NEW RELEASE
All Things Piano
This book offers insights into technique and tone production, interpretative fascinations, practicing, performing, and three issues less often discussed: cognition, emotions, and listening. Uniquely, it combines story-telling with bulleted Handouts including rare quotations by master pianists, images to stir the imagination, and clear Takeaways. Choose your issues and get started!
Chapter 1
INTRODUCING THE CONSERVATORY
Preface
Author’s Note
Before Starting: Format and How to Use This Book
The Gathering: Introducing the Five P’s of Piano Study
Physical: Piano Mechanism and Technical Tone Production
Possibilities: Interpretation
Processing: Cognition, Emotions, Listening
Practicing
Performing
Getting Started
The toxic question of “Why” – as in, why am I doing this?”
Analyzing Playing Styles:
Impassioned and Intense
Nervous and high-strung
Cool and Casual
Facile and Fast
Aggressively Analytical
Notey and Square
Chapter 2
PHYSICAL (TECHNIQUE AND TONE)
General
The Piano Mechanism
Getting Physical
Building the Base: Standing, Walking, and Abdominals
Torso Time: Spine, Ribs, Back, and Neck
Sitting Fundamentals
Shoulder Issues
Upper Arm-ing It
Weight or Energy
Floating the Elbow
Disarming the Forearm
Dissolving the Wrist
The Elegant Hand
The Knuckle Platform
Finger ‘Supplesse’
Thumb: Savior or Saboteur
Summary (Hand, Fingers, and Thumb)
Exercises and Standard Technique
Exercises Generally: How Much, When, Checklist
Scales
Arpeggios
Chords
Octaves
Fast Passages
Six Special Pianistic Challenges
Relaxation
Agility
Jumps
Accuracy
Security
Pain
Chapter 3
POSSIBILITIES: PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION
Introduction to Interpretation
Power of words: Images, Adjectives, Emotions, Lyrics
Form: Climax, Macro-Micro, Clumping, Filler, Parallels, Perspective, Voicing, Proportion and Distortion, Setup and Surprise
Phrasing
Melody, Accompaniment, and Other Melodic Devices: Ornaments, etc.
Harmony
Rhythm: Bar Lines and Meter, Beats, Drift Points, Rests, Tempo, Tinkering with Time
Dynamics, Fortissimo and Pianissimo
Pedal
Touches: Legato, Detache, Staccato
Singing Tone
Color
Chapter 4
COGNITION: PROCESSING PART ONE
Brain Anatomy and Function
Applying Anatomy to Practice and Performance
Finding Focus
Maintaining Concentration and Flow
Why Memorize and Playing with the Score (Digital devices)
Three General Steps in Memorization (Encode, Consolidate, Retrieve)
Conceptual Memory (Cognitive)
Motor Memory (Kinesthetic)
Visual Memory, Photographic
Aural Memory (Auditory)
Memory Recall
Chapter 5
EMOTIONS: PROCESSING PART TWO
Introduction
Generating Emotions
Expressing Emotions
Controlling Emotions
Nerves
Chapter 6
LISTENING: : PROCESSING PART THREE
Inner Listening
Outer Listening
Physical Listening (bodily feedback)
Moving your Listening beyond the Piano into the Room
Chapter 7
PRACTICING
Organizing: How long to practise, practise breaks, study props
Using your Four Faculties: Cognition, Physicality, Emotions, Spiritual/Meaning
Five Stages of Developing a Piece:
Read and Analyze
Work Technically
Interpret and Experiment
Consolidate and Memorize
Polish and Review
Sample Practise Session
Pedagogy Briefly
Chapter 8
PERFORMING
Why Perform
The Physical in Performing
The Mind: Intention, Attention, and Retention
Memory in Performance
Listening in Performance
Emotions in Performance
Nerves 101
Thematic Programming
Mini Performances
Concert Day
Public Speaking
Perfectionism
Dealing with Disappointment
Chapter 9
POSTSCRIPT
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Index