180430 April = Piano Fitness Month

Piano Fitness includes 3 Balances:

1.  Mind/Body - connects through breath
2.  Man/Music Machine - connects through fingers
3.  Sound/Rhythmic Time - connects for music

1.  Connection to the earth:  Balanced hips on the bench, a braced core, and an elevated heart, maintain wide scapula with thoracic spine extended and slightly retracted shoulders to “sit like a king”.

Allow outward rotation in the upper arm to maintain a neutral elbow. Let the forearm supinate slightly, promoting a 5 orientation.  The wrist remains neutral side to side, while the hand/elbow allow the wrist and upper arm to circle freely from the shoulder.  (Circles = the balance of the 3 ways the body moves).  The fingers connect either on the key surface (space) or the key bed (earth).  How light or heavy the fingers rest on the key surface is intended through the sterno-clavicular joints at the heart center.  Rest on the key bed is ALWAYS light.

2.  Through the fingers, connection is made to the most complex human powered machine on earth. The beloved piano is a music machine.  Once connection is mindfully observered, the pianist intends the sound for every note.  Intention includes how the light/heavy fingers will deliver their mass through the point of sound to the key bed light resting. Options for delivery include:  the finger, the hand, the forearm, upper arm and shoulder. Intention also includes the slow/fast acceleration through the point of sound to the key bed. (F = M x A)

3.  Music is sound in rhythmic time.  Sound balanced in time includes dynamics, phrasing, melodic line, harmonic rhythm, voicing etc.

When all 3 balances are present, intended sounds, heard in time, connect to the part of the musical mind that observes yourself playing the piano.

All month long, clarity continues with the 2 map.  The Mind/Body connection with  L is the fundamental essential for promoting ease when playing.  Still learning to listen.