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About Tersun Press
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Developing A Total Piano Technique
Our goal is to convey directly to students and teachers information of a practical and highly professional nature, which is easy to understand, and is interesting and effective to use. We will explain to you about how to play the piano easily, with minimum effort and maximum results, so that you can comfortably play, without technical problems, the wonderful piano compositions of the great composers.
As is well known, without knowledge of the basic piano touch, it is impossible to play well even the easiest pieces. Many students and teachers know how important technique is, but it is hard to find the best way to develop the fundamental skills. But knowing how to play the piano is still not enough; you also have to train and develop your technique until you acquire a proficiency that will allow you to play any piece in the repertoire. You see, not having a basic, fundamental piano technique is like making a building without a secure foundation. No matter how much time it takes, or how much effort is involved, it is entirely necessary to focus on solving basic technical problems, so that whenever you practice and perform pieces you are not held back by the more difficult passages.
In our university teaching experiences, we have seen many students and even teachers who had problems in playing the piano. This motivated us to study and research the most effective way to improve their piano playing abilities, including the best way to develop piano technique. We saw many students trying hard to develop their technique only with their pieces, but this was not enough to improve their playing. Although we taught the etudes of Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninov, as well as other pieces from the repertoire, this did not in itself satisfactorily improve the general performance level.
What is obvious is that everything which is produced, comes not from the fingers, but rather from the arm. To play piano music easily, you have to develop your arm muscles and finger strength. You cannot do this by only practicing pieces.
There are so many technique books we know about, but none of them are completely helpful. We have practiced and taught many of these technique books for three decades, such as those by Hanon, Czemy, Philipp, Brahms, Pischna, etc. These books do not provide a complete way to develop a total piano technique. The exercises is these books are not in any particular order, and it is not obvious which exercises are the most effective.
The new piano technique books by Terrence Rust focus on developing muscles and strong fingers through basic patterns and simple, repetitive rhythms, concentrating on one activity at a time for maximum effectiveness. With the advanced book there are two basic ideas. The first idea, to put it in simple terms, is to have exercises with both held notes and repeated notes. This will accomplish two things: the hand is forced into maintaining balanced position, and the weaker fingers are made to work with the stronger fingers. This assures rapid progress in the development of finger independence and facility. The other idea is that one is to begin with the first note of the first exercise and then learn each following exercise in strict order. This is an important concept because each exercise, or each group of exercises, or even each chapter builds upon skills learned earlier in the book and prepares for what is to follow.
Technique is interpretation. The development of a total piano technique is absolutely essential to successful performance. Finger facility and a beautiful tone are produced by the development of the muscles and by using the natural motions of the body. Without a knowledge of the basic piano touch, it is impossible to play well even the easiest pieces. No matter how long it takes, or how much effort is involved, it is essential to focus on developing basic technical skills so that whenever you practice or perform pieces you will not be held back by the more difficult passages. After you have developed and improved your technique by practicing these exercises, you will realize your full potential.
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| Eulsun Kim |
Terrence Rust |
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