W
P
by
Daniel Bennett
This eBook is free. It may be shared and duplicated but not modified in order that others may benefit from its srcinally intended content. Thank you for respecting the honest work of the author.
More Information
[email protected] www.danthecomposer.com www.piano-jazz.blogspot.com www.youtube.com/danthecomposer *** © Copyright, 2016. Daniel Bennett, Budapest
Author’s Note
As with all my books, the motive is simply to encourage and inspire the reader to achieve their piano ambitions without believing or feeling it necessary to only sit at the piano to make progress. Unlike other texts, Water Pianism encourages more focus on the Mind and the Body than only the Piano and theoretical matters; what may have been considered impossible at the piano is thus made possible when attention is shifted in this way. Over
four
chapters,
‘Water
Pianism
–
A
Companion’ simply provides those who have already read the main book with even more thoughts whilst acting as an introduction to those currently unfamiliar with the teachings and philosophies. The most difficult mind-block to overcome for newcomers to the teachings is that they are so unorthodox. Do not be put off.
Traditionally, one is encouraged to sit at the piano for thousands of hours to make progress, usually following a variety of impersonal and wholly unsuitable method books and playing music not truly enjoyed, usually for the purpose of exams or at least to satisfy the teacher. Very often, when the highest grade exams have been passed or a method book course has been completed, the pianist feels lost because they have never been encouraged to look inwards and discover their musical personality or to calm their minds, not to mention strengthen their bodies to be able to tackle even greater pieces or even compose. One of the most exciting philosophies of Water Pianism is the concept of the ‘You’ method through
which one goes on an ego-quietening, destinationless journey to identify and then expand upon what is naturally enjoyed and to enhance natural talent in whichever ways necessary to or desired by the
individual, without detrimental comparisons to others or negative external influences.
As a Water Pianist, one takes to trusting in the teachings, fully aware that they exist only to encourage freedom of playing, fluency of execution and calmness of mind. That they come from the inherent teachings observable in nature means they apply to everybody, are superior to any method but are not in themselves a method, rather a source of light to shine upon one’s own Way.
Water is fluid, soft and yielding yet will wear away rock which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. So, what is soft is strong. Lao Tzu
Importance of ‘3’ Water Pianism is heavily influenced not only by the three teachings of Water and Nature but also by the significance and teachings of the number Three; these three things themselves containing three things. To the Water Pianist, Water teaches unceasing continuity, pace and acceptance. By unceasing continuity, one understands the concept of a destinationless journey; after all, what would one do upon finally arriving? By pace, one does not use force to achieve desired results; water flows at a speed best suited to its current environment, no faster and no slower. By acceptance, one enjoys current abilities; water is virtuous because it is happy to be where others do not wish to be.
To the Water Pianist, Nature teaches patience, steady
persistence
and
the
permanence
of
impermanence. By patience, one is to observe the flower growing from a seed; it does not rush to bloom, it is perfect at every moment. By steady persistence, one is to water the flower every day; without regularity in action, the flower will wither. By the permanence of impermanence, one is to recognise that the flower will one day die; despite this, it remains positively beautiful, colourful and grateful for every drop of water until its very end. To the Water Pianist, the number Three appears in the Three-Fold Path to Water Pianism, the Three Energy-Channel Components and the Three Great Misconceptions. The ‘Three Paths’ has its own chapter since it is not unique to Water Pianism philosophy.
By the Three-Fold Path to Water Pianism, it is to be understood that an adherence to continual study and awareness of Water, the Mind and the Body is paramount to becoming a Water Pianist and travelling Your path with the least struggle and greatest satisfaction. The teachings of water are vital to bringing calm to the mind and must never be neglected. Constant effort to repel the Ego, as well as daily muscle and tendon training are equally vital to the Water Pianist. By the Three Energy-Channel Components, one understands that true pianism comes from a calm and balanced Mind, which contains three parts, passes through a trained and maintained Body, which contains three parts, and finally manifests on the Piano, which contains three parts. The three parts of the Mind component are identified as the Mind Triangle. being
the
negative
It contains the Ego,
component
inflicting
doubt,
frustration and impatience; the Inspirational Source, being the positive component introducing wisdom, truth and creativity and the Conscious Mind, being the observer of these and having freedom of choice to either be encouraged or demotivated. The three parts of the Body component are identified as core strength, arm-muscle power and tendon flexibility. By core strength, one understands that proper eating and moderate water consumption are key to good overall health.
The mind and body are very
sensitive to diet and it is for this reason that the Water Pianist takes care in consuming well. By arm-muscle power, one understands that the upper-arm muscles are only beneficial to the forearm muscles if they are both exercised regularly. As a unit, they provide a greater range of performance ability and give the fingers more freedom of movement and speed
due to the tendons being connected to the arm-muscle network.
By tendon flexibility, one understands that the fingers move in ways on the piano not required in any other sphere of life. Not doing regular tendon flexing exercises is not necessary detrimental to the pianist but puts a limit on what is physically possible, no matter the strength of the arm muscles. The three parts of the Piano component are identified as chromaticism, broken chords and leaps. Chromaticism is the smallest of the three Piano component parts.
