Morose Unimportance Hahahah, you thought you had it tough. I play on a cheap $100 yamaha. Sounds very bad compared to good ones. But you do get used to it but when playing harder songs I notice that the harmonics are off and more importantly. I don't have enough keys....
you can get an upright for less than $400. i got one free on craigslist, $230 to pay the movers, $90 for tuning lever. i had to downsize my dining room. do what you gotta do for the love of music.
This was very helpful! I have been playing for quite a long time, but there was a point where I just sorta... stopped getting better? If that makes sense, I dunno. And the reason that was happening was that I have always played with a stiffness in my wrist, hand, and fingers, and the harder the music I tried to learn the harder it was to even play the music accurately and comfortably. For such a long time I couldn't figure out why that was and I had a lot of doubts about if I should even be playing the piano and I stopped for awhile until I got so fed up with NOT playing that I decided I had to figure out why exactly I was having issues (my life is such a mess man). I have since been trying to fix my technique, and your video has been a life-saver. So, thank you!.
Hope hi Hope. I have exactly the same issue as you explain. Have been struggling with actually playing accurately, clearly and comfortably. Have you managed to find a solution to your issue?
Yea that does make sense I am the same I thought by working up to harder and harder pieces my technique would automatically get better due to the harder material but obviously that's not true. You have to go back to the basics and learn the techniques before tackling the harder stuff
Doggy Bee Well, title says "faster, lighter, looser". Don't know about the textile velocity of his attire, but it definitely looks light and loose. Also, in the 1930-1950s, suits had a loose fit just like the one in the video. Looks better, feels better.
In addition to what Josh Wright demonstrated about increasing your speed, have your piano technician check your piano regulation. Specifically, key dip (amount the key travels when depressed), aftertouch, hammer travel, let-off, dampers, and the repetition lever adjustment (in grands) and the backchecks (in verticals). If these parts are out of regulation, it will affect how fast you can play. (There are over 60 steps for regulating a grand piano, not including repairing and replacing of action parts before you can regulate a piano.) Though not part of normal piano regulation, the touchweight/downweight, the force needed to depress the keys, measured in grams, should be checked. If the touchweight is too heavy, the extra force needed to depress the keys will naturally slow you down, and the heavy touch leads to increased hand fatigue which will eventually slow down playing speed. Touchweight needs to be within a certain range (usually about 50 grams downweight) for optimal playing. (Note that too light a touchweight can also be a problem.) Constantly playing on pianos with too heavy a touchweight can increase the chances of hand and finger injuries. A good piano technician can regulate your piano to get the most out its performance, but some pianos have broken down too much or have bad design (e.g. spinet pianos) that there may be a limit to how fast you can play on them. If your piano is in good condition, you might be surprised how much better it plays when regulated. Thanks Mr. Wright for your informative videos.
This is excellent advice, too often people start learning on third hand, third rate study pianos that have different weights per key, or loose, or hanging keys. This all adds to the stress and takes away a lot of joy in learning to play the piano. Get a (reasonably) good instrument, doesn't have to cost too much, you'll win back the money in playing pleasure. And if your instrument is of good quality, as suggested here, have it checked and regulated by a professional.
The press release exercise is one of the best advices given for finger control on relaxing the fingers and evolving to playing fast. This will be part of my regimen and ideally should be done from the start to ward of tension. Thank you.
Because of Covid, for my piano exams this year I had to record myself playing rather than doing it in the usual exam format - and I had never noticed how tense my hands were before watching my videos so this was so helpful!!
I found this very interesting. I've always noticed that when I learn a piece that is fast, I practice it gradually faster until I reach an uncomfortable speed that's just really tough and I can't quite keep up. But then, I stop practicing, relax, come back to the piano and just try a fresh new approach, trying to "feel" like I'm playing slower than I'm actually playing. And all of a sudden, I can continue to play faster and faster until I reach the desired tempo. You just made me realize that it's actually muscular relaxation that allows that. I could feel I wasn't playing the same way, but couldn't quite grasp how. I felt like I was thinking "more horizontally, less vertically". Anyway, I'm gonna try these tomorrow! Thanks a lot!
@Piano Phantom No its true, it's hard to find professional advice. there's so much "HoW tO pReTeNd To Be A pRoFfEsIoNaL pIaNiSt" clickbait garbage like bitch I don't won't to pretend.
So good! I think many people fail to see the importance of practicing scales and arpeggios and find them boring because they think of them as exercises. If they start to think of them as music they will be more rewarded. So much of the music we want to play IS scales and exercises that by practising them you are already learning large parts of the pieces you will want to learn in 5, 10, 20 years time. Students don't see this at the outset. Many thanks for explaining these procedures, by the way, I also like the suit and tie. In a strange reversal of the norm, you make them look smart!
