Scales (Part 1) (6.3)

Unfortunately, this practice contributes to many problems and incoordinate movement, including poor alignment, using opposing muscles simultaneously and a cramped hand.
Contrary to what is often still taught and believed, “thumb-under” contributes to unevenness in tone and rhythm and doesn’t allow for truly effortless playing. Further, this practice is one of the prime causes of injury for pianists.

Because of the shapes of the keys and the fingers, the B major scale allows the right hand to be in its most natural hand position.
Likewise, D-Flat is the most comfortable scale for the left hand.
Chopin advocated for this position, which respects the natural structure of the hand and allows it to be comfortably open, without cramping.
B Major is the ideal scale to begin with since we don’t have to make as many adjustments as we traverse different registers.

We need to make adjustments in all keys, but by first mastering interdependent three-dimensional technique in B Major (or D-Flat in the left hand) it’s easier to transfer well-coordinated movement to all other keys, including the one that requires the greatest adjustments: C major.

A common occurrence for pianists is conflict within the hand—or the lack of a quiet hand. This means that one or more fingers is activated when it’s not needed.
This problem is an outgrowth of playing “thumb-under” and curling fingers to be the same length.
Maintain a quiet hand in all movements. Allow the 5th finger (and any other finger not being used) to drag along the top surface of the keys.
When you must play fast, the whole hand must move and, thus, fingers do not continually touch the key surface. However, when a quiet hand has been successfully cultivated, fingers and hand maintain their natural position in all movements and speeds by instantaneously releasing after fingers have been activated—so you can return to a quiet hand as soon as possible.

When visualising the topography of the B Major scale, you might conclude that the three-dimensional shaping required will be an “over” gesture.
In fact, with the ascending B major scale in the right hand, it is the same shape (“under and out”) for all supinating (away from the body) gestures. This allows your hand to stay in alignment.
Lift and prepare to play the first three notes of the B major scale.
Lift and continue to drop while transferring the weight from note to note.
If you were to drop all arm weight into your thumb on B, with the wrist low, you would only be able to move laterally, as you have only one (very low) position in the vertical plane.
Always combine three-dimensional movement with active listening, pausing to evaluate afterward to make needed adjustments.

You may invert any figure in one hand by “flipping” it over either D or G#, because of the piano’s symmetry from either of those notes.
Mirror practice is very helpful for heightening ease in three-dimensional movement, by “teaching” a hand what movements by the other hand feel like.

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