Major scales and thus chords are
built on the chromatic scale which itself is made up solely of semi-tone (or half-step) intervals. Each next note in either direction from any note has the same pitch difference as any other next note from any other note.
C to C# has the same pitch
difference as E to F and it is from this chromatic scale that we get our twelve keys.
The non-existent 13th key would again be the same as the first, starting from any note and moving in either direction (ascending or descending), thus we stop at twelve. Two semi-tones (or half-steps) create a wholetone (or whole-step) interval. C to D is what E is to F# and from this get the whole-tone scale. Simply speaking, the chromatic and whole-tone scale are the only scales which do not come from a modification of a major scale but instead appear in a fixed combination to form the major scales:
whole,
whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half; the final ‘half’
landing on the note from which counting began.
C, D (whole), E (whole), F (half), G (whole), A (whole), B (whole), C (half). Chords are the result of selecting a group of at least three degrees from a major scale and naming them. Almost all the chords one can play include either
a major third interval or a minor third interval from the root.
Water Pianism puts broken chords above what may be called ‘block chords’ because in actual pieces, the notes of a chord are far more commonly played individually than together, in either the lower or upper register of the keyboard. Common examples of this are: most of Chopin’s
compositions, the infamous Third Movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and perhaps everything Debussy ever wrote. Broken chords are also required in every grade exam at every level. Do note, however, that sometimes the lower register may require block chords whilst the upper register requires broken chords, and vice-versa. Therefore, one does well to spend time playing around with broken chords at least just as much as their block forms. This also benefits dexterity and precision.
Leaps include any interval greater than a wholetone (or whole-step); in other words, a minor third from a root up to as far as the score or improvisation demands, perhaps even going outside the octave and requiring a large arm movement rather than a little wrist action or less. Franz Liszt’s ‘La Campanella’ is perhaps the finest
example of seemingly in-human leaps, not to mention the requirements of many of his Hungarian Rhapsodies, especially Number 6. Recordings by Georges Cziffra are highly recommended to best demonstrate this point. By
the
Three
Great
Misconceptions,
one
understands that it is detrimental to progress and fluency to believe that one plays with two separate hands, that the piano contains ‘black and white’ notes and that some keys are considered more or less difficult to play in than any others. By not playing with two hands, it is to be understood that, should we as humans be equipped
with an asymmetric finger layout, it would still be possible to play the piano.
By not seeing the notes as two colours, the Water Pianist understands that they are so only due to tradition and that they could all be black, white or multicoloured yet their place and note value on the keyboard would remain unchanged. Some pianos and organs of the present day have inverted colours already! By seeing all twelve keys as equal in terms of ease or difficulty, it is to be understood that a major scale follows the template of: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half steps, no matter the starting note. There are twelve of these and the only difference is layout. Some keys which are traditionally ‘harder’,
according to the exam board syllabuses, are actually physically easier to play, such as B, which falls under anybody’s fingers very comfortably and was the key
Chopin used to introduce people to the piano.
Alas, the Water Pianist spends much time understanding, mastering then maintaining the three parts of the three components of Water Pianism and strives to share them with piano enthusiasts they feel are ready to accept them.
The Three Paths
Because Water Pianism is a philosophy based on the natural way of the mind and body, as well as taking many teachings from nature, it inherently applies to any path one chooses to take; patience, steady persistence and no final destination are three fitting examples to which any pianist following any path would do well to adhere. No matter how much of the vast field of music theory is acquired, one’s chos en path will always and
only be fruitful if the Mind is calm and the Inspirational Source is listened to. Theory is beneficial and useful but it pales into insignificance if one is impatient, following the wrong path for the wrong reasons or unprepared to discover the all-important musical personality. In other words, knowing all the major scales, understanding notation to a high level and being able to identify complex time signatures are put to waste if, for
example, one is being forced to play music not in harmony with the natural Self or if one heartlessly takes exams just to be able to show off framed certificates on a wall. For this reason, the Water Pianist has made a conscious choice to silence the Ego and look inwards, seeking answers to the questi ons: “What do ‘I’ naturally like about music and what do ‘I’ want to do about it?”
Three paths are available to the pianist, each one having many smaller paths to explore and each one with its own set of technical and theoretical requirements. However, no matter the path, major scale mastery and regular use of the internal piano are paramount to maximise results. The Three Paths are as follows: 1. Standard Repertoire; 2. Improvisation; 3. Composition.
To the Water Pianist, Standard Repertoire spans from the Baroque period to the latest Pop hits.
It
implies that the music has been written down and can be learnt through sight-reading or following the chord chart. A general and very brief timeline of pianoorientated composers found within the standard repertoire path would go something like: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Scott Joplin, Cole Porter, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Elton John, Einaudi and pretty much anything from the turn of the century because it has been printed in sheet music books for piano. The most common path selected by pianists, standard repertoire is what most exam board syllabuses focus on (especially 19th Century works) and what is most widely available in music shops, and for good reason!
