What can you cook from squid: quick and tasty

The established traditional division of technology into small (finger) and large, in general, retains its significance at the present time. However, depending on the artistic tasks, the interdependence of the parts of the game apparatus and the connection of the main and accompanying movements, the techniques of large equipment are constantly included in small equipment. Therefore, this subdivision must be understood conditionally.
Based on this subdivision, based on the techniques of musical texture, the types of technique are differentiated as follows: small technique includes groups that cover no more than five notes without changing position, scales and scale passages, arpeggios, double notes, trill, decorations (melismas), finger rehearsals. Major techniques include tremolo, octaves, chords and leaps. Of course, such a classification cannot cover the entire innumerable wealth of textured techniques.
Since in pedagogical practice most of all mistakes occur as a result of a misunderstanding of the characteristic features of small (finger) technique, it is often considered narrowly, only as the ability to quickly and cleanly play scale-like and arpeggiate passages, without taking into account its expressive qualities.

Depending on the style and content of a piece of music, the finger technique is very diverse in terms of the nature of sound and timbre, and therefore it should be divided into several types: technique martellato, "pearl" (jeu perle), leggier o, melodic, finger glissando.
So, comparing the technical passages in the Etude op. 25 No. 11 Chopin, Weber's "Brilliant Rondo", Concert Etudes No. 3, Des-major and No. 2, f-moll by Liszt, finally, in Ballade No. 1, g-moll by Chopin, one can see that the technical moments are completely different in character and sound. They require different methods of sound production and can only be considered a finger technique.
If in the Etude Des-major by Liszt the passages are light and transparent, then the heroic character of the above-mentioned Chopin etude requires more dynamics and bright
The established traditional division of technology into small (finger) and large, in general, retains its significance at the present time. However, depending on the artistic tasks, the interdependence of the parts of the game apparatus and the connection of the main and accompanying movements, the techniques of large equipment are constantly included in small equipment. Therefore, this subdivision must be understood conditionally.
Based on this subdivision, based on the techniques of musical texture, the types of technique are differentiated as follows: small technique includes groups that cover no more than five notes without changing positions, scales and scale passages, arpeggios, double sweats, trill, decorations (melismas), finger rehearsals. To the large technique of tremolo, octave, chords and leaps. Of course, such a classification cannot cover the entire innumerable wealth of textured techniques.
Since in pedagogical practice, most of all mistakes occur as a result of a lack of understanding of the characteristic features of small (finger) technique, it is often considered narrowly, only as the ability to quickly and cleanly play scale and arpeggio passages, without taking into account its expressive qualities.

Depending on the style and content of a piece of music, the finger technique is very diverse in terms of the nature of sound and timbre, and therefore it should be divided into several types: technique ma ft ell a to, "pearl" (jeu perle), leggier, melodic, finger glissando.
So, comparing the technical passages in the Etude op. 25 No. 11 Chopin, Weber's "Brilliant Rondo", Concert Etudes No. 3, Des-major and No. 2, f-moll by Liszt, finally, in Ballade No. 1, g-moll by Chopin, one can see that the technical moments are completely different in character and sound. They require different techniques of sound extraction and can only be considered a finger technique.
If in the Etude Des-major by Liszt the passages are light and transparent, then the heroic character of the above-mentioned Chopin etude requires more dynamics and bright
saturation of sonority. In Liszt's Etude in f-moll, the technique should be melodious and flexible, and in Weber's Brilliant Rondo, the sonorous clarity and brilliance of the passages best suit the content and title of the piece.
It is the very name “finger” technique that often confuses the work of a pianist. For example, when performing Etude op. 25 № II Chopin no "steel" fingers without the help of the upper parts of the hand can not achieve that strong, bravura sound, which requires its content.
For such a sound, neither pressure with deep immersion of the fingers into the keys, nor a bump are suitable. To achieve the desired sound character requires the interaction of all parts of the hand, transmitting weight and dynamic load by receiving a push into firmly placed fingers (Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. Transfer of dynamic load to fingers

Basically, the technique in this study, which most fully and expressively reveals its heroic character, can be defined as the martellato technique (Fig. 5).
Here, the accompanying oscillatory movements, the span of the hand and forearm, are used, with the support of the arm by the muscles of the shoulder and shoulder girdle. Thanks to the inclusion of more powerful muscles, these movements, turning into auxiliary ones, help to achieve the desired sound strength without unnecessary stress.

Rice. 5. The position of the hand and fingers in the martellato technique

(This type of technique is used in all cases when a "dense" sound and clarity is needed, such as in Khachaturian's Tokkata, in episodes of Prokofiev's First Concerto, etc.)
To release the hand and develop an accurate change in tension and relaxation, it is useful to teach this study at a slow pace with strong fingers, using lateral oscillatory movements.
In moments requiring melodiousness in the same etude, other, wave-like movements of the hand and forearm are needed, which create flexibility and plasticity in phrasing and sound.
In Weber's Brilliant Rondo, we see a completely different nature of technique. Pianists call it "pearl" (jeu perle).
The "pearl" technique is not common to all pianists. She was distinguished by the play of L. Esipova, I. Hoffman,
Among contemporary pianists, it is characteristic of A. Schnabel, V. Horowitz, B. Mikslangelo, S. Richter, E. Gilels, D. Bashkirov and some others. This type of technique creates an impression of sonority and roundness in the sound.

Rice. 6. The position of the hand and fingers in the "pearl" technique (jeu perle)

At the same time, the fingers gain greater independence, since their strength is sufficient to extract this sound quality. It is achieved by tenacious "grasping" movements of sliding the fingers under the palm, which are, as it were, the main link in the performance of this type of technique (Fig. 6). Other parts of the piano will be auxiliary; they guide the hand through the pattern of passages, regulate the measure and dosage of movements, creating freedom and economy.
To achieve the necessary fluency in the pearl technique, relieving stress on the fingers and metacarpal hand is mandatory.
In order to avoid the pressure of the weight of the upper parts of the hand on the fingers and to develop the "tenacity" of their ends, it is useful to teach passages of this nature with the "finger" staccato technique. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the fingers do not rise high and, after the impact, quickly “crawl up” under the palm. The hand should not rest or press on the fingers, it "hangs" over the keyboard, its weight is supported by the muscles of the upper arm and shoulder girdle. The "finger" staccato is developed at a slow tempo with the same movements that the pianist uses in the "pearl" technique at a fast tempo. This technique develops the ability to quickly remove your fingers from the keys and "pick up" their ends under the palm. In this case, the hand does not have the ability to "press" on the keys, which would lead to heaviness and slow down fluency.
Often, students to master this type of finger technique mistakenly use the "wrist" staccato technique, not understanding the inexpediency of small hand movements for each note. Here again it should be reminded about the inability of the hand to rapid repetitive movements.
In Liszt's Concert Etude Des-dur, another type of finger technique is encountered, which can be called the leggiero technique.

The harmonic figurations of the accompaniment are the backdrop of the poetic melody. The character of the sound of the passages in this etude enhances the impression of lightness and transparency.
For a more expressive transfer of the sound of most passages, you can recommend light blows with less rounded fingers. There is no need for the "grasping" movements used in the "pearl" technique. They will give the passages the famous hammer-like clarity and interfere with the lightness of the sound. In this case, the fingers, as it were, lightly "pat" the keys with light swinging movements. The weight of the hand should not put pressure on the fingers; under pressure or pressure, the fingers will "stick" in the keyboard and lose the ability to accurately and quickly release the key, which is necessary to create an impression of transparency in passages. All movements on the keyboard are made with flexible movements of the hand with the support of the upper arms and shoulder girdle, helping the fingers to freely perform their delicate filigree work.
Examples of this technique are also found in Etude op. 25 No. 1 Chopin, Etude op. 42 No. 3 Scriabin, etc.
The leggiero technique can also be developed with the following technique: fingers at a slow pace make two quick movements at the same time. While one finger is lowered onto the key, the next and the remaining fingers are prepared at the same time, lifting slightly above the keys. So, when hitting with the second finger, the third finger rises simultaneously with the rest (when moving to the right) and, conversely, when lowering the third finger (when moving to the left), the second and other fingers simultaneously rise. The point of this technique is that the simultaneous movement of the fingers and the prudent preparation of the next one greatly helps speed. The "delay" technique practiced in the methodology of the old schools, mistakenly used to develop the leggiero technique, only slowed down the speed and was certainly inappropriate.
For achievement High Quality a tireless auditory check of the evenness of sound and rhythm is needed, as well as the observation that the height of the lifting of the fingers, including the first, is approximately the same. Dropping fingers from different heights creates unevenness in the sound and rhythm. L. Esipova believed that it is not speed, but sound and rhythmic evenness that determines the beauty of small finger technique.
In Liszt's Concert Etude in f minor, melodic figurations sound melodious and "sings" not only the melody itself, but also the accompaniment.
This type of technique can be called melodic. In this etude, she is an expressive means of performing melodic melodic passages.
The character of the melodious sound is achieved by "immersing" the fingers into the keys with more or less pressure, depending on the nuance requirements. The sooner the pace, the easier the pressure should be. Measure and dosage are related to sound tasks. Fingers, as it were, "singing" the flowing melodic passages, and in this type of technique are important. But still the main link here is the upper arms. With a gentle pressure movement, they transfer a dynamic load to the fingers, and flexible lateral or rotational movements of the hand and forearm contribute to a more comfortable position of the fingers on the keys, creating melodiousness and plasticity in the performance of melodic passages.
When working on mastering this type of technique, great attention should be paid to freedom and flexibility in the wrist, making sure that the sound "pours" from note to note,>
Such "fusion" of the hand with the keyboard (K. Igumnov's expression) helps to avoid the knocking that occurs when the finger hits the key.

