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"