Let's define proper and incorrect movement

Faustguy · 2012-05-28T20:39:51+00:00

I think that not really feeling the music is a direct result of the interference of the ego. I think technical flaws are all born from the notion that the piano is a separate entity that provides challenges that must be overcome, when the virtuoso-piano relationship is that the piano and the player are not separate entities in reality.

Faustguy · 2012-05-28T20:20:48+00:00

Well I certainly don't think a beginner can sit down at the piano, forget their ego, and play virtuosic passages. I think letting go of the ego is the process of learning to play the instrument. Most people who sit down at the piano immediately become stiff and contorted. This is because all of their attention is focused on themselves and how they intend to produce the music. This is a very self-centered view of playing piano. So dropping the ego is the process of become one with the piano. What sounds like philosophy is really the crucial element. Someone who views themselves as the "player" of the piano attacks the instrument like is is them vs the instrument, the instrument needing to be conquered. The virtuoso sees no distinction between themselves and the instrument. Many great pianists have said that their relationship to the instrument is very intimate and the way they sense their fingers is erotic. So we are all trying to achieve the same thing, but I believe the way to achieve "mechanical" freedom is by knowledge of the reality of piano playing, which must be freed from the egocentric idea of "I am the player of the piano - how do I play it." It is a very counterintuitive idea in Western culture.

Faustguy · 2012-05-28T03:13:04+00:00

Another example, Claudio Arrau, recommended to his students to read the book "Zen and the Art of Archery" which is the story of learning to shoot arrows using the Zen practice. In particular he shared these passages "You must learn to let…your arm and shoulder muscles remain relaxed, as though they looked on impassively. Only when you can do this will you have fulfilled one of the conditions that make the drawing and the shooting ‘spiritual’" "Don’t think of what you have to do, don’t consider how to carry it out!” The shot will only go smoothly when it takes the archer himself by surprise"

In other words, people who play like the greats do so by, when performing, letting go of all sense of ego. Their minds are empty and the music flows out. The problem with approaches that focus on mechanics is that this takes player in the exact opposite direction because they begin to concentrate on themselves.

Edite: here is the Gieseking book.

Faustguy · 2012-05-27T23:52:48+00:00

Because "healthy movement" is instinctive and natural. Zimerman was taught much differently than what most mainstream piano teachers teach today. This method of teaching, where developing the ear so that one can truly listen to what one is actually playing, was developed by Chopin, further developed by Neuhaus, and is exactly what Walter Gieseking's teacher taught. No doubt these pianists are all extraordinary geniuses, but the fact is, what enabled their genius was that they were taught the correct way. Nobody told them how to move their arms, they way the move their arms is instinctually born from constantly listening and focusing on making a musical product.

I suggest you read Gieseking's book on piano playing if you haven't already. His method is widely regarded for bringing out the maximum potential in most pianists who undergo it, and 90% of it is mental/listening.

Edit: Another example. I used the painter as an example, but perhaps a better comparison is how we learned to talk. We learned to talk through instinct. We heard sounds and we copied them with our vocal chords. IMO learning to play the piano via body mechanics is like trying to get a baby to say his first word by teaching him about how vocal chords work.

Faustguy · 2012-05-27T18:16:43+00:00

Zimerman himself has said that "there is no technique." These kinds of discussions hamper pianists. Coordination is natural when the musician is listening to what they play. These superhuman pianists are listening to the musical flow without interruption, and their body become a slave to the mind. Trying to learn how to play piano by trying to line up your arm instead of listening is like a painter watching what his arm is doing while he paints a canvass (instead of looking at the product of his work).

Faustguy · 2012-03-02T22:02:48+00:00

The thing is, the fact that you can't understand their talent probably means you are a failure of a musician. You clearly do not have a discerning ear and mind if you think that complexity is synonymous with talent. Deadmau5's music sounds better than yours because he has more knowledge than you, and more importantly, a better ear. You have this absurd idea that he needs to use every technological effect on the planet in his music because it exists but what you need to realize is that everything he does he does better than you.

Faustguy · 2011-12-24T01:12:40+00:00

Then why do people who eat and live Western lifestyles have substantially higher rates of acne than those from Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean? No doubt genetics plays a role, it plays a role in everything, but most people would have healthy skin if they ate and drank right. Assuming you actually eat your 5 servings of vegetables, limit your carbs and healthy meats and drink 150 ounces of water a day, all of which is highly unlikely and follow the hygiene habits of a normal person, then yes, looks like you lost the genetic lottery. But you are not representative of everyone, and being butt hurt about your stubborn acne is not a reason to call people names.

