Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Become A Piano Maestro With The Taubman Approach

By Charles Patterson


Playing the piano is both an art and a science. It has always been considered an art that requires extensive practice to master, but the Taubman Approach has changed the perspective of music teachers and scholars. This theory came out of the realization that piano maestros use a particular formula to perfect their skill. In fact, there is a feeling that it takes trial and error to achieve the highest level of expertise.

Studies by Brooklyn based Dorothy Taubman were aimed at finding a solution to prevailing technical glass ceilings facing experienced pianists. The conclusions were made after studying the skills of different pianists over 50 years. She sort to understand what made it easy for some to play difficult pieces with ease yet others could not. The conclusions made enabled previously amateur players to advance their skills.

The realization that pianists were influential artists was revealed to be important in advancing their skills. By understanding their positions and claiming them, it would be easy to achieve full potential. Remaining in the background meant that the pianist gave away his influence over the music.

Her assessment was motivated by the revelation that children intuitively play with ease yet the transition into adult consciousness reduced the skill of a player. The natural expectation would be that adults found it easier. Her hypothesis was that there must be simplicity in complexity. This is the point she discovered that existence of coordinated motion that allows each finger and body part to produce its best.

The analysis has produced some of the most life changing revelations. It was discovered that coordinate motions achieve accuracy with lease effort because the motions allow mid-range-response on the required fingers. This is a scenario that enhances kinesthetic judgment to enhance accuracy. Where motions are extreme, the tension of achieving accuracy enables the pianist to still manage.

With coordinated movements, each part of the finger naturally responds in a manner that delivers the most mechanical advantage. She gives a scenario where the forearm compensates for lack of speed compared to the large upper arm by initiating motion. Every pianist must seek freedom and utmost precision. It is the principle of maximum results for minimum effort that will make this possible. The refusal by a player to follow these principles, in her conclusion has caused boredom and pain during play.

What did the analysis reveal? One of the revelations was a common occurrence of musculoskeletal disorder that was related to playing the piano. Her discovery was that through coordinated playing, victims of this disorder found relief. Turning to coordinated playing also helped previously injured pianists to achieve higher mastery and prowess than they did before the injury.

The revelation was that use of the right formula brought about relaxation compared to playing at the highest level using the wrong technique. Even in instances where a player takes a long break, resumption would be seamless if he has learnt the right method. When a player experiences technical block or ceiling, continuous playing will not solve the problem until the correct diagnosis has been made. Understanding the rules of play was revealed to produce better results than extending the hours of practice.




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