Grateful to you for this valuable teaching as I believe many have fought with themselves as they try try to increase velocity only to compound tension and tightness in the process. I constantly try to rebuild my technique of many decades trying to eradicate old bad practice habits so that I can finally achieve the desired artistic ends. Your superb keyboard technique is matched by your teaching ability, and that is rare indeed. I look forward to exploring all that you have to say in your videos!
I dont even play the piano. Learned a lot from this and your other videos & applied to my strings work. Simply changed my approach to violin vibrato to "shaking out the tension" mentality and it Feels better. Thanks Josh. Never thought to give myself permission to do it this way before. The other two tips helped with my strings work as well. Finger release excersise on fingerboard is helpful. Also, just shooting straight....great fitness, posture, suit, hair 👍 total package great style, then boom-skill drop. Nice.
Just seeing your videos for the first time. You play beautifully. But, more importantly, you appear to be among the nicest people on the planet. Thank you.
Dr. Wright, Thank you for all of the videos you do for us and all of the hard work and time that goes into the videos you do for us. I wish you had been around 58 years ago when I really needed you.
Thank you Josh! I don't know if your UA-cam followers realize how valuable the information you graciously lend to the average player. Studying with a top notch pianist/teacher can cost anywhere from $100 on up per hour. Just a reminder to your viewers.
7:51 That's why Torrent is my favourite classical piece ever, because when you can't play it you just can't resist at the temptation: exactly what happened to Josh I think, anyway great video and thanks for the tips! Happy new Year!
1:40 I think a similar approach to "finger shaking exercise" is described in The modern pianist / Der Moderne Pianist by Marie Prentner - under the title of Leschetizky's Fundamental Principles of Piano Technique / Legato / 1. Preliminary Practice for Single Fingers - as "Counting slowly up to 4 raise the finger with the key, from which it is not to be removed even when the key has reached its normal level, and press the note down audibly, giving an inaudible second pressure without re-raising the finger..."
As I recall reading about, Glenn Gould's childhood teacher, would lightly and swiftly press Glenn's fingers down for him, and Glenn would do this with his own hands, as a feedback mechanism for how little force it takes in how little time to achieve a fast and light touch. Furthermore, his teacher had originally developed this technique from something he learned about (Shaolin?) monks in there training, or some kind of monk I do believe. Regarding your exercise about releasing immediately before the hammer hits the string, that reminds me of practicing a quick yet relaxed boxing jab....you kind of release and pull back at the last moment.....not following through and slugging into the bag, but "catching a fly"....... and you let the initial force and momentum carry the mass of your body for you. You just get it started, and follow through but not excessively force it.
But two wise asians once told me "IF YOU CAN PLAY IT SLOWLY, YOU CAN PLAY IT QUICKLY" ...now isnt that true? Cant I just play it quickly? Note: this joke only works if you know twosetviolin.
What's so interesting about this is that you can apply this concept of practice to other instruments and even other activities that require speed and dexterity. I draw on my experience as a keyboardist/pianist (with a jazz background) and the practice methods in this video to playing competitive fighting games where you need to execute fast, precise inputs on an arcade stick. I know that sounds kind of goofy, but it is interesting how relevant these concepts are to so many different skills.
Thank you for your tips, I have recognized that I kind of “glue my fingers” on tuts until I see these Press-release Up-Down pattern exercises. I have been playing the whole notes of “Final Fantasy X : End Theme” fluently in half month. And its true, to play it slowly, left and right separately, then combine them. When you can hit all the right notes, you can begin to increase the speed. And here I am.
Thank you so so so much for this, I've been learning piano for almost 10 years now and I'm starting to learn Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement. I was struggling quite a bit with some passages but this really really helped!!
Holy shit man, this is incredible advice. I had a teacher for 8 years and this video just helped my technique more than anything. I can now play the Oscar Peterson “Tangerine” opening riff to perfection at speed. Exclusively bc of this video. Thank you so much
Unless you are playing on a cheap keyboard synth from the '80's with plastic keys, I can't possibly imagine that to be a problem. I've been rough with my pianos and keyboards (yes, even those $40 synths from the '80's), and I have never broken a key. At least by doing that. Now, faster playing (and lots of it) will eventually wear out the action in an acoustic piano, but even that is repairable. All of that to say, respect mom. If she doesn't want you to "shake the keys," listen to her out of respect, but don't worry about breaking them. They are made to take a beating. 😋
Very good! I’m a cellist and was just chatting with a pianist friend about playing without tension. Except for the twitch(step one) what I suggested to her was the same that you’ve said. On the cello, the thumb is the source of a lot of tension so my admonition to keep the thumb mobile is fairly analogous.excellent video. Look forward to watching more!
i am a pianist and the thumb tension is my big problem in the very etudes he demonstrated in this video. My other fingers are fine and relaxed but whenever the thumb has to play a note (at tempo) with any other finger still stretched the thumb starts tensing, even cramping ! It's crazy and i am on a search to find what i can do. I am intermediate reaching but not quite the first stages of advanced level.
