Classical Piano Technique
Classical piano technique is your tool to express yourself through the piano. A solid and polished classical piano technique will set you free to play the music you hear internally, without restriction or hesitation.
Music is inside all of us before we play even one note on the piano.
Just as as our favourite music has the ability to affect our mood and spirit, we have the potential to express ourselves through music.
All we need is the right equipment. Not necessarily the best piano (although a good quality instrument never hurts), but the best possible posture, hand position, independence of the hands, fingers, and feet, rhythmic precision, touch control, tension control, and familiarity with the common technical demands of the classical piano repertoire, such as scales, arpeggios, chords, trills, and melodies in octaves, thirds, and sixths.
Rather than mindlessly practising technical exercises and studies to exhaustion, it is essential to see piano technique as a means to drawing the deepest meaning and expression possible out of your classical piano repertoire.
Our classical piano teachers will teach you about classical piano technique with direct applications to the pieces you are working on in your classical piano lessons. Our piano teachers will offer approaches to practising classical piano technique that will be interesting and enjoyable. After all, you will progress faster and more efficiently when you are having fun and invested in the material.
Our classical piano teachers will also teach you about the important mistakes to avoid, and help you take preventative measures against repetitive strain injuries that are very common among pianists, and are a direct result of incorrect practise and lack of proper classical piano technique.
Essential points to remember when practising classical piano technique:
If you feel any pain or discomfort in your hands or any part of your body while practising piano, stop immediately.
Make it a habit to always think about tension while you are practising piano. Try to measure your tension and rate it from 1 to 10, where a completely relaxed arm/hand (for example) dangling freely at your side rates 1, and a tightly clenched fist rates 10.
Trust your body and hands - they often know the most natural way to play the piano better than your brain does. Experiment with different positions to allow your hands to decide what is most comfortable, and most efficient.
Trust your piano teacher, and try everything they suggest. Remember that they have a highly developed perspective on piano technique, and you can always raise questions and concerns if you are still having technical problems after trying their suggestions.