This is the kind of thing all piano students really need. I have seen/heard other teachers talk about this kind of thing as if they are Zen gurus on a mountaintop, and the ritualized eyes-closed deep breathing, the kumbaya fluttering hands waving through the air, seem faintly ridiculous. Almost a matter of faith rather than result-focused technique. In just a few seconds you drive home the key point--folks, it's physics! Circles are just easier! I tried it out and immediately saw what you meant.
Watching your "bad" examples takes me back - that was the only technique I was taught, way back in the '70s. Wrists up, fingers down. I've been relearning since January of last year, with a digital keyboard, and your lessons have been so helpful! I feel like I've been freed to move and to be expressive, the way as a child I imagined playing piano, before taking lessons. Thank you for doing these.
That's so wonderful to hear - I'm glad that you're feeling freer and more able to play expressively. Very kind of you to let me know in your comment - you made my day! Good luck with your piano journey - I wish you continued enjoyment and progress!! 😊
This is a really great way to explain wrist circles. I've never been able to describe this quite so succinctly to my own students. Fantastic! The organ is my main instrument these days, though I started on piano and still try to keep up with it as I teach both. I love watching your videos as it helps me reinforce my own pianistic technique. The best teachers are students themselves! And sometimes the videos apply to organ too (sometimes with some slight variation). I actually use wrist circles from time to time on the organ - it can help with timing of attack and release which is critical for organ technique to play expressively. Anyway, I hope you keep making these videos! Love it!
Thank you so much for your comment! I started this channel as a place to make videos to supplement lessons for my own students, and it's great to hear that other teachers also find them useful in their own teaching! I have played organ in the past, but never "properly" - only manuals! 😂 I admire the wonderful organ repertoire! Happy practicing! 😊👋
This is a very helpful reminder of this technique. There's a tension between the freedom and relaxation that a more extravagant wrist motion affords and the practical matter of velocity in some passage work. I'm working up the Mendelssohn d-minor piano trio for a performance this summer and the coda of the first movement really flies but is a textbook example for wrist circles in the RH otherwise. I feel that even just the thought or hint of a wrist circle is enough to keep the tension at bay in passages such as that. The other feature that I've found wrist circles can help with is in avoiding over-articulation - resulting in what my Russian piano teacher called "треск" - (crackling/popping) - separated and overly-attacked notes. So much more beautiful legato tone when the wrist is mobile.
Thanks for your comment - yes, that spot in the Mendelssohn is a perfect example. Great insight about avoiding over-articulation! Good luck with your Mendelssohn performance.
Great lesson, Kate. The tips at the end were helpful, especially the one about keeping fingers aligned with the key, which is a problem I've just been noticing in my practice. I love that your examples are hitting right in my repertoire, too. What luck!
I just discovered your channel. I am new to piano and will never be a true concert pianist. I aim to play the piano to entertain my family and friends during the holidays. Please, I find learning music very mentally stimulating. I'll be sure to use your channel on my journey. Thank you for sharing your teaching of playing piano.
Do you use wrist motion while playing arpeggios? And, how about Chopin's first study from Op25., would wrist motion be appropriate in both hands simultaneously? Thank you for the video.
Typically wrist circles are best for times when the line goes up and down in a more localized manner, so I don't consider the motion I use for arpeggios or Op 25 No 1 to be wrist circles. That would involve more continues left-right motion and opening and closing the hand. Your comment is a good reminder that I should make a video about playing arpeggios. This video might be helpful to you - it's a tutorial on a Dohnanyi arpeggio exercise: ua-cam.com/video/l9FmAvy275A/v-deo.html
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd I'm learning Op 25 no. 1 right now and I came to this video because I thought wrist circles is the way to go about it to play without tension. Thank you for the other video, it's really good. Would you advise against wrist circles in Op. 25 no. 1 then? I feel it helps my right hand, but my left hand feels clumsy, which could be due to lack of practice.
Wrist circles are best suited to when the music changes direction. If you're going up the keyboard in scales, for example, wrist circles will be less helpful. Here's a playlist I made about scale technique - hope it's helpful! ua-cam.com/play/PLpg8MpXPJea4Io4qKdt333x9BdkaZBYPN.html
Very helpful! I have a question about Chopin's Op. 55, No. 1, which I am currently working on. Would wrist circles work in the left hand in the section beginning with measure 57? I am struggling with this section because my hand is so small, and I was thinking wrist circles could make the motion more natural. But because there is some back-and-forth (the broken chord isn't a smooth line from down to up), I'm thinking maybe a different approach is needed. Thank you!
Yes! That spot works well with a hybrid motion - you want to layer rotation on top of wrist circles. You'll make a counter-clockwise wrist circle in the LH and then you rotate within that motion as the triplets go back and forth. Hope this is helpful!
Depending on the length of the piece, I'd learn it slowly in sections and then gradually combine the sections as you increase the tempo. It's more efficient for the brain to process smaller sections at first. Good luck!
![How to Improve Your Left Hand ACCURACY and SPEED [7 Tips!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3F0_XC5euyY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Piano Technique Tutorial: Wrist Circles and Arm Motion [Feat. Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms]](/img/n.gif)
👋 Watch this next: ua-cam.com/video/8ers7ytwalU/v-deo.html
This is the kind of thing all piano students really need. I have seen/heard other teachers talk about this kind of thing as if they are Zen gurus on a mountaintop, and the ritualized eyes-closed deep breathing, the kumbaya fluttering hands waving through the air, seem faintly ridiculous. Almost a matter of faith rather than result-focused technique. In just a few seconds you drive home the key point--folks, it's physics! Circles are just easier! I tried it out and immediately saw what you meant.
Wonderful - so glad you found it practical and helpful! Have fun!