7:46 is hilarious :D Music got you drifting off right there... love it! Thanks for the tips. Ill try it next practice. Is there a tip to loosen up the wrist?
The discovery of moonlight sonata 3rd movement came from when Beethoven composed the first movement, watched this video, and then thought what the heck let's do it
More like cello Because is wrist rotation. On violin the wrist does not rotate but instead oscillates a bit up and down. (And the motion comes from the first joint of the finger.
Violin vibrato is different. It requires back and forth movement while applying more than normal pressure to maintain the pitch. This is the opposite of releasing tension.
Happy new year Josh and everyone, I hope you and your family are doing great and thank you for the video and for the positive impact you had on me in 2017
OMG, I am amused! At first I thought ''Mm, a piano teacher'' and then when he started playing I was like ''OMG, he's a genius!'' And well, I used to play the piano, now I don't anymore but when I have more time I would like to do it again! It is so pleasant to play the piano! So relaxing and classical music is the best one to play for me. Thank you for the information.
Susan was such a nice lady! I regret I didn’t have much time to talk with her during my time at the U. I quit being a music major because a certain professor there made me feel worthless, and also, the demand of being a music major was too much for me during that time of my life. I still love piano, and I’m grateful for videos like yours that go into detail on exercises and techniques. So thank you!
The principal of my music school showed me that 3rd exercise after listening to me play the Appassionata. He compares playing a key to hammering a nail in a wall. If you simply push with the hammer it'll never penetrate the wall. You need to quickly move the hammer away and strike it with great speed. If you simply push the keys while playing, you will not get a clean sound like you would if each key was stroke. However this is incredibly difficult with the 4th and 5th fingers
It would interest me greatly to see how you would address tension issues in certain pieces. The Chopin g minor ballade for example, with its constantly shifting technical issues would be splendid to hear you talk about. Again, very grateful for all your shared insights!
at 4:40 a distinction would help. When you say 'release' I assumed you meant 'release the key' at which point the damper comes down and the tone ends. It appears you mean 'release downward pressure while still holding your finger on the key' . I'll try it. Very interesting and thoughtful approach!
As usual, brilliant!! I absolutely ADORE YOU! Every time my students or I have an issue, I go to Josh and he inevitably always solves it! Join his Pro-Practice Piano Academy, folks!! Such ASTOUNDINGLY HELPFUL materials, master classes, tutorials, etc!😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️
I'm pretty sure he makes plenty out of those masterclasses. There is no point in him trying to make money of this, and like Best of HandofBlood said, there are no ads on his videos.
1) Finger shaking excerice - shake out tension by vibrating finger on key - slow 2) Press/Release - press down and untense - say "press" and "release" when doing it - gradually increase speed of press/release (not tempo) until feel lightness 3) "Military Men" Fingers - develop light touch - don't prepare fingers- just up down touch on key Illusion of Playing Piano: "When playing with clean fingers, it sounds faster than playing faster but with less clean fingers."
I just got back home. It's so good to be back in front of the piano. And as always Josh is there to guide me. Thank you very much sir. Happy new year everybody!
The shaking helps a lot! Thanks so much, Josh, for sharing these hints with us! First I made it in a wrong way, shaking both hands together - there was no progress. But now I concentrated on one hand at a time and noticed an immediate progress! Still my pinkie is not perfectly relaxed, but now there is hope that I will get it soon 😁 I am super happy 😁
As an alternative to the press/release exercise, sometimes I just play through a piece a couple times applying extra heavy weight (at top speed, if possible) before applying normal pressure to the keys. I start by overapplying pressure and within a few minutes can play faster and more fluid with less pressure. I've always wondered if wearing something to weigh your fingers down (something like lead rings) would help build finger strength. Though that could possibly do damage as well.
1. “Shake away tension”
2. Press...release... Press...release... to press, release, press, release
3. Up-down... up-down
Thought you were talking about something else buddy
Spitty Oofer LOL😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
R/HoldUp
miyagi sensei
1. “Shake away tension”
2. Press...release... Press...release... to press, release, press, release
3. Up-down... up-down
4. Rotation
When he just starts playing at such an incredible speed casually XD
I know right! haha we'll get there someday!
