- Good tone, ease in production, and control of tone, can only be obtained by gradually pressing the key into motion.
Only in this way can you obtain perfect control over tone and good quality of tone.
- Moreover, this necessary acceleration of the key (for every note) is not a plain acceleration,
but should be an acceleration in progressive proportion during that short moment of descent.
You cannot control tone, and cannot play musically unless you succeed in acquiring this way of managing key-descent.
- This law of increase at increasing ratio is required during key-descent.
Note: The racket, the bat, the hammer, the hatchet, are illustrations of such "Speed-tools" working under the principal of gradual increase.
It is exemplified, also, in effectively played diminuendos, ritardos, and accelerandos. All must be played as an increase at increasing rate. The notation of crescendo or diminuendo is quite inaccurate.
After your finger makes contact with the key, the application of energy to the keybed should be so
that it's acceleration is in progressive proportion during the moment of key descent.
The finger comes in contact with the key, and as you set the key in motion, the acceleration gradually increases as the key descends to the key bed.
Good tone and ease in production can only be obtained by gradually pressing the key into motion.
Question: Should the application of energy to the key be done in such a way, that the keys descent accelerates gradually?
The cultivation of a rich and nuanced piano tone is an endeavor that elicits considerable scholarly attention, underpinned by both theoretical study and empirical observation. The act of pressing a piano key involves a complex interplay of biomechanical processes, informed by the pianist's
- anatomical architecture,
- proprioceptive awareness, and
- the specific mechanical attributes of the instrument itself.
Contemporary research and pedagogical literature suggests that the key's descent in a piano keystroke should not merely be a binary action but rather a carefully modulated process that aligns with the physics of sound production and physiological efficiency.
Traditional models have sometimes emphasized a 'striking' motion, akin to hitting the key.
However, this approach is increasingly viewed as overly simplistic and potentially conducive to tension and injury.
The concept of "gradually pressing the key into motion," could be more aligned with the 'pressing approach,'
which has garnered empirical validation from
biomechanical studies[1].
Here, the pressing motion can be understood as a controlled application of force that seeks to optimize tonal quality and minimize muscular strain. However, it is crucial to clarify what "gradual" implies in this context.
A gradual application of energy may risk a tentative or hesitant sound, thereby diluting the artistic intention.
Regarding the acceleration of the key's descent, one may refer to the principle of "inertial movement," as articulated by scholars in the field.
This principle suggests that the initial application of force serves to overcome the inertia of the key, after which a lesser but sustained force can maintain its downward motion. Thus, the key’s descent could be envisioned as a two-phase motion:
- an initial, slightly more forceful application of energy, followed by
- a controlled but less forceful follow-through.
In this paradigm, one could argue that a 'gradually accelerating' descent is not necessarily desirable, as it may result in an uneven tone and inefficient use of energy.
In conclusion, while the notion of gradually pressing the key into motion appears to align with contemporary understandings of biomechanical efficiency and tonal optimization, the concept of a 'gradually accelerating' key descent warrants careful reconsideration.
A nuanced, phase-based approach to energy application, one that judiciously balances initial force with sustained follow-through may offer a more fruitful avenue for both tonal richness and biomechanical sustainability.