in Apr./2008; see General Information above.

This book is written in HTML and is intended to be printed out in sections using the links below.

Testimonials

Trials, tribulations, and successes of pianists; helpful comments from teachers, and readers; see the emails and reviews from readers. (Apr. 8/2008)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abbreviations and Frequently Used Phrases

Preface

An overview of this book and its philosophy: what is in this book and why these practice methods work. (Apr. 8/2008)

CHAPTER ONE: PIANO TECHNIQUE

I. INTRODUCTION

 (Apr. 8/2007)
  1. Objective
  2. What is Piano Technique?
  3. Technique, Music, and Mental Play
  4. Basic Approach, Interpretation, Musical Training, Absolute Pitch

II. BASIC PROCEDURES FOR PIANO PRACTICE

 (Apr. 8/2008)

This section is so long that many people were having difficulties downloading and printing it; therefore, it has been divided into three sections for downloading.

  1. The Practice Routine
  2. Finger Positions
  3. Bench Height and Distance from Piano
  4. Starting a Piece: Listening and Analysis (Fur Elise)
  5. Practice the Most Difficult Sections First
  6. Shortening Difficult Passages: Segmental (Bar-by-Bar) Practice
  7. Hands Separate Practice: Acquiring Technique
  8. Continuity Rule
  9. Chord Attack
  10. Gravity Drop, Chord Practice, and Relaxation
  11. Parallel Sets

    II.12-21, (Apr. 8/2008)
  12. Learning, Memorizing, Mental Play
  13. Velocity, Choice of Practice Speed
  14. How to Relax
  15. Post Practice Improvement (PPI)
  16. Dangers of Slow Play - Pitfalls of the Intuitive Method
  17. Importance of Slow Play
  18. Fingering
  19. Accurate Tempo and the Metronome
  20. Weak Left Hand; Using One Hand to Teach the Other
  21. Building Endurance, Breathing

    II.22-26, (Apr. 8/2008)
  22. Bad Habits: A Pianist's Worst Enemy
  23. Damper Pedal
  24. Soft Pedal, Hammer Voicing and Physics of the Piano Sound
  25. Hands Together and Mental Play
    1. Beethoven’s Moonlight, 1st Movement
    2. Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca from Sonata K300(331)
    3. Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu Op.66, Fast Play Degradation (FPD)
  26. Summary

III. SELECTED TOPICS IN PIANO PRACTICE

(July 19/2007, sections 1-4)