XD
I'm always waiting for that part haha
Bruno M - Lifetap Someday! ;)
@@Lifetap I know wright*
If you can play it slowly .. you can play it fast!
TwoSetViolin?
@@sachio8610 no
@@vincentpenschke500 ?
Interesting
I want to go to a point where i can create music on my own and learn songs w/o watching tutorials or improvise, is that possible??
2:00 shake away tension exercise;
4:20 press-release exercise;
6:24 one swift motion up-down/press-release exercise.
Thank you
0
Thank you~
thank you, I disliked the fact that it is long even if it is only in point.
@@gerropiano5312 This guy is giving you gold for free and you can't give up ten minutes?
' When you feel the hammer hit the string " I play on a 400$ casio XDDDDDDDDDD
Egor Rujin i play on a fucking Yamaha used keyboard >:'v
Egor Rujin I play on Thompsonic ts-09 😭
Me too
Morose Unimportance Hahahah, you thought you had it tough. I play on a cheap $100 yamaha. Sounds very bad compared to good ones. But you do get used to it but when playing harder songs I notice that the harmonics are off and more importantly. I don't have enough keys....
you can get an upright for less than $400. i got one free on craigslist, $230 to pay the movers, $90 for tuning lever. i had to downsize my dining room. do what you gotta do for the love of music.
Me: tries to play looser
Piano: im gonna do whats called a pianissimo move
More like pianissimissimo
3:05 Me playing in front of anybody
Removed Coyote68 Agreed
Me too , damn😄
😂😂😂
😂
Same
0:51 he literally just flexed on us
I’m ded
When you think you’re ok at piano and then this dude starts playing
@@onamata9231 fr
Tips to play faster:
GO PRACTICE
Yeah I believe you
Definitely
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart hi
just watched Amadeus and while I know the basis for the movie is highly inaccurate I feel for you heir Mozart
Yessssssssd
This was very helpful! I have been playing for quite a long time, but there was a point where I just sorta... stopped getting better? If that makes sense, I dunno. And the reason that was happening was that I have always played with a stiffness in my wrist, hand, and fingers, and the harder the music I tried to learn the harder it was to even play the music accurately and comfortably. For such a long time I couldn't figure out why that was and I had a lot of doubts about if I should even be playing the piano and I stopped for awhile until I got so fed up with NOT playing that I decided I had to figure out why exactly I was having issues (my life is such a mess man). I have since been trying to fix my technique, and your video has been a life-saver. So, thank you!.
Hope hi Hope. I have exactly the same issue as you explain. Have been struggling with actually playing accurately, clearly and comfortably. Have you managed to find a solution to your issue?
@@HomayunM A good classical teacher always helps
I hope it's really helped you because I'm in the same exact boat and I'm sick of not playing because of lack of progress
Yea that does make sense I am the same I thought by working up to harder and harder pieces my technique would automatically get better due to the harder material but obviously that's not true. You have to go back to the basics and learn the techniques before tackling the harder stuff
I like how you are dressing up for your videos. Looks really smooth, good style.
But it doesnt fit really well😂
Doggy Bee Well, title says "faster, lighter, looser". Don't know about the textile velocity of his attire, but it definitely looks light and loose.
Also, in the 1930-1950s, suits had a loose fit just like the one in the video. Looks better, feels better.
@@photoallergic no i meant it doenst fit onto his body, it looks like its too big
Most pianist dress wellw
He lives in Utah he probably just finished with church
“ speed only matters if you play cleanly “
Ben Lee has entered the chat
@@stephenjackson5065 *G L I S S*
Do not forget the other "Fastest Violin Player" who cannot even resemble the song which shall not be named.
@@alicebrown9034 the flight of an optimus prime
**Flight of the bumblebee 15 notes per sec. players disagreement noises intensities**
In addition to what Josh Wright demonstrated about increasing your speed, have your piano technician check your piano regulation. Specifically, key dip (amount the key travels when depressed), aftertouch, hammer travel, let-off, dampers, and the repetition lever adjustment (in grands) and the backchecks (in verticals). If these parts are out of regulation, it will affect how fast you can play. (There are over 60 steps for regulating a grand piano, not including repairing and replacing of action parts before you can regulate a piano.)
