Getting Used to the Steinbuhler Smaller Piano Keyboard

        There is always a fear of the unknown and stepping out into any new paradigm. I knew I would have to jump into the world of adapting between two instrument sizes, like switching between violin and viola.  I had read the research of Dr. Carol Leone and other researchers who said it only takes an accomplished pianist about 2 weeks to learn to switch back and forth.

        The size of an octave on a 7/8 is about the size of a 7th on a full-sized piano. I found that to be the most challenging switch. I play for a church regularly and I started running through those pieces at home. There were some Sunday mornings when the first few octaves I intended to play came out as 7ths during the pre-service rehearsal. This occurred mostly in the left hand. It usually lasted for a minute before my brain fixes it. The time lapse reduced over a few weeks where I could switch back and forth.

        The ultimate test came when I accepted a challenge and a gig for a friend who is performing his graduate recital this spring. The piece that is requested is the Prokofiev Violin Sonata no. 2. I have to admit that I have not played any of Prokofiev's works in my recitals, but I was up to taking on this project since I have to the time to practice. The first question was whether I was going to learn the piece on a full-sized keyboard, which, of course, I would have to perform on eventually. I decided I was going to learn and practice this piece solely on my 7/8 Steinbuhler DS Standard. Prokofiev's composition has wide spacings and some awkward passages for the piano. I would not say it was an easy piece to read or learn.

           We had our first rehearsal in December to get a rough idea of what we had to concentrate on. The rehearsal was on a rather uncooperative grand piano and a cold room. I found out quickly how much I had to adjust from the 7/8 to a full-sized piano. The answer was NOT MUCH.

          I observed that I had learned the piece more securely than I thought. Because of this security, I was able to make those wide leaps and play with greater confidence and accuracy. I wondered why this was the case. I come to the conclusion that I had learned the piece in a relaxed manner, with little tension and in the most ergonomic positions possible. This taught my muscles to return quickly to its optimal stage after every stretch or leap. I had to adjust the degree and speed of movement for leaps and wide chords.

          When I played on a full-sized piano, I finally realized how uncomfortable it was to play octaves. I could feel a difference with my stamina and level of muscle fatigue when playing on these different keyboards. It makes me wonder what it would have been like if I practiced all my graduate recitals on the 7/8 especially Brahms, Beethoven and Chopin.

            I hope more and more small-handed pianists have the opportunity to try out these Steinbuhler keyboards. It is a world of difference and it has definitely rekindled my love for playing.

Now, onto teaching children on the 7/8 keyboard. That is for another post ... Stay tuned!





 

Steinbuhler DS 7/8 Smaller Piano Keyboard

Last fall, I purchased a Kawai piano that is equipped with a Steinbuhler DS 7/8 smaller keyboard (DS Standard™). This is a smaller keyboard than a standard size. I first encountered this keyboard at the MTNA National Convention in Kansas City when I was still a graduate student. When I played the pianos at the exhibit, I sight-read music that had intervals of a 10th and I dreamed of owning such a keyboard. I didn't even imagine the remotest possibility of privately owning one. I had hoped I would work for an educational institution who would.

My hand span is 7 3/8" (full disclosure) and reaching anything beyond an octave is uncomfortable. I have been very blessed that I have not developed any performance related injuries after many recitals. There have been many pieces that I have performed over the years which my hand span put me at a disadvantage. There are so only many wide chords that one can arpeggiate without losing the feel of the meter, not to mention hand fatigue.

I started watching the piano ads just for fun over the summer and came across an advertisement for a Kawai grand piano at an antique store. It took me a little while to figure out that it had been fitted with a reduced size keyboard. The sale price was a great bargain as the cost of the keyboard far exceeded the asking price. After a few weeks of talking to my husband about it, I suggested we take a 40 minute drive to look at the piano. If it was offered to me below a certain price and if it is good shape, we would seriously consider buying it. We made an appointment to see it.

In short, we saw the piano, I played it and the store made us an offer. My husband measured the piano properly so that we could brainstorm how to fit the piano in our house. There was also a note from the previous owner of the piano which really made me think hard. This piano needs a good home. I told the seller that we had to take a week to consider it. We went home and slept on it.. for five days, until the seller called to make us another offer. No one else would understand/appreciate the value this keyboard. We took the offer the next day, sent her a down payment and made arrangements for it to be moved to our home. There's nothing quite like the excitement of watching a grand piano delivered to my home!