In some works, the finger glissando technique is encountered. We see this technique in Liszt's Spanish Rhapsody, in the code for Ballad No. 1, g-moll by Chopin.
The nature of the sound and the tempo of the passages do not allow to apply pressure or push here. They do not require the clarity of each note, they need the possible speed, since the main task is not clarity, but the striving for the last note of the passage that creates the impression of glissando.
For this technique, it is best to use a finger glide over the keys without lifting or swinging.
The hand, supported in the shoulder and shoulder girdle, guides the fingers in the direction of the passage pattern. The first finger is inserted smoothly, without lateral movements of the hand, without jerks and accents. Smoothness and speed in performing this type of technique largely depends on the dexterous movements of the first finger.
The finger glissando technique can be worked out in the same way as the leggiero technique. The fingers should not be raised high, but it is also not necessary to “pick up” them under the palm, as in the “pearl” technique, since there will be no time for these movements at the required speed. At a slow pace, it is helpful to teach the passages by hitting the keys with a small finger span. In this case, you need to slightly tilt your hand towards the current passage, for which your fingers strike the keys with the side of the lower phalanx (Fig. 7).
In this case, wrist movements should be avoided, at a fast pace they will be noticeable and interfere with evenness in the transitions connecting the positional groups.
The subdivision of types of finger technique considered by us on the basis of its dependence on the style and content of a musical work extends to five-finger groups, scale and arpeggio passages.
Arpeggios can also be played martellato, leggiero, or melodic. They are not feasible with the glissando technique.
Arpeggios have their own characteristics, connected, firstly, in some cases with a wide position, and secondly, with the necessary dexterity of either transferring the hand, or placing the first finger when changing position (for example, in the reverse movement of the right hand in a triad).

Rice. 7. Hand position and first finger placement using finger glissando technique

However, the virtuoso performance of arpeggios does not require placing the first finger legato, but smooth, flexible transfers of the hand from position to position with a minimum twist of the elbow. The preparation of such wave-like movements begins with the first stages of training in training for changing positions (see the section "About technical training" of this chapter).
A well-known difficulty for the pianist is the double notes. The difficulty in mastering the technique of double notes lies in the simultaneous holding of two voices with fingers of different structure and strength. In double notes, you can apply the same. classification as in the fine finger technique, dividing them into martellato technique, melodic and leggiero technique. The "pearl" technique in double jots is not feasible. Double notes can be light, transparent, as, for example, scales in double thirds in the piece "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart-Liszt - Busoni, melodious in Etude op. 25 No. 6 Chopin, etc. In connection with the artistic task or the requirements of voice-leading in double notes, the upper and lower voices stand out.
The fingering of double notes does not allow both legato voices to be played without changing positions at the same time and, depending on which voice is melodic, or in which direction (up or down) the passage flows, the legato is retained in one of the voices. This is accomplished by sliding fingering.
When playing scales in double thirds, in order to achieve legato, it is useful to apply the technique recommended by L. Esipova. It consists in the fact that when you play the keyboard up, the notes in the upper voice are linked, and when you play down, in the lower one. G. G. Neuhaus recommends playing each voice separately to achieve legato in double notes, keeping the double notes fingering. The development of double notes should begin during the school period, first on lighter sketches and exercises, then more and more complicating the tasks.
Trill can be conditionally attributed to small finger technique. It is performed with quick strokes of the fingers with auxiliary oscillatory movements of the hand, supporting the weight of the hand with large muscles. To amplify the sound, the oscillatory movements increase, turning into a swing, in which the emerging reactive forces are used. In this case, the main source of energy will no longer be the fingers, but the hand and forearm, which transmit dynamic forces to the fingers. Depending on the requirements of the sound or the duration of the trill, the fingering in it can be changed. So, a light trill in piano is best performed with the second and fourth fingers, allowing you to involve small oscillatory movements of the hand. When amplifying the sound to forte, it is advisable to play trill with stronger, first and third fingers, with accompanying auxiliary movements of the hand.

In a long trill, in order to avoid fatigue (for example, in Liszt's Concerto Es-major), fingers should be changed from the second and fourth to the first and third and vice versa. In some cases, it may be convenient to change fingers from the first and third to the second and third. Here we should recall the "non-excitability interval", which arises as a result of a conflict of excitations that are too close in time when playing with the same fingers, involving the same parts of the neuromuscular apparatus in work.
Trill, if possible, it is better not to play with adjacent) fingers - the third and fourth, fourth and fifth, since the fourth finger is to a certain extent limited in movements. You can advise to learn everything at different tempos, from slow to fast, with a gradual acceleration and change in sound strength from piano to forte and vice versa, again returning to piano. It is useful to learn a trill] with an accent through the note, in triplets, quarters, etc. . e. In all cases, with the acceleration of the pace, the amplitude of the swing will decrease.
Decorations (melismas), but the nature of the movements are close to the fine finger technique. Much has been written about their performance I in the works of the classics. Without stopping at repeating already known provisions, one can only add a few purely practical advice... For example, when switching from melody to decoration, the pianist often does not know how to relieve the load in time. This makes the fingers heavy and interferes with the decoration. The weight of the hand is supported by its upper parts, and the fingers should not "press" on the keys. For clarity in the execution of grace notes, it is necessary that the “playing” finger is quickly removed from the key. Before a grace note or mordent, a slight swinging motion of the fingers can be recommended. This swing mobilizes the hand and thus creates the readiness of the fingers for the required movement.
The height of the swing of the fingers must necessarily be different: the finger striking the first "swing" less than the second, which is prepared with a slightly larger "swing": the same movement of both fingers would lead to a simultaneous blow.
In gruppetto, when an emphasis on the first note is required, a slight swing is also convenient. If the gruppetto merges into a melodic note, then the latter is taken with support, without a swing.
Pianists who have not yet mastered the fine finger technique are advised to study jewelry separately, at a slow pace, keeping an eye on the accuracy of the endings, since very often it is the moment of transition from jewelry to the next notes that is “jittery”. This is due to premature innervation in the neuromuscular apparatus. "
Finger rehearsals in their movements are closest to the "pearl" technique. In these types of techniques, the main thing is, as noted above, sliding the fingers under the palm. But when playing rehearsals, an accompanying rotational movement of the hand is added, which allows the fingers to quickly change on the key, and the forearm is also involved in the movement. The collected form of the pastern is a prerequisite for the performance of rehearsals. The shoulder and shoulder girdle supports the weight of the arm. The rotation movement should be economical, the large swing interferes with the speed and dexterity of finger swapping and exceeds the motor capabilities of the wrist. The fingers are quickly removed from the keys and do not sink deep into them. In this case, the piano rehearsal mechanics is used, which allows the fingers, only by "touching" the key, to get a sound. The measure and dosage of these movements depend on the requirements of the sound power.
Rehearsals should be done at a variety of paces, ranging from relatively slow to fast. The faster the tempo of the rehearsals, the closer the fingers should be to the keys, while the swing movement is reduced and replaced by the sliding of the ends of the fingers under the palm of the hand.
With prolonged trills, tremolo, and rehearsals, the relaxation moments about muscle work are too short to give them the rest they need. Therefore, untrained pianists, when playing these types of techniques for a long time, quickly develop fatigue and clamps. Experienced pianists know how to use the raising and lowering of the hand for relaxation, which helps to free the hand.
Tremolo can no longer be attributed to the finger technique, although the movement is similar to a trill. The similarity lies in the fact that both in tremolo and trill, the main ones are oscillatory movements of the hand and forearm, carried out with the support of the hand from above. The support on the fifth finger creates a more comfortable position in the tremolo, thanks to the participation of one of the strong muscles of the shoulder - the biceps. In piano, tremolo is performed with smaller swinging movements, in forte with large ones.

