The first step in construction is to prepare the foundation. Before construction can begin, the land must be thoroughly prepared.
Learning "tension-free" lays the groundwork for all students who learn the piano.
This must be done before we start learning technique.
The first step is to understand approximate body anatomy.
This knowledge can help us understand the tensions we unconsciously hold in our bodies and how to release them.
Let us see if you can ifigure out which part of your body is a full arm system. Most people believe that our arms are made up of two parts: upper and forearms. So did I.
Then try to move your arm. Was that only your arm moving? Are there any other body parts that moved anlong with your arm?
This is an understanding of the anatomy.
We can use our body more effectively if we understand which parts do what, and when our bodies function properly, they are in balance and there is no unnecessary tension.
If a student has never had a piano lesson or played the piano before, they are usually relaxed and we can start teaching technique right away.
If a student comes to us with tension already built up, we must work to free it first. Even if students appear tension-free, it is critical to teach them proper knowledge about how our bodies work.
Without a good understanding of anatomy, they will struggle to see clearly why we do what we do. As a result, teaching will not be an easy task.
Understanding anatomy must be linked to physical sensations. Because we all remember more easily what we learn physically than what we learn logically. Physical experience can be stored in our brain's deepest region, as discussed in the first post of this series. It relates to neuroscience.
We need a lot of off-the-bench practice before we can begin learning how to play the piano.
This must surprise most of our students, but playing the piano is a physical activity, and learning how to use our own bodies while playing the piano cannot be skipped if we truly want to learn and teach healthy piano technique, and we must begin on the first day of lessons.
Once students learned tension-free, we can begin teaching them how to be tension-free on the piano. At this time, we do not teach which keys are which, finger numbers, or anything else about playing music.
Students will learn how to use their hands before learning to play the piano. Because simply placing your hands on the keyboard with no tension is the foundation of tension-free piano technique.
We start in a sitting position. A proper sitting position keeos us from causing unnecessary tension while playing. Elbows must be higher than wrists, and our bodies must be at a reasonable distance from the keyboard. Both feet must be grounded at the appropriate distance. The core of the body must be stable. We can sense that all of the bones in our spine are stuck and properly aligned.
The back should not be overextended by tilting the pelvis; rather, it should be relaxed and loosen up while keeping the pelvis neutral. Overextended back engages back muscles which can tighten arm muscles that are internally connected, preventing the arm and wrist from moving freely. In this position, we can move our bodies forward, sideways, and slightly backward.
Once this posture is mastered, we can begin teaching how to be tension-free on the keyboard.
Scripting out the next step is difficult. If you are interested in learning, please send me a message or leave a comment. I may have to record the movie. It's not my favorite thing to do, but I might have to...
The next step is to get to know our bodies in detail.
To be continued.
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