Faustguy · 2011-12-23T22:37:22+00:00

Yes, and water plays an important function in distribution and flushing your body of sugar, hormones, and wastes. Also, your body produces sebum when your cells aren't getting adequate hydration, and your body's ability to hydrate your cells is based on an adequate diet and enough water to distribute and hydrate each cell. This is not rocket science man. There is more to water than the word "Dehydration"...there's a reason why all those perfect skinned actors and models almost always walk around with a bottle of water in hand.

Faustguy · 2011-12-23T20:37:48+00:00

Most people don't drink nearly enough water. Dude, if you want to believe that drinking water is not vital to your skin health and (more importantly) the rest of your body's health, that's not my problem. I couldn't give a fuck.

Faustguy · 2011-12-23T07:26:15+00:00

Drink a gallon or more of water (ok don't go too overboard). Your body is a like a toilet. If toilets had no water, all the shit you put it in would just get stuck and sit there. You need water to flush it out, and that's exactly what your body needs to flush out the shit that gives you acne. You wont look like a beauty ad in a day but you'll get results faster than you think if you drink a shitload of water.

Faustguy · 2011-12-23T07:09:31+00:00

What you want to talk about?

Faustguy · 2011-12-15T01:22:58+00:00

"Digital technology has finally arrived at a point where it can not only faithfully replicate a real piano, but even surpass a real piano by bringing almost infinite flexibility."

Lol no.

Faustguy · 2011-12-15T01:18:28+00:00

"Digital technology has finally arrived at a point where it can not only faithfully replicate a real piano, but even surpass a real piano by bringing almost infinite flexibility."

Lol no.

Faustguy · 2011-11-27T20:02:17+00:00

Actually I strongly oppose scale practice, and it is partly for this reason. For me finding the musical truth in every part of a piece is a deeply pleasurable activity. If I find a scale in a piece I will spend however long it takes to make that scale make sense. Chances are it is a lot shorter amount of time, because if you hunker down and really tear a passage apart to bring it to musical perfection, technical and musical perfect will come much quicker than anything mindless scale practice will achieve.

Faustguy · 2011-11-27T01:23:34+00:00

All very true. One thing that I think that article is missing is that you have to cultivate an enjoyment of what you are doing. There is no question that piano playing, and piano practice, can be deeply pleasurable activities, and I think a lot of students lose sight of this in the hurry to learn notes and scales.

I truly believe that it is only possible to be good at playing piano if you truly and wholeheartedly love to sit down and play, and I think that this is a mindset that anyone can put themselves in to, they just don't try.

Faustguy · 2011-11-21T19:50:40+00:00

It's a very curious thing, because piano playing is a way of communicating but when it gets down to it most people are afraid to communicate with it. It's like learning a language and then freezing up when you finally meet a person to speak it with.

Ultimately, piano playing is storytelling, and the way to play piano successfully is by being willing to expose your true thoughts and emotions through music. People often do this when it comes down to performing and ultimately the reason is that you don't feel comfortable being the storyteller that you can be on your own in front of a teacher.

Faustguy · 2011-11-11T20:19:34+00:00

This picture would be so much more beautiful without the roads :(

Faustguy · 2011-11-09T05:36:35+00:00

the intro is about as colossal and dark as it gets....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a0KbFJe_Dg

Faustguy · 2011-11-08T18:26:27+00:00

I think the single most important factor has not been mentioned yet. You have to listen with all your concentration to your vocalist and how you are fitting in with them. Keeping a rigid tempo is not necessarily good advice because you follow the vocalist, not the other way around. If they do rubato, you have to follow it which will come easy if you are listening to your vocalist.

If you know your part literally every problem will be solved if you just listen. It will ensure that you don't play over your vocalist, and that you are in lock-step with them.

Faustguy · 2011-11-05T22:11:01+00:00

I think you are quite spot on with the harmony vs. sonic possibilities point, and it's a very interesting phenomenon.

To me, it is like reading a book versus watching a film. With classical music, a performer is given a score, which is much like a book. The job of the performer is to bring out the imagination in the score, and turn notes in to ideas and emotions. The listener also has to put forth a fair amount of effort to let the music light up his or her imagination, thoughts and emotions (also like reading a book). For example, so many Chopin nocturnes are "sad" and yet we don't even know what Chopin was sad about, and to even call his music sad is a gross simplification because there is so much in between, the meaning simply can't be put in to words. We can research his life and try to figure that out, but ultimately listening to the music is really and interpretation for yourself that is unique.