To avoid pinching the forearm during prolonged play, alternate up and down movements of the hand and forearm are required. These movements involve alternately synergistic antagonist muscles in the work, which contributes to a change in load and release in the muscular system. At the same time, an exact rhythm is created in the change of processes of excitation and inhibition. The alternation of movements aids in the performance of tremolo - for example, in the first movement of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata.
For greater convenience and freedom in the game, the hand must, but it is possible, maintain the shape of the arch, with convex metacarpal bones; bending them or raising the wrist too much makes it difficult to move. Tremolo is supposed to be taught with accents: now on the first finger, then on the fifth (alternately). We recommend training with a change in pace: from slow to fast and returning again to slow.

The octaves of the classification adopted by pianists are already referred to as large-scale techniques. The martellal octaves can be used in the performance of the beginning of the Toccata d-moll by Bach-Tauzig, light and impetuous - in the episodes of the first part of Tchaikovsky's Concerto in b-moll, melodic, melodious - in the middle part of the Etude op. 25 No. 10 Chopin, etc.
The octaves of the martcllalo are performed with firmly placed fingers, while maintaining the "arch" shape in the hand. The hand should be slightly raised to transfer the dynamic load from the upper parts of the hand to the fingers.
The fingers play an important role here too. Except for those cases where piano is necessary in octaves, they serve as a support capable of supporting the weight given not only from the upper arms, but sometimes even from the body. ". If you need a big, huge sound force, then the fingers turn from independently acting units into strong supports that can withstand any weight." - wrote Neuhaus.
Attention should be paid to the fact that in octaves the fingers do not bend in any way and their ends are not "loose", relaxed.

Rice. 8. Correct hand position when playing light octaves

Light octaves are performed with low swinging movements of the hand with the support of the hand in the shoulder and shoulder girdle (Fig. 8). To avoid the appearance of clamps, the position of the hand is changed from low to slightly higher and vice versa. However, too high
the range of the brush will always be inappropriate and tedious (Fig. 9, 10).

Rice. 9. Wrong swing when playing octaves

Performing octaves at a fast pace is significantly denounced by dividing the octave passages into groups that are easier to grasp in one movement. This applies to the performance of octave sequences in Tchaikovsky's Concerto in b-minor. Light accents at the beginning of each group help to play the octave following the accent due to the inertial reactive forces (push) arising during the accent.

Rice. 10. Incorrect lifting of the hand at octaves

When playing staccato octaves, for example, in Chopin's Polon ze As-dur, vibrational movements of the hand are the main ones. However, at a fast pace, these movements can exceed the motor capabilities of this link, create clamps and make it difficult to play. In such cases, it is necessary to combine the octaves into groups with a general rotational movement, while also changing the position of the hand from high to low, which creates liberation.
Performing melodic octaves, you can use the melodic technique. In this case, the octaves are linked legato. When it is necessary to repeat the same fingers, the legato is carried out by sliding. A slight pressure from the forearm helps transfer the load to the fingers and the sound is produced without hitting or swinging.
The difficulty with playing octaves for pianists with small hands is that playing them requires some stretching. For students who do not have the freedom of the pianistic apparatus, this position of the hand can cause a clamp. In these cases, the playing of octaves quickly leads not only to fatigue, but even to painful sensations. Therefore, playing octave rehearsals, one should change the position of the hand and forearm from low to high, thereby creating a change in the work of synergistic and antagonistic muscles and rest in the neuromuscular apparatus.

It is recommended that junior schoolchildren start preparing for octaves at intervals that are more convenient for them, for example, sixths. At the same time, from the very beginning, you need to tirelessly ensure that the ends of the fingers are slightly bent, the swing is not high, and the elbow is not brought close to the body, which inevitably causes stiffness of movements.
In chords, first of all, it is necessary to achieve the simultaneous sounding of all notes. To achieve a slender chord sound, it is advisable to shape the arm into a vault without bending the metacarpal bones or lowering the wrists in order to avoid overexertion that can occur with such a fixed shape. You can release your hand by using pauses or dividing chord passages into groups. Here we should apply the technique we have considered for performing octave passages in Tchaikovsky's Concerto in b-minor. Reconstruction of the fingering to a new chord is carried out at the moment of transfer in the air. When practicing slowly, in order to avoid pinching, it is recommended to make sure that your fingers, at the moment of flight to the next chord, have a tendency to gather before "opening" for a new chord. This creates a feeling of release and at a fast pace, when the fingers no longer have time to gather. In some cases, in order to achieve a special character of sonicity in the sound, it is required to use a "chord grip", grasping movements of tenacious fingers, which are selected under the palm (Fig. 11).

Rice. 11 Hands of S. Richter. Chord grip

A great difficulty for many pianists is presented by chord episodes performed forte at a fast tempo (for example, in the finale of Liszt's Tarantella, in the finale of Schumann's Symphonic Etudes, etc.).
When playing forte chords, a recoil in the hands and body of the pianist inevitably arises, associated with the appearance of inertial reactive forces. As we indicated earlier, such movements are natural accompanying and their appearance indicates the appropriate participation of other parts of the hand and the help of the body. However, you should pay attention to the measure and dosage of these movements. Both limiting and exaggerating them are equally harmful.

Very often students do not hear bass or middle voices in chords. Depending on the artistic task and voice leading, you need to be able to "highlight" in the chord against the background of "darkened" voices the voice that is more important at the moment,
You should carefully listen not only to the ratio of the strength of the sound, but also to the timbre of the voices that make up the chord. Often, due to the different sounding of the piano registers, chords sound out of tune. R depending on the register, some voice overrides the others, sometimes even contrary to artistic requirements and the logic of voice-leading. It must be remembered that the bass of a piano in terms of timbre sounds dull and for a harmonic "support" they must be deep. If the upper voice is not leading the melody, it should not overlap other voices.

In the performance of accompaniment in a dance form (waltz, mazurka, etc.), where support on the bass and lighter sounding of chords is required, the restructuring of the hand and preparation of the chord shape should occur at the moment the hand is transferred from the bass to the chords.
If you do not rearrange your hand in the air and remove the load, the chords will sound heavy. We can recommend learning such accompaniment by moving in an arc from chord to bass, performing a return movement close to the keyboard, “grasping” the chord with tenacious fingers.
The work on jumps and arm transfers is about practicing precise movements that combine the starting point and the target during the jump. Horse racing is performed with a complex movement. This should be a single movement in an arc, but in order for the hand not to fly over the target, at some point the movement should be slowed down over the target. It is this timely braking during flight that helps the accuracy of the hit. Until the moment of braking, the movement should be swift.
The fear of not hitting the target often leads to premature overexcitation in the nervous system, which inevitably manifests itself in convulsiveness and chaotic movement. Psychological tuning for wide flight movements during jumps helps more accuracy of hit than fearful movements close to the keyboard.

It is recommended to teach horse races using the previously indicated technique. This workout is done at a slow pace with a quick hand transfer. Particularly difficult jumps are useful to teach with closed eyes, developing support for "muscle sense".
The development of the pianist's technique must be versatile. Along with the small finger technique, you should also develop a large one (octaves, chords). For this, in addition to special exercises and sketches, it is useful to use individual episodes from the repertoire being learned. It is important that the student constantly has many types of techniques “in hand”, regardless of what he is teaching at the moment.
The methods of mastering types of technique proposed here do not exclude many others, depending on the artistic requirements and experience of the performer and teacher.

It so happens that insufficient technical training does not allow the pianist to play what he wants. Therefore, you need to engage in exercises for the development of technology every day, at least for half an hour. Only then everything difficult is resolved and obtained, and technical freedom appears, allowing one to forget about difficulties and completely surrender to the embodiment of the musical image.

