You're very welcome! ;) Sending you lots of health wishes - I hope you recover soon!!!!

+Truman Nguyen Thank you! ;)

Thank you so much, Zandong! ;)

Thank you, Jim! I'm really happy that this video was helpful! By the way, regarding tension - I recommend to read my free article on this topic - you will find it as an answer to question No. 31 from our FAQs at PianoCareerAcademy.com (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). I hope it is helpful as well! ;)

Thank you very much! :)

+Randy te Morsche You are very welcome! :) The correct whole-arm weighted key attack might indeed seem a bit complex (especially if this is the first time you come across the concepts of whole-arm action, pre-hearing, a gradual key attack etc.). However, with consistent practice (and access to quality information on these topics), your understanding will gradually become much deeper, and you will be able to create a very beautiful, singing and rich piano tone. You can learn more by watching and reading my other 40+ free videos and articles (find all of them, including the KZfaq videos, on PianoCareer.com, my piano blog). If you want to study all these concepts from scratch, in a progressive manner, harmoniously developing all your technical/expressive/analytical/aural/practice skills, join my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com - where you will have access to many hundreds of super-detailed tutorials (including step-by-step Courses and interactive projects). Find out more about this program by reading our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Good luck and enjoy your practice! ;)

+Gi zelop Thank you so much! ;)

Thank you! I'm happy to hear that you're studying with a Russian teacher! :)

@@pianocareer I'm now watching many of your videos every night and practise according to what you have said. Spasiba

@@porvadeeniranviroj4224 You're very welcome! Enjoy your practice! ;)

I'm really happy that my tutorials are helpful, Dary! Enjoy your practice! :)

Thank you, Dimitri! ;)

LOL Thank you! :) Make sure you also watch my free tutorial about the 5 Basic Elements of a Correct Piano Posture (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f9ShoKte1JfHiGQ.html) - and also my newer tutorials as well :). Good luck!

Jason Ongchay Sioco they teach everything in Russia. Not just notes

Thank you so much! ;)

You are so welcome!

Thank you! I'm really happy my tutorials were helpful - and we are looking forward to welcoming you to PCA! :)

@@pianocareer Thank you for your quick reply :-) May i ask a question? Do you have a full tutorial for the book "the russian school of piano playing" 1 and 2 in PCA?

@@anadultpianolearner89 Yes, of course! I have created an entire step-by-step Video Course for Beginners based on Nikolaev's "Russian School of Piano Playing". A couple of free sample lessons can be found here on KZfaq, and also on my blog (PianoCareer.com). You can learn more about this course by reading my answer to question No. D2 from our detailed FAQ page (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs).

Hi Lohith! Thank you so much! :) I have already recorded a series of 3 tutorials dedicated to dynamics: the first episode is available for free here on KZfaq and also on my blog: www.pianocareer.com/piano-expression/piano-dynamics/

Thank you so much llinca! I've seen n loved it

You're very welcome! Thank you for your appreciation! :)))

+Christina Tseng You're very welcome! Thank you for much for your appreciation! :)))

Thank you for your appreciation! I hope you enjoy my newer tutorials as well! ;)

+Shirley Kirsten You're very welcome! Thank you for your comment! :))

Thank you - and I hope you enjoy my tutorials about the piano pedals! :))

Thank you, Diane! I'm happy you enjoyed this tutorial! ;)

Thank you, Dee! Enjoy your practice! :)

Thank you! ;)

Thank you! ;)

Thank you! :))

Thank you very much! :)

My pleasure, Rich! Thank you for your appreciation! :))

Thank you! :)

Thank you! ;)

Thank you, Arnold! ;)

Thank you! It's not about routines and exercises - it's about internalizing the healthy whole-arm weighted technique. There's obviously a step-by-step process for that - but it's done through repertoire and a well-rounded training (not just separate exercises). The entire method is covered in my Course for Beginners at PianoCareerAcademy.com :).