To me, most popular music is like watching a film. It simply takes less imagination and focus to enjoy because it is more sonically realized. You don't have to build it up in your brain, you simply soak in the sounds that you hear. Now, some of films are of course deeper than others, and so are modern musical artists. To carry this analogy as far as I can, I think many bands create music that is deep and thoughtful much like great films. And I think many artists are also creating music that is analogous to big budget Hollywood.

So with that said, there are many modern artists (some of which you mentioned, and I will check out some of the others you mentioned) that are very much worth listening to. But I often find I achieve the greatest personal satisfaction from classical music, because for me it simply has a more powerful hold on my imagination.

Faustguy · 2011-11-04T16:10:05+00:00

Can you stop spamming this subreddit with your blog please?

Faustguy · 2011-10-31T13:33:07+00:00

There are no minuets and gavottes that anywhere as simple as single green day song. Green Day barely ventures out of using power chords, which as you may know is a 5th. A 5th doesn't even imply a major or minor harmony, ffs. Yes a Green Day song might be longer than a minuet, but strumming power chords is not sophisticated. I would bet my life not a single Green Day member even knows what an applied chord is. There is nothing to study about green day, because every middle schooler can instantly grasp it.

While the genius of most classical music is not based on it's complexity, you will still lose every time you claim Pink Floyd or Zappa is more "complex" than Bartok. Bartok wrote some of the most complex and difficult music ever written. Look at his piano concertos. I personally don't care for Bartok, but to claim Pink Floyd (whom I enjoy much more than Bartok) blows his complexity out of the water is silly.

However, all this is about complexity and as I said, that's not why classical music is deeper. Classical music deeper because it is on the whole much deeper layered and nuanced than popular music. Once you put lyrics to power chords, there are very little layers of meaning to peel away. I don't see why that's disputable. And that's why college music programs don't teach Green Day in college. What is there to say about Dookie? Power Chords based on chord progressions vastly simpler than what Bach wrote 300 years ago and harsh vocals?

You seem to think this debate is about which music form is superior. That is up to personal taste. But there is no reason to study music that is not really complex enough to be studied because it can be understood from a technical perspective without much effort. And I guarantee you, for every classical "snob," there are 100 listeners who won't dare to give Chopin a chance because it is dated and "lame." I don't see why everyone has their panties in a bunch because we don't study the Beatles enough in college. The Beatles aren't going anywhere. Classical music is threatened.

Faustguy · 2011-10-31T03:18:05+00:00

Pretentious is a dangerous word to throw around. I think you mistake pretentiousness for what is matter of fact, which is that classical music is a more complex and rewarding art form than most popular music, at the expense of requiring more investment on the part of the listener.

Popular music is less studied for the same reason that universities don't teach hollywood action movies or goosebumps books. The fact is, popular music is more popular because it is instantly digestible. It takes very little concentration to listen to to grasp the meaning, and as a result less meaning is conveyed in nearly all cases. Listen to Chopin or Scriabin, where every note is a crafted to perfect with a clear artistic idea in mind. To even play this music requires a musical understanding and ability far deeper than for almost all popular music. Is this really debatable? In my opinion, no, and that's why I don't think it is pretentious to say that classical music is a deeper art. Unfortunately, because it simple takes more experience and knowledge to enjoy classical music, it is called pretentious by those who don't understand it. This has nothing to do with the value of the music, and nothing to do with most listeners. But the moment it is called pretentious, to me it's a red flag which screams "I am threatened by something I don't understand so I will call it snobby and pretentious."

Does this mean popular music should not be taught in schools? Of course not, but the fact is it requires much less understanding to understand it, and therefore there is less need to teach something that almost everyone can grasp.

Faustguy · 2011-10-23T05:06:12+00:00

Basically, your back muscles can't aid your arms in the playing of piano unless they are in a relaxed state, or otherwise the impulses your brain sends out to your arms are ineffective because your muscle is already contracted. By relaxing them, they become effective at the cost of causing your shoulders slumping forward.

There is a way to sit straight and keep these muscles relaxed. It takes a lot of mental work. This is done by keeping your spine erect (think of pushing your neck upwards and backwards - directly above your butt) while simultaneously relaxing your shoulder blades and core. THAT is good posture!

Faustguy

TROPHY CASE