That's a very helpful point about full scales versus pentascales. I'm returning to playing after a long hiatus and actually found the pentascales you recommend more demanding on finger strength than full scales. Thanks for a wonderful tip.
A great way to improve mobility of the 4th and 5th fingers is to play chromatic scales using mostly those fingers. Take a chromatic scale that starts on C. C would be played with the 5, the C# with the 3, D with 4, Eb with 3, E with 4, F with 5. A great example of this is Chopin's etude in A minor "chromatic", you don't have to learn the whole piece but maybe a few bars and lines to work on "lazy finger syndrome" that so many of us have.
Anyway you could do a featurette on your cat? or maybe it could do more cameos? I saw the video of training your cat to play and I tried to do the same thing with my pet rabbit but it kept going to the bathroom on the keys so I don't do that anymore.
Hey pianoTV, great video. But I have a question, how do I go down/up the keyboard very quickly? (Playing the notes) I've been using the back of my thumb (Nail) it hurts a little but it does the job. I was wondering if there is a specific way to do so. Thanks.
My comment won't be a question, just a kind of recommendation. But please, read it. I'm 19 and I started taking piano lessons last year. In a few weeks I have to perform in front of audience, and I'm extremely nervous about that, even though it's the third time I will play in front of many people. My first two performances were kinda awful... I had mastered my pieces, I was playing great every single time, I was feeling ready to play perfectly, but still, at the concert my hands were shaking and I screwed up, both times :( And I disappointed my teacher... Many people love playing music at concerts, and when I ask them how they get rid of anxiety, all they say is "when I'm on stage, it's just me and the piano". I can't understand them! It would mean the world to me, and maybe to many of your subscribers too, if you could make a video discussing about that topic, "stage fear". How do you cope with that kind of anxiety? Any tips for overcoming stage fear? I bet many musicians out there have the same problem as me, and a video about that could give you more subs :) Please, at least reply to me. I love you, you are amazing
I really, really need to do a video about this - you're not the first to request it, and I have the same struggles as well. I'm going to make it a goal in the near future to do some reading on the topic, because this is an area of music I don't know much about. Thanks!
I have struggled with the same problem throughout my life and it lead me to a broader awareness of the human condition. I'll keep it simple just to mention the sources of information & practices that have so far helped me address & understand the problem the most clearly (in no particular order): 'The Inner Game Of Music' by Timothy Gallwey. 'Instant Confidence' by Paul McKenna - important visualisation techniques (developed through NLP methods) & the hypnotherapy CD included is more effective than I initially considered. 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield - very snappy, uncluttered book that succinctly addresses many angles from which these problems manifest. It saves a lot of time in highlighting the areas that we need to find leverage on. 'Guilt, Shame & Anxiety' by Peter Breggin - a beautifully written study into all aspects of human nature & these 'gumption traps' (rf: Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance). Wim Hof breathing method (sources online) - probably ties in with Alexander techniques in pre-empting the phantom of nervous energy, taking control of the physiological effects of anxiety, and to awaken, harness & live by our natural strengths in day to day life. I hope this proves useful to anyone seeking some answers. I love your videos by the way! :-)
I have a question about fingerings. I mentioned before that I have large hands. I'm currently trying to learn the Minuet in G, BWV Anhang 116. I'm having some real difficulty with the left hand. Every book I have shows a fingering of 5-4-2... as in 5 on the low G, 4 on the B, and 2 on the D. But this feels completely unnatural to me. I am having extreme difficulty playing the G to D going from 5 to 4. It just feels wrong and my hand doesn't like to be in this position. If I switch it to 5-3-2, I can play it with no problems. And I still have plenty of left over space to reach my thumb up to the higher octave. So, my question is, is this ok to do? Are these fingerings merely suggestions that aren't to be taken 100% literally? Or, is this a "learning piece" with the goal being to force the hand into a particular configuration with the intended purpose of training the muscle and building up the strength and flexibility to do it with ease and comfort? Since my hands are so big, I have no problem reaching the full octave, and I'm just wondering if it's ok to modify the fingerings in certain situations if it is more comfortable and "natural" to do so.
Charles Laine Fingerings are merely suggestions. It's up to you to choose if you want to follow them or create a better fingering. The purpose of 5-4-2-1 is to strengthen your ring finger, which is one of the weakest fingers. It's also another way to practice having space between your 5th and 4th finger. In the music world, it's what most musicians prefer and find it helpful to gain independence in their ring finger. 5-3-2-1 is fine but I would suggest 5-4-2-1 because that would help build independence in your 4th finger.
i have a question : i have a problem with my fifth finger in the right hand,because it looks the hole time flying und goes up saparated from the other fingers..it becomes a big problem by playing scales.. can u tell me what to do to avoid this ,,flying pinkie" ? Thank u very much :)
Joseph 1 That's actually pretty normal if you have pieces with octaves and small/ normal sized hands because you develop natural stretches in your fingers to be able to reach longer intervals. It's perfectly fine and should only cause problems if... You know... Your pinky stops moving and feels numb.
Possibly, if what you're playing is really fast or challenging. If you're just playing super basic stuff/not playing fast, then it's likely a posture problem. As long as it's not a pinching pain, I would just take a break for a few minutes and try again, or ease up a bit.
My internet died during processing. That's a weird bug, because all the text was updated before it went live. Did the same thing on Twitter too. UA-cam is weird
Also the Tsunami feast video is up on Patreon for those of you that have been waiting for it!
www.patreon.com/posts/tsunamis-super-7770252
That's a very helpful point about full scales versus pentascales. I'm returning to playing after a long hiatus and actually found the pentascales you recommend more demanding on finger strength than full scales. Thanks for a wonderful tip.
A great way to improve mobility of the 4th and 5th fingers is to play chromatic scales using mostly those fingers.
