Descending Scale Mechanics?

This is my recent journal entry. Please let me know if I am 'right' or 'wrong'.

I was playing a quick ornamented descending scale like this (view fixed-point font like Courier New):

Scale: C B A G Played: C B A G B A G F A G F E G … Finger: 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4

I had some trouble accurately finding the key with my fourth finger. I figured there were three options for the brain to determine the proper position for the fourth finger to hit the center of the key. It could use absolute position of the arm (ie rotation around the elbow, etc.). This is unlikely since that sensor varies so much from note to note. Or it could use lateral movement of the fourth finger. This didn't seem to work out well. Finally I figured it was the precise angle of the thumb over the key. This is a very consistent signal to the brain which can precisely position the other fingers over the proper notes. So for the above example, when I hit the G for the first time (with my thumb), I include a slight shift to the left of the hand while keeping the thumb on the G. This creates a slightly smaller angle between the thumb and index finger. I'm pretty convinced that this is the key to proper finger alignment for the next note: hitting the B with the fourth finger. It helps to know this because you can then *focus* on that thumb angle during this motion so you know *how* you are achieving your results. You can then much more quickly control the results based on feedback. You would most likely achieve the same thing through high repetition with feedback, but then you would never really know how you achieved this motion and you would not know how to teach it to other people.

Any comments are welcome.

Why not just 'feel' the keys with the 4th finger, so that you know exactly how much to come down? Maybe you are losing the accuracy because you are lifting the 4th finger way off the keys. Even if you want to lift, you can feel first, find the position, and then lift; there is lots of time for that. C. C. Chang; more on piano practice at

Thanks I was hoping you would reply to my question. Your suggestion to keep the 4th finger down (not lift too high) was very helpful. Much more accuracy and control right off the bat.

But in practice, feeling for the keys here doesn't help much. First, I don't think there's a lot of time for that, because this downward scale is intended to be played very fast. Also, feeling tends to create tension in the finger since it promotes more of a lateral sliding-feeling motion and then the key is being pressed down with a lateral tension.

Rhetorical: But even if there was time for it, how does one 'move over' in order to 'feel' for the key? Answer: You have to engage the muscles.

So your suggestion on feeling for the key is, realtively speaking, a solution based on effect, while I was focusing on cause. However, the two solutions are not exclusive of each other and could both be used. I have read your entire book, and am a big adherant to feeling for keys. But in this case, I think the focus is better served on priorperception of the thumb angle.

This is the right hand we're talking about, and its a feeling that the thumb is pulling the hand to the left each time to adjust the hand position. I tried it out myself and that seems to be the trick (for me).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this may indicate a more general rule. That feeling is primarily good for the gross control of finding your initial hand position. From there, feeling becomes less important and then the faster fine-tune control of prioperception becomes more important.

Regards,

'wrong'.

This is interesting that you are keeping a journal. How many entries do you have and how long have you been doing this?

> I was playing a quick ornamented descending scale like this (view fixed-point

Position is everything! I tend to think of it as lateral movement of the second finger. If you are comfortable with how you hand should look and feel when playing the 4-1 downward pattern then focus on the smallest motion and the shortest distance.

Direction is everything! All you really have to do is position the second finger over the thumb in preparation for the next 4-note position. Bring the fourth finger along for the ride. In general you should lead with the fingers nearest the direction you are traveling.

I would think that would be easier than trying to visualise a thumb angle, which could be different depending on where you are playing the piano on the keyboard.

Make up some exercises to facilitate this movement.

You are correct that physical awareness of body and hands at the keyboard are important and you should be cognizant of how you mechanically achieve things. OTOH, you may never be able to explain some technical issues. Or you may not want to OR need to. I could never have enjoyed playing piano as much as I do if I had analyzed every detail. I enjoy the magic of just letting it happen.

Both are good thoughts, and Adele Marcus would strongly agree with you on the second one: 'The thumb *pushes* when going up the keyboard and *pulls* coming down.' I'd add that another thing you're feeling is a well-balanced thumb that remains in control even as the hand adjusts position.

A counterintuitive point from Matthay: you should feel like you're rotating *back* onto the fourth finger after the crossover. This isn't a visible movement; just a very slight clockwise torque exerted by the forearm. (As far as I know, Matthay never actually used the term 'torque,' thus baffling a great many readers who imagine some sort of 'rotation' on the order of an airplane propeller.)

- Carl Tait

Nice to have you back, Carl. TS

Could you give me some references on these? Is this from a published book, or web site perhaps?

Thanks,

I heard the Adele Marcus quote from two of my piano teachers, one of whom studied with Marcus.

Matthay's thoughts on technique are compiled in 'The Visible and Invisible in Piano Technique,' which is out of print but available on abebooks.com (and undoubtedly elsewhere) for $20 or so. Be forewarned that Matthay's writings have three large flaws that have caused many to reject his ideas out of hand:

(1) A mad-scientist style of writing. 'They're all so STUPID! They just can't understand the incomparable brilliance of my ideas!'

(2) Numerous errors in physiology. For example, the bones of the forearm are called the radius and the ulna, but Matthay authoritatively labels them as the ulna and the humerus (or maybe the humerus and the radius; dead wrong in either case).

(3) Confusing or downright bizarre terminology, such as 'invisible rotation' instead of 'torque.' Combine this problem with (1) above and you get sentences like, 'This student thought my 'arm off' technique meant taking one's arm off the keyboard! Can you imagine anything so stupid? Stupid, I say, stupid! They're all dolts and I'm a genius!'

Despite these nontrivial problems, Matthay has some good ideas if you can work through his eccentricities.

- Carl Tait