Phrasing Technique for Piano

Good phrasing technique does not come easily and naturally, even to gifted students. Piano teachers constantly must show students how to drop on the beginning of a phrase and lift the wrist at the conclusion of the phrase. The result is a musical sound that is something like taking a breath in singing.

To teach phrasing, begin with short slurred groupings. Piano instruction should include a "down-up" wrist movement. The down movement is on the first note (usually the strong beat) and the up movement is on the last note (often a weak beat). Second year students will find a variety of phrases which will include a combination of slurred and staccato groups.

Sometimes it helps for the student to verbalize or say out loud the phrasing: "down-up" for surs, and "up" for staccato notes. By saying the phrasing aloud the student will become aware of the correct hand motion for each technique.

Because of the complexity of hand motions and coordination problems in a piece that combines staccato with phrasing, the difficulty of such a combination is usually late second year or third year for students. Compositions of this type are excellent pre-literature studies for teaching various motions of piano technique. Piano teachers should assign a number of pieces like this before and even during the time standard piano literature is being assigned.

In combination studies, each hand should be studied independently (hands separate). By saying the phrasing in each hand, the student can begin to acquire the needed skills and feeling for the correct interpretation of these basics. Depending on the piece, it is possible to combine some counting with phrasing (down-up). Be sure the student phrases (lifts) both hands together when both treble and bass end on a phrase. The release of both hands should be simultaneous just like the individual voices in a choir.

The ability to play one hand staccato and the other legato simultaneously becomes increasingly more important for the correct performance of pre-literature pieces and some of the easier classical pieces. The main difficulty for students when first combining these two touches is coordination. Both hands "want" to do the same thing at the same time, and each hand must be trained to function independently.

For more information about piano lessons Millington, please contact Barbara Ehrlich Piano Studio.

Second Year Piano Lessons

Most second year piano students are over the hurdles of absolute basics and are ready for more challenging repertoire and expanded technique and theory. Most average or better second year students will be ready for easy classical repertoire near the end of the second year of piano classes. But younger students, or those with less ability, may not be ready for serious literature until the third year of lessons.

There's no need to rush into music by master composers just for the sake of getting there. Students would be much better prepared to begin easy sonatinas, Bach minuets, etc. Some teachers assign difficult music too soon. Students should be allowed to develop naturally and gradually from level to level with sufficient material at each level for reinforcement. The result of assigning difficult music too soon is a general breakdown in the natural development process.

A student introduced to difficult compositions too soon will spend months on the piece trying to perfect the complexities with which he is not ready to cope at this time. Difficult music can be learned at an early time, but at the sacrifice of learning a great deal of progressive, graded material which would insure a solid background in reading and general learning comprehension, rather than a kind of rote learning. Rote teaching at this level is not advisable, and teachers should not push the student's fingers down and spoon feed them pieces note by note. If a student is ready for pieces by master composers he should be able to figure them out mostly on his own, and not be led on, coached all the way by the teacher.

It usually takes about two full years of lessons to build a solid background to the point where a student would be able to play most of the pieces contained in easy classical collections. Repertoire such as elementary sonatinas, easy repertoire collections, etc., are best for third year students.

The performance of easy classical music by children sounds most convincing when the student has developed basic techniques sufficiently to present these works as the composers intended them to sound. The mechanics of hand coordination, phrasing, delineation of linear line, gradation of dynamics, etc. must be at a sufficient level to play these pieces musically. Only with correct and careful practice will students begin to develop the equipment that is necessary for projecting the style and mood when performing miniature master works. Suggestions include:

1. Hands separate practice
2. Slow practice
3. Paying careful attention to the correct fingering
4. Using the correct hand motions needed for phrasing
5. Tapping one hand or foot like a metronome while playing the other hand
6. Using a metronome while practicing

For more information about how to learn piano in the Bernardsville area, please contact Barbara Ehrlich Piano Studio.

Double Notes Legato Technique

Although first year students won't need much drill on double notes, a few passages containing legato thirds are found in some of the music studied at early grades.

Similar problems happen between playing single legato notes and playing double legato notes; that is, connecting the fingers without blurring. It takes time and patience to apply the legato touch correctly to two notes. The student's tendency is to disconnect the tones. Double note exercises should be devised by the teacher to give the student experience playing them prior to use in first year and second year pieces.

Second and third-year piano students may find that simplified Chopin etudes and piano technique are good pieces to practice legato phrasing and legato thirds.

A good resource for short exercises is the Dozen A Day book series.

For more information about piano lessons Millington area, please contact Barbara Ehrlich Piano Studio.

Down-Up Wrist Motion for Phrasing

Slurs and phrases produced on the piano are dependent on the correct motions of the hand, wrist and arm. The mechanics of producing slurred groups can be taught to first year students when they have sufficient control to produce the proper motions. Constant practice in correct phrasing technique will dramatically impact their ability later to perform classical works from such great composers as Mozart.

Piano instruction can demonstrate the motions used in playing a two-note slur to the student. Show him what it looks like to drop on the key with a slightly lower wrist motion and release the key with a higher wrist motion. Several terms may be used to describe this process:

1. down-up wrist
2. drop-release
3. drop-roll (rolling inwards toward the piano and lifting at the same time)

The lifting of the wrist is the same at the end of a two-note slur or any phrase. When a longer phrase mark is used, it is helpful to relate the group of notes under the phrase sign to a vocal line. If sung, a breath would be taken on the last note of the phrase. At the piano, the hand lifts, the legato line is broken, and the "breath" is accomplished.

Numerous exercises for slurring can be created by the teacher. The first note of the slur should be slightly louder and the last note should be slightly softer. The student may be told to "float off" on the last sound from the slur ending to the first note of the next slur.

Many first year solos have multiple touches--staccato, legato, and slurred groups. Have the student say aloud the hand motions used. Say "up" for staccato, "down" for long notes or phrases, and "off" for phrase endings.

Great photos of phrasing motion can be found in John Thompson's Modern Course for the Piano First Grade book and John Thompson's Junior Hannon book.

For more information about piano lessons in the Basking Ridge area, please contact Barbara Ehrlich Piano Studio.