Take a chromatic scale that starts on C. C would be played with the 5, the C# with the 3, D with 4, Eb with 3, E with 4, F with 5.
A great example of this is Chopin's etude in A minor "chromatic", you don't have to learn the whole piece but maybe a few bars and lines to work on "lazy finger syndrome" that so many of us have.
I hope that someday you will do a video about getting clean pedal technique. I have a problem in that sometimes mine is a bit muddy.
Good idea!
Anyway you could do a featurette on your cat? or maybe it could do more cameos? I saw the video of training your cat to play and I tried to do the same thing with my pet rabbit but it kept going to the bathroom on the keys so I don't do that anymore.
We did one recently over on Patreon! www.patreon.com/posts/tsunamis-super-7770252
When you teach do you ask your students to buy their own books or you just give them photocopies?
Hey pianoTV, great video. But I have a question, how do I go down/up the keyboard very quickly? (Playing the notes) I've been using the back of my thumb (Nail) it hurts a little but it does the job. I was wondering if there is a specific way to do so. Thanks.
Your profile picture is truly a masterpiece.
My comment won't be a question, just a kind of recommendation. But please, read it.
I'm 19 and I started taking piano lessons last year. In a few weeks I have to perform in front of audience, and I'm extremely nervous about that, even though it's the third time I will play in front of many people. My first two performances were kinda awful... I had mastered my pieces, I was playing great every single time, I was feeling ready to play perfectly, but still, at the concert my hands were shaking and I screwed up, both times :( And I disappointed my teacher...
Many people love playing music at concerts, and when I ask them how they get rid of anxiety, all they say is "when I'm on stage, it's just me and the piano". I can't understand them!
It would mean the world to me, and maybe to many of your subscribers too, if you could make a video discussing about that topic, "stage fear". How do you cope with that kind of anxiety? Any tips for overcoming stage fear? I bet many musicians out there have the same problem as me, and a video about that could give you more subs :)
Please, at least reply to me. I love you, you are amazing
I really, really need to do a video about this - you're not the first to request it, and I have the same struggles as well. I'm going to make it a goal in the near future to do some reading on the topic, because this is an area of music I don't know much about. Thanks!
I have struggled with the same problem throughout my life and it lead me to a broader awareness of the human condition. I'll keep it simple just to mention the sources of information & practices that have so far helped me address & understand the problem the most clearly (in no particular order):
'The Inner Game Of Music' by Timothy Gallwey.
'Instant Confidence' by Paul McKenna - important visualisation techniques (developed through NLP methods) & the hypnotherapy CD included is more effective than I initially considered.
'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield - very snappy, uncluttered book that succinctly addresses many angles from which these problems manifest. It saves a lot of time in highlighting the areas that we need to find leverage on.
'Guilt, Shame & Anxiety' by Peter Breggin - a beautifully written study into all aspects of human nature & these 'gumption traps' (rf: Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance).
Wim Hof breathing method (sources online) - probably ties in with Alexander techniques in pre-empting the phantom of nervous energy, taking control of the physiological effects of anxiety, and to awaken, harness & live by our natural strengths in day to day life.
I hope this proves useful to anyone seeking some answers. I love your videos by the way! :-)
I have a question about fingerings. I mentioned before that I have large hands.
I'm currently trying to learn the Minuet in G, BWV Anhang 116. I'm having some real difficulty with the left hand. Every book I have shows a fingering of 5-4-2... as in 5 on the low G, 4 on the B, and 2 on the D. But this feels completely unnatural to me. I am having extreme difficulty playing the G to D going from 5 to 4. It just feels wrong and my hand doesn't like to be in this position. If I switch it to 5-3-2, I can play it with no problems. And I still have plenty of left over space to reach my thumb up to the higher octave.
So, my question is, is this ok to do? Are these fingerings merely suggestions that aren't to be taken 100% literally? Or, is this a "learning piece" with the goal being to force the hand into a particular configuration with the intended purpose of training the muscle and building up the strength and flexibility to do it with ease and comfort?
Since my hands are so big, I have no problem reaching the full octave, and I'm just wondering if it's ok to modify the fingerings in certain situations if it is more comfortable and "natural" to do so.
Charles Laine Fingerings are merely suggestions. It's up to you to choose if you want to follow them or create a better fingering. The purpose of 5-4-2-1 is to strengthen your ring finger, which is one of the weakest fingers. It's also another way to practice having space between your 5th and 4th finger. In the music world, it's what most musicians prefer and find it helpful to gain independence in their ring finger. 5-3-2-1 is fine but I would suggest 5-4-2-1 because that would help build independence in your 4th finger.
i have a question :
i have a problem with my fifth finger in the right hand,because it looks the hole time flying und goes up saparated from the other fingers..it becomes a big problem by playing scales..
can u tell me what to do to avoid this ,,flying pinkie" ?
Thank u very much :)
Joseph 1 That's actually pretty normal if you have pieces with octaves and small/ normal sized hands because you develop natural stretches in your fingers to be able to reach longer intervals. It's perfectly fine and should only cause problems if... You know... Your pinky stops moving and feels numb.
Hahahaha. Yes that would be bad.
pianoTV also what should i do to avoid it?
Is it normal for a new player(couple weeks in) to feel an aching fatigue in the wrist with even a few minutes of playing?
Possibly, if what you're playing is really fast or challenging. If you're just playing super basic stuff/not playing fast, then it's likely a posture problem. As long as it's not a pinching pain, I would just take a break for a few minutes and try again, or ease up a bit.
pianoTV Thanks
Video 198 intro huh :D caughtya
My internet died during processing. That's a weird bug, because all the text was updated before it went live. Did the same thing on Twitter too. UA-cam is weird