The piano finish needed no work and it still looks like a brand new piano. The hammers showed some wear, the strings needed a cleaning and a good tuning (or two!). We had David Bonham service the piano because that was who the previous owner suggested. It still needs regulation and voicing. As soon as that is done, the piano will be ready for showings.

In my next post, I'll share some of my observations when making the transition to my new 7/8 keyboard.

Practicing..

How Many Hours A Day Should You Practice

I found this article very interesting and thought it would be good to post it here. One of the most important things a student has to learn is how to practice and that comes with studying from experienced teachers. There are multiple ways to practice effectively and I am still learning different ways of thinking. Happy practicing!

A Broken Record

I think I'm beginning to sound like a broken record or CD or an mp3 file error in my piano lessons. I understand where the students are coming from and am able to recognize some habits in their playing. I wouldn't have thought of making my students play scales but in fact, YES, I am. I'm not being a tyrant about it but I have to be responsible to fix a basic technical problem: not releasing keys. I appreciate that my teachers took the time to fix this problem. There is no way to play with any clarity or speed without this.

I didn't realize how much I can't stand the sound of notes blurring together until I started teaching. I had not realized how sensitive my hearing is towards that. I think my more advanced students are surprised when I ask them to play a pentascale hands separately. One can tell so much about their playing just from that like what they consider to be good tone and good touch.

Besides not releasing keys, most do not play with a nice basic tone. They skim the keys like I used to do. I liken that type of playing to a singer with breathy tone. I don't think I can play like that anymore because it hurts my muscles! It's nostalgic to go down memory lane with my students. :)

I remember one of my teachers saying that taking lessons is narrowing the gap between what you perceive is true/correct to what your teacher hears. I'm noticing this to be true that my students evaluate and grade their playing very differently than I do. It is scary, I'm beginning to sound like my teachers!

First Faculty Recital, April 1, 2010

Program:
Handel, Suite in E major - Air & Variations "Harmonious Blacksmith"
Mozart, Sonata in D major for 4 hands,K. 381 (With Connie Donatelli)
Hough/Chen, Pining for the Spring Breeze
Brahms, Intermezzo in A major, op. 118 no. 2
Tcherepnin, Five "Chinese" Concert Etudes, op. 52 no. 5
Chopin, Barcarolle, op. 60

I originally wanted to program Gottschalk's Souvenir de Porto Rico and decided to drop the piece. It would be nice to just play a clean and prepared program. I think it is already fairly ambitious as it stands right now. All these pieces would be just to introduce myself to the college. Since the recital is on April Fools' Day, there will be a prank of course.

This would be my first recital without a teacher. It has dawned on me that this recital I'm playing for myself and not really for anyone else.It is both exciting and nerve racking at the same time. I also have not performed for about a year now since I had to focus on writing and my transition to a new life in Kansas. I decided to use a CD-recorder to record my practice sessions so I can review them myself. I would rather be able to have instant playback but since I don't own the technology, I'll be content with what I have now. I am very happy that my college owns a nice concert Steinway and I'm rebuilding my stamina to handle that piano.

I also worked up the courage to listen to my last DMA recital. I am pleasantly surprised at my own playing and I did better than I thought. I knew that I was playing under a lot of pressure that afternoon, along with being sick.

I know I can play a great recital in two weeks, now if I would just convince myself. :) Confidence is now the name of the game.

Practicing the Piano in Beijing

I am keeping up with my practice while in Beijing. I am not allowed to use the pianos on campus because I'm not a music major here so I have to rent a practice room from the piano stores around here. The piano practice rental fee is reasonable ranging from 5 yuan to 10 yuan (USD 1.20) an hour.

Practicing has been a challenge because I have to walk about 15mins to get to the practice venues. Taking a bus there is also possible, but I still have to walk about 10 mins to get to the bus stop. The place I am regularly practice at is Song of Songs Piano City next to Beijing Foreign University close to the 3rd Ring Road. (In case, google brings this up.) I am not at the best piano practice facility around this area. There is some air circulation occasionally and the pianos are in okay shape. Some keys may not work and the pedals may not work. There are only 8 rooms here. There is a much better place near the Haidian Huangzhuang subway station, on the southwest corner, on the 5th floor above McDonalds. I tried their pianos there yesterday and was pleased with the quality.

Practicing in the piano stores have allowed me to observe piano pedagogy and piano practice habits of the students there. I am not sure which to be more frustrated at, the lack of air circulation or hearing John Thompson & Hanon being horribly practiced at the room next door.

