Your physical relationship with the piano
Jul 04, 2024
A singer embodies their instrument (the voice).
Wind players connect the breath to sound.
String players literally hug their violins and cellos.
We pianists make the least contact with our instruments.
Not only that, but we also have a mechanism between our movement and the production of sound: we aren’t plucking the strings directly.
We are twice removed.
What that means is we must devote extra time to getting to know the physicality of the piano and develop extra sensitivity to touch. We must develop a physical relationship with our instrument.
Try sitting down and playing just the surface of the keys, with no sound. Relish in the texture, the smoothness of the keys, the raised, thinner black keys. Feel their resistance under your fingertips.
When you want a dolce sound, you must use a dolce touch.
My teacher used to say, ‘pretend the piano is a newborn baby.’
Getting very physically acquainted with the instrument is imperative to producing the sound you want on command.