Koosha Tahmasebipour You're very welcome! Thank you for your appreciation! ;)

+Rahul Shah Hi! Thank you for your appreciation! :)) You can find many hundreds of other detailed tutorials (dedicated to a wide variety of piano topics and pieces for all levels, including step-by-step courses, interactive projects etc.) in the Members Area of my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com. You can learn more about PianoCareerAcademy.com and its functionality by reading our super-detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Enjoy your practice! ;)

My pleasure! Keep the spirit as you slowly move forward to more complex pieces! ;)

PianoCareer Will do, ma'am. I'm trying to work on polishing the Canon in D.😉 I might even upload the video to my YT channel.hehe It's also really a pleasure and wonderful hearing from you. Or, in this case, reading your reply.hehe Thanks again!

Hi Alex! I'm not an expert when it comes to jazz music (can only play jazz pieces if they're written down in a score LOL) - and I must confess I'm not familiar with all the reasons behind jazz pianists' technique :). For the most part, their 'lack of whole-arm action' is probably a question of misinformation and tradition (just like it happens with so many classical students who still play by using the old-school 'finger-only' approach, simply because they haven't been taught otherwise) - but it could also have other causes as well (for example, the more 'metallic' sound colors they're trying to achieve). And by the way, I've seen many awesome jazz pianists in my country who DO play by using proper whole-arm action, with wonderful results! Also, thank you for your compliments - but I must confess that in my case it's not about talent, it's about MANY years of VERY hard work LOL, determination, did I mention hard work? - then some more work, a LOT of studying, and I also workout and eat healthy like there's no tomorrow. In my opinion, the universe spreads its qualities very fairly - but some people simply don't make the most of what they have (and also don't believe that they can TRANSFORM what they have and create what they wish). :)))

Thanks for the advice it is very much appreciated.I am embracing the whole arm technique with enthusiasm.

My pleasure! Enjoy your practice! :))

I think it has multiple factors to be honest. Jazz pianists often have other focuses and forget to train the attack. Then there are other jazz pianists that think they develope an individual more "jazzy touch" by just playing a lot and not worrying about their technique. I think that to develope a more individual touch, which is what many jazzers try to do, you have to firstly learn how to touch it rightly. Jazz is about expressing your emotional state in the most sincere way possible, and I think a warm, deep touch is fundamental for that.

Did not Horowitz use the finger approach, fingers close to the keys, pressing touch, not using the arm much?

Thank you! It's simply the result of MANY years of consistent practice :).

+Quyuan Leo And you are so cute!

Thank you so much, Karl! :) Yes, a healthy ergonomic technique that is based on the natural physiology of our body (and also makes smart use of gravity and leverage) can be applied to any style of music (of course, adapting it to the individual sound-quality necessities of each style). By the way, I recommend switching your focus from your fingers (you wrote 'trying to drop my fingers') to the arm and wrist. Once we learn how to play with the entire loose arm, taking the energy from the back - finger work becomes an effortless breeze. Fingers are simply receivers that channel the energy, not initiators of movement :).

Thank you very much! In legato playing, we use the ergonomic technique which I have translated as 'wrist navigation' - the flexible wrist leads the way, anticipating the layout of the passage or melody. The arm is never disconnected either - it acts as a powerful crane in charge of the bigger position shifts. Because of this arm & wrist navigation, the fingers are left with the easy job of following. So, once the wrist is used as a 'three-dimensional navigator', flexibility is the only option (it's simply impossible to keep it rigid in this case). I have detailed tutorials on this topic on PianoCareerAcademy.com :).

You're very welcome! ;)

+Andre Nobre Campos Thank you! :)

+Andre Nobre Campos Yes, amazing. Seeing/hearing the contrast in sound ("ugly, brutal" vs "deep, sonorous"). You show me exactly what I want, and I did not know how to name it. Thank you .

+John Kilbourne You're very welcome! ;)

Hi! Thank you! :) You can learn whole-arm action from scratch, in an enjoyable progressive manner, by following my step-by-step Video Course for Beginners (available in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com). This Course will help you to develop ALL your piano skills (technique, expression, hearing, reading, theory & analysis, pedaling etc.) in a harmonious manner, according to the professional system used in the Russian piano school. Find out more about this Course by reading my detailed answer to question No. 17 from our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Good luck! ;)

@@pianocareer I can't wait to get to that. Thank you for sharing your insight of Russian school of piano!