I had the misfortune of being kicked out of my practice room on Tuesday because they don't schedule their teachers in. The story gets better when a 10 yr old kid had just snuck into the room with the best piano and I have to wait for him to finish his practice session. I stand at the door like a piano vulture and take the opportunity to observe his practice habits.

He started playing a junior version of Hanon (everything in crotchets/quarter notes) and this is no. 1 of book 1. Every note had an accent on it so I watched his technique. Lots of stress and pressing ... hahah I know. Also I realized that he kept getting lost in the note reading. It is obvious he has not been taught to recognize note patterns and poor reading skills.

I watch him practice other pieces and he played about 5 different pieces. They were mostly correct as far as rhythm and notes go, with occasional inaccuracies. John Thompson book 2 was what he was playing out of. I don't think he had any concept of five finger patterns in the different keys he had to play in. He also did not notice errors aurally immediately. His practice was the usual play through like most students, me included. During his practice, there was no attention to dynamics, tempo or phrasing. Musicality was absent in his playing.

I watched some lessons there too and I can't remember how many times the teachers would actually correct finger positions. I see a lot of John Thompson and I heard that Bastien is now used. I haven't seen any Hal Leonard or Faber method books here either. I talked to a teacher about using technology in the lesson and that is a new concept to them to. I think technique is a great asset to piano playing but it is not the end all. I wish my technique was better but I don't think I put people to sleep in the practice room.

Well, maybe I can try and give a seminar or a lecture before I leave Beijing. If I do that, I want to be paid. That's for sure. Ok, enough venting, time to go practice now!

Performance Anxiety, Practice Tips (NGR) Part 4

"Notes from the Green Room" by Paul Salmon & Robert Meyer

Discomfort with Performance-Related Sensations
- Do a "cold" run-through with minimal warm-up.
Warm-up? What warm-up? This was what happened at almost every masterclass at WSU that I played in: tumble out of bed and get to WSU. Sorry Dr. T, it was just too early in the morning!

- Play immediately after physical exercise.
Play just after you run from the parking lot into the hall because you are running late again! Or like after you've been lost for an hour and pulled into the parking lot late to your doctoral school audition.

- Play just after drinking caffeinated coffee.
Only if you can take caffeine. Neither the authors nor I advocate the use of drugs to alter your physical state.

- Practice while playing a cassette tape of audience noises or other simulated background effects.
Umm screaming baby.. if one is not present, a yowling cat will do too. Burmese are great at that. Turn on the tv, those car salesmen will really test your concentration, if not make you wanna gag them. I would not ever buy a Ford from you-know-who for those of you that live in Wichita KS

- Make a video or audio cassette recording of preliminary performances.
This is a good one as knowing that you're being recorded always adds more pressure. Plus it is good to review your playing at home and see for yourself what you're doing on stage. You may be playing faster than you need to .. somehow I always find that out a little too late. Also, facial expressions can be pretty misleading as to what the music is actually portraying/presenting. No sticking out your tongue every time you make a mistake!

Buy Notes from the Green Room

Erratic Memory, Practice Tips (NGR) Part 3

"Notes from the Green Room" by Paul Salmon & Robert Meyer

Erratic Memory
- Use alternate measure (A/B) half scores.
The authors suggest covering every other measure of the score (1,3,5). After which, the performer should switch to the covering the opposite set (2,4,6). Post-it Notes may work very well for this. The score preparation may take a lot of time but this suggestion may be worthwhile experimenting with.

- Imagine playing a piece through in its entirety.
I tend to do this if I can't sleep or ... There was one night I had the 1st mvt of Beethoven's Pastorale Sonata replaying over and over again in my sleep. When I woke up, I knew I had the piece memorized! Didn't get much rest though.

- Practice with memory-enhancing sound cues.
When I understand this, I will try to explain.

- Transcribe challenging passages into a notebook or log.
This task may prove to be too challenging for me. I'll try the other three, thanks though.

Buy Notes from the Green Room

Lack of Sensory Awareness, Practice Tips (NGR) Part 2

"Notes from the Green Room" by Paul Salmon & Robert Meyer

Lack of Sensory Awareness
- Practice in the dark.
The constant blackouts in my hometown, Kampar made me do this quite often.

- Practice silently.
Find an electric keyboard and practice with it turned off. Or practice with the volume off and hit the record button, for some auditory feedback after you finish the piece.

- Visualize hand and foot movements in detail.
I am a dancer but only at the piano, unless a barn dance counts.

