Best method for piano technique.

[No name]

Now that I have a more firm understanding of theory, and it has helped greatly, it has renewed my inspiration and love of music. I'm thinking of going the final step and learning theory as I still have some thing I need to work out with my technique that is troublesome (tripping over keys, hitting a neighboring key on accident while at the same time hitting the correct key [both keys being hit by the same finger]). Various small problem with my technique that create problems for me. I've been reading up on technique and have found a few good tips (one being not to really ever take your hands off the keys, but sort of slide them across;to not use your hand to press the keys, but rather just use fingers, I do this on certain notes sometimes, and I think it may even be part of the problem when it comes to my hitting two keys on accident with one finger or tripping over keys), and so the tips are interesting, but I keep hearing "method" and I know there are different methods. what i'd like to know is, even though it might be subjective, what are the best (or should I say more popular) methods, especially for someone in my situation (who has been playing for some years, and now has some background in theory and all). If anybody could help i'd appreciate it!

[jplanet]

Go for a book like The Virtuoso Pianist, it will be the best $6 you ever spent.

If scales bore you, then play pieces you like, but play them SLOWLY. If you slow down, and still make mistakes, play to a metronome and start off slowly enough that you can eventually play with no mistake, then speed up the metronome.

In the end, it matters far less what you play, it is more important to play whatever you choose slowly. Isolate the passages you keep messing up, and play several repetitions slowly, a hundred times if necessary, until it is second nature to play it correctly. It will gradually become a faster process to play any new material you learn without mistakes.

[Basjoe]

1:1 tuition is the best way to progress. Find yourself a good teacher.

Basjoe

[guitargeek9]

1:1 tuition is the best way to progress. Find yourself a good teacher.

Basjoe

agreed.

[jopy]

the advice to get a good teacher is essential, because you can really hurt your hands (carpal tunnel and other related repeat motion injuries) if you play frequently with bad technique.

this video isn't the worst explanation (it's extremely pedantic, but the advice is good); it's very similar to what i've heard from most experienced players.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=7 ... 4b9.712313

i personally fixed a lot of my own problems on the piano when i found a good teacher who could see exactly what i was doing, and then show me how i could hold my hands, my back, and position my feet better.

[JumpingJackFlash]

Now that I have a more firm understanding of theory, and it has helped greatly, it has renewed my inspiration and love of music. I'm thinking of going the final step and learning theory as I still have some thing I need to work out with my technique that is troublesome (tripping over keys, hitting a neighboring key on accident while at the same time hitting the correct key [both keys being hit by the same finger]). Various small problem with my technique that create problems for me. I've been reading up on technique and have found a few good tips (one being not to really ever take your hands off the keys, but sort of slide them across;to not use your hand to press the keys, but rather just use fingers, I do this on certain notes sometimes, and I think it may even be part of the problem when it comes to my hitting two keys on accident with one finger or tripping over keys), and so the tips are interesting, but I keep hearing "method" and I know there are different methods. what i'd like to know is, even though it might be subjective, what are the best (or should I say more popular) methods, especially for someone in my situation (who has been playing for some years, and now has some background in theory and all). If anybody could help i'd appreciate it!

Are you using a keyboard with full-size keys? - I strongly recommend this if you are serious about keyboard technique, rather than using a keyboard with half-size keys or whatever.

Make sure you curve your fingers; do not play with them flat.
And remember; it should never hurt. If you hands hurt, you're doing something wrong.

[No name]

I have a keystation 88 with full size, semi-weighted keys, but I admit i've lazily been using my korg tr 61 which regular old synth keys.