I'm happy that my tutorial was useful! :) Learning how to create a singing tone on the piano is a complex (and very rewarding!) mental-aural-technical process - and I cover more of its elements in other tutorials as well. Enjoy your practice! ;)

No, not really. Professional piano playing is based on whole-arm action and weighted playing. The 'core' of the sound depends on how you channel arm weight into the key - not on finger preparation. Our fingers are just 'supports' for the weight coming from our back - and not the initiators of the key attack. They can only become strong (and naturally 'rounded') if they learn how to carry weight - and not thought separate 'finger preparation' or 'finger exercises'. This topic is too complex to be covered in a short reply - and you can learn it from scratch, in a step-by-step manner, by following my Video Course for Beginners (available on PianoCareerAcademy.com). Find out more about this Course (and about the functionality of my Piano Coaching Program) by taking a look at our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Please pay special attention to questions No. 17 (dedicated to the Beginner Course), No. 19 (dedicated to the Scale Course) and 1-6 (you will learn how PCA works, what is included in the membership etc.). Good luck! ;)

Thank you! ;)

Thank you! ☺️ Yes, of course - I have a step-by-step Course for Beginners on PianoCareerAcademy.com. You can learn more about our program (and the Beginner Course) by taking a look at our detailed FAQ page [ www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs ].

Shortly - a LOT of correct practice! :). If you're right-handed, your left hand is obviously not as obedient. This is normal - and it simply needs more training. If you practice correctly, consistently, and in a progressive manner (in other words, if you're not skipping levels, and you learn all the needed fundamentals) - your left hand will slowly 'catch up' and become as obedient and agile as your right hand. And you should not just focus on 'quick passages' - for maximum results, you need to develop your entire 'technical arsenal'. Also, speed and agility are not JUST about 'strength' or 'stamina'. First and foremost, you need to learn how to play without tension (in a free whole-arm manner). Tension is the greatest 'inhibitor' of speed - and all your efforts will be in vain if you don't learn the fundamentals of an ergonomic technique first (whole-arm action, weight channeling, arm/wrist relaxation and 'navigation', how to use the 'lever' principle etc.). I teach all these things in a step-by-step manner on PianoCareerAcademy.com :).

Thank you for your appreciation, it means a lot! 😊 To answer your question: the technique I teach applies to all instruments with keys, with no exception. I recommend that everyone learns how to play with a healthy and ergonomic technique. Whole-arm action and weighted playing allow us to play with freedom, power and ease on ANY instrument. Sure, non-weighted electronic keyboards don't require a lot of force to depress the keys (as compared to acoustic instruments, or weighted digital pianos). As a result, the stiff finger-only technique is not very dangerous in such cases. However, once you form the habit of playing 'only from your fingers', learning whole-arm action can be quite difficult, and switching to an acoustic piano could cause extra tension and injuries. So it makes more sense to learn a universal technique that is 100% safe, regardless of the instrument you start with. Yes, weighted playing might not make a difference in the quality of your SOUND (if you play a keyboard), but it will make all the difference in your body, enabling comfort, speed, power and brilliance. To summarize: finger-action only works on non-weighted keyboards and harpsichords; whole-arm action works everywhere. Extra tip: if you can, buy a weighted keyboard (as I explain in reply No. G2 from our FAQ page: www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs ). You can also learn more about the difference between the old-school 'finger' technique and the ergonomic whole-arm action by watching episode No. 2 from my free 'Piano Myths' series: www.pianocareer.com/7-dangerous-piano-myths/ I hope this helps! 😉

@@pianocareer Thank you so much for the detailed response! I have been watching everything I can find from piano academy. You look so graceful when you play and it clearly makes a difference in tonality and artistic expression. When I decided to teach myself 2 years ago, I started with Fur Elise (yeah, now I know). I have a lovely Yamaha weighted keyboard, but I think I've been "typing". LOL. Your videos are so enlightening and I have ordered the Nikolaev beginner books and am going back to square one! Focusing on your wholistic approach and developing a whole arm technique.. Although I am old now, there is still so much to learn. ☺

@@CHERYLRYAN-dw4px Thank you, Cheryl! 🥰 By the way, the video above is quite old (published back in 2011, before the launch of PianoCareerAcademy). Since then I have created an entire 100-lesson Video Course for Beginners based on Nikolaev's method book (available on PCA). Yes, this book is wonderful, but it cannot be used without the guidance of an experienced teacher 😊. What we play does matter - but HOW we do it is crucial, and cannot be explained in written form. This Course can be used by experienced players as well (not just absolute beginners), for re-training your skills and setting a stable, healthy and well-rounded piano foundation (with a focus on ergonomic technique, aural training and expressive mastery). You can learn more by taking a look at my detailed answer to question No. D2 from our FAQs here: www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs

Hi! It's Chopin's beautiful Etude op. 25 No. 7! :) Enjoy learning it - it's absolutely wonderful! :D

Hi Maria! Lifting the arm up helps us to relax and refresh the muscles - and it also offers us power in case we need to play something deep and resonant: the higher we lift our arms, the less effort we need to exert for playing loudly; instead of overworking our muscles, we use the force of gravity to our advantage. Playing with free, fluid and ample gestures is an important part of a professional ergonomic whole-arm technique. However, the 2nd technique you described (pushing the key down after the key attack) is unnecessary and dangerous: it is called keybedding and can lead to tension and injuries. In my video above I don't talk about keybedding - but about making sure that our key attack is GRADUAL (instead of being percussive and 'striking'). A 'gradual' key attack means that we press the key with less speed, as if 'sinking' our finger into a soft dough or pillow (instead of 'hitting' a hard surface). This technique helps us to create a beautiful, rich and deep piano tone. Once the key has been depressed, however - we stop pressing and exerting unnecessary effort. The piano sound cannot be manipulated AFTER the key has reached the keybed - therefore our playing needs to be energy-efficient. This is obviously a very short and incomplete explanation - but you can learn all the elements of ergonomic piano technique from scratch, in a progressive manner, by following our courses and tutorials at PianoCareerAcademy.com 😊.

@@pianocareer thank you so much indeed this is so informative and helpful 😊

Hi Barbie! You can learn how to play piano correctly (and develop a healthy ergonomic technique) by following my step-by-step Video Course for Beginners (available on PianoCareerAcademy.com). This Course will help you to improve ALL your piano skills (technique, expression, hearing, reading, theory & analysis, correct practice, pedaling etc.) in a harmonious manner, according to the professional system used in the Russian piano school. As a member of our program, you can also receive weekly feedback to your recordings. Due to my overloaded schedule, I don't offer individual lessons - but the membership is a much more comfortable (and affordable) option: you can learn at your own pace, with no time constraints (you will have unlimited access to our entire library of tutorials for as long as you remain a member) :).

Analysis, understanding, focus - and LOTS of consistent, detailed practice! You can learn more about each of these elements of an efficient piano practice by watching the tutorials available in the Members Area of my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com :).

James Raphael Sese practice

Hi! I don't want to jump to conclusions without having more information about your teacher's method. From your description it seems that she uses the old-school 'fingers-only' approach (which has lots of technical and expressive limitations) - but I might be wrong :). I teach whole-arm action and weighted playing (the professional approach used in the Russian piano school). You can find many hundreds of super-detailed video tutorials on this topic in the Members Area of my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com :). You can learn more about the functionality of this program by taking a look at our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Please pay special attention to answers No. 17 (dedicated to my step-by-step Video Course for Beginners), No. 19 (dedicated to the Scale Course) and 1-6 (you will learn how PCA works, what is included in the membership etc.). Good luck! ;)

thx! I'm checking those out right away :)

Hi! In your question, you make the assumption that finger strength is not important if using whole-arm action. This is incorrect. Whole-arm action is a complex set of techniques (not just one type of movement). It means that the pianist can use the possibilities of his ENTIRE upper body in the playing process (depending on the requirements of the moment): starting with the tiniest movements of the last finger joint, using the wrists and elbows as 'flexible bridges', reaching the enormous power that is channeled from the back and shoulders through the relaxed arms, and also using the force of gravity and the leverage principle smartly. Finger strength is a crucial element of a healthy piano technique. However, it's not very efficient to develop this skill separately (by using 'finger strengthening exercises'). Our fingers and hands get strong by learning to carry the weight of the arm (not by performing separate 'finger lifting movements'). I have very detailed articles and videos on this topic in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com. Regarding Hanon - I share my opinion in my detailed answer to question No. 30 from our public FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/).

