You shouldn’t be TRYING to curl your pinky or NOT TRYING to curl your pinky. You play the way that is best for you, with least tension, and most fluid and natural motion. That differs from pianist to pianist, and only you know what that’s like after you do the work of familiarizing yourself with your hands and arms. A lot of pianists don’t realize that piano playing is not a one-size-fits-all thing…everyone’s hands and arms are different. And while there are some general rules of thumb (see what I did there), there’s also a lot that’s going to be personal from pianist to pianist. As a pianist, there’s a point when you have to sit down at the piano, focus on playing with least tension, and become familiar with what best works for you; that work is imperative, and unfortunately a lot of pianists don’t do it and just follow generalized approaches. Doing the work of determining your own natural physiological motions is what takes you to a different level. If your pinky curves a bit more, that’s fine, so long as you don’t detect unnecessary tension, unnatural motion, and aren’t doing it because you think you sohuld.
We drive ourselves crazy with these small things. My embouchure on flute is slightly offset to the right. I tried with "correcting" it, and one of my teachers (Patricia Spencer, a founder of the Da Capo Chamber Players) said that it wasn't really an issue...
True! But still I mean... Rubinstein, Argerich would never do it cause they have a different approach to piano technique. (Everything is conected in their playing, the hand with the arm and each finger is released 100% after being played. A curled finger is never totally released )
This is something I used to worry about a lot because my little finger is pretty much constantly curling in fast passages when it isn’t playing - this is a reassuring perspective! I do think sometimes it contributes to tension though, but trying to stop it makes me more tense 🙃
My teacher says that the fingers that aren't playing should be raised very slightly, hovering over the keys rather than touching them. Only the fingers that are playing touch the keys. I find practicing this makes my playing much clearer and easier.
This drives me nuts, too. Particularly since I don’t know if it makes any difference if my pinky is curled or not. All I know is Krystian Zimerman’s hands look absolutely perfect whenever he plays and I wish my hands would look like that.
Many pianists play with a curled pinky. Personally, my pinky never feels like it " wants" to curl, and my teacher never tells me to curl it, so I just let it be. Rafal Blechacz has an unusual pinky position that I haven't seen in any other pianist. It seems to work very well for him.
Watched the whole thing yesterday, interesting stuff! Also Ben, don't go straight back to your old tempo 😉 Any plans on bringing in more pianists like Hough, Volodos, Argerich, etc.? Of course I understand that they'd also have to be interested to join!
I have flying pinky syndrome in my right hand. It came about through first learning guitar and using my 5th digit as a crutch (3 years). When I went to piano, I had literally trained no. 5 to stick out straight. 50 years on, there is no fix but I can play. It just looks funny. Muscle memory and myelin rule.
The Lechitizky school says that you don't need to bother about the mechanics of the fingers. It is only about having a good cultural education. I come from this line (the Beethoven line).
I wish my piano teacher was like him. I can’t help curling my pinky and she would hit it very hard with a thick plastic ruler. She made me hate piano classes so much.
In singing some people get caught up in watching the tongue. Similarly useless. If you're focusing on something positive and constructive, you can trust that your mechanism will work things out
When the pinky curls like that isn't it effectively a muscle spasm? That sounds like tension to me. If you play that passage for an hour straight I can guarantee you will feel the tension in your pinky.
Ben, now we need a Rach 2 performance from you
We’ll see if he gets that one part right
@@hauthot287 💀
You shouldn’t be TRYING to curl your pinky or NOT TRYING to curl your pinky. You play the way that is best for you, with least tension, and most fluid and natural motion. That differs from pianist to pianist, and only you know what that’s like after you do the work of familiarizing yourself with your hands and arms. A lot of pianists don’t realize that piano playing is not a one-size-fits-all thing…everyone’s hands and arms are different. And while there are some general rules of thumb (see what I did there), there’s also a lot that’s going to be personal from pianist to pianist. As a pianist, there’s a point when you have to sit down at the piano, focus on playing with least tension, and become familiar with what best works for you; that work is imperative, and unfortunately a lot of pianists don’t do it and just follow generalized approaches. Doing the work of determining your own natural physiological motions is what takes you to a different level. If your pinky curves a bit more, that’s fine, so long as you don’t detect unnecessary tension, unnatural motion, and aren’t doing it because you think you sohuld.