Though not part of normal piano regulation, the touchweight/downweight, the force needed to depress the keys, measured in grams, should be checked. If the touchweight is too heavy, the extra force needed to depress the keys will naturally slow you down, and the heavy touch leads to increased hand fatigue which will eventually slow down playing speed. Touchweight needs to be within a certain range (usually about 50 grams downweight) for optimal playing. (Note that too light a touchweight can also be a problem.) Constantly playing on pianos with too heavy a touchweight can increase the chances of hand and finger injuries.
A good piano technician can regulate your piano to get the most out its performance, but some pianos have broken down too much or have bad design (e.g. spinet pianos) that there may be a limit to how fast you can play on them. If your piano is in good condition, you might be surprised how much better it plays when regulated. Thanks Mr. Wright for your informative videos.
This is excellent advice, too often people start learning on third hand, third rate study pianos that have different weights per key, or loose, or hanging keys. This all adds to the stress and takes away a lot of joy in learning to play the piano.
Get a (reasonably) good instrument, doesn't have to cost too much, you'll win back the money in playing pleasure. And if your instrument is of good quality, as suggested here, have it checked and regulated by a professional.
Bro, what a great point.
My piano keys need definitely to much pressure and I'm not able to play as fast as I probably could.
I’m glad that you mention this- my technician looked at my piano and “ you are really working hard!” And I was!
The press release exercise is one of the best advices given for finger control on relaxing the fingers and evolving to playing fast. This will be part of my regimen and ideally should be done from the start to ward of tension. Thank you.
Because of Covid, for my piano exams this year I had to record myself playing rather than doing it in the usual exam format - and I had never noticed how tense my hands were before watching my videos so this was so helpful!!
I found this very interesting. I've always noticed that when I learn a piece that is fast, I practice it gradually faster until I reach an uncomfortable speed that's just really tough and I can't quite keep up. But then, I stop practicing, relax, come back to the piano and just try a fresh new approach, trying to "feel" like I'm playing slower than I'm actually playing. And all of a sudden, I can continue to play faster and faster until I reach the desired tempo. You just made me realize that it's actually muscular relaxation that allows that. I could feel I wasn't playing the same way, but couldn't quite grasp how. I felt like I was thinking "more horizontally, less vertically". Anyway, I'm gonna try these tomorrow! Thanks a lot!
I'm really glad I found this channel. It's been difficult finding a channel that was more...well..."advanced".
Casey Jones agree✌️🙏😍
@Piano Phantom No its true, it's hard to find professional advice. there's so much "HoW tO pReTeNd To Be A pRoFfEsIoNaL pIaNiSt" clickbait garbage like bitch I don't won't to pretend.
I guess it’s mainly because advanced lessons aren’t free XD
@A Dude That Draws get better nigga
@A Dude That Draws channels like pianote piss me off
Time for the
LING LING 40 HOUR WORKOUT
Maybe for piano it's the Lang Lang 40 hour workout?
@@KKIcons Interesting!
goodcook gaming I’ll practice 40 hours a day to play jazz 15 notes par second
I think Ling Ling is a panda. It’s Lang Lang you’re thinking of.
goodcook gaming yay ling ling is the best!!!
“Say it out loud do not be lazy” I’ve been caught
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was triggered so bad 😂😂😂😂
I'm in this comment and I don't like it
So good! I think many people fail to see the importance of practicing scales and arpeggios and find them boring because they think of them as exercises. If they start to think of them as music they will be more rewarded. So much of the music we want to play IS scales and exercises that by practising them you are already learning large parts of the pieces you will want to learn in 5, 10, 20 years time. Students don't see this at the outset. Many thanks for explaining these procedures, by the way, I also like the suit and tie.
In a strange reversal of the norm, you make them look smart!
Grateful to you for this valuable teaching as I believe many have fought with themselves as they try try to increase velocity only to compound tension and tightness in the process. I constantly try to rebuild my technique of many decades trying to eradicate old bad practice habits so that I can finally achieve the desired artistic ends. Your superb keyboard technique is matched by your teaching ability, and that is rare indeed. I look forward to exploring all that you have to say in your videos!
2:00 shake
4:20 press release
6:24 one swift motion up-down
I dont even play the piano. Learned a lot from this and your other videos & applied to my strings work.
Simply changed my approach to violin vibrato to "shaking out the tension" mentality and it Feels better.
Thanks Josh. Never thought to give myself permission to do it this way before.
The other two tips helped with my strings work as well. Finger release excersise on fingerboard is helpful.
Also, just shooting straight....great fitness, posture, suit, hair 👍 total package great style, then boom-skill drop. Nice.
Just seeing your videos for the first time. You play beautifully. But, more importantly, you appear to be among the nicest people on the planet.
Thank you.
