KEYBOARDS
Best known for her performances of the music of J. S. Bach, pianist Dr. Penny Johnson holds degrees from the Manhattan
School of Music and the Eastman School of Music. Active as a teacher and adjudicator, she is also the creator of The
Great Pianists: Stories, Music & More and is working on a book about her teacher, Constance Keene.
www.pennyjohnsonpiano.com.
By Penny Johnson, DMA
Enhancing Piano
Technique Through Athletic
Comparisons
D
rawing comparisons between piano playing and athlet-
ics can be a great way of developing technique. Con-
sider the hand position of a pianist vs. that of a baseball
pitcher as shown in Ex. 1 and 2. Both images display
curved, rounded, and firm fingers.
Correct piano hand position according
to Theodor Leschetizky (from The Lesche-
tizky Method: A Guide to Fine and Correct
Piano Playing by Malwine Brée)
Correct hand position for a slider pitch
(from 7 Baseball Pitching Grips Every Man
Should Know, www.artofmanliness.com)
As one of the most important piano teachers of all time, Theodor
Leschetizky (1830-1915) may not have played baseball, but he did love
horseback riding. “Sit easy and erect at the piano, like a good rider on
his horse,” he used to say, “and yield to the arm movements, as far as
needed, just as the horseman yields to the movements of his steed.”
Players of all levels can benefit from this athletic comparison, for it
promotes alertness and readiness in the entire body (i.e. not just the
fingers).
Game On
While adjudicating a recent festival, I spoke about the connection be-
tween the wrists and tone production. Whereas stiff wrists contribute
towards a tight, forced (i.e. harsh) sound, loose wrists contribute to-
wards a sound that is rich, warm, and full. To help develop loose wrists, I
encouraged students to buy a yoyo! In existence since the year 500 BC,
26 CANADIAN MUSICIAN
yoyos demand quick flicks of the wrist in order to make them go up
and down. (Evan Nagao videos, anyone?)
Recently, I came across an article in the October 1996 edition of
Hockey Player Magazine entitled “The Art of Stickhandling.” In it, the
author, Diane Romano, outlines the benefits of effective stickhan-
dling. Citing such superstars as Jean Beliveau, Bobby Orr, Guy Laf-
leur, Wayne Gretzky, and Mario Lemieux, she points out how master
stickhandlers are able to “maneuver” skillfully, thereby creating “time
and space” as well as fueling creative plays.
Stickhandling around the keys can be difficult – particularly in
chromatic passages – and a pianist must maneuver in such a way as
to make use of both the upper arm and back muscles. As in hockey,
effective keyboard transportation allows the pianist the necessary
time in which to listen for the spaces between the notes.
Another athletic comparison involves something called swing
mechanics. This is where the biomechanical motion of a swing (golf,
baseball, tennis, etc.) is analyzed in order to improve the physics
involved in hitting. For example, the YouTube video by Bobby Lopez
entitled “Golf Swing Analysis Nancy Lopez” involves the commenta-
tor dissecting the swing of the LPGA champion. Interestingly, musi-
cal terms used here include tempo and rhythm.
When the commentator speaks about spine angle, I am re-
minded of a passage in the book Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing
(1924) by Josef Lhevinne (1874-1944) where, in referencing the
pianist Anton Rubinstein (1829-94), he wrote about how “instead of
sitting bolt upright, as the pictures in most instruction books would
have the pupils do, [Rubinstein] is inclined decidedly toward the
keyboard.” Lhevinne went on to say how the purpose of the incline
was to aid in the deployment of weight from the body and shoul-
ders that, in turn, would contribute towards powerful fortissimo
playing.
With these comparisons in mind, consider visiting a driving range
or batting cage this summer. Being mindful of our body mechanics
and staying open to these and other comparisons can have a posi-
tive impact on the quality of our music making.