Excellent ! I had an "old school" teacher early in my piano life who would say to me, "Take your foot OFF the pedal; now, play that melody line with your fingers and make me THINK you are on the pedal. That, my child, is legato !"
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd2 жыл бұрын
Love this quote! Very well said! It's all about connecting with the fingers. 🎹
@trollhunter2006 ай бұрын
best tutorial on legato technique on youtube
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd5 ай бұрын
Wow - thanks! Glad you found it helpful!
@vovoyaya9099 Жыл бұрын
My teacher did not allow me to use pedal until I can perfect my hand legato, it was quite a drill, I love your lessons, well explained, immense help
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
I think that legato is a really important skill - glad you had a teacher who helped you. Thanks for watching!
@TheTmackey Жыл бұрын
Prof, i had lost touch with legato by constantly pedaling. Through your teaching i am on my way back to a better path!
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
Excellent! Keep it up! 😊
@dannuttle90054 ай бұрын
I've seen several explanations and demonstrations of legato. This one clarified the most.
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd3 ай бұрын
Glad to hear it!
@BoldCreature10 ай бұрын
I can relate to this from my experience as a piano teacher. I think back to when I had my piano lessons as a child and was not allowed to use the pedal for a pretty long time. As in years. That is how I teach my students today. Even adults. First examine and learn a piece without the use of the pedal and only later on add it. Oh, by the way, and with all due respect. Have your piano tuned before you record videos 😉
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd10 ай бұрын
Thanks! I know, sometimes it gets out of tune and it was pretty out for that video! 😂
@KalikaWeerasinghe2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Dr.Kate. You explained very well. 🙏
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd2 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@dumisanibhengu599 Жыл бұрын
Prof, Dumisani here from Durban, South Africa, glad I stumbled upon your videos. I've been playing piano for a long time but recently decided to resume formal training and it's going okay (I think). This presentation has just explained what I have been doing wrong all along and what my piano teacher is having me correct. I have not been getting, now thanks to this presentation, it has just made a lot of sense. 🙏🙏 You've gotten yourself a new subscriber.
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
Awww, thanks! I'm so glad you're here!
@wongkp860210 ай бұрын
I like your explanation on Legato touch with clear demonstrations. I will use your advice to teach my students to improve their Legato playing on scales. Thanks so much😊
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd9 ай бұрын
Awesome, thank you!
@ethanking123 Жыл бұрын
Thanks, Dr. Boyd. I'd love to see you make a video about the non-legato touch or staccato technique on piano.
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
Great suggestion - will do! Thanks for asking!
@yvonneng6123 Жыл бұрын
Thank you Dr. Kate for this video. I always know I couldn’t play legato. My playing sounded horrible. I became frustrated with practice. Then I watched videos on how to play legato and using the sustain pedal. They all make sense but didn’t help me improving my playing. You are the only one who mentioned about playing with flat fingers. I tried that and it sounded so much better. It really works! I am so excited. I don’t dread practicing anymore. Thank you for the little trick which makes a BIG difference. Can you make a video on how to use the sustain pedal. I need help with that. Thank you again. You are God send ❤
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much - I'm so glad it was helpful and got you past a roadblock. Thanks for the topic suggestion - it's on my list to make a video about pedal! Happy practicing! ☺️🎹
@josephinebrown6631 Жыл бұрын
Thank you kindly.
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
You're very welcome! Thanks for being here!
@michaelcoolen87163 ай бұрын
How about playing for almost 60 years and just now coming to understand Legato. My first teacher, a Lechitizky follower, stressed Hanon exercises but never taught me how to approach them as studies in legato as well.
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd3 ай бұрын
Thanks for your comment! I think legato is something that a lot of people don't talk about enough and a lot of students misunderstand. Glad you found the video helpful!
@xinxinlu276910 ай бұрын
I’ll try this method, it’s helpful when I use the method close and open during play scale, thanks
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd10 ай бұрын
Thanks! Good luck!
@mabdub5 ай бұрын
You are not wrong but there is more to legato than overlapping notes with the fingers to obtain a smooth sound. I was taught that first and foremost, legato is how a phrase is played. Example; start the phrase softly then increase the volume a bit then end the phrase softly. Legato resembles what taking a deep breath feels like; just imagine that the breath contains a string of notes sounding from soft to loud to soft. Even a succession of staccato notes without pedal can be played legato, it's how the notes are phrased in terms of smoothly graduated volume which creates the feeling that all the notes in a phrase are connected like a breath. Understanding this technique or approach is virtually the only way to make a Chopin nocturne sing. This way of phrasing also applies to left hand accompaniment. "Soft, Louder, Soft". I feel that many pianists don't spend enough time listening to good singers or string players. Forgive me for expanding on your idea, I do genuinely love your videos. Thank you.