10mins and 1 sec... With no ad.. r.i.p tactics
Dr. Wright, Thank you for all of the videos you do for us and all of the hard work and time that goes into the videos you do for us.
I wish you had been around 58 years ago when I really needed you.
I love how diligent he is about giving credit where credit is due. That is very classy.
Dear Josh, Your videos are truly amazing. Thanks for sharing these wonderful tips. They've been extremely helpful.
Thank you Josh! I don't know if your UA-cam followers realize how valuable the information you graciously lend to the average player. Studying with a top notch pianist/teacher can cost anywhere from $100 on up per hour. Just a reminder to your viewers.
Think his fees are like 60dollars an hour
"Say it out loud, do NOT be lazy." Love it.
7:51
That's why Torrent is my favourite classical piece ever, because when you can't play it you just can't resist at the temptation: exactly what happened to Josh I think, anyway great video and thanks for the tips!
Happy new Year!
pikasfed323 What song is it? I am amzed by this song when i heard this music the first time
保密Confidential Chopin's Etude Opus 10 No. 4 - "Torrent"
thx
pikasfed323 omg yesss I was like u better start playing dat or it's gonna feel very uncomfortable if u stop there😂😂
whats the song after?
Thanks, seems like a great tip so I am gonna try that out!
1:40 I think a similar approach to "finger shaking exercise" is described in The modern pianist / Der Moderne Pianist by Marie Prentner - under the title of Leschetizky's Fundamental Principles of Piano Technique / Legato / 1. Preliminary Practice for Single Fingers - as "Counting slowly up to 4 raise the finger with the key, from which it is not to be removed even when the key has reached its normal level, and press the note down audibly, giving an inaudible second pressure without re-raising the finger..."
I am watching this exactly 2 years after he posted this happy new years y'all 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣0️⃣
“Happy” 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴
Happy?
this comment aged well lol
LOL happy or sad new year? 😂😂😂🤨
“Happy” cough cough🦠🦠
As I recall reading about, Glenn Gould's childhood teacher, would lightly and swiftly press Glenn's fingers down for him, and Glenn would do this with his own hands, as a feedback mechanism for how little force it takes in how little time to achieve a fast and light touch. Furthermore, his teacher had originally developed this technique from something he learned about (Shaolin?) monks in there training, or some kind of monk I do believe.
Regarding your exercise about releasing immediately before the hammer hits the string, that reminds me of practicing a quick yet relaxed boxing jab....you kind of release and pull back at the last moment.....not following through and slugging into the bag, but "catching a fly"....... and you let the initial force and momentum carry the mass of your body for you. You just get it started, and follow through but not excessively force it.
But two wise asians once told me "IF YOU CAN PLAY IT SLOWLY, YOU CAN PLAY IT QUICKLY" ...now isnt that true? Cant I just play it quickly?
Note: this joke only works if you know twosetviolin.
rudi säuerlich twoset
Omg lol
I know thisss hahahahaha
rudi säuerlich 😂😂😂
Sacrilegious!
Can you give us a look at your music library?
I understood everything!! you're a legend!
This is invaluable. You're an excellent teacher. It's incredible that you were Sergei babayan's pupil
*starts playing*
*me* WTF!!!!!1
WTF!!!!!.....and 1?
@@sachio8610 bruh
Clara Jansen lolol
On brody
I tested that and I saw results so fast :0 Its completely different comfort of playing when your hands are so release
What's so interesting about this is that you can apply this concept of practice to other instruments and even other activities that require speed and dexterity. I draw on my experience as a keyboardist/pianist (with a jazz background) and the practice methods in this video to playing competitive fighting games where you need to execute fast, precise inputs on an arcade stick. I know that sounds kind of goofy, but it is interesting how relevant these concepts are to so many different skills.
Thank you for your tips, I have recognized that I kind of “glue my fingers” on tuts until I see these Press-release Up-Down pattern exercises. I have been playing the whole notes of “Final Fantasy X : End Theme” fluently in half month. And its true, to play it slowly, left and right separately, then combine them. When you can hit all the right notes, you can begin to increase the speed. And here I am.
Really interesting tip Josh! Thanks!
Thank you so so so much for this, I've been learning piano for almost 10 years now and I'm starting to learn Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement. I was struggling quite a bit with some passages but this really really helped!!
I played the fantasie impromptu by Chopin in c# minor fir a recital once. Sounds similar to one of the excerpts you played. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Josh. This pretty much instantly changed the whole feel of my playing. So much lighter. Thanks !