In this article, we will discuss several effective methods for overcoming technical difficulties. First, the key thought. It is as follows: any complex consists of something simple. And this is not a secret! The main feature of all the methods that will be presented to you will be the work on decomposing complex places into simple elements, the study of these elements separately, and then the next connection of simple things with each other into a whole. Hope you don't get confused!

So, about what methods technical work on the piano are we going to speak? About method of stops, tempo metamorphosis, changing hands, about the method of accumulation and about playing scales ... Now about everything consistently and thoroughly. We will not discuss playing with separate hands - here everything is clear anyway: it is vitally important to play the parts separately for the right and left hands.

The "stops" method

The multivariate "stopping" exercise is that the passage is divided into several parts (even two). Only you need to divide not at random, but so that each part individually is easy to play. Usually, the place of division is the note on which the first finger is inserted or the place where you need to seriously move your hand (this is called a change of position).

The set number of notes is played at a fast pace, then we stop to control our movements and prepare the next "run". The stop itself frees the hand as much as possible and gives time to concentrate to prepare for the next passage.

Sometimes the stops are chosen according to the rhythmic pattern of the piece of music (for example, every four sixteenths). In this case, after working out individual fragments, they can be glued together - that is, they can be connected in order to stop twice less often (not after 4 notes, but after 8).

Sometimes stops are made for other reasons as well. For example, a controlling stop in front of a “problem” finger. For example, some fourth or second finger plays its notes indistinctly in a passage, then we specially highlight it - we stop in front of it and do its preparation: swing, “autoplay”, or simply rehearse (that is, repeat) it several times (“play already, the dog is like that! ").

During classes, extreme composure is required - you should mentally imagine the group (internally pre-hear) so as not to miss the stop. In this case, the hand should be free, sound production should be smooth, clear and light. The exercise can be varied, it promotes quick assimilation of text and fingering. Movements are automated, there is freedom and virtuosity in performance.

While running through the passage, it is important not to pinch your hand, knock or slip superficially on the keys. Each stop must be worked through at least 5 times (this will take a long time, but will give the desired result).

Play of scales in all keys and types

Scales are learned in pairs - minor and major are parallel and played at any tempo in octave, third, sixth and decimal. Short and long arpeggios, double notes, and seventh chords with inversions are studied along with scales.

Let's tell you a secret: scales for a pianist are everything! Here you have fluency, here you have strength, here you have endurance, and clarity, and evenness, and many more useful chips. So just love working on the scales - it's really enjoyable. Imagine this is a massage for your fingers. Do you love them? Play the same scale in all types every day, and everything will be great! The emphasis is placed on, in which the works that are present in the program at the moment are written.

Hands during the performance of scales should not be clamped (they should never be clamped at all), the sound is strong (but musical), the synchronicity is ideal. The shoulders are not raised, the elbows are not pressed to the body (these are signals of tightness and technical errors).

When playing arpeggios, you should not allow "unnecessary" body movements. The fact is that these very movements of the body replace the true and necessary movements of the hands. Why do they move the body? Because they are trying to move around the keyboard, from a small octave to the fourth, with their elbows pressed to the body. That won't do! The body should not move, the hands should move. While playing the arpeggio, the movement of your hand should resemble the movement of the violinist at the moment when he smoothly leads the bow (only the trajectory of the movement of the violinist's hand is diagonal, and your trajectory will be horizontal, so it’s probably better to spy on these movements not even from violinists, a y).

Increasing and decreasing the pace

The one who knows how to think quickly can play quickly! This is a simple truth and the key to this skill. If you want to play a complex masterly piece at a fast pace without any "accidents", then you need to learn how to play it even faster than required, while phrasing, pedaling, dynamics and everything else must be observed. The main purpose of using this method is to learn how to control the process of the game at a fast pace.

You can play the whole piece at a higher tempo, but you can work out in the same way only certain complex passages. However, there is one condition and rule. Harmony and order should reign in the "kitchen" of your activities. It is unacceptable to play only fast or only slowly. The rule is: how many times we play a piece quickly, the same number of times we play it slowly!

We all know about slow play, but for some reason we sometimes neglect it when it seems to us that everything is working out like that. Remember, slow play is smart play. And if you are not able to play a piece you memorized in slow motion, then you have not learned it as you should! At a slow pace, many problems are solved - and synchronization, and pedaling, and intonation, and fingering, and control, and hearing. Choose one any direction and follow it in "slow" motion.

Exchange between hands

If in the left hand (for example) there is a technically inconvenient drawing, it is advisable to play it an octave higher than the right one, in order to concentrate attention on this phrase. Another option is to completely change hands (but this is not suitable for every piece). That is, the part of the right hand is learned with the left and vice versa - the fingering, of course, changes. The exercise is very difficult and requires a lot of patience. As a result, not only the technical "inadequacies" are destroyed, but also there is auditory differentiation - the ear almost automatically separates the melody from the accompaniment, preventing them from oppressing each other.

Accumulation method

We already said a few words about the accumulation method when we discussed the game with stops. It consists in the fact that the passage is not played all at once, but gradually - first 2-3 notes, then the others are added to them one by one until the entire passage is played with separate hands and together. The fingering, dynamics and strokes are strictly the same (author's or editorial).

By the way, you can accumulate not only from the beginning of the passage, but also from its end. In general, it is helpful to learn the ends of the passages separately. Well, if you have worked through a difficult place using the accumulation method from left to right and from right to left, then you will not hesitate, even if you want to hesitate.

Piano performance as a creative process is possible only with the technical readiness of the student to reproduce the musical text, the achievement of freedom of ownership of the material for the embodiment of the artistic concept. Therefore, the task of paramount importance for students of any age group is to master and improve the technique of using the instrument, i.e. piano technique.

Work on technical specifications begins with understanding them. This rule should become law for the performer. Only what is fully cognized by the mind can become the subject of training. F. Busoni said: “For technical improvement, less physical exercise, and in a much larger one - a mentally clear idea of the task - a truth that may not be clear to every piano teacher, but which is known to every pianist who has achieved his goal through self-education and reflection. "

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Techniques for Overcoming Technical Difficulties in Piano Playing

Work on technical specifications begins with understanding them. This rule should become law for the performer. Only what is fully cognized by the mind can become the subject of training. F. Busoni said: “For technical improvement, physical exercises are required to a lesser extent, and to a much greater extent - a mentally clear idea of the task - a truth that may not be clear to every piano teacher, but which is known to every pianist who has achieved his goal through self-education and reflections ".

The ability to masterfully perform exercises, scales and arpeggios greatly facilitate overcoming difficulties in works of art and etudes. After all, high-quality performance of musical compositions is one of the main goals of every pianist. Striving for this goal and mastering specific performing tasks, the pianist also polishes his technique.

By playing the exercises, especially scales, chords and arpeggios, the pianist trains his fingers to follow the most typical piano sequence that makes up these technical formulas.

It is well known that working on a piece of music is the basis of learning to play the piano, and, moreover, is a holistic, unified and complex process that includes many problems. Undoubtedly it comes about the problem of sounding, the accuracy of phrasing and rhythm, fingering and pedalization, in general - about the expressiveness of the performance, the performing technique, that is, about the use of a set of tools necessary to embody the artistic image. All this is inconceivable outside the corresponding game movements, that is, it is closely connected with the development of technology.

It is known that one of the main shortcomings in the technical development of the pianist is the tightness and stiffness of the apparatus. One of the reasons for the tightness lies in the artificiality of playing techniques that are not tied to musical tasks. And technical ponderousness, poor mobility, static and metricity often stem from the lack of a sense of the horizontal movement of music, its development.

From the first lessons with a novice student, work is carried out on touching the keyboard, the feeling of the whole mechanism of sound production when the fingertip contacts the key, the process of technical development of the student begins.

The word "technique" itself comes from Greek word techne, which means art, craftsmanship. Piano technique is an extremely precise and varied business, requiring constant active auditory-motor control-process, for which considerable mental efforts are required, especially when the wrong skills (“clamps”) have already managed to “put down roots” in the student's subconsciousness. We can say that intense auditory-motor control and psychological comfort are two guarantors of successful mastering of piano techniques. Much literature has been written about the development of all its types - the so-called fine technique, chord technique, double note technique, and so on. The authors of the best piano studies and exercises - K. Cherni, Kramer, M. Clementi and others - found generalized, concentrated technical formulas, the development of which helps to master various versions of these formulas in works of art. In nurturing technique great importance has a systematic acquisition of skills.

