Secret to Playing FAST Scales - RELAXATION

Once you have started weeding out the tension, use my "Scale Workout Checklist" to ingrain this approach in scale fragments for improvisation, creating faster scales and melodic ideas.

The secret to playing fast scales is not about strength, or even TRYING to play fast. It is about weeding out unnecessary tension. In this simple exercise, I show you how to practice to get smooth, fast scales and melodic lines. This powerful piano practice technique is guaranteed to improve your playing instantly (ok, give it a few tries first), regardless of you level.

[julestburt]

Your video is incredible! Subtle in practise but so amazing! All the instruction I've had, all the slow Hanon and scales (10+ years now) and yet I'm still struggling with playing 'fast'. Assumed with my small hands I would never really have it. Yet after trying your suggestion, within 1 hour I couldn't believe how much faster / smoother I was playing...and more importantly how it was feeling so so different! It's almost like adding in the idea of a 'pre-load' to your finger, in addition to the better sense of finger independence. It's going to take a little bit of re-practising my normal routines to incorporate this...but worth it I'm sure. Will report back! Thx for sharing...watching from North Vancouver, Canada.

[angelamurnane]

Also love that you said to turn off video if you already had the technique. Acknowledging a range of watchers and humility.

[-jqgt]

I'm a mostly self-taught jazz piano player. I have never had more obvious results from a simple exercise than when I started this one earlier this year. I added the exercise to my routine and made it the first thing. I had the same kind of involuntary twitchiness in my 4th and 5th fingers when I started. But I kept doing this exercise daily (it only took 5-10 minutes). After 3-4 months, I no longer get that weird twitchiness. Those fingers are getting stronger and more independent. I still do this every day and will probably do it every day for years to come. This stuff WORKS. Thank you!

[tomho]

It's so true about the tensions in the hands that slow down the movements. This is very similar to recreative tennis players. No matter how long they've played tennis, if the body is not relaxed it takes away part of the main source of power coming from the legs. I've thought about using this principle of playing tennis to apply to piano but didn't know how to. This video will be my bible. Thanks so much

[vectorkade]

Being a beginner, I've found this to be tremendously helpful in building a strong foundation. So glad I found your channel, thank you!

[mrs.jacksonholecoin]

I'm laughing, because that's me when I play a note, a pinky pops up lol. Your exactly right.
I came here trying to learn to play fast scales with sharps and regular keys. This has been very helpful, thank you for the lesson. I'm sure all of us watching, appreciate your help🙏😀

[philsarkol]

Great serious practice advise...thx from a senior beginner!

[pianokid]

Great exercise! Do you know Czeslaw Marek „Lehre des Klavierspiels „ (I don’t know if there is an english edition available). In chapter VIII he teaches the exercise in four movements. 1. lift up the finger 2. relax the muscles and let the finger drop on the key without pressing down 3. press down the key very slowly so that the piano doesn’t generates any sound 4. relax the muscles again but don’t lift the finger active, just let the key move it up. The hardest challenge here is 2. and 4. where you only have to relax the finger and not moving it actively. While doing so be careful to have all the other fingers resting relaxed on the keys. This will improve your control on every finger!

[barengrandydumlao]

Thanks for sharing. Not all piano teachers are revealing this secrets. You're one of a kind! 👍👍👍. REAL teacher teaches technique! You're one of them!

[JeffCogswell]

Perfect!! I’m 55 and when I was about 15 or 16, I somehow by sheer dumb luck figured this out. My piano teacher (who was my dad) always had tight fingers, and he was stunned the day I figured this out because suddenly I was playing speedy lines way faster than he ever could. I knew what was going on, but I couldn’t explain it to him. Ever since then I’ve never been able to teach people what they were doing wrong. I could see their fingers were tight, but I couldn’t find a way to help them loosen up. I’m going to send them to this video. Thank you!!!

[paulmurphy]

Oh yes, finally a piano "TEACHER" !!!!. So many of these piano players dont know how to teach. So glad I found you sir, you have wisdom, calm confidence, you articulate your instructions in a wonderful way, you are great. Have dabbled in piano for over 50 years, even though I am old I want to reach a better level, I will do that by following your lessons.

[saintbees]

"I find that the trick of playing fast tempos or fast streams of notes with good time is to play very
lightly with a feathery touch on the piano (or any instrument). It's also helpful to eliminate all
"frantic" (extra) motions from the body as these detract from the flow." - Chick Corea

[professorsc]

Besides being an amazing musician you are also an amazing teacher! For some who play at such a high skill level it's difficult for them to break down something as simple as a five note chromatic pattern and apply methodology to it. That exercise is great for anyone at any level. Keep on sharing your amazing videos with us you have a gift and a gentle way about you.

[alexandernoval]

You got it 👏i was studying for 4 years on the highest level classical music conservatory until i changed teacher who learned me These excersis (couldn't do them because of to much tension) .Simpel and so effective 👍

[bellatopia]

This is very basic but imperative to teach from the beginning!! I’m super strict about that with my students 👍

[davidsantiago]

This has significantly improved my piano riffs exponentially, and i thought my 16th notes were already fast! Thank you for the tips!

[angWannaBeGreatpianist]

Thank you thank you thank you! I have always said to myself that there was something wrong with my fingers - they just don't flow like great musicians like yourself. I always thought I was too tense in my posture & hands - so seeing your video - I now have some hope! Will practice faithfully these exercises. Bless you!

[UnchainedEruption]

Dear Dharmajazz, I'd like to thank you so much for this video. I'm not a pianist or keyboardist but a guitar player, but I was struggling for a long time with this issue. I can play just about any chord comfortably and relaxed, but scale runs made my muscles very tight and consequently it sounded not that good and it was harder to play. Today I focused on relaxing all my muscles and it made a huge difference. Playing anything feels and sounds so much more natural and comes a little easier too. This is such an essential component of playing that often gets overlooked. I certainly wish I knew about it sooner!

[marysdogsrescue]

This is exactly what my piano instructor teaches. Great job!

[JayTheBarber]

This video was worth it alone to know that it’s not abnormal that my 4th finger doesn’t come up as far as the others. I seriously have thought I had a deficiency there for years.