Kumbaya 😂
Watching your "bad" examples takes me back - that was the only technique I was taught, way back in the '70s. Wrists up, fingers down. I've been relearning since January of last year, with a digital keyboard, and your lessons have been so helpful! I feel like I've been freed to move and to be expressive, the way as a child I imagined playing piano, before taking lessons. Thank you for doing these.
That's so wonderful to hear - I'm glad that you're feeling freer and more able to play expressively. Very kind of you to let me know in your comment - you made my day!
Good luck with your piano journey - I wish you continued enjoyment and progress!! 😊
thank you very much! from Greece 👍
You're very welcome! 😊
These demos are super helpful, it helps me understand all different scenarios to use the technique, thanks!
You're very welcome! I'm glad they have been helpful! Happy practicing! 😊
thank you very much DR.
Very usefull and incredible lessons! Thanks dr Kate.
Thank you! Glad you're here!
Thanks. Very helpful.
This is a really great way to explain wrist circles. I've never been able to describe this quite so succinctly to my own students. Fantastic!
The organ is my main instrument these days, though I started on piano and still try to keep up with it as I teach both. I love watching your videos as it helps me reinforce my own pianistic technique. The best teachers are students themselves! And sometimes the videos apply to organ too (sometimes with some slight variation). I actually use wrist circles from time to time on the organ - it can help with timing of attack and release which is critical for organ technique to play expressively.
Anyway, I hope you keep making these videos! Love it!
Thank you so much for your comment! I started this channel as a place to make videos to supplement lessons for my own students, and it's great to hear that other teachers also find them useful in their own teaching!
I have played organ in the past, but never "properly" - only manuals! 😂 I admire the wonderful organ repertoire! Happy practicing! 😊👋
Many many thanks! I will now be closed for renovation for a while, revising my gestures in everything I play.
This is a very helpful reminder of this technique. There's a tension between the freedom and relaxation that a more extravagant wrist motion affords and the practical matter of velocity in some passage work. I'm working up the Mendelssohn d-minor piano trio for a performance this summer and the coda of the first movement really flies but is a textbook example for wrist circles in the RH otherwise. I feel that even just the thought or hint of a wrist circle is enough to keep the tension at bay in passages such as that.
The other feature that I've found wrist circles can help with is in avoiding over-articulation - resulting in what my Russian piano teacher called "треск" - (crackling/popping) - separated and overly-attacked notes. So much more beautiful legato tone when the wrist is mobile.
Thanks for your comment - yes, that spot in the Mendelssohn is a perfect example. Great insight about avoiding over-articulation! Good luck with your Mendelssohn performance.
Great lesson, Kate. The tips at the end were helpful, especially the one about keeping fingers aligned with the key, which is a problem I've just been noticing in my practice. I love that your examples are hitting right in my repertoire, too. What luck!
Wonderful - glad to hear it was helpful and I appreciate the feedback about the alignment tip. Good luck with your piano practice! 😊
I just discovered your channel. I am new to piano and will never be a true concert pianist. I aim to play the piano to entertain my family and friends during the holidays. Please, I find learning music very mentally stimulating. I'll be sure to use your channel on my journey. Thank you for sharing your teaching of playing piano.
Thanks so much - and welcome!! 😊
Thank u dear maam for giving this tips.from India
You're very welcome! Glad it's helpful!
wht is diiferent from other pianists you perfectly explain the principle and pick perfect examaples for us
Thank you for the positive feedback - your comment made my day! 🥰
Tremendously helpful! Thank you!
You're very welcome!
"Turn or burn!"
Do you use wrist motion while playing arpeggios? And, how about Chopin's first study from Op25., would wrist motion be appropriate in both hands simultaneously? Thank you for the video.
Typically wrist circles are best for times when the line goes up and down in a more localized manner, so I don't consider the motion I use for arpeggios or Op 25 No 1 to be wrist circles. That would involve more continues left-right motion and opening and closing the hand.
Your comment is a good reminder that I should make a video about playing arpeggios. This video might be helpful to you - it's a tutorial on a Dohnanyi arpeggio exercise: ua-cam.com/video/l9FmAvy275A/v-deo.html
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd I'm learning Op 25 no. 1 right now and I came to this video because I thought wrist circles is the way to go about it to play without tension. Thank you for the other video, it's really good.
Would you advise against wrist circles in Op. 25 no. 1 then? I feel it helps my right hand, but my left hand feels clumsy, which could be due to lack of practice.
To me. It looks like you should always use wrist circuits when going up and down the piano, right? When shouldn't one use wrist circles?
Wrist circles are best suited to when the music changes direction. If you're going up the keyboard in scales, for example, wrist circles will be less helpful. Here's a playlist I made about scale technique - hope it's helpful! ua-cam.com/play/PLpg8MpXPJea4Io4qKdt333x9BdkaZBYPN.html
Very helpful! I have a question about Chopin's Op. 55, No. 1, which I am currently working on. Would wrist circles work in the left hand in the section beginning with measure 57? I am struggling with this section because my hand is so small, and I was thinking wrist circles could make the motion more natural. But because there is some back-and-forth (the broken chord isn't a smooth line from down to up), I'm thinking maybe a different approach is needed. Thank you!
Yes! That spot works well with a hybrid motion - you want to layer rotation on top of wrist circles. You'll make a counter-clockwise wrist circle in the LH and then you rotate within that motion as the triplets go back and forth. Hope this is helpful!
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd thank you! I’ll work on that. It’s a tricky section for me!
"Wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off, right the circle, left the circle, wax on, wax off!"
Depending on the length of the piece, I'd learn it slowly in sections and then gradually combine the sections as you increase the tempo. It's more efficient for the brain to process smaller sections at first. Good luck!
😂 carate kid?
Wax on, wax off