And here the question arises: does a performer need to use special exercises to develop his technique? This issue was resolved by teachers in different ways. K. Igumnov, a wonderful representative of Russian pianism, also spoke about the need for short daily exercises.

“Many people do morning exercises before going to work. The same exercise should be done by our fingers before starting to exercise ... ". After all, the exercises, as it were, introduce the student into the correct pianistic state of health and contribute to the development of flexibility, mobility, expressiveness and sensitivity of the pianistic apparatus. In teaching practice, various types of exercises are used.

For application, you can use collections of exercises, in accordance with the needs of a particular student: for children - from "Preparatory exercises for various types of piano technique." E. Gnesina, for more advanced students from "160 eight-bar exercises" op. 821 K. Czerny, V. Safonov's "New Formula", Exercises by A. Cortot, M. Long. To expand and update the pedagogical repertoire at the initial stage of training, as well as additional material a collection of 50 exercises for fluency of fingers by T. Simonova "Tongue twisters for piano" has been created for the existing schools and manuals. Accessibility, acquaintance with new musical images and technical combinations - characteristic of this collection.

We cannot ignore the exercises of S. Ganon. Because they, in turn, contain material of varying difficulty. But how can you make useful things interesting? After all, the paths of development of the pianist in the motor relation, as in all others, are individual. Here the teacher needs to show imagination: you can vary strokes, rhythm (achieving rhythmic accuracy in the figure you have chosen), do not forget about dynamic nuances (play with different shades, use crescendo and diminuendo), experiment with timbre colors. But at the same time, one should remember the well-known rule of V. Safonov: "Always play so that your fingers go behind your head, and not your head behind your fingers."

G.G. Neuhaus, in his book "On the Art of Piano Playing", gives his own version of the taxonomy of the types of technique:

Striking one note.
Two-three-four-five notes in the form of trills.
Gamma.
Arpeggio.
Double notes up to octaves.
Chords.
Shifts and jumps.
Polyphony.

Alfred Corto reduces all piano technique to five basic forms:

Regularity, independence and mobility of the fingers.
Finger Padding (Scale and Arpeggio).
Double notes and polyphonic playing.
Stretching.
Hand technique, chord playing.

As for texture, in modern piano pedagogy, the following varieties are distinguished:

Gammo-like sequential melodic figurations.
Arpeggio.
Octaves.
Chords.
Trills, tremolo.
Double notes.
Horse racing.
Melisma.

There are a variety of techniques to develop piano learners' technical skills. Both with the instrument and without it. Warming up the fingers without a tool is useful, but not the most effective, since there is little sense without direct practice. This technique can be used immediately before a concert or before a game to warm up the device a little. To achieve virtuosity, it is not suitable. When it comes to exercising on the instrument, there are two mainstream opinions on how best to achieve technical excellence. Some believe that it is possible and necessary to work out technical difficulties in works, that is, in virtuoso episodes. And others, that for the development of technique, it is better to disconnect from the artistic part of the works and focus on scales and exercises.

One of the main ways to overcome a difficult technical episode is to work it out at a slow pace, while feeling the maximum comfort in your hands, strength and flexibility. Achieve stable performance, first at a slow pace, then at an average pace, and finally at a fast pace. Gamma and arpeggiated passages are very useful to learn in one direction or the other. Some teachers, as an option, suggest teaching such a passage with different rhythmic figurations. But such an exercise is not suitable for everyone, since instead of alleviating old difficulties, new ones appear, such as unevenness inside the passage.

Fast hopping passages should also be practiced at a slow pace. In this case, the transfer of the hand should be at an original pace, very dexterous and specific. It is also very useful to move your hand quickly, but not to hit a chord, but simply aim at the desired keys without making a sound.

For example, A. Corteau, in his editorial edition of F. Chopin's etudes, each of them has an appendix with exercises to overcome the difficulties posed with explanations of why this particular exercise will help to overcome the obstacles faced by the performer. This makes it very easy to find suitable technical training formulas on your own.

Much attention in the development of technical freedom is paid to the study of scales and arpeggios. They are usually subdivided into two large periods. In the first period, the student is still in school, and playing scales at this time contributes to mastering the skills of primary fluency, knowledge of fingering and adaptation to black and white relief. The second period involves artistic work on technique.

The student must set himself sound, timbre, dynamic, articulatory tasks and strive to solve them. Now the goal of the work is not just to perform the scale with the correct fingers and without mistakes, now the sound, tempo, agogics are important.

Scales need to be taught in different ways: forte, marcato; piano, leggiero; crescendo up, diminuendo down and vice versa; use legatissimo or pocolegato techniques in articulation.

Smoothness and fullness of sound is achieved with a constant sense of support. Cleanliness and evenness are ensured not only by accurate sound pickup, but also by accurate timing of removal of fingers from the keys. As a rule, the main reason for jerks, irregularities in the game is the low mobility of 1 finger. Therefore, it is so necessary to develop its dexterity and lightness, and apply imperceptibly, without changing the level of the brush.

Arpeggio: The smoothness and dexterity of the first finger also plays a major role. Therefore, it is necessary to work on laying it quickly and evenly. The basis for the execution of each motive is the expansion and immediate "picking up" of the fingers. To achieve such a performance, you need to reach out at a slow pace by putting your first finger and quickly move your hand to the next position. The elasticity of the hand will avoid the fixation of the fingers that interferes with their mobility.

Octaves: The shoulder, forearm, hand, especially fingers, are always involved in playing with octaves. Their degree of involvement may vary. This determines the variety of ways in which octaves are played, depending on musical-sound problems.

The main danger when playing octaves is tightness and fatigue, so you need to start work with the main one: the participation of the whole hand (from the shoulder) in taking an octave.

So that there was no "dirt" and clamping in the octave playing, Neuhaus advised to play for a long time at a slow tempo and quietly, but very accurately and without any tension, and then gradually approach what was written.

Chords: From the very first exercises for extracting chords, the student should try to pick them with his fingers without first feeling the keys. The main goal in playing chords is complete simultaneity of sound, evenness of all sounds in some cases, and the ability to highlight any sound of a chord in other cases. The hand should have the shape of a vault; you should take a chord without bending the metacarpal bones and with a high wrist.

During quick chord changes, it is very important to have time to free your wrist. This is practiced at a slow pace and preferably on piano, when the pianist, when moving his hand to the next chord, has time to feel a flexible and free wrist.

The question of the correct position of the hands is much more important than it might seem at first glance. The student must find comfortable, plastic playing movements, not only while mastering a new piece of music, but also while working on the technique. Many students experience hand stiffness and fatigue. Playing with tired hands for a long time can make them sick, so one of the most difficult tasks facing the teacher - to teach a young musician to work productively and correctly without harm to health.

You need to look for the correct position of the hands, try, experiment, choosing the most comfortable position. Often the hands of a musician themselves adapt along the way to various textured patterns and combinations, looking for suitable positions, trying to make the difficult-to facilitate, the difficult-to simplify, the inconvenient to make it as natural and comfortable as possible. But this part of the work must also take place consciously, J. Flier wrote: "It is convenient to play for those who play prudently." So if each successive play is subject to self-observation and self-control, success will ultimately be assured.

The second and important factor in a successful and comfortable game is the correct fingering.

The fingering must be chosen deliberately, which, as a rule, causes difficulties for students. During parsing at a slow pace, with many different tasks, the learners “don't care” which fingers to play. As a result, the wrong fingering is learned by heart, the inconvenience of which is revealed when switching to a faster, original tempo.

In the practice of the pianist, there are well-known "fingering formulas", traditionally extant. By mastering such formulas on scales and arpeggios, performers thereby develop certain skills. During the lessons, the corresponding motor stereotypes are formed, which contribute to the automation and consolidation of movements. They help in the development of the found in musical works"Fingering formulas".

An important factor when choosing a fingering is the character and style of the piece. For example, I.S. Bach is a very flexible fingering, you often find an alternation of 4-3-4-3 fingers, while in Mozart's music, the selection of positional fingering is important.

The role of fingering is evident throughout the piece. So, for example, after a quick fingering, when stopping at a longer note, it is important to choose a supporting fingering that is convenient for moving to the next passage. Successfully found fingering helps to quickly transfer the hand when changing positions, when jumping.

