FROM LEFT AND RIGHT Body position and exercises

FROM LEFT AND RIGHT 

Body position and exercises

«When playing the piano, acquire the same relaxing feeling as when lying on the surface of the sea».

1. When studying the piano or when about to perform in a concert, it is best to sit on the front part of the piano stool, so as to stabilise body position by placing weight on your feet.

2. Your feet should always face forwards (even when studying, to avoid the danger of any other position becoming a habit and an addiction), and should be slightly open.

3. As the danger of losing body balance always exists when playing very high or low notes, it is best to sit close to the piano -not too close, howeverso as to maintain this balance. A. Exercises for the shoulders

4. Raise your shoulders up high and allow them to come down freely.

5. Having your head facing downwards, bend forwards; raise your hands upwards, allowing them to freely come down again (do this at least five times).

6. Stand upright, raise your hands and again allow them to freely come down (repeat this at least five times), so as to form a circular motion.

7. Stand upright, close your eyes and allow yourself to be carried away by a feeling of upward lift. When this is achieved, the body shall take its proper position. B. Exercises for the hand

8. Bend your hand upwards, aim at a note and allow it to come down freely.

9. From a high position play various staccato chords, abruptly raising your hand. Several pianists often employ this method as a means for showing off.

10. Weight lifting or sports such as tennis etc., does your hands great damage. C. The wrist

11. Depending on the piece to be performed (its speed, era or composer, whether it is rhythmical or melodic), movement of the wrist can be in the right or left direction, upwards or downwards. D. Exercises for the fingers

12. Lightly, without exercising any force, place your fingers on the piano or on the table; then, move your fingers one by one, or two by two in the upward or downward direction.

13. Place your fingers, one by one, on the table and press them until a sense of contact and depth is created.

14. The fingers must be very close to the keys so as to be able to control the sound; there are, of course, exceptions to this rule. When about to perform a piece of high complexity and extreme speed, it is a must for all fingers to be positioned very close to the piano, if possibly adjoining to it. The reason that all fingers should be touching the keys is so that they can be extremely ready to immediately perform anything, however difficult this may be. We must first, however, train our fingers to correctly articulate the various sounds.