  1. Tone, Rhythm, Legato, Staccato
    1. What is Good Tone?
      1. The Basic Keystroke, Pianissimo, Fortissimo
      2. Tone: Single versus Multiple Notes
    2. What is Rhythm? (Beethoven's Tempest, Op.31, #2, Appassionata, Op. 57)
    3. Legato, Staccato
  2. Cycling (Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu)
  3. Trills & Tremolos
    1. Trills
    2. Tremolos (Beethoven's Pathetique, 1st Mvmnt)
  4. Hand, Finger, Body Motions for Technique
    1. Hand Motions: Pronation, Supination, Thrust, Pull, Claw, Throw, Flick, Wrist
    2. Playing with Flat Fingers (FFP, Spider, Pyramid Positions)
    3. Body Motions
  5. Playing Fast: Scales, Arpeggios and Chromatic Scales (Apr. 8/2008)
    (Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu, Beethoven's Moonlight, 3rd Movement)
    1. Scales: Thumb Under, Thumb Over
    2. The TO Motion, Explanation and Video
    3. Practicing TO: Speed, Glissando Motion
    4. Scales: Origin, Nomenclature, and Fingerings
    5. Arpeggios (Chopin’s FI, Cartwheel Motion, Finger Splits)
    6. Thrust and Pull, Beethoven's Moonlight, 3rd Movement
    7. Thumb: the Most Versatile Finger
    8. Fast Chromatic Scales
  6. Memorizing (Apr. 8/2008)
    1. Why Memorize?
    2. Who can, What to, and When to, Memorize
    3. Memorizing and Maintenance
    4. Hand Memory
    5. Starting the Memorizing Process
    6. Reinforcing the Memory
    7. Practicing Cold
    8. Slow Play
    9. Mental Timing
    10. Establishing Permanent Memory -- Mental Play
      1. Music Memory
      2. Photographic Memory
      3. Keyboard Memory -- Mental Play
      4. Theoretical Memory
    11. Maintenance
    12. Sight Readers versus Memorizers: Learning Bach's Inventions
      1. Inventions #1, #8, #13
      2. Quiet Hands
      3. Sinfonia #15
    13. Human Memory Function; Music = Memory Algorithm
    14. How to Become a Good Memorizer
    15. Summary
  7. Exercises (Aug. 5/2007)
    1. Introduction: Intrinsic, Limbering, and Conditioning Exercises
      1. Fast versus Slow Muscles
    2. Parallel Set Exercises for Intrinsic Technical Development
    3. How To Use The Parallel Set Exercises (Beethoven’s Appassionata, 3rd Movement)
    4. Scales, Arpeggios, Finger Independence and Finger Lifting Exercises
    5. Playing (Wide) Chords, Finger/Palm Spreading Exercises
    6. Practicing Jumps
    7. Stretching and Other Exercises
    8. Problems with Hanon Exercises
    9. Practicing for Speed
      1. Speed Stroke, Relaxation
      2. Other Speed Methods
      3. Speed Walls
    (Sections 8-15) (Aug.18/2007)
  8. Outlining (Beethoven's Sonata #1, Op.2, #1)
  9. Polishing a Piece - Eliminating Flubs
  10. Cold Hands, Slippery (Dry/Sweaty) Fingers, Illness, Injury (Carpal Tunnel), Ear Damage (Tinnitus)
  11. Sight Reading
  12. Learning Relative Pitch and Absolute Pitch (Sight Singing, Composing)
  13. Video Recording and Audio Recording Your Own Playing
  14. Preparing for Performances and Recitals
    1. Benefits and Pitfalls of Performances/Recitals
    2. Basics of Flawless Performances
    3. Practicing for Performances
    4. Practicing Musically
    5. Casual Performances
    6. Performance Preparation Routines
    7. During the Recital
    8. That Unfamiliar Piano
    9. After the Recital
  15. Origin and Control of Nervousness
    (Sections 16-22) (Aug. 18/2007)
  16. Teaching
    1. Types of Teachers
    2. Teaching Youngsters, Parental Involvement
    3. Memorizing, Reading, Theory, Mental Play, Absolute Pitch
    4. Some Elements of Piano Lessons – Performance Skills
    5. Why the Greatest Pianists Could Not Teach
  17. Uprights, Grands, & Electronics; Purchasing and Care
    1. Grands, Uprights, or Electronics?
    2. Electronic Pianos
    3. Uprights
    4. Grands
    5. Purchasing an Acoustic Piano
    6. Piano Care
  18. How to Start Learning Piano: Youngest Children to Old Adults
    1. Do You Need a Teacher?
    2. Starter Books and Keyboards
    3. Beginners: Age 0 to 65+
  19. The “Ideal” Practice Routine (Bach’s Teachings and Invention #4)
    1. Learning the Rules
    2. Routine for Learning a New Piece
    3. “Normal” Practice Routines and Bach’s Teachings
  20. Bach: the Greatest Composer and Teacher (15 Inventions and their Parallel Sets)
  21. The Psychology of Piano
  22. Summary of Method

IV. MUSIC, MATHEMATICS, AND RESEARCH

(Aug. 24/2007; sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 6)

