Hey guys! I'm doing Grade 4 in Royal Conservatory Piano right now and I am trying to play songs way above my level not because I'm cocky but just because I would love to play them the way other performers do. I have succeeded a few times and failed more. I think I need a change in the way I practice. I would appreciate advice on the following topics:
a) I am practicing Houki Boshi and I have everything mastered except the part where you play double-notes or whatever you call them lol. My fingers aren't able to move as fast. What should I do?
b) I am also trying to play a song called Redemption by Gackt (AMAZING SONG) and it's extremely hard. Especially the left hand part. Any advice on playing hard left hand parts in ANY song or increasing the range of my fingers' extension.
Thank You in advance!

a) I recommend you buy a copy of Hanon and practice your fingers until they are as fast as lightning~

b) Same as above, there are great finger exercises for all sorts of techniques including the extension of fingers. :)

a) this may sound like a pretty obvious question- but you are changing fingers on the repeated notes arent you?

b) hand span is nothing so dont worry about finger extension- you will just make your hand tense and develop tendonitis or something. the best way of playing is to always keep your hand as closed as possible- practise moving your whole hand to get the notes you cant reach, rather than straining yourself trying to just do it with the fingers

a) I recommend you buy a copy of Hanon and practice your fingers until they are as fast as lightning~

b) Same as above, there are great finger exercises for all sorts of techniques including the extension of fingers. :)

Yeah Hanon is a life-saver.

Just remember not to rely on Hannon; I've actually just dumped it. It worked for me over the past six months with some finger evenness but that should be it's only purpose in my opinion. Speed should come through the 'resting' of the wrists, arms, back and (duh!) your thumbs and knuckles.

Just a heads up.

Just remember not to rely on Hannon; I've actually just dumped it. It worked for me over the past six months with some finger evenness but that should be it's only purpose in my opinion. Speed should come through the 'resting' of the wrists, arms, back and (duh!) your thumbs and knuckles.

Just a heads up.
I love the Hanon exercises, really. Finger evenness is probably one of the most outstanding parts of Hanon, but I think it's very good to improve your overall technique, especially when you play the exercises throughout different scales and rather fast (without sacrificing staying in sync, of course).

And.. you use your back to play..? :o
The shoulders is as far as my "putting weight into it" goes. I've never used my back to play and I don't think it's really necessary.

Wow. Thanks a lot guys! I'm going to try to get my hands on a copy of Hanon. And Thorn, it wasn't an obvious question. I don't lol. I think I should start to.

I love the Hanon exercises, really. Finger evenness is probably one of the most outstanding parts of Hanon, but I think it's very good to improve your overall technique, especially when you play the exercises throughout different scales and rather fast (without sacrificing staying in sync, of course).

And.. you use your back to play..? :o
The shoulders is as far as my "putting weight into it" goes. I've never used my back to play and I don't think it's really necessary.

Where do you 'balance' you weight? My teacher has introduced me to keep my weight at my waist/penvic areas; my back is also a key in giving myself power. I don't really "use" my back or shoulders, but I always try to keep my shoulders as relaxed and "weighted" as I possibly can.

my teacher told me to avoid Hanon like the plague because unless you do them in exactly the right way they do more harm then good and just make you really tense


Wow. Thanks a lot guys! I'm going to try to get my hands on a copy of Hanon. And Thorn, it wasn't an obvious question. I don't lol. I think I should start to.

yeah, that would explain why you find double notes hard hehe

the best thing to do is to just pick different scales and play each note twice using a 3-2 fingering on each note- just catch the end of the key with each finger- otherwise it will sound really heavy when its meant to sound light and effortless.

Mazeppa: I mostly rely on my shoulders and the rest or my arm..It might sound messed up but yeah, I didn't even think my waist/pelvic was important lmfao. MAybe I am using them. I just don't know it yet. Sorry for the noobish answer and TY for ur help.
Thorn: Oh, ya I saw Hanon. WOw, it's....frustrating lol. I might not go with it but a few exercises are helpful. OH so that's what's been messing up my multi-notes! TY TY. TIme to go play the 3-2 fingering for like 2 hrs lol. The only problem is right now, I play on a keyboard ( a really really good one) but it is not weighted. I might get a piano in like a month but ya..im still gonna practice like u said. TYVM.

Actually, my teacher basically dissed Hannon without saying it today. He basically gave me the lesson on "how to practice" and how to improve my technique in a few KEY KEY ways. What this leads to "dissing" Hannon is that you relax all tension from your knuckles down through your arm; now, your fingers should be able to move a lot more freely, and, without any tension and locking up within the arms or fingers.

He also showed me that moving your arms around, you can disperse the weight in your arm to create a much better sound, and (again) to not create tension and lock/cramp up the arm.

Overall, your entire body should be lose and your playing will sound so free, and intense when you play. ^_^

P.S. When sitting on the bench, you should be positioned to the very front of the seat you that you lean over the keyboard (keeping your back straight, of course) so you can manuver your way--and weight--all around the keyboard very, very easily. . .This is where I get the 'center' of your balance should be in your waist. :)

I never knew there was so much to playing correctly!

dont worry about it too much- the only thing you have to do is stay as relaxed as possible and thats a medical thing more than anything because you dont want to end up with tendonitis etc; i mean there was a time when id come off the piano with my hands aching- and thats not good

as long as you're relaxed i dont think there is a right or wrong way of playing- just methods to help you relax more.

i'm at grade 6 piano level...i'm looking for a book to develop my technique...which needs work since i am teaching myself at the moment
does anyone know of a good one?
thanks

Although it will create future roadbumps, Hanon: The Virtuoso-Pianist is a good technique book.

Other than that, just go through all the scales with the ties at the end of each one, leading into the next.

practising scales is the best way.

practise them normally (8ve apart)
then hands seperately
then 28ves apart
then with hands crossed (so LH plays the upper octave)
then in 3rds
then in 4ths
then in 5ths
then in 6ths
then in 7ths
then in 9ths
then in double 3rds
then in double 6ths
then in double 8ves
then starting on different degrees of the scale
then varying articulation and speed
then playing 2 different scales at the same time (like G major in the LH and B major in the RH or something)

my teacher is a bit nasty with scales as you can tell x_x

Oh wow, I never thought to do crossed arms. Makes sence. =)

To get yourself "lined" up, but teacher starts with a tenth or a third apart and one hand plays 8ths/16ths while the other plays triplets. It's quite fun when they line up correctly as a third or tenth; and a good warm up. RECC.

Why only scales tho? Maybe play a few Bach inventions (they're much more fun, give the same techniques as scales, and you can actually perform them)

As for the left hand parts, I often find that they resemble arpeggios more than scales in most songs... since the chord is on the left hand

I don't think we meant ONLY scales, that's what etudes are for (and "hard" pieces).

What we're saying is that if you want to get better at technique, scales is the best way to go if you just want to accel. They create loose fingers and improved accuracy (if practiced correctly).

Hope this helps.

Why only scales tho? Maybe play a few Bach inventions (they're much more fun, give the same techniques as scales, and you can actually perform them)


Bach and fun in the same sentence?

*sighs*

anyway, personal views aside, playing something like a Bach invention or an etude before you can do basic scales is running before you can walk. i know with the Chopin etudes especially i worry more about the performance aspect then the actual technique, thus defeating the object of playing an etude in the first place.

completely off topic, but speaking of Bach, i know of someone who, to try and impress a girl he liked, played her the whole of Well Tempered Clavier (unsure if he meant the first 24 or all 48) and she was begging him to stop before he could get very far. the amusing thing is, he decided she was just difficult to impress.

obviously nothing to do with the chosen repertoire :heh: