Amazing, just amazing! I landed on your channel while searching for help playing octave passages at tempo. Your tips and explanations and demonstrations in parts 1 and 2 are so on-point that I experienced immediate improvement. These many tools you’ve shared will serve well as they’re applied over and over in the future. Thank you! BTW, I would never have thought about choreographing a passage, and it worked.
I took your good idea to relax between octaves to heart - now I eat a snack, have a little smoke, or even a cat nap between octaves....and it works! Never, never do have any more tension 🙃 thank you! (just joking)
Fantastic video, once again! Although octaves such as those are not yet present in my repertoire, I have been struggling with playing octave notes in sequence. I don't know the name for this, but what I mean is going repeatedly from F5 to F4, for example. The issue of a tense steady hand definitely happens in this situation. Can't wait for the next video on this topic! If I may give you a suggestion relayed to UA-cam, short format videos have been doing a great job of expanding the reach of creators, maybe you could benefit from adding more of those :D
Thanks so much for your suggestion! I decided to experiment with short-form video, chronicling my preparation for upcoming performances. Regarding your question, do you mean leaping octaves, or are you referring to broken octaves? If you are talking about leaping octaves, I think the key is to focus on releasing in the direction of the next octave. If you're talking about broken octaves, often I think the issue revolves around thumb tension, and rotation is essential. Hope this helps!
A common source of hand fatigue for me is other activities such as grip-intensive yard work or exercise. My hands can get quite tired or sore, enough that it's noticeable as I practice piano. I try to practice through that kind of fatigue, though I don't know if that's a good idea. I do take it easy at those times, working on piano activities that are less physically demanding, or slowing down and practicing for precision rather than speed. I’m strictly a hobbyist on the piano, so I don’t have the need or luxury of taking care of my hands like some people might.
Fellow gardener here - I can totally relate. Also, carrying heavy grocery bags from their handles puts pressure on my hands/wrists. In addition to not doing one activity for too long, for me what works is separating those activities from each other in terms of time; i.e., waiting until after my piano practice to weed the garden or transplant that shrub.
I always found just playing the first note then 2 then 3 then 4 etc each time returning to the start is helpful somehow for octaves I don’t know why but it just helps. Obviously large sections have to be broken up into groups
Release the thumb and don't keep it tight even though you are connecting the notes. If the octave passage requires stretches that exceed an octave between 5 and 1, use the arm to help move the thumb into place and avoid straining/reaching with the thumb.
![Effortless Octaves at the Piano (4 tips for improved speed and stamina) [2/2]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nTA874pK4qE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Effortless Octaves at the Piano (4 tips for improved speed and stamina) [2/2]](/img/tr.png)
To watch the second video in this 2-part series, click here: ua-cam.com/video/nTA874pK4qE/v-deo.html
Wow. This is just what I needed to play my pieces. No one ever mentioned this information to me. Thank you. Thank You. thank you.
You're very welcome!
Amazing, just amazing!
I landed on your channel while searching for help playing octave passages at tempo. Your tips and explanations and demonstrations in parts 1 and 2 are so on-point that I experienced immediate improvement. These many tools you’ve shared will serve well as they’re applied over and over in the future. Thank you! BTW, I would never have thought about choreographing a passage, and it worked.
Thank you! I am so glad to hear it's helpful!
I took your good idea to relax between octaves to heart - now I eat a snack, have a little smoke, or even a cat nap between octaves....and it works! Never, never do have any more tension 🙃 thank you! (just joking)
That's perfect! It might now take you 90 minutes to get through a 2-bar octave passage, but hey - at least you're not tense! (You're welcome!) 😂🤣😂
Hello from Canada
Love your explanations
Thank you🎶🎹🎶
Thanks so much - glad you're here! Happy practicing! 😊🎹🎶
Thank you kindly🤍
You're very welcome!
How play octaves on the piano (from the arm and from the wrist): ua-cam.com/video/E8q-CWA3nis/v-deo.html
Fantastic video, once again!
Although octaves such as those are not yet present in my repertoire, I have been struggling with playing octave notes in sequence. I don't know the name for this, but what I mean is going repeatedly from F5 to F4, for example. The issue of a tense steady hand definitely happens in this situation.
Can't wait for the next video on this topic!
If I may give you a suggestion relayed to UA-cam, short format videos have been doing a great job of expanding the reach of creators, maybe you could benefit from adding more of those :D
Thanks so much for your suggestion! I decided to experiment with short-form video, chronicling my preparation for upcoming performances.
Regarding your question, do you mean leaping octaves, or are you referring to broken octaves? If you are talking about leaping octaves, I think the key is to focus on releasing in the direction of the next octave. If you're talking about broken octaves, often I think the issue revolves around thumb tension, and rotation is essential. Hope this helps!
A common source of hand fatigue for me is other activities such as grip-intensive yard work or exercise. My hands can get quite tired or sore, enough that it's noticeable as I practice piano. I try to practice through that kind of fatigue, though I don't know if that's a good idea. I do take it easy at those times, working on piano activities that are less physically demanding, or slowing down and practicing for precision rather than speed. I’m strictly a hobbyist on the piano, so I don’t have the need or luxury of taking care of my hands like some people might.
Fellow gardener here - I can totally relate. Also, carrying heavy grocery bags from their handles puts pressure on my hands/wrists. In addition to not doing one activity for too long, for me what works is separating those activities from each other in terms of time; i.e., waiting until after my piano practice to weed the garden or transplant that shrub.
I always found just playing the first note then 2 then 3 then 4 etc each time returning to the start is helpful somehow for octaves I don’t know why but it just helps. Obviously large sections have to be broken up into groups
Definitely a helpful practice technique!
what if the octave section is legato and I can't let go or relax in between notes?
Release the thumb and don't keep it tight even though you are connecting the notes. If the octave passage requires stretches that exceed an octave between 5 and 1, use the arm to help move the thumb into place and avoid straining/reaching with the thumb.