Piano technique is a vast and fascinating subject, of interest both to those at the beginning of their musical journey and to those who wish to deepen and perfect their skills and abilities. Whether it's through a structured course, self-study with the help of tutorials and seminars, or refining one's technique under the guidance of an expert teacher, mastering piano technique is a common goal for all pianists.

In this article I will present the three fundamental pillars on which the direct observation of a tutor or teacher is based, and which the same teacher should always take into account when analysing all the aspects that emerge during lessons with the student.

These three aspects are: stability, movement and selection.

It should be emphasised at once that these elements are closely related and interdependent, and that they form the foundations on which the entire technical development of the pianist is based.

The understanding and synergistic application of these guiding principles will not only allow the construction of a solid technical base, but will also actively influence the process of internalisation of the models proposed by the teacher. In other words, the mastery of "stability, movement and selection" is essential for progressing in the study of the piano and piano literature.

Stability: posture as a foundation

Posture is a crucial and often underestimated aspect of piano technique. How we sit at the piano influences our ability to produce sound, defining the desired quality and always ensuring maximum naturalness.

The ideal posture can vary from person to person, depending on body proportions and individual physical characteristics. However, some general principles can guide us in the search for the optimal posture: the relaxed position of the back and shoulders, which allows free and deep breathing and the transmission of breath and movement to the arms with complete freedom of movement; the position of the feet, which allows stable but active support in the contact of the whole body with the floor; then the height of the seat, which allows a fluid and harmonious passage of energy in each movement and from the whole body in an always dynamic way. It is important to emphasise that the posture is not static, but functional to all the movements of interaction with the instrument, in a continuous process of technical psychomotor freedom aimed at satisfying all the musical needs required by the composition to be played and allowing the performer to express themselves musically at their best.

For this reason, one aspect to which a teacher should never stop paying attention, monitoring and experimenting is that of the pianist's posture.

This is an aspect that must be kept in mind by those who approach the study of the piano at any level and at any age, especially considering the fact that the dimensions of our body, and therefore the levers that come into play when we move, are constantly changing, especially in the age of development.

This remains a crucial aspect every time you start to learn a new piece of music and therefore develop new aspects of technique. This is because the approach to new material, whether it is technical exercises or a musical piece, requires new skills and a more refined observation of the performer's own abilities, especially as the performer's musical maturity presents itself with ever greater demands and needs.

From this posture, which is constantly changing, updated and questioned, but which at the same time allows the development of greater technical means and greater functions acquired by our psychophysical system, our attention turns to the second important aspect to be identified: movement.

Movement: the art of playing naturally

Movement is the essence of piano technique. Every note a student produces is the result of a series of coordinated movements involving not only the fingers, but also the hands, arms, shoulders, breathing and the whole body.

When a student approaches the study of a new piece, they often tend to play it instinctively, letting their intuition and musicality guide them. This often occurs as a movement driven by pure musical instinct, by one's own sensitivity, or by an approach acquired from the study of previous pieces.

This approach can lead to satisfactory results at first, but often hides inefficiencies and waste of energy that do not allow them to progress.

The aim of piano technique is to make movement more conscious and efficient. Through analysis and experimentation, we can identify unnecessary movements and optimise the necessary ones in order to obtain a sound more suited to what the score requires, in a controlled and expressive way.

We often witness the normality of a lesson, a way of producing sound, of reproducing phrasing, and thus of performing, that the student has already partially acquired during the reading of the piece itself. Part of this acquisition has therefore become a pattern of behaviour, that is, a series of movements aimed at achieving the initial intentions that have arisen between the performer and the score he is about to study.

The technical approach to the study only comes about when a rational explanation is placed in front of this movement, that is to say, defining the qualities of this movement, explaining its nature and, above all, highlighting its real effectiveness. But the consequence is that many aspects of the movement, which were dictated more by instinct and which we could define as a temporary solution to obstacles, need to be purified of this dispersion of energies and superfluous effort. It is therefore important to regulate these energies in order to channel them into the true and correct technical gesture and, above all, the artistic gesture that will allow the desired result to be achieved.

From this operation of discernment comes the third fundamental and decisive aspect in the study and analysis of movement, the so-called "selection of motion".

Selection of motion: the key to technical mastery

Selection of motion is the ability to choose the right movements at the right time. It is the ability to distinguish between essential and superfluous movements, between those that produce the desired sound and musical intention and those that compromise it.

Selection of motion is a complex process that requires time, experience and dedication. Through constant study and attentive listening, we can refine our sensitivity and learn to select movements in an increasingly defined and conscious way.

I would like to quote here a famous ironic joke by a very eminent pianist, whom I do not wish to name, but who nevertheless gets to the heart of the matter. It is a common expression used in piano lessons, referring in particular to the so-called "weight of the arm", i.e. the use of the weight of the arm to produce sound. The great pianist ironically said that the only real arm whose weight can be taken into account is the arm of a dead person. In fact, at the moment when the arms are raised on a horizontal plane on the keyboard, in order to favour not only the interaction of the fingers but of the entire psychomotor apparatus of the pianist, one spontaneously wonders how it is possible to lift the arms in a horizontal plane without using the necessary muscles. From this hint of irony, we can then explain how subtle and delicate it is, through correct teaching, correct study and, above all, the ability to feel in one's own psychophysical muscular functions all the possibilities of movement that allow us to act towards the keyboard and the instrument.

This awareness requires a very long education, accompanied by the constant and expert observation of a piano school founded to such an extent that for each single function of the technical movement we can speak of conscious selection that distinguishes the true and proper technical maturation that is required to the performer through the study of many years.

Conclusion

Piano technique can become a fascinating journey that leads us to explore the infinite possibilities of musical expression. By carefully studying the relationship between stability, movement and selection of motion, we can build a solid foundation from which to develop the technique that will allow us to explore an ever-expanding piano literature.

S.Severini