Holy shit man, this is incredible advice. I had a teacher for 8 years and this video just helped my technique more than anything. I can now play the Oscar Peterson “Tangerine” opening riff to perfection at speed. Exclusively bc of this video. Thank you so much
I tried doing this and my mom walked in and said, “stop shaking the keys you’re going to break them”
Unless you are playing on a cheap keyboard synth from the '80's with plastic keys, I can't possibly imagine that to be a problem. I've been rough with my pianos and keyboards (yes, even those $40 synths from the '80's), and I have never broken a key. At least by doing that. Now, faster playing (and lots of it) will eventually wear out the action in an acoustic piano, but even that is repairable.
All of that to say, respect mom. If she doesn't want you to "shake the keys," listen to her out of respect, but don't worry about breaking them. They are made to take a beating. 😋
literally me every day
Now I know why old people are great pianists. Parkinson’s must have its benefits.
@@FraudMonet brilliant
@@lyudachka11 haahahaha
Very good! I’m a cellist and was just chatting with a pianist friend about playing without tension. Except for the twitch(step one) what I suggested to her was the same that you’ve said. On the cello, the thumb is the source of a lot of tension so my admonition to keep the thumb mobile is fairly analogous.excellent video. Look forward to watching more!
i am a pianist and the thumb tension is my big problem in the very etudes he demonstrated in this video. My other fingers are fine and relaxed but whenever the thumb has to play a note (at tempo) with any other finger still stretched the thumb starts tensing, even cramping ! It's crazy and i am on a search to find what i can do. I am intermediate reaching but not quite the first stages of advanced level.
7:46 is hilarious :D Music got you drifting off right there... love it!
Thanks for the tips. Ill try it next practice.
Is there a tip to loosen up the wrist?
LOL SO TRUE
That’s when you can tell that he really loves his music
Thanks, Josh! That was very helpful! I’ll try those tips!
Thank you so much for your videos as well as ProPractice! You inspired me and reignited my burning passion to play piano again! Happy new year!
Thank you so much Josh. You are realy a great teacher. I burst out laughing while doing these exercises. They are so simples yet so efficient.
1:20 i think i am at wrong video 😂 I am just trying to play Moonlight Sonata 1st movement
What do you mean?
Lol. Still a hard piece to play correctly.
You’ll be back when you start trying to learn 3rd ;)
The discovery of moonlight sonata 3rd movement came from when Beethoven composed the first movement, watched this video, and then thought what the heck let's do it
I'm doing fantasae improptu
Thank you sir for your effort. How incredible to explain.
So the shaking with the hand is like Vibrato on a violin?
CarlosD nah it's just an exercise to loosen tension in your hands
Yes, but I was just clearing up that it won't cause any changes to pitch like vibrato does, and is only used as an exercise for your hands.
More like cello Because is wrist rotation. On violin the wrist does not rotate but instead oscillates a bit up and down. (And the motion comes from the first joint of the finger.
Violin vibrato is different. It requires back and forth movement while applying more than normal pressure to maintain the pitch. This is the opposite of releasing tension.
I have played for 40 years and I'm excited to try these! I'm working on Chopin's fantasie impromptu no. 66 😂
1. 1:40
2. 3:35
3. 6:24
Thank you for this. For years I have avoided fast pieces because I get very sloppy when playing fast. Can’t wait to try this.
Practice often but at intervals to avoid stress and practice smart :)
Josh, I have been thru your experience and you are speaking 100% the truths. Relaxation =speed=free weight .
How long should I be doing these exercises and is it okay on any piece? Ex. Bach prelude in C minor (with the presto section)
Josh, thank you so much for your help.
Happy new year Josh and everyone, I hope you and your family are doing great and thank you for the video and for the positive impact you had on me in 2017
OMG, I am amused! At first I thought ''Mm, a piano teacher'' and then when he started playing I was like ''OMG, he's a genius!'' And well, I used to play the piano, now I don't anymore but when I have more time I would like to do it again! It is so pleasant to play the piano! So relaxing and classical music is the best one to play for me. Thank you for the information.
Totes cool! I’m gonna go try these tips out right now!
Susan was such a nice lady! I regret I didn’t have much time to talk with her during my time at the U. I quit being a music major because a certain professor there made me feel worthless, and also, the demand of being a music major was too much for me during that time of my life. I still love piano, and I’m grateful for videos like yours that go into detail on exercises and techniques. So thank you!
When you you're really hyped for a movie and you want to know everything about it:
"PRESS RELEASE! PRESS RELEASE! PRESS RELEASE!"
Dude you’re funny😂
more ppl like him should exist
The principal of my music school showed me that 3rd exercise after listening to me play the Appassionata.