Spot on!
Well said
wow, ben is so warm and gentle in person!!!! my favorite pianist toooo
* warm and gentle is 👌 in a musician ♥ it is a thing of heart. not treated as such by "music industry" 😡 stop 🛑
We drive ourselves crazy with these small things. My embouchure on flute is slightly offset to the right. I tried with "correcting" it, and one of my teachers (Patricia Spencer, a founder of the Da Capo Chamber Players) said that it wasn't really an issue...
Hola aquí una flautista principiante.
Tension in non playing fingers will inhibit technique. Many pianists play well in spite of it, never because of it
True! But still I mean... Rubinstein, Argerich would never do it cause they have a different approach to piano technique. (Everything is conected in their playing, the hand with the arm and each finger is released 100% after being played. A curled finger is never totally released )
This is something I used to worry about a lot because my little finger is pretty much constantly curling in fast passages when it isn’t playing - this is a reassuring perspective! I do think sometimes it contributes to tension though, but trying to stop it makes me more tense 🙃
There’s an old saying among pianists: “The pinky curl gets the girl.”
My teacher says that the fingers that aren't playing should be raised very slightly, hovering over the keys rather than touching them. Only the fingers that are playing touch the keys. I find practicing this makes my playing much clearer and easier.
Hi ben - mina from nyu
@@minaily29 Hi Mina! Can't wait to see your videos :)
This drives me nuts, too. Particularly since I don’t know if it makes any difference if my pinky is curled or not. All I know is Krystian Zimerman’s hands look absolutely perfect whenever he plays and I wish my hands would look like that.
Many pianists play with a curled pinky. Personally, my pinky never feels like it " wants" to curl, and my teacher never tells me to curl it, so I just let it be.
Rafal Blechacz has an unusual pinky position that I haven't seen in any other pianist. It seems to work very well for him.
Watched the whole thing yesterday, interesting stuff! Also Ben, don't go straight back to your old tempo 😉
Any plans on bringing in more pianists like Hough, Volodos, Argerich, etc.? Of course I understand that they'd also have to be interested to join!
I have flying pinky syndrome in my right hand. It came about through first learning guitar and using my 5th digit as a crutch (3 years). When I went to piano, I had literally trained no. 5 to stick out straight. 50 years on, there is no fix but I can play. It just looks funny. Muscle memory and myelin rule.
The Lechitizky school says that you don't need to bother about the mechanics of the fingers. It is only about having a good cultural education. I come from this line (the Beethoven line).
I wonder whether your professor was as consummately skilled an artist as I am...
@@tackontitan
I wish my piano teacher was like him. I can’t help curling my pinky and she would hit it very hard with a thick plastic ruler. She made me hate piano classes so much.
100% agree with him. The fingers that play need to be strong and active, who cares about the others
Boris is cute❤
In singing some people get caught up in watching the tongue. Similarly useless. If you're focusing on something positive and constructive, you can trust that your mechanism will work things out
When the pinky curls like that isn't it effectively a muscle spasm? That sounds like tension to me. If you play that passage for an hour straight I can guarantee you will feel the tension in your pinky.
Boris G! Very good Artistry
I tried to avoid curling my pinky until I realized it was the easiest way in many situations for me to keep it out of the way without tension.
Yundi Li also curled his pinky
Not good. Involuntary movements are often precursor to focal dystonia. Take care of that before you end up like Fleisher and Graffman. :/
Exactly, was just about to say that! Focal Dystonia is the devil
Every hand is different. Say it louder Boris!
Just allow your fingers to behave naturally 👍
What about Blechacz??, his pinky is very straight🤙
After hearing this, i think it's fair that we beg him for a rach 2 performance now.
Non paragonatemi ad Horowitz vi prego
Ppppppinky!
This is the worst part of this movement to play in my opinion :/
Please stop saying ‘pinky’. It’s so cringe. Just say ‘little finger’ like a normal person
Weird thing to get hung up over..? Many “normal people” say pinky.
Of course, in a musical setting like this, I’d say “fifth finger.”
A normal person isn’t going to cringe at the word pinky, you’re the weird one for caring.
From here on out, Joeyblogsy will be known as pinky.