  1. Can We All be Mozarts?
  2. Scientific Approach to Piano Practice
    1. The Scientific Method
    2. Principles of Learning
  3. Why Is Intuition So Often Wrong?
  4. Mozart's Formula, Beethoven and Group Theory (Aug. 24/2007)
    1. Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Sonata K300(331)
    2. Beethoven: 5th Symphony, Appassionata, Waldstein
  5. Learning Rate Calculation (1000 Times Faster!)
  6. Future Research Topics
    1. Momentum Theory of Piano Playing
    2. The Physiology of Technique
    3. Brain Research, Using the Subconscious
    4. The Future of Piano
    5. The Future of Education

V. JAZZ, FAKE BOOKS, AND IMPROVISATION

(July 8/2007)

CHAPTER TWO: TUNING YOUR PIANO

(July 28/2007)

  1. Introduction
  2. Chromatic Scale and Temperament
    1. Mathematics of the Chromatic Scale and Intervals
    2. Temperaments, Music, and the Circle of Fifths
    3. Pythagorean, Meantone, Equal, and “Well” Temperaments
  3. Tuning Tools
  4. Preparation
  5. Getting Started
    1. Engaging and Manipulating the Tuning Lever
    2. Setting the Pin
    3. Tuning Unisons
    4. Sympathetic Vibrations
    5. Making that Final Infinitesimal Motion
    6. Equalizing String Tensions
    7. Rocking It in the Treble
    8. Rumblings in the Bass
    9. Harmonic Tuning
    10. What is Stretch?
    11. Precision, Precision, Precision
  6. Tuning Procedures and Temperament
    1. Tuning the Piano to the Tuning Fork
    2. Kirnberger II
    3. Equal Temperament
  7. Making Minor Repairs (Voicing and Polishing the Capstans)
    1. Hammer Voicing
    2. Polishing the Capstans

REFERENCES

(July 19/2007)

References

Book/Video Reviews

General Conclusions from the Reviewed Books
Reviewed Books: Classical Music
Reviewed Books: Jazz, Fake Books, and Improvisation
Reviewed Videos

Web Sites, Books, Videos

General
Sites with Free Sheet Music, other Goodies
Piano Instruction (Classical), Teachers, Schools
Books Not Referenced Above, by title
Piano Technology, Tuning, Parts, Manufacturers
Injury from Piano Practice
Jazz, Chords, Theory, Instruction (Popular Music)
Sheet Music, Video, CD, Book, Stores

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I was born in Taiwan in 1938, grew up in Japan (1945-1958), started piano lessons in 1949, and moved to the U.S. in 1958; received a BS degree in Physics from RPI in Troy, NY, and PhD in Physics from Cornell Univ. in 1967. Worked in analytical research until 1998, mostly at Bell Labs, NJ. The writing of this book originated in an incident in 1978 when I took one of our two daughters to her piano lesson with Mlle. Yvonne Combe. Little did I know that it would change my life, a once in a lifetime experience. After a few years of lessons, our daughters were progressing at unbelievable speed, which my wife and I attributed (mistakenly) to their exceptional musical talent. During this lesson, the teacher took out a frayed book with all the lesson pieces arranged according to difficulty, for choosing a new piece to study. Mlle. Combe said, “Choose whatever you want!!!”, and my daughter looked all over the book for what she might like. I couldn't help interfering to ask “Shouldn't she stay within her level of difficulty?” The teacher smiled knowingly with my daughter and answered “Difficulty isn't our problem, is it?” I was so impressed by the implications of what she said that I decided to investigate this teaching method. It took me about 15 years of (part time) research to realize that most teachers do not teach practice methods. I wrote the First Edition book in 1994, and this final book is a product of another 10 years of research.

I taught myself to tune the piano by reading books because, as a married student living on a research stipend and my wife’s baby-sitting income, I did not have the money to pay a piano tuner to keep my piano always in tune. Since neither my wife nor I had absolute pitch, I must attribute our daughters' accurate absolute pitch to the fact that our piano was in tune since their birth.

If you feel that you have benefited from this book and wish to express your appreciation, please send a contribution to:
C. C. Chang, 16212 Turnbury Oak Dr., Odessa, FL 33556, USA.
You can use Paypal; those who download the non-English versions should send their donations to the translator.

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