He compares playing a key to hammering a nail in a wall. If you simply push with the hammer it'll never penetrate the wall. You need to quickly move the hammer away and strike it with great speed.
If you simply push the keys while playing, you will not get a clean sound like you would if each key was stroke. However this is incredibly difficult with the 4th and 5th fingers
Yeah, for me it's very difficult to raise my 4th and 5th fingers quickly and press the key. They are too slow and they get a bit tense.
Thank you! You are totally right! Collegial greetings from Cologne, Patrick
That shaking thing. I do that all time while playing during my lessons. Somehow, it doesn't make me more relaxed. ;-)
It would interest me greatly to see how you would address tension issues in certain pieces. The Chopin g minor ballade for example, with its constantly shifting technical issues would be splendid to hear you talk about. Again, very grateful for all your shared insights!
I clicked on this video because I like your suit.
I liked ur comment because of the name
I liked ur comment because of the profile pic
I clicked on this comment because i like hentai
@JOLEAHCIPHER interesting
@@pepperoni8155 FBI OPEN UP
at 4:40 a distinction would help. When you say 'release' I assumed you meant 'release the key' at which point the damper comes down and the tone ends. It appears you mean 'release downward pressure while still holding your finger on the key' . I'll try it. Very interesting and thoughtful approach!
Not a piano player but the principle applies (regarding speed) to other instruments as well, many thanks and regards.
As usual, brilliant!! I absolutely ADORE YOU! Every time my students or I have an issue, I go to Josh and he inevitably always solves it! Join his Pro-Practice Piano Academy, folks!! Such ASTOUNDINGLY HELPFUL materials, master classes, tutorials, etc!😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️
Gotta hit that 10 minute mark...
But seriously, awesome video
Don't think he's interested in the money bud :)
There aren't even ads so what's your point?
I'm pretty sure he makes plenty out of those masterclasses. There is no point in him trying to make money of this, and like Best of HandofBlood said, there are no ads on his videos.
@@bestofhandofblood9440 r/wooosh
This is literally my favorite channel on UA-cam, keep doing what you do Josh! Happy new year.
Great tips! Any tips specifically for increasing Left Hand speed and looseness? My RH is faster than my LH.
pritchetty Well, I think etude op 10 no 12 is the ideal study to increase LH dexterity.
@@pierrecardin5302 no, first do prelude op 28 no 3
He has so beautiful hands , with long fingers !!Thank you for lesson !
Happy new year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Press Release prees release press release press release release release release!!!!!!!
Lmao
1) Finger shaking excerice
- shake out tension by vibrating finger on key
- slow
2) Press/Release
- press down and untense
- say "press" and "release" when doing it
- gradually increase speed of press/release (not tempo) until feel lightness
3) "Military Men" Fingers
- develop light touch
- don't prepare fingers- just up down touch on key
Illusion of Playing Piano: "When playing with clean fingers, it sounds faster than playing faster but with less clean fingers."
If you can play it slowly, you can play it quickly 🎻
You meant 🎻🎻
This is terrific - Thank you
nobody:
him: starts playing at rapid speed*
me: jaw drops* i Am CoNfuSiOn
I just got back home. It's so good to be back in front of the piano. And as always Josh is there to guide me. Thank you very much sir. Happy new year everybody!
*press release*
*press*
*release*
*press*
Justin Y Release
He said it right as I was reading this comment lmao
Elvis presley elivis presley elvis presley
Great tips!!! Thank you so much!!!
Happy new year :))) Love your vids Josh
Very good video an excellent exercises, thanks for sharing.
Two beers before practice helps me ---- more than two, your speed goes down the drain, but you don't care.
Thanks Josh. I found this very helpful!
7:52 WTF!!!
I am glad to find this channel . I am beginner and your channel helps me to improv myself. Thank you very much. Regards from Saudia Arabia.
If you can play it slowly...
You can play it fast!!!
No you cannot (though right now I cannot tell if you are making a reference or not). It requires practice.
The shaking helps a lot! Thanks so much, Josh, for sharing these hints with us! First I made it in a wrong way, shaking both hands together - there was no progress. But now I concentrated on one hand at a time and noticed an immediate progress! Still my pinkie is not perfectly relaxed, but now there is hope that I will get it soon 😁 I am super happy 😁
Now I want to play the piano 😃
As an alternative to the press/release exercise, sometimes I just play through a piece a couple times applying extra heavy weight (at top speed, if possible) before applying normal pressure to the keys. I start by overapplying pressure and within a few minutes can play faster and more fluid with less pressure. I've always wondered if wearing something to weigh your fingers down (something like lead rings) would help build finger strength. Though that could possibly do damage as well.