Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Table of Contents
Introducing Piano Touch
Do you want to be better at piano touch? Do you need help learning how to interpret a piece of music? The term piano touch covers the different ways you strike the key to get certain effects. Carl Seashore, in Piano Touch, states, “The pianist has at his direct control only two of four factors in music: namely intensity and time” (360). Read more to answer the question, “How do I improve my touch on piano?”
This post uses music terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the article.
Mental Imagery and Improving Piano Touch
“How do I improve my touch on piano?” By using mental imagery.
You get different effects as you strike the keys using these articulations:
- Legato
- Staccato
- Staccatissimo
- Accent
- Marcato
- Tenuto
- Sforzando
- Forzando
- Sforzato
Similar to other posts in this series, you can use mental imagery to improve the expressive quality of your playing as you execute different touches.
For example, I use descriptive words to help students play staccato and legato:
- “Roll” for legato
- “Bounce” for staccato
- This reminds students how they need to play.
If you’re a teacher, you can use your phone to record yourself playing legato and staccato.
- Then, the student can try to play with your recording.
- That way you can make a side-by-side comparison.
That’s a very basic example. Hans von Bulow has a more elaborate example:
The master insisted on great smoothness in playing it – the chords to sound like muffled but throbbing heartbeats…
From the middle of this page on to the end, the descending chords and octaves were likened to ghostly footsteps…
… the broken triplets in the left hand accompaniment seem to indicate drops of blood…
Some staccatos should be shaken out of the sleeve… (Piano Mastery: The Harriette Brower Interviews 28-29)
A powerful imagination can help you achieve a powerful performance.
Final Thoughts on “Help Me! How Do I Improve My Touch on Piano?”
“How do I improve my touch on piano?” By realizing that how you think affects how you play. Mental imagery will be the key to getting a strong, emotional interpretation in your music.
It affects all areas of your playing, including your piano touches. Unlock the power of your imagination.
Have fun playing!
For more interpretation posts:
- What Does it Mean for Me to Interpret a Piece of Music? Part 1
- What Do People Mean by the Term Interpretation in Classical Music? Part 2
- Why is Classical Music Interpreted Differently from Pop Music? Part 3
© 2023 Geoffrey Keith
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Glossary
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