082810

piano fitness is centering.  using the 3 yoga balances (front/back, side/side, top/bottom)  allows for easiest falling arms.  in the hand- 3 centers - fingers 2, 3, 4

today's training

10 pairs

6ths, 8vas

4 way 8vas

finger fitness 3

today's playing

prelude debussy from suite bergamasque

rags joplin

pavane ravel

etude op10 no4 chopin 

082510

piano fitness is listening.  to begin,  play two sounds and listen.  the first sound was louder/softer/same as the second sound.  same is the least musical sound.  choosing louder for first or second will be determined by the rhythm or count.

today's training:

10 pairs
finger fitness 1-4 start notes
finger fitness 2-4 start notes
finger fitness 3-2 start notes

082410

piano fitness is problem solving:

     1) unconscious problem
     2) conscious problem
     3) conscious correction
     4) unconscious corrected

today's awareness of releasing between finger 2/finger 3.

082310

piano fitness is freedom.   i feel like my 2nd fingers are thawing out from muscles frozen all the way into the scapula.  my theory-my reversed curve in the cervical spine corrected through headstand.  the arms are freely swinging.  the angles in arm position are changing too.

today's training:
10 pairs
finger fitness 3
3 triples

today's playing
bach inventions 13 & 14
joplin rags

082010

piano fitness!  when i started training 3 1/2 years ago, i thought to myself, "the way you play will have to change.  you will have to feel those changes."  now i'm finding that to be true.  my teacher at university, lina baranov, maxim-  "don't think-play!"  now i'm understanding what she meant.

081910

piano fitness is fitness.  pilates for core strength, yoga for flexibility and balance.  posture!

how strange to feel the 2nd arm/finger connection strengthening each time!   chitakash (sp) sees it more too.

music by the masters today

081710

piano fitness  hanon is very useful.  6, 5 are great for rotary training.  15 blocked, practiced daily for arm training.  i have composed 3 hanonish patterns which strengthen the bridge nicely.

i'll try to upload chopin's etude op10 no4 again today (quicktime movie).  speed will come, listening helps alot! needs to be more even in the 16ths.....well it uploaded but the video is not in sync w/ audio  :-(

081510

piano fitness is balance.   balances between mind/body, left/right, front/back, arms/fingers, feel/listen.  (that's listen w/ BOTH ears!)  2 1/2 hours of playing today (1 hour of that was training).  the connection of the mind to the long 2nd arm/finger is getting more secure!  how fun -  a chopin waltz and ravel's pavane and more!

the inability to post the audio/video on 8 11 is frustrating!  must find a resolution soon....

081310

piano fitness originates from the summer of 1979, studying w/ alexander hanway.  i am reminded (again!) of his mention of developing the long muscles used for playing-  the "horseshoe" arms from pilates!

wednesday's daily song file was too big to upload i think.  i'll work on that  issue tomorrow-today is friday the 13th..lol

081110

for piano fitness in full arms, blocked hanon#15 is excellent. for warm-up, a drop and a rebounce of the arm on each 3rd  and changing the start note developes balance. daily song is chopin's etude op10 no4.  i have been enjoying this for over 25 years.  it's finally starting to get better..lol

081010

daily improvements continue w/ piano fitness. i read about the "freefall" arms in gyorgy sandor's book "on piano playing" earlier this year. i'm still integrating that concept and am amazed at the changes in feeling/listening, although my concept of training is in direct opposition to his insistence that no muscle training is necessary.  every time i practice falling arms, i feel the muscles getting stronger, and awareness is improving my tone. my friend colleen adent is right about this producing a warmer, richer sound. 

i have been enjoying scott joplin this week-the daily song is "the entertainer" 

080910

piano fitness, like all body/mind disciplines, begins in the mind.  i am still learning to listen.  i have to get an audio link site tuesday!  elite syncopations by joplin is today's song. training the basic "falling arm" with long pushing fingers is improving my listening.  listening to the daily recording is helpful quite a bit.

080810

8 8    the first blog!  piano fitness develops over 5 years, and i am 3 1/2 years into the training.  after a long break (oct 2000 - feb 2007), i began training to play again.  piano fitness is learning to listen- to your body (every sound has a feeling!) -to the sound created by the piano (using the ears is harder than you'd expect).   every time i play, it feels and sounds different to me.  playing pieces i learned over 30 years ago,  are always fresh and exciting as i am still learning to listen.