Hi Adrian! The problem you describe could be caused by 2 main factors: 1. Incorrect technique (using the old-school 5-finger approach, instead of whole-arm weighted playing). 1. Joint hypermobility (I’m not a doctor, but I do know that some people find it more difficult to prevent their joints from ‘collapsing’). This can always be corrected with the help of weighted playing - it might just take a little longer. Most Western methods are based on the so-called ‘5-finger approach’: students start playing legato straight away, in a rigid ‘5-finger’ position, by simply lifting and lowering the fingers. The arm is not involved in the process. This is a shortcut to tension and weak fingers (I explain the reasons in many tutorials). In the Russian piano school, we begin by learning how to play with the entire arm, non-legato. First we only play with the 3rd finger - and we gradually incorporate the other 4 (the pinkie is the last to ‘join’). Carrying weight (and doing it correctly, without harmful tension) is the best way to strengthen our fingers (including the pinkie) - and preventing the joints from ‘collapsing’. My entire Video Course for Beginners at PianoCareerAcademy.com is based on the professional Russian method - and in the Members Area of our site you can also find tutorials dedicated to this specific problem (how to strengthen the fingers, how to prevent the pinkie from collapsing etc.). One more thing: because the pinkie is our shortest finger, it is rarely ‘curved’. Most of the time, it should be kept almost vertical (with a very slight ‘bend’ in the joints). This position is obviously flexible (depending on the individual ‘construction’ of your hand, and the exact pattern you play) - but the important thing is to treat your fingers as ‘pillars’, as ‘receivers’ that transfer the arm weight into the keys - and not as separate ‘levers’ that move on their own. I hope this helps! 😉

+Troy Low I always use my fingers i practiced hanon too much i dont know how to use my wrist and arms freely

+Troy Low Hi Troy! I just wrote a big answer to another one of your questions (under my tutorial about scales and arpeggios) - but there you mentioned that you've been practicing for 6 years, so how can you be a beginner? :) If you are indeed a beginner, I recommend starting with my step-by-step Video Course for Beginners, which will help you to learn how to play piano correctly, from scratch, according to the professional system used in the Russian piano school, developing all your technical/expressive/analytical skills harmoniously, in a progressive manner (including your passage technique - which is a very SMALL element of the complex art of piano playing). You will find a detailed description of this Course in our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/), answer No. 17. To answer your first question shortly - we need to adapt our wrist movements (and their amplitude) to the exact layout of the passage we play (and also to the intended speed). For example - we can use: ample vertical movements when we play in a slow or moderate tempo, non-legato; horizontal movements - for facilitating the execution of passages containing wide stretches; minimum movements (but without losing the wrist relaxation which we TRAIN in a slow tempo, with ampler movements) - in playing fast scale-like passages (without big stretches) - and so on! Regarding your 2nd question - indeed, if you are playing by using the old-school 'finger-only' technique, it's only normal to experience speed walls and lack of progress! You can learn how to play by using whole-arm action, a weighted key attack and arm/wrist relaxation combined with hand/finger strength (which are the main technical fundamentals of the Russian piano school) by following my Beginner Course (which I mentioned above). Regarding Hanon - please read answer No. 30 from the FAQs, where I share my opinion about these exercises. You can learn more (and discover many important ergonomic technical principles used in the Russian piano school) by watching the tutorials available on PianoCareerAcademy.com! ;)

Simply follow the first link in the Description Box :). Back in 2012 we called it a 'forum' - but since then PianoCareerAcademy has grown into a large online Academy hosted on a modern platform (we migrated to a new website in 2021). All the older tutorials are available as well. As a member of PCA, you get unlimited access to every single lesson and Course I have created since 2010 - almost 1000 titles as this point (plus interactive projects and other unique features). You can learn more about the functionality of our program by taking a look at our detailed FAQ page: www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs

+Gowtham G.P Hi! Tension and pain are usually symptoms of an incorrect playing habit. You will find out more by reading my detailed free article dedicated to this topic - find it under question No. 31 from our FAQs at PianoCareerAcademy.com (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Good luck and practice correctly! ;)

