Technical Exercises and Regimes

Octaves (7)

It almost does not matter what sort of octave work is used in a general technical regime, as long as some is included. I recommend scales and/or arpeggios in octaves, using thumb and 5th finger, played in three different ways: Quasi-legato - hold each octave as long as possible. The touch will be tenuto, the wrist firm and unbending. Plucked - use the finger tips and the wrist to pluck each octave out of the keyboard. Wrist staccato - a springy wrist, the finger tips firm and active. Forearm staccato - a bouncing movement generated from the forearm, the...

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The Art of Piano Fingering

A thorough understanding of the principles of good fingering is a vital basis for good piano playing. Without comfortable, musically appropriate fingerings, we can waste hours of practice time trying to remedy a problem which could have been averted much earlier. In this series of articles, author Penelope Roskell... Read >>

Penelope Roskell Technique

Elementary Technique - Introduction & Basics

Based on motions that are natural to the body, this introductory module explores the basics of piano technique, through a series of videos demonstrating how to move in ways that are natural the body to achieve physical freedom for playing that feels and sounds good. It serves as a starting... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Healthy Piano Playing

Piano playing is a deeply satisfying artistic activity, but it can also be very demanding physically on our arms and hands. Just as elite athletes understand and care for their bodies, so should pianists think carefully about their approach to playing and practising. A healthy piano technique not only avoids... Read >>

Penelope Roskell Technique

Piano Technique Lecture Series

In this series of video lectures, I explore aspects of technique one by one. My approach is based on using the body in the most natural ways possible, with emphasis on healthy technique and correct alignment. While I recognise that exercises, such as Hanon, are out of favour with some... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Getting to Grips with Octaves

Having great octave technique is an essential hallmark of virtuosity, but what’s the secret to developing it? In this module Graham Fitch provides a comprehensive guide to developing octave technique using numerous examples from the repertoire, video demonstrations and exercises.... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Etudes & Studies – Czerny (Part 1)

<h3> <a href="/content/pages/173-etudes-studies-czerny-part-1?bundle_url=online-academy&amp;last_viewed=true">Practical Method for Beginners (Op. 599)</a></h3>

In this lecture series, Ilga Pitkevica gives a tour of Czerny’s Practical Method for Beginners (Op. 599), explaining how and why these etudes should be used for developing and teaching both musical and technical skills. Ilga provides detailed suggestions for each of her favourite etudes from the collection practising, avoiding... Read >>

Ilga Pitkevica Technique

Developing the Left Hand

Do you feel that your left hand is weaker than your right hand, and is holding you back in your piano playing? In these videos, Graham Fitch shows how a selection of studies and exercises from Berens's The Training of the Left Hand (Op. 89) can be used to develop... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

The Exercises of Peter Feuchtwanger

Peter Feuchtwanger was an important teacher who created a series of exercises designed to encourage healthy, natural and relaxed movements at the piano. In this module, Graham Fitch and Daniel Grimwood give their takes on Peter's exercises and share anecdotes from their experience in working with him.... Read >>

Graham Fitch, Daniel Grimwood Technique

Intermediate Scales & Arpeggios

Pianists at the intermediate level should know all major and minor scales (one form of minor), and all major and minor arpeggios in root position. There are several scale manuals available, but this manual is different in that it offers exercises and suggestions for practice, together with short, easy-to-use video... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Jailbreaking Hanon

Should the exercises of Charles-Louis Hanon be consigned to the dustbins of history or can they be useful if done mindfully, with choreography based on modern thinking about piano technique? In this lecture series, Graham Fitch shows many applications for Hanon's exercises, including how they can be used as a... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Carl Czerny - Eight-Measure Exercises (Op. 821)

<h3> <a href="/content/pages/195-carl-czerny-eight-measure-exercises-op-821?bundle_url=online-academy&amp;last_viewed=true">A guided tour of selected exercises</a></h3>

Carl Czerny’s works are often thought of as a ‘necessary evil’ that will magically further a pianist’s technique. As with all repertoire, outstanding results can only be achieved by working better, not harder. Fred Karpoff shows how Czerny’s Eight-Measure Exercises, in particular, are an excellent vehicle for quickly addressing specific... Read >>

Fred Karpoff Technique

ABRSM Grade 1 Scales & Broken Chords

Scale playing is an area of piano study that is often neglected in lessons and undertaken only half-heartedly in practice sessions. And yet scales and arpeggios can be approached creatively, and practised in a variety of different ways! This series of resources on scales and arpeggios begins with the current... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Playing Double Notes at the Advanced Level

Some of the most difficult pieces in the piano literature involve double notes. This series explores how to develop the technical skills needed to play them at the advanced level. It provides detailed advice on how to practise scales, exercises and studies, along with some suggestions for studies you might... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

The Art of Pedalling

This series of videos provides a comprehensive treatise on the subject of pedalling, starting with a brief history of the sustaining pedal and a video on finger pedalling. This is then followed by an indepth look at various aspects of pedal technique and types of pedalling, including: direct, legato, fractional... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Developing a Balanced Technique

<h3> <a href="/content/pages/161-developing-a-balanced-technique?bundle_url=online-academy&amp;last_viewed=true">Strategies and approaches for achieving &quot;pianistic fitness&quot;</a></h3>

Mastering core piano techniques is essential for the freedom to successfully express musical ideas. Based on her personal experience and the traditions of the Russian School, Ilga Pitkevica shares insights into approaches and strategies for achieving “pianistic fitness” and developing a balanced piano technique.... Read >>

Ilga Pitkevica Technique

Yoga for Musicians

In this collection of videos, Penelope Roskell demonstrates clearly and concisely how yoga principles can be applied directly to instrumental playing, and how playing can be more fluid, powerful and emotionally expressive. Suitable for musicians of any age; from beginner to professional; Classical, jazz, folk and pop, the exercises demonstrated... Read >>

Penelope Roskell Technique

A Practical Guide to Forearm Rotation

Forearm rotation is a way of coordinating the arm with the fingers in very specific and controlled ways. Tiny movements in the forearm share with the fingers the job of putting down the keys and can yield significant benefits, including improved coordination, reduced tension and a feeling of greater strength... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Elementary Technique - Fundamentals of Scales & Arpeggios

This module follows on from the introductory module to explore the fundamentals of scale and arpeggio playing, featuring close-up video demonstrations of the movements involved. It provides suggestions and exercises for mastering technical challenges such as thumb passage and gaining speed, with further tips on how to structure scale and... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Scales & Arpeggios - Basic Introduction

A thorough knowledge of scales and arpeggios is an absolute necessity for all serious students of the piano. Western music is built on the major/minor tonal system, and to attempt to study the instrument without scales (or basic theory) would be as nonsensical as learning language without the alphabet or... Read >>

Graham Fitch Technique

Approaching Ornaments

<h3> <a href="/content/pages/187-approaching-ornaments?bundle_url=online-academy&amp;last_viewed=true">Grace Notes, Mordents &amp; Turns</a></h3>

In this excerpt from her online course, Teaching Healthy Expressive Piano Technique, Penelope Roskell shows how to approach practising and playing grace notes, mordents and turns.... Read >>

Penelope Roskell Technique

Finding Effortless Speed

<h3> <a href="/content/pages/207-finding-effortless-speed?bundle_url=online-academy&amp;last_viewed=true">…by deconstructing the scale!</a></h3>

William Westney demonstrates his unique approach to scales for pianists of all levels which uses a simple exercise that can be applied to any fast passage in the repertoire.... Read >>

William Westney Technique