Any purely technical work at the piano bears fruit only if it pursues the goal of bringing the performance of all purely technical exercises and studies to the highest possible virtuoso brilliance, of course, within the boundaries of the stage of development at which the student is, and depending on the level his gifts.

Work on the exercises is absolutely essential for the student's motor-technical development. Playing exercises allows you to develop such pianistic skills as dexterity, accuracy, fluency of movements, performing the simplest colorful tasks, such as even sounding, strengthening, weakening, sound contrasts, accentuation, and exercises can help develop stable rhythms and master the basic techniques of pedaling; technical endurance is also developed through exercise. Finally, the playing of basic technical formulas, that is, scales, arpeggios, chords, not only moves the technique forward, but also helps the development of musical-theoretical ideas, free orientation on the keyboard.

Recommended ways to develop technical skills are just a small part of the huge arsenal that exists and is effectively practiced by educators today. These methods help students not only master necessary equipment, but also skillfully, competently use fingering, dynamics in the encountered technical elements in plays of artistic content, as well as establish contact with the instrument, overcome the physical and mental difficulties that we talked about earlier.

The pinnacle of mastery can be achieved by a student with the help of the subconscious forces of his psyche, the characteristics of his human personality, his attraction to art.

The choice of work to develop the technical skills of the student is a subject of constant concern for the teacher throughout the entire period of study.

Bibliography

1.A. Alekseev. The method of teaching to play the piano. - M., 1961.

2.A. Artobolevskaya. Reader for the Little Pianist / Com. Article - M., 1996.

3. Gat Y. Technique of piano playing / Y. Gat. - M .: Music, 1967 .-- 241s.

4. Zemlyansky B. About musical pedagogy / B.Ya. Zemlyansky. - M .: Music,

1987 .-- 141s.

5.K. Igumnov. My performing and pedagogical principles / Outstanding pianists-teachers of the art of piano / edited by J. Milstein - M., 1966.

6. Kogan G. The work of a pianist / G.М. Kogan. - M .: State. muses. ed., 1963.

7.Yu. Levin. Daily exercises of a young pianist - M., 1978.

8. Leizerovich G. Piano fingering / G.I. Leizerovich // Education

pianist at the children's music school. - K .: Mystestvo, 1964 .-- 215s.

9. Lieberman E. Work on piano technique. / E.Ya. Liberan. - M .:

Music, 1971. - 144s.

Vasilieva Marina Leonidovna
additional education teacher

Study guide
The foundation of the pianist's technique.
Cultivating a sense of contact with the keyboard

Center for Creative Development and Humanities Education
"On Vasilievsky"

Saint Petersburg
2012

The basis of modern technology is the so-called keyboard contact. Keyboard contact should be understood as the feeling of continuous connection of the freely controlled hand through the end of the finger to the key. This is the ability to direct the weight of the hand into the key, the ability to use the weight of the free hand when playing sound.
Keyboard contact varies with the nature of the music, tempo, dynamics and texture. In the cantilena it will be one, in the scale passage - another, in the chords - the third. In technical terms, various artistic and sound tasks facing the pianist are carried out by changing the interaction of the weight of the hand and the activity of its constituent parts (fingers, hand, forearm and shoulder).
It is the modification of this interaction that constitutes the variety of piano playing techniques.
Fostering the basic gaming sensation - the sensation of leaning on the keyboard, contacting the keyboard.
It is to this task that the initial non legato exercises, generally accepted in Soviet piano pedagogy, are dedicated and the desire to achieve a melodious sound from the very beginning. Which is impossible without relying on the keyboard.
There are various reasons for the lack of contact with the keyboard. This may be the result of the teacher's inability or inattention to this issue. It often happens that a child, lively and agile, sitting at the piano, turns (contrary to the desire of his teacher) into a mannequin. Not knowing how to use the weight of his hand during sound extraction and feeling the weakness of his still not strong fingers, he tries to overcome it by squeezing the hand. It seems to him that this will make the hand stronger. The more complex the pieces he learns, the more sound they require, the more it is clamped, thus falling into a vicious circle and "adapting" to the wrong playing.
The initially established contact with the keyboard is sometimes disrupted during the period when intensive work begins on activating the finger strike. It is known that to activate a finger strike, it is necessary to exercise at a slow pace, raising your fingers high and lowering them strongly on the keys. Exercise involves the movement of the finger, produced almost entirely by its own muscular energy. The role of the hand in exercises is minimized, which threatens to lose contact with the keyboard. It is not possible to give up the finger trainer. Therefore, piano players must learn to combine an active finger strike with the pianistically free hand resting on the keyboard. Mastering this combination is not always easy and painless. This requires pedagogical skill and perseverance. If, in the student's game, a lack of contact with the keyboard is found, work on establishing it should begin immediately.
The paths here are different. A set of related exercises that should be played in a single activity (in class or at home). It is advisable to conduct such exercises on different musical material. It is best to use fast monophonic sequences, canted melodies and chords. The order of the exercises may vary depending on the individual student's personality.
Before proceeding to the examination of the proposed exercises, it is necessary to recall one fundamentally important condition of any piano exercises: the player's auditory attention should never be turned off, indifferently. The sound result is the highest criterion for the correctness of a pianistic technique. To master the initial contour of the technique, visual control is also very important. However, its virtuoso polishing, adaptation to a specific artistic task is a function of hearing. Usually, good sound is inextricably linked with a skillfully performed technique, which gives the player a muscular feeling of comfort, lightness. The existence of one without the other is possible only in the form of rare exceptions and is extremely short-lived.
Exercises to develop contact with the keyboard
The exercises suggested below do not pose any complex musical and sound tasks, but here, too, auditory control should be on the alert.
Exercise one
An etude or passage from a piece is played with one hand. The pace is very slow (♪ = 40-60).

Each sound is taken as follows: before pressing a key, the finger touches it; the brush is lowered at this time; (just below the keyboard); the shoulder hangs freely along the body. The sound is taken by an energetic, short push of the entire arm from the shoulder joint: the hand goes up; a finger that can withstand a large load at the moment of pushing, without making any visible independent movement, nevertheless, as it were, “grabs” the key (see Fig. 2).
The latter circumstance ensures that a sound is obtained with a definite, even solid, but devoid of unpleasant harshness. The hearing is obliged to follow this. The hand then quickly returns to its original position, preparing for the next sound.
The exercise can be played legato and non legato. You should start with the legato game. This must be done very carefully. With such a "lever" -like technique of sound production, it is impossible to pinch the hand (in the forearm, for example). At the same time, the student must feel: the whole hand, as it were, "enters" the key. In this exercise, the hand learns to lean on the fingers with its entire mass. Contact with the keyboard is formed in its simplest, still primitive form. This is the meaning of the exercise. With a certain amount of attention, it is not difficult to master it. The other, passing side of the reception is that with a quick push of the hand, the fingers withstand a large load, which leads to their strengthening.
It is clear, however, that this way of playing is only good for a very slow pace. How can you maintain the feeling of leaning on the keyboard at a flexible and fast pace, in piano, and so on? How is the feeling of support combined with the mobility and lightness of the fingers, with finger fluency?
The feeling of resting on the keyboard is modified at various rates and sonorities from significant to almost subtle. The faster the tempo and the more transparent the sound, the "easier" the immersion of the hand and, accordingly, the more independent the movement of the fingers (in some cases caused by artistic necessity, the pianist resorts to playing without support at all). Exercises two and three serve to acquire this more complex sensation.

Exercise two
The same etude or passage is still played separately with each hand. The pace becomes more agile. (= 46-56) The essence of the exercise is that a small group of sounds (four - five) is taken with a single movement of the hand. The hand no longer rests on each finger individually, but on the whole group in total:

Before starting the exercise, the student should concentrate, sit, without playing for a while. The exercise begins with a small plastic swing, which is necessary to acquire the "momentum" of the movement. A wave, plunging hands into the keyboard for several sounds, removing - all this the student should feel as a single process of pianistic action previously prepared in the mind.
In this case, the fingers play in the same way as in the first exercise - without lifting. Their independence is "concentrated" in the tips, in the actions of the last phalanx.
The support of the hand on the fingers (not on the hand!) Is significant, although less than in the first exercise; the sound is softer and the legato becomes longer. This technique in its simplest form (taking - removing) is common when working with beginners:

This is how the primary legato skills are taught to beginners.
As the number of notes increases, it is much more difficult to perform this movement well. Here it is necessary to show perseverance, since the ability to play a four - five-sound motive on a single movement of the hand is the most important condition for the entire subsequent development of the pianist's technique.