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd5 ай бұрын
Great ideas! Thank you for posting!!
@mabdub5 ай бұрын
Actually, thank you for posting and taking the time to help people explore technical solutions for enhanced piano playing. Sometimes I ask you questions that are meant to benefit people who might not know the question to ask or how to ask the question. It's really clear that you are serious about helping struggling musicians.@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd
@hamthemanster Жыл бұрын
Thank you for this video. My legato sounds more like lazy staccato at this stage. Im going to do the Hanon exercise. ❤
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
Good luck with it! I bet the Hanon will help. 😊
@hamthemanster Жыл бұрын
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Thank you so much! Im doing it daily!
@jackherring74907 ай бұрын
I would like you to make a video on staccato. I am playing a Mendelssohn Prelude and Fugue Op. 35 No. 3, b minor and I am very unhappy with my staccato. I am interested to see how you would approach learning this Prelude.
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd6 күн бұрын
Great suggestion, thank you! 😊 That piece is an excellent choice!
@davidk75296 ай бұрын
Someone failed to teach that student’s earliest lessons properly. How do you even get into music school without learning that, much less make it all the way to the end of four years without finding it out somewhere along the way? I can’t afford music school, but even I learned what legato is during the first lessons I ever took and how crucial it is to playing music that’s worth hearing. This wasn’t just a misunderstanding. Someone screwed up big time in that student’s learning process.
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd6 ай бұрын
You'd be surprised at how many students don't play legato once they put the pedal down....
@bertrandcarette9259 Жыл бұрын
Great exercise. I realize that my struggling does not come from up to down but to down up (working the schubert’s f minor four hands fantaisie and having problems on the allegro vivace) After a short while all fingers seem to be much equally strong. And the hand does not collapse. Do you do this every day as your first exercise ? And for how long ? or many times a day? Thank you very much for your time and teaching. best from France .
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
Thanks for your comment! Glad you find it helpful. I no longer practice this daily - it's just become a part of my normal way of playing. What aspect of the Schubert are you having difficulty with? Feel free to reply with a measure number and more information about your challenge.
@KalikaWeerasinghe2 жыл бұрын
❤❤❤❤❤❤👍🙏
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd2 жыл бұрын
So glad you enjoyed it!
@dbrown23802 жыл бұрын
When you are playing the Chopin piece your hands are flat. I always thought you always have to play pieces or technical stuff with an arch wrist. When should you play with an arch wrist vs flat?
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your comment - it gave me the idea for another video topic, to discuss the difference between a flat hand and a collapsed hand. When intervals are wider, the hand will look much flatter but there is still support. Think of a long, gradual bridge like a causeway, vs a shorter, steeper bridge. Both are supported, and you can drive across them, but the shape of the arch is virtually flat in the first example. So, the short answer to your question is that when you are playing something with smaller intervals (e.g., an Alberti bass figure) your hand will look more arched and rounded. When you are playing something with larger intervals, your hand will look flatter, as the fingers spread to anticipate the next note.
@dbrown23802 жыл бұрын
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd thank you, it makes sense. I have another request. Your thoughts on digital vs acoustic piano. I have been playing piano for just over two years. Always on a digital. Recently I bought a Yamaha P22. I like it but I'm pissing my family members off because it is too loud. My Kawai CA49 action is so good that I am almost dont have to adjust going from digital to acoustic. I also like that I can use headphones and play at a volume that does not hurt my old ears :-). I find that digital pianos have come a long way. What are your thoughts on playing/practicing classical music on a digital piano. Sorry for the long post. I really enjoy your videos, you have a simple way to explain the topics. I hope you will keep on making videos.
@nazaramir Жыл бұрын
When playing exercises like Hanon should I rise my fingers high and hit keys or just press keys without rising fingers high, please?
@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Жыл бұрын
The instruction you get on this topic will vary from teacher to teacher. Personally I instruct students not to raise fingers high, but I know that some teachers and methods do instruct students to raise their fingers.