Piano Tone and Technique

Abstract

Piano tone and technique comprise two inseparable aspects of teachers’ work with beginner piano students. Historically, tone has been considered as a most essential ingredient in the world of music because mastery of tone production enables artistic expression. This chapter examines how tone may be characterized as sound vibrations—intensities of energy—that range from soft to loud, light to heavy, bright to dark, short to long, flat to round, and more. Pianists bring immense variations in tonal intensity to their performances by tapping into their emotional, spiritual, intellectual, intuitive, and physical energies. In a departure from treating piano technique as a kind of mechanical training, this chapter considers piano technique as something we may already know about because of how we use our fingers, hands, arms, and body in ordinary everyday life. Specific examples of how beginner piano students may explore five technical basics include: grabbing fingers, walking fingers, arm circles, our body, and appropriate posture at the piano.