Exercise three
The same groups of notes following one after another (see example 3) are played at a fast tempo (= 96 and even more mobile). The exercise is performed in the same way as the previous one: a group of sounds is taken on one hand movement. The difference from the second exercise lies in the degree of immersion of the hand in the keyboard: the faster the tempo, the less the "included" weight (in works of art, the "included" weight depends not only on the tempo, but also on the sound design)
Unlike a slow one, at a fast pace the fingers acquire a visible independence of movement (from the metacarpus). Everyone probably had to drum their fingers on the table. This is how, easily, effortlessly, the fingers play in this exercise. However, the feeling of light weight resting on the keyboard must be maintained.
As you master the second and third exercises, the number of sounds in the group increases:

The elongated groups do not have to be multiples of the original; depending on the structure of the passage, it is necessary to find the most appropriate grouping.
Elongated groups also need to be played on one movement, having previously imagined all the sounds included in the passage as a whole. The passages learned gradually become longer. The sound becomes voiced, friable. We emphasize that in each group it is necessary to find an intonational dynamic center, expressed most often by two or three sounds, and the corresponding center of physical pressure. Usually, musical (intonational) and motor expediency coincide. Very often, these centers (circled here and below) fall on the "upper" (3rd, 4th, 5th) fingers:

In instructive sketches (and sometimes in plays), with various texture difficulties, at times it is necessary to resort to physical "pressures" dictated by technical rather than musical expediency:

Such work leads, as a rule, to good results: students master the skill of playing with the whole hand; their attitude to the piano becomes natural, unconstrained; the sounding of passages acquires fullness, fatigue disappears.
It is very important to choose the right musical material for your classes. The set goal is best suited to individual short passages, as well as constructions consisting of a number of similar links.
As already mentioned, the ability to play with the whole hand (contact with the keyboard) is brought up not only on such sketches, but at the same time on the pieces of the canted and chord style. In the analyzed aspect, the work on the cantilena is especially useful: the expressive melody evokes a natural emotional urge to "sing" on the piano. Combining this commitment with a rational attitude towards the way of playing (technique) usually gives the best results.
The structure of the melody chosen for the education of a given skill must correspond to the set technical goal. One of the best examples is Tchaikovsky's cis-moll nocturne:

The technique of the game here is basically the same as in the second exercise, only the fingers are even more extended. The melodic group is taken in one movement, I would like to say, “in one breath of the hand”. The musical sensation of the dynamic center of the motive must correspond to the physical sensation of weight pressure on the same center. Moreover, as is most often the case in melodies of this kind, in this motive the dynamic center consists of several sounds (in the first measure, examples are E - re-sharp). Accordingly, the center of hand pressure on the keyboard falls on the same sounds.
Playing chords is very helpful in gaining the feeling of contact with the keyboard. Good material provides students with the following exercise:

The work is divided into two stages. At the first stage, the method of sound production is the same as in the first exercise. First, with a low hand, fingers touch the keys; the chord is taken with a short energetic push of the whole hand; the brush at this time goes up, and the fingers seem to "grab" the keys. Unlike the first exercise, the hand comes off the keyboard. Then the next take is prepared - the fingers "lie" on the keys of the next chord, and so on. The pace of the exercise is from ♪ = 46 to ♪ = 84.
The second stage is more difficult. You can pass to it only after complete mastery of the previous technique. Chords are played from above, without first touching the keys. From the first stage, there should be a feeling of immersion of the weight of the hand in the keyboard and, which is also very important, finger grip, tenacity of the fingers at the moment of playing a chord. Chords with such sound production are compact, strong, but not at all sharp. It is also necessary to start the game with the "overhead" technique at a slow pace.
In conclusion, we recall that mastering the desired feeling of contact with the keyboard is most easily achieved by simultaneously working on all the sections of the technique described above: fast monophonic sequences, cantilena and chords. So, for example, the cantilena technique, always associated with nuance, greatly contributes to the mastery of the technique of taking a group of sounds with a single movement of the hand in passages. If one thinks of passages melodiously, then it is easier to find the mentioned centers of intonation-dynamic and physical pressures. Mastering the skill of covering a group of sounds with a single hand movement is very important for all piano students. Therefore, we will give another, very successful characteristic of it: "Stringing finger strikes on the core of larger movements" - this is how S.Ye. Feinberg in the book "Pianism as an Art" (19, p. 211).
One should not be afraid to devote some, perhaps even a long, time to establishing contact with the keyboard, considering this work as the main task of a certain stage of learning (we are talking, of course, about those students who, for some reason, do not master this skill).

Developing the physical capabilities of the fingers

It has long been known that playing the piano requires strong fingers. Active, strong fingers are the basis for the acquisition of a variety of pianist techniques. It is the finger strike that brings clarity and brilliance to the fast sequences found in countless grand piano pieces. Finger, or, as it is called, "small" technique, is perhaps the most time consuming type of piano technique. It is impossible to acquire it without long-term finger training.
At one time, finger training, being almost the only type of technical work, overshadowed all other areas of it. The mechanical cramming recommended by the old theory, in addition to motor limitation, carried with it other disadvantages - it gave rise to the habit of playing without auditory control and dulled a lively attitude to music. Fortunately, the performing practice, which took advantage of the positive part of the teaching about weight play, did not follow their insistence and proved the possibility and necessity of combining the participation of the entire arm and shoulder girdle with active finger movements in the game process.
Progressive for its time criticism of finger training, especially its "excesses", is still felt today. Undoubtedly, the right ideas about the subordination of technique to a musical task, about the participation of the whole hand in the game; mockery of the outdated technical "method" ("the independence of the fingers from each other and all of them from the head", - said L. V. Nikolaev) - all this taken together gave rise to the attitude of "bashful non-interference" in questions of finger training among some teachers.
Finger training is gymnastics, the premise of playing the piano, not the game itself. How do you work on developing finger strength and independence?
There is one unconditional principle of all physical training: exercises aimed at the development of certain muscles or muscle groups should consist in the fact that these muscles are loaded with work. It is they, and not some neighboring ones! Therefore, in order to strengthen the fingers, you need to play with your fingers.
The first condition of the exercise is control so that the blow of the finger is not replaced by any side movement of the hand. The fingers act independently, while the hand remains free. “Exercise the speed of a finger strike with complete freedom,” wrote N.K. Medtner in The Everyday Work of a Pianist and Composer. The hand freedom requirement limits the force with which the finger strikes the key. The choice of the intensity of the finger strike depends on the hand, its development and its inherent muscle tone - this special ability of our psycho-motor mechanism to one or another energy of action. As much as possible, but independently and freely - this is a prerequisite for such an exercise.
At the beginning of training, this technique is of great benefit to the student. The hand (up to the elbow) is placed on the table. Then you need to raise the second finger and quickly hit it on the table with an independent movement from the metacarpus. Then the same is done with the other fingers. The piano should be practiced in the same way. However, it is much more difficult to keep the hand free while moving the finger on the piano independently, since the pianist is forced to keep his hand suspended. Sometimes, as a temporary teaching measure, the student may be encouraged to “support” the hand of the playing hand with the free hand. Then the support is removed.
You need to exercise at a very slow pace (♪ = 48 - 60). First, separately with each hand. The material can be scales, etudes, as well as quick sections of the pieces. It is better to start such exercises relatively quietly. In the future, the force of the blow should increase.
Second a prerequisite exercise is the following requirement: the lifting of the finger, which is to be played, is performed simultaneously with the capture of the previous sound. No repeated finger lifts should be allowed before play. Do not be alarmed if others rise along with the right finger. There is no need to fight nature and prevent these "conjugate" ups.
It is very useful to repeat adjacent sounds, as shown in the example:

Such slow trills are convenient for practicing the simultaneous blow of one finger and preparing the other; fingers "replace" each other, one goes down, the other up.
The third condition of the exercise is a significant rise of the finger before playing, and its exact orientation to the center of the key. The last requirement is not always feasible and even advisable in view of various features keyboard "topography". And yet you need to get used to aiming at the center of the key, as this reduces the possibility of "daubing", misses. Finger swing depends on the individual capabilities of the hand, which (always remember this!) Must remain free.
Exercise can lead to fatigue, and therefore unswerving vigilance must be exercised. If the hand starts to get tired, then you cannot continue the exercise. It is necessary to find out the causes of fatigue and eliminate them. Most often they lie in inattention. The first condition is not met - control over the freedom of hands. Other reasons may be a hasty pace (lack of rest between taking sounds), an exaggerated finger lift for these hands and the force of its impact.
The described slow exercises adjoin by their purpose the method of playing "trills", which has already been mentioned, and the method "with dots". The latter has its supporters and opponents. The objections of the opponents of the rhythmic variants boil down to the thought: "why play unevenly what will then have to be played exactly?" Deliberately admitted irregularities are easily and simply eliminated at the right time. Their merits are manifold. The method "with dots" is useful not only for activating the fingers, but also as a causative agent of muscle tone in general; it is also useful for psychotechnical training, since stopping promotes concentration of attention necessary for the subsequent volitional throw. A short sound should be light, not strong, and a long sound as strong as possible.