- Make a slow-motion analysis of movement patterns.
Think nice fluid motions.. we're not talking jerky motions here.

Buy Notes from the Green Room

Practice Tips Part 1 from "Notes from the Green Room" by Paul Salmon & Robert Meyer

I have been reading this book just for leisure. It is a pretty interesting study of stress and anxiety in dealing with musical performance. The book delivers some insights into performance issues and I hope that helps me understand people who have a hard time being on stage. I have found the book to be a little more of a psychology study and at times just found it boring. Also reading about performance anxiety and stage fright just agitated me so I decided to just read what I wanted to read. Here's what I found most interesting:

Practice Tips or Problem-Oriented Experiments p. 39
Troublesome Learning
- Do competing tasks.
(eg. pedal while moving a pencil ...How am I supposed to do this exactly? Oh, this example is meant for an organist.)

- Vocalize polyphonic lines one by one.
May be a good sight singing exercise on its own. This would heighten awareness of the other parts in a piece and help the encoding or memorizing process.

- Learn a new piece from end to beginning.
Hmm do they mean by sections or measures. I think some pieces would be cool to put in retrograde motion although I would not like to sightread that way.

- Transpose challenging passages.
I think I'm going to try this one. The author suggests that this will help one achieve a stable cognitive representation that does not depend on a certain set of notes or fingerings.

Buy Notes from the Green Room

"Commercial" Practice

In teaching music, a teacher always has to struggle with getting a student to practice. While most older students will practice on their own, (given their intrinsic motivations), the much younger ones need creative ways to get them practicing.

Even though it is not the best, my students are at the stage where external motivation is most suitable. My students get a sticker on the page they pass at each lesson. Some of them earn pieces of candy as the lesson progresses dependent on the completion of each task.

I have a 7-yr old who has the hardest time practicing any of her pieces. I was beginning to really lose interest in teaching and had a hard time getting through her lesson. I asked her how much she watched tv a day and she said, "quite a bit". I asked her to do a "game" for me. Each time a commercial break occured she was to run to the piano and play through her pieces. When the programme resumed, she could stop and go back to watching tv.

I had way more progress with her than I had in weeks. As a recital approached, I found she wasn't progressing as much as needed and I checked with her on how much she was practicing. She answered, "I'm doing the commercial practice." I was pretty amazed and told her that we had to suspend the "commercial practice" for a special practice that would get her in good shape for the recital.

She took to the "regular" practicing instructions very well:
1. Sing your piece.
2. Sing and play your piece.
3. Practice measure 4-5.
4. Play whole piece with score.
5. Try it by memory.
We tried it a couple times in her lesson and she was very happy at her own progress. We wrote down the instructions in color together. She was so excited to go try this "special" practice at home. I think she saw the rewards immediately.

I guess maybe she could be weaned slowly from the "commercial practice" a term she coined. I will keep my fingers crossed.

Why I Like Practicing Hanon

Why I Find the "Mundane" Extremely Interesting

Yes, finally I am doing Hanon exercises. Some of you must be wondering why now, after all these years. I remember one summer a long time ago, I was so bored at home that I sat down and sightread most of the Book I & II. I felt indifferent about them then. I also remember watching my then would be professor burn the book at his Piano Magic event. I don't know whether I've ever shared that sentiment and I don't think he does.

I love geometry and jigsaw puzzles. Something in the exercises really appeal to me in the head. Playing the first half of each exercise just makes me try to figure out how the second half would be, as they are meant to be symmetrical. I find it pretty fascinating and I can just feel my mind working in a different way when I practice them. It is like I'm putting a jigsaw together in my head and I get to imagine the colors.

As for the "other" benefits of those exercises, I'm sure much has already been discussed by other pianists and pedagogues. It is almost a relief to practice repeated patterns and just concentrate on motifs after doing recital repertoire for a long time. It also got my sightreading back into shape very quickly since I had to accompany for a living lately. My prof did ask me to memorize each exercise and that is good advice, as I can focus on getting the coordination required. It does slow me down and makes me study them with more depth.

I play a whole bunch of them every day before I jump into my new literature. I work on memorizing some of them, giving the next set more detailed attention and just playing through the others at whatever speed is comfortable. The metronome is my friend. I keep Post-It flags at the piano and mark the ones that are tricky for me. When I come to a flagged page, I pay more attention to make sure I'm not hurting myself by going too fast or allowing weird movements. No pain is definitely more gain at the piano!