Hi Akari! Excessive finger curling is usually a sign of too much tension in your hand/wrist - which in its turn is probably caused by an incorrect playing habit (it's possible that you don't know how to relax the arm and wrist yet, how to use the entire arms in the playing process [instead of using separate finger movements] etc.). The 5th finger is not a separate entity and cannot be fixed on its own, but only as part of a whole - and for this, you need to understand the bigger picture. The best solution is to learn how to play correctly, one step at a time, and to make sure that you're not missing any fundamentals - such as correct posture (you can watch my free video about posture: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f9ShoKte1JfHiGQ.html), whole-arm weighted key attack (like I describe in the video above), wrist flexibility and relaxation, rounded hand dome with strong fingers etc. In order to learn all these fundamentals in a serious, progressive and thorough manner, you need access to correct information (the guidance of a professional teacher) - and also patience and practice :). You can do all this by either taking real-life lessons from a good teacher (who is familiar with the professional principles I described above) - or by following my step-by-step Video Course for Beginners. Lesson No. 1 from this course is available for free on KZfaq and also on my blog (www.pianocareer.com/piano-practice/nikolaev-russian-piano-school-practice-guide/). All the other Lessons can be found in the Members Area of my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareeerAcademy.com :). Good luck! ;)

+StoneChords Hi! Thank you for your appreciation! I actually mean 'brutal' - which means playing in a harsh, insensitive, percussive manner :))) - and which is obviously an incorrect approach.

+PianoCareer Well then, my apologies, I stand corrected! Since I'd heard the term "brittle" used often to describe a certain kind of attack, I assumed you meant that word, but indeed, "brutal" is more descriptive as a VERY ugly sound! Now that I think of it, it's the perfect opposite of another word you use to to describe as a goal in piano touch: Noble. And you do surely have a noble posture and sound at the piano! Cheers -- John

+StoneChords No worries! :)) Thank you! ;)

+DonswatchingtheTube Yes, it's entirely possible to create a wide range of expressive effects on digital pianos and keyboards - if they have weighted action and touch-sensitive keys. You can find out more by reading my detailed answer to question No. 24 from our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/) - where I explain why these features are needed (and many other useful things).

Thank you, Pier! :) I dedicate my entire time to my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com - and unfortunately, this makes it impossible me to offer individual lessons as well. The reasons are explained in more detail in our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/), especially: No. 13: find out I cannot offer individual lessons. No. 1-3: discover what PianoCareerAcademy is, how it works and what is included in the membership. No. 4-6: learn more about our membership options (monthly and yearly) - and how they work.

Used*

Hi Adrian! This is quite a complex question :). There are two main things to keep in mind here - ergonomics (technical freedom) and sound production. From the point of view of ergonomics, weighted playing (as part of whole-arm action) is the most energy-efficient way to press the piano keys. The larger the muscles we take the needed 'energy' from - the less effort we need to make while playing (which ensures less tension and fatigue, no injuries and great technical control). From the point of view of sound production - the amount of weight we channel into the keys depends on the sound color and intensity we wish to create. The more weight we channel - the deeper and more resonant the sound. However, in my opinion, there is no 'clear' separation between 'back/torso weight', 'shoulder weight', 'forearm weight' etc. A pianist's upper body needs to work as one unit: the 'energy channels' that go from fingertip all the way into the lower back should always stay 'open' (this is just a metaphor to reflect the fact that we never fully 'disconnect' the shoulder or arm while playing, and we don't 'lock' any joints). So I explain this a bit differently than your teacher (but the end result is probably quite similar): depending on our expressive tasks, we channel more or less wight into the keys (this happens under the strict guidance of our inner hearing). For example, if we play very lightly, we don't call this 'playing with finger weight', or 'playing with hand/wrist weight'. We simply use LESS weight, and put more 'focus' into the fingers or hand (but without disconnecting them from the rest of the arm, which can result in blockages and tension). We can also say that the fingers are more 'active' in certain fragments, that the wrist or elbow are 'leading the way' in other cases (which can be combined with any amount of weight), or that the upper arm is more 'peaceful' in some situations etc. So the focus point can change - but the whole-arm playing principle remains. Still, please keep in mind the MEGA-principle of piano playing: technique cannot be separated from tone (as I explain in this free tutorial: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qZaWebl436iqoZc.html). The way we play is always a flexible process, and our movements have to be fully adapted to the necessities of the piece or fragment (and the exact layout of the text). When we learn a piece, we don't start with "what techniques should I use?", or "where does the weight come from?". We start with "how should this sound?" - and THEN we find the most appropriate movements to express it. This is obviously a very incomplete answer. I demonstrate and explain all these principles in a super-detailed manner in my stand-alone tutorials on this topic (and also in my step-by-step Courses) that you can find in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com :).