At the moment of taking a long sound, the hand should instantly take a free, calm position. Then, on the "and" count, the necessary fingers are prepared, "thrown up", after which the next pair of notes is immediately taken; at the same time, the hand immediately takes a calm position. The ability to instantly release your hands where possible is a very important psychotechnical skill and another advantage of the way of playing with dots. And, finally, when the stops and accents are shifted to weak beats of the measure, according to S. I. Savshinsky, "one listens to and comprehends that which may have escaped attention before."
Exercise in this way is necessary the more, the weaker the muscle tone and fingers of the student.
Usually students, having worked for a while at a slow pace or "with points", are eager to "try" the passages they are learning in a fast one - does it work out or not? After slow, high-rise exercises, you cannot immediately play at a fast pace. You need to move to a fast pace gradually and skillfully.
V school years There are still a few specific technical problems to be solved. Nature, creating man, did not foresee everything for playing the piano. So, at least it seems, until the pianist is able to adapt his physical characteristics to the music he plays. It is known that the weakness of children's fingers (especially the 4th and 5th) and the inability of the 1st finger to play piano were always considered to be real or imaginary hand defects. Unfortunately, we have to admit that this work is often accompanied by the acquisition of the “disease” of shaking the hand (hand) with each finger strike in the legato game. Among school teachers, this style of play has received the contemptuous name of "shaking". Most often it occurs in small and weak; however, having originated in school, it often remains unrooted among the older, matured and physically strengthened students of schools and music colleges.
In order to fight this bad manners, you need, as always, to understand the cause of its occurrence. Babies (and not only them) begin to shake their hands, in particular, because they do not feel the strength and independent capabilities in their not yet strengthened fingers. Meanwhile, this is a psychological delusion, since even the weakest handles are able to extract sounds from the piano without resorting to "shaking".
Correction of this "skill" is difficult because its harmfulness becomes tangible and obvious to the student only when he grows up to difficult, fast-paced works. Indeed, try to quickly play a passage, shaking your hand along with the stroke of each finger. This is inconceivable!
The task is to feel the possibility of an independent, albeit very weak at first, finger strike. To do this, you can apply the following exercise. A passage is played slowly with one hand; the other hand supports the playing hand in the wrist, preventing any movement. Before taking the next sound, the finger rises slightly and quietly, very quietly, but strikes the key on its own. The sound is quiet. It's not scary. Moreover, a quiet blow is a prerequisite in the beginning of such work. After practicing this for some time (a week or two), students begin to feel the independence of their fingers. When it turns out quietly, you must first remove the support of the second hand, and then gradually increase the force of the finger strike. In the future, the pace should also be added. With attentive, calm work, students get rid of this most harmful
"Illness" for several (3-5) months. After "healing", you need to move on to the game, in which the weight of the hand is also involved. Note that it is useful to refer to the piano exercises, as it was described above, not only in the presence of "shaking". Quiet, clear and independent sound production can be a faithful ally of strong playing, as it increases the sensitivity of the fingers and instills confidence in their physical capabilities.
From an early age, the 5th finger playing the upper chord sounds should be the most serious consideration. Very often one has to deal with the inability to "distinguish" them from the general sound mass. At best, the overhead sound differs from the rest only slightly. Meanwhile, the piano literature abounds in examples where the upper sound should "dominate" the rest of the sonority both in piano and forte?

Students often do not hear, and teachers sometimes put up with the fading sound of the "tops". The desire and habit for the bright sounding of the upper sound in the chords should be brought up at school, even in its elementary grades. When students pay attention to this deficiency, they usually refer to the physical weakness of their 5 fingers. Sometimes, even often, this is true. This often stems from musical and auditory undemandingness. Proof of this is the fact that the same students do not know how to highlight the top sound in a chord played with the left hand, that is, with the 1st finger. Undemanding, inactivity really leads, on the one hand, to the physical underdevelopment of the 5th finger, and on the other, to passivity nail phalanx and the inability to help her with an appropriate bend of the hand.
You need to try, and then the 5th finger will perfectly fulfill its musical functions. The greater or lesser activity of different fingers in a chord depends on the clarity of musical representations. There are times when it is necessary that some middle voice should sound strongest (Schumann has many such examples). In these cases, the corresponding finger takes on the role of the "protagonist". There are cases of complete equality in the chord.
There are almost no special exercises here. You can advise to play like this:

Or like this:

The main thing is to always monitor the sound of the 5th finger in the works that are being studied. And this should be done from an early age. As a result of this attention, the 5th finger will get stronger.
And, finally, the 1st finger should become the subject of special care in the course of the student's studies. By its physical nature, it is intended to be a "counterbalance" to others. The piano-specific disadvantages of the 1st finger must be overcome. And he has two of them: inability to independently strike down and ponderousness. Both of these shortcomings are closely related: the heaviness of the 1st finger is due to its lack of independence, due to the fact that its action is replaced by a rotational movement of the forearm. The hands of students with a pianistically undeveloped 1st finger “get stuck” on it; it is impossible to achieve speed, dexterity.
Pay attention to the actions of the 1st finger from the very beginning of the training, in particular, in connection with the playing of scales and arpeggios. In order for the finger to play, it is necessary to play with the finger, not replacing its work with the actions of other muscles. You can work on the development of the 1st finger on any material where it is often found. It is very useful to play learned etudes in this form:

Correct and rather long-term work leads to the fact that the 1st finger ceases to be inactive, acquires lightness, becomes a movable hinge on which the entire passage technique rotates; dexterity of the hand, its ability to cover the keyboard, increases dramatically.

Keyboard contact and finger activity

How to avoid the danger of losing contact with the keyboard?
It is necessary to understand that a high lift of the fingers, a strong blow are necessary in preparatory exercises aimed at activating the fingers. It is advisable to play this way only at a slow pace. At a moving and fast pace, high lifting of the fingers is harmful, as it takes up a lot of excess energy and interferes with fluency. Loss of natural weight sensation, hand fatigue occurs when the skills of a slow and strong game are mechanically transferred to a fast pace.
Therefore, having practiced as recommended above, you need to immediately proceed to the game without lifting the fingers and with the inclusion of the weight of the hand (exercises two and three). Thus, two types of exercises - slow with high toe lifts and more mobile without lifting or with economical lifting - are counterbalances to each other.
The time that students devote to working on an etude (or technical piece) should usually be divided accordingly. For a while, teach slowly and firmly, with points; then - more mobile, economical movements of the fingers. The second part of the work should start at a low pace, and then, if the text is learned, move on to a mobile and, in the future, to a fast pace.
Working at a fast pace should not be confused with playing prematurely at a fast pace. The latter often leads to "chattering", work - never, since it is carried out on small passages, under unremitting auditory control. The worker is attentive. He listens to how the passage sounds. Repeats when something seems unsatisfactory to him. Hearing requires good play from the hands.
Thus, it is necessary to study individual passages at a fast pace, but it is not possible to “fiddle” them as a whole.
The ratio of the amount of exercise time at a slow pace (with a high lift of the fingers) and at a moving pace (without lifting or with an economical lift) is individual. It is important for the student to feel the usefulness of combining these two methods. The result of such exercises should be the assertion of a natural, free manner of playing, an organic part of which is an active but economical finger strike.
Contact with the keyboard, combined with an active and precise finger strike, is the foundation of piano technique.

References:
1. E. Lieberman "Working on the piano technique."
2. N. A. Lyubomudrova "Methods of teaching to play the piano."