PRACTICE TIPS #24: Practising on the Surface of the Keys

[Brent Hugh <bhugh@GRIFFON.MWSC.EDU>]

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PRACTICE TIPS #24: Practising on the Surface of the Keys

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This week's practice tip is from a very interesting book by Frank Merrick 

entitled _Practising the Piano_ (Dover, 1958):



------------

I HAVE advocated [practising on the surface of the keys] very persistently 

for many years . . . It is valuable at every stage; I generally recommend 

it to new pupils in their first lesson, and I myself often play complete 

works or even recital programmes through in this way.



The more accustomed you are to playing on the surface of the keys the more 

do you mentally live the music you would be hearing if you had pressed the 

keys down and the more sensitively aware do your fingers become whether 

they are on the right keys or not. It is better to do this work without 

looking at the keys, but even if you do look at them (either because you 

must or because you wish to) much benefit will still be derived. You will 

become ever-increasingly used in actual playing to touching keys 

consciously before you press them down, reducing thereby smudginess of 

execution, faulty gauging of the pressure to be exerted (which produces 

tonal effects of all kinds which you do not intend), playing this and that 

not quite at the ideal moment, and so on. Benefit from the point of view of 

memory is considerable . . .

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Other advantages, noted by Merrick, of this practice method:



   * "poise of the arms" comes naturally when practicing this way

   * it is a form of "mentalising your technique", i.e., mental practice of 

memory and technical problems

   * it spares your ears and those of your housemates/neighbors (good for 

late-night practice sessions)

   * it is a great way to practice a piece that has become 

"stale"--practice your piece once or twice a day silently, and you will 

soon *wish* to hear the real sounds of the music instead of being tired of them





Happy Practising!



--Brent





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PRACTICE TIPS is by pianist, teacher, composer, and internet nerd

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Please remember that this tip is but a small spot near the end of the

elephant's trunk--it's not even close to the whole elephant that is

"how everyone in the whole world should practice the piano".



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