PianoCareer is it the same as when my teacher told me to play lightly, the fingers should be more active and the rest of the arm or the body should be relaxed and loose? But when I play, in the long run i always tense up, I think it's my anxiety? Well, thank you for this reply!! Your channel is really helpful ❤️

@@adrianpaolomonterey4948 Anxiety is definitely a cause of tension, but it is not the only one. The main culprit is usually incorrect technique. You can learn more by watching my free tutorial on this topic: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qsxipcV0z7XUlnU.html :).

I mean the soft touch, because I've noticed that to play louder I must hit harder and push keys to its beds.

Sound production is not the only reason behind using the whole-arm weighted key attack (as opposed to just pressing the keys randomly). Generally speaking, this ergonomic technique has three main purposes: 1. Creating a beautiful piano tone (this applies to acoustic pianos and also digital instruments with touch-sensitive weighted keys). 2. Technical freedom and protection from tension and injuries. 3. Forming good playing habits. The 2nd and 3rd purposes are very important as well. Even if we don't have access to an acoustic piano (or weighted digital instrument), we still need to play correctly - otherwise we risk developing bad habits and even acquiring an injury. You can lean more by watching my free tutorial dedicated to injury prevention (www.pianocareer.com/piano-health/avoid-piano-injuries/) and also by reading my answer to question No. 24 from our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/), where I share more information about playing on a digital piano. Good luck! ;)

@@pianocareer thanks for the response. indeed, I will give a more closer examination to your site. I appreciate your help. Best wishes.

Do they? I'm happy to hear that - but it's probably because your teacher studied in Moldova (where we follow the Russian system). As far as I know, most Romanian teachers follow Western methods :).

Hi Jean-Pierre! Acoustic pianos have a weighted mechanism. To produce a beautiful sound, our key attack needs to have weight as well (instead of being superficial). When playing the piano, we don't simply 'touch' the keys - instead, we 'dive' into them, channeling the entire weight of our arm (and sometimes the entire upper body). If done correctly and ergonomically, good piano technique feels very comfortable and satisfying. On the other hand, a shallow 'touching' technique (even when it does result in an audible sound) can lead to tension, pain and even injuries. So it's not about finding a piano brand where the keyboard is not weighted (only electronic keyboards have that option, by the way). It's about changing the way you think about piano playing, and embracing the fact that our art requires a whole-body, weighted, deep, relaxed whole-arm technique (as opposed to delicate 'finger touches'). If you love music and would like to give our art a serious try, I recommend studying with a professional teacher who uses a whole-arm method; or, for a more comfortable and affordable option - you can join our program at PianoCareerAcademy.com, and follow my step-by-step Course for Beginners. This Course will help you develop your entire skillset from scratch, in a fun, progressive (but also serious and in-depth) manner. You can learn more by taking a look at our FAQ page here: www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs

Thank you.@@pianocareer

Hi! I disagree - there's always hope! :)) Unless your wrist rigidity is caused by a medical condition - you CAN change your playing habit, and learn how to use your wrists correctly (in a fluid and relaxed manner). You can do so by following the progressive lessons of my step-by-step Video Course for Beginners (available in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com). If you want to learn more about my Piano Coaching Program, you can take a look at our detailed FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/) - especially at my answers to questions No. 1-6 (find out how PianoCareerAcademy works, what is included in the membership etc.), No. 17 (a description of the Video Course for Beginners), and No. 31 (a detailed article where I describe the main cause of hand/wrist pain, and explain how to deal with them). Good luck, and never ignore practice-related pain! It is your body's way of telling you that you're doing something incorrectly!

DarthCigar - I strongly doubt it! hahaha

@@pianocareer An exaggeration to make a flirtacious point LoL. Joking aside, I began my piano journey a few weeks back and I am now, part of my practice guide, to play Twinkle twinkle, Right hand Melody, Left hand Alberti rhythm (and vice versa). That alone is really making my brain overheat. I have applied the key attack and I can immidiately feel the difference. Thanks, will look for more lessons on your channel!