How to Achieve a Beautiful Touch at the Piano

Eliminate harshness at the piano AND improve relaxation with these tips! 🎹

In this tutorial, I'm talking about how to achieve good tone at the piano. This subject is very near and dear to my heart (I really can't stand banging at the piano) and the concepts presented here are based on many years of advanced study. I hope they will help with your own practicing!😀

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:28 Cushion the Blow
2:33 Harshness & the Stiff Arm
3:26 Harsh Tone Demo - Bach Partita 2
3:42 Warm Tone Demo - Bach Partita 2
3:54 Body Posture
6:12 Mechanics of Good Tone Production / Movement Away from Body
7:50 Harsh Tone Demo - Simple Chord
8:02 Warm Tone Demo - Simple Chord
8:50 More Mechanics of Good Tone Production / Arms Follow Wrists / Hand Position
23:54 Asynchronization of Hands
33:11 Slow Practice with Asynch. of Hands Demo - Bach Goldberg Aria
33:55 Up to Speed with Some Asynch. of Hands Demo - Bach Goldberg Aria
35:28 Harsh Tone Demo - Schumann Kinderszenen
35:47 Warm Tone Demo - Schumann Kinderszenen
36:07 Flexible Wrists
38:19 Playing in the Outer Registers / Shifting Weight
40:02 Piano as Cockpit
41:40 Wrap-up

Related videos:

Books Referenced:

Sheet Music:
R. Schumann - Kinderszen Op. 15:

If you enjoy this content, then please subscribe. Your comments and likes are also appreciated. Thank you! 💙

[BillHilton]

I've just discovered your channel after getting your Bach/sports video recommended, Penny. You really have some exceptional stuff here and deserve far more views and subscribers! I'm often asked about some of the issues you're discussing here, but I have a congenital problem in my arm whereby my wrists are fused — I literally have zero rotation, which is one of the things that moved me away from classical playing (which I still love, you just wouldn't want to hear me...) to improvisatory styles. Anyhow, I always have to tell people what to do in a "do what I say, for goodness sake don't do what I do kind of way", and from the perspective of someone who doesn't have, and never has had, the same kind of arms that normal people have. In future I'll be sending people here!

[RangerB-]

I’m a beginner but I can definitely see the wrist action for softening the touch. Makes a big difference. Thank you for this excellent video❤

[pablobear]

This channel teaches the right things! Better than Conservatory Teachers! Better than toneBase! BRAVOO

[DeadBird-wpof]

Just watched something about a microphone stand (which I don't buy), but your hints are pure gold for me as a bass guitar player - the last interesting video about music practice was from Graham Fitch (Steinway) about Rubato. Thank you for being such an outstanding teacher. Of course I learned from Jim Stinnett (he died 2021) - key info.: Practice and learn to master your mechanisms - with this in mind I play way better and be on time with the notes. It is always joy to learn something - especially music related. Greetings from Berlin, Germany.

[tiggykatz]

Beautiful!👏👏👏I am in heaven. You remind me of my teacher and uni teacher:). They both also loved Bach and Rach. Thank you Penny.

[aluisaac]

thank you very much for show the true secrets of the piano thecnique. thank you by hearth

[stephaniecheng]

😊Thank you for your sharing by heart. Love it🫶🏻
When you really like playing the piano, you will really want to learn how to play it. Just like learning body massage, pay attention to every detail of the movements and the right posture.

[HappyS]

Many thanks Penny for your video: Extremly interesting and clear . It seems simple whereas it's not . Very usefull. You seem to be a excellent piano teacher.

[rishikesh]

As someone getting back into playing after a long(ish) break, these tips are super useful! Thank you :)

[Stigggs]

Very helpful tips and explanations. The analogies are perfect, practical and instructive. Thank you.

[DailyBach]

Great stuff, Penny! Your content is criminally under-viewed.

[Vic]

My teacher studied with Levine and Leonard shure he always told me how very passionate and “intense” they were let’s say haha they are known for many pianist quitting after studying with them because of the strict nature of their teaching style and very direct feedback. So amazing you mention these guys I took many notes on their technique and interpretation and phrasing methods my teacher taught me. There’s even a special way my teacher taught me to analyze phrases that’s the unique method and technique of Shure that he learned from his teacher and so on. It’s a, ox of Roman numerals for the large phrase overall and then writing next to it the subdivision of the phrase such as 2+2+4 for one which shows the phrase and it’s contour and the larger macrocosm of the Roman numeral helps get the micro and macrocosm relationship balance in pieces I use it all the time for all my pieces and it is an art in itself and allows me to be blue to phrase and make decisions about structuring and scale and dynamics and especially perspective I’m still getting better at it as I’m not quite perfect at it yet I’m working to get stronger at analysis this year

[julekpaszko]

Hello! I appreciate your perseverance in both finding time to practice and to make such detailed videos. I am a musician as well and, just as you, I love Bach's music. I have a question for you: do you have some analysis videose for contapunctal pieces? If not, could you/are you planning to do some?
I am asking because I am planning to teach myself, ,sections" of music, especially counterpoint (I hope in the future I will find a good counterpoint teacher) and would like to know how to for example write a fugue or an other contapunctal form. I hope you will have enough patience to read such a long comment haha😅 and look forward to hear from you!

[Juscz]

Excellent explanation of fundsmental piano technique and thank you for sharing, Penny.

[roseanneeklund]

So informative Penny! I loved watching your techniques so much!!

[MM-bgin]

Love the help with technique. BTW I was at Eastman for another instrument in the 90’s and sold Steinway pianos in the Midwest for seven years, even went to the NY factory several times, Hamburg factory and London showroom.

[Corpsebean]

Thank you for putting out this content!

[nagahatah]

This is a great video! It would be so helpful for piano learners, and also for teachers who are trying to help students. Wonderful explanations and very through!

[fitness.systems]

Terrific video Penny. This is extraordinary....no question !

[elsondeo]

Hi Penny. I am enjoying your productions tremendously. I'd like to pose a counter argument to this idea of "continuous application of pressure" after the key is struck. I know this idea holds wide sway, but the problem with its application is twofold: 1) Pressing the key harder than what is required to key the damper felt up does not contribute meaningfully to the tone of the held note. 2) Engaging too much nervous energy/muscle contraction on that held note interferes with the freedom of the other fingers of that hand, which have their own duties to fulfill in polyphonic playing. Here's Heinrich Neuhaus, Chapter 4 of his "Art of Piano Playing", translation by KA Leibovitch: "The finger...must cling to the key, yet it should be understood that this does not require either much pressure or much force, but only as much weight as is necessary to hold the key down...." Thanks for reading and best wishes.