Q. I'm 25 years old. I've learned piano for a couple of years. I wasn't started it when I was a kid. I tried to play some stretching exercise before. Such as, Hanon No. 19 and 20. But it seems doesn't have any improvements. I really would like to know how can I improve the problems of stretching. Thank you! I really appreciated.
A. Increasing your octave technique will take dedication and patience, especially if you didn't start when you were a kid. I would continue with the Hanon excercises, but make sure that you aren't playing past when it starts hurting, because that's when injury happens!
I would begin by always relaxing any tension in your neck, shoulders, forearms, and wrists before you sit down to practice. (Remember, increasing agility and flexibility WILL take months and months of practice - even music majors who practice constantly are always working on overcoming technique difficulties) I would try slowly relaxing your neck, rolling your shoulders, and just loosely shaking your arms from your shoulders - let gravity release any tension in your arms. If you are trying to warm up or stretch any muscles with tension, you'll just hurt yourself.
Once you are loose, I would work with blocked chords first - try inversions of the major and minor triads (C-E-G, E-G-C, G-C-E) and eventually add the upper root (for example, play blocked C-E-G-C, E-G-C-E, G-C-E-G) so that you are playing an octave, but it's easier on your hands because you are supporting the stretch with your middle fingers. Do everything slowly - there is no need for speed, as that just builds tension and accomplishes nothing.
Another thing that might help is to "drop" into the notes. Hold your wrist above the piano and drop into a blocked 5th - rather than push the keys. If you can naturally drop into that 5th without too much stretching or tension, then try a 6th, 7th, and finally an 8th. Do everything in increments - never push past pain! Talk to your teacher about it too, since he/she can watch your hand position while you play and give you some specific critiques/corrections.
Hope this helps!
How can I learn to play Jazz piano? Do I have to start with classical?
Q. I don't know much theory at all and I'm close to an absolute beginner at Piano. Do I have to go through the motions with classical piano first?
A. classical music helps with the foundations of music
to play & understand jazz music-you need to know--All maj/min scales
modes
pentatonic scales
diminished scales
chordal scales
All triads
6th chords
7th chords
9ths, 11ths, 13ths
altered chords
knowing the above--then you can learn to play jazz
How do cadences and triads work in piano?
Q. Apparently I need to end my triads (G, E, F, A flat and D flat major and minor) with something called a "cadence" (V-I) and I'm having a hard time figuring out how they work exactly. May I please have an example of one, or how they work?
A. First, a cadence is a sequence of chords; two basically. The V-I (5-1) cadence in Gmaj, for example, is Dmaj-Gmaj because D is the 5-triad (the "dominant") in G.
Draw or copy the "clock of fifths" so you can find V-I (5-1) pairs and (3-6) pairs quickly (that is, dominant-tonic pairs). Clockwise, lay out C at noon, G at one-o'clock, then around to six o'clock with D, A, E, B, F#.
From C counterclockwise now, label the hours 11, 10 etc with F, Bflat, Eflat, Aflat, Dflat, Gflat (at 6-o'clock along with F#). The clockwise neighbor of any triad or key name is its dominant triad or key. Memorize the clock of dominants so well that your dentist can see it engraved on your teeth.
For minor, the 3-6 cadence is the final cadence comparable to 5-1 in major. However, many pieces are in harmonic minor, where the dominant (the 3-triad) is major.
For example, Aflat minor's dominant is E-flat, but which? major or minor? The pure minor 3-6 cadence (parallel to 5-1 of major) is [Aflat minor - Dflat minor], but the harmonic minor [3maj-6] cadence is [Aflat major - Dflat minor].
Of course, you have to play through or read through the piece to see whether it's pure (natural) minor or harmonic minor.
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Title : How to play an octave well in the piano?
Description : Q. I'm 25 years old. I've learned piano for a couple of years. I wasn't started it when I was a kid. I tried to play some stre...