Compilations
are
rampant,
being
full
of
Broadway tunes, film soundtracks, girl/boy band number 1’s as well as the most famous pieces ever written by the great composers such as Beethoven’s Fur Elise, Chopin’s Nocturne in Eb, Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody #2 and Debussy’s Claire de Lune.
Reasons people choose this path are because it is the most accessible and because their favourite songs appear in it, sometimes in simplified-score versions, and nowadays, computer-generated tutorials are easy to find online. In the past, one was required to acquire a sight-reading ability but that is now considered far too much work for many who just want to press some chords and play a one-fingered melody. Of course, one may choose to become a concert pianist rather than a hobbyist.
This is a long and
extremely demanding path but it is made all the more enjoyable if one applies the teachings of Water Pianism!
No matter the depths of pianism to which one travels on this path, there is a lot of choice and a vast amount of technical demands just waiting to be discovered, not to mention a lot of self-discovery! Just remember to be true to the Self, the musical personality and the Inspirational Source and not to let the Ego win. To the Water Pianist, Improvisation includes both embellishing standard repertoire and creating a completely new melody over set chords à la jazz piano. Although the best advice is to listen to the greats of the past to see what is possible and what has been done, further advice would also be useful for fear of becoming carbon copies of those greats and putting the Self second. One example of additional advice, as obvious as it may seem but so often is it neglected, is to sit down and improvise!
Discovering one’s natural style is far
more important than being able to replicate o ther’s
styles; further, it does not require, as is so often assumed, a huge knowledge of chords and scales.
The improvising Water Pianist understands that even one finger playing one kind of scale over one triad chord is very revealing of inherent style, especially if not confining the output to one octave. This may be likened to painting on canvas with one colour; there are still many kinds of straight lines (e.g. thickness), circles (e.g. circumference) and random shapes (e.g. trapezoid) possible to be painted however the Inspirational Source so desires, not to mention where they may be placed on the canvas itself, with just one colour. By
embellishing
standard
repertoire,
one
remains somewhat faithful to the score (or any piece from any genre) but decorates it depending on how the moment feels.
Examples of decorating a piece may be repetitive notes of or not of the melody, extended arpeggios and chord reharmonisation or substitution. By creating a new melody over set chords, one strays far from or does away entirely with the srcinal melody.
This is what jazz musicians do:
play
appropriate (or purposefully inappropriate) notes when and however they wish, in accordance with the chord progressions and structure of the piece. Examples of creating new melodies might involve focusing on particular scales (the Blues scale, modal scales such as the Lydian or Aeolian, etc.), highlighting note values deemed interesting to the performer (b9, #11, etc.) or using various creative ideas such as a calland-response phrases and referencing other famous melodies during the improvisation. To the Water Pianist, Composition is the highest form of pianism; the Inspirational Source is free to flow and create audible representations of itself based on the
skills and knowledge the Conscious Self has acquired, then transmit them through a trained body, all whilst the Ego sulks over there. If composition were not the highest form of pianism, Standard Repertoire would not exist and Improvisation would be over chords of nothingness. What would there be to play but for the gift of Composition? Consider these quotes by great artists and minds from years gone by: -
“Others have seen what ‘is’ and asked ‘Why?’ I have seen what ‘could be’ and asked ‘Why not?’” – P. Picasso
-
“The thing is to become a master and, in your
old age, acquire the courage to do what children did when they knew nothing.” – E.
Hemingway -
“The painter will produce pictures of little
merit if he takes the works of others as his standard.” – L. da Vinci
-
“Do not go where the path may lead, go
instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – R. W. Emerson
-
“The
true
artist
is
not
proud:
he
unfortunately sees that art has no limits; he feels darkly how far he is from the goal and, though he may be admired by others, he is sad not to have reached that point to which his better genius only appears as a distant, guiding sun.” – Beethoven.
As a composer, one spends more time listening inwards than hearing outwards; output is based entirely on what has been recognised within as having come from the Inspirational Source and not the Ego. It is not artificially created according to rules or expectations from the outside and in its purest form, need not be questioned, for it carries a truth known only to the creator; the Water Piani st calls this ‘honest execution’ and it is unchallengeable, even by themselves.
It is suggested, therefore, to discover what one enjoys or feels naturally attracted to the most, never forgetting that composition is the only reason any music exists at all and being sure to have overcome the Ego’s desire to limit or completely restrict any belief in being able to do so.
Major Scale Significance
No matter which path is taken, major scales will show themselves; composition, improvisation, modern era songs or the standard classical repertoire, major scales simply cannot be avoided if one is to make any noteworthy progress with ease. Regrettably, major scales are treated by perhaps every source (exam board, educational institute, etc.) on the basis of: less common is more difficult, more common is much easier. This, of course, is nonsense. Because there are twelve notes (keys) in the chromatic scale and each key has its own major scale which contains seven notes (degrees) based on the fixed template of half and whole steps (tones), it is completely unnecessary to label any of them as more difficult or much easier just because they are more or less common; they all consist of the same template, contain the same amount of notes and sound the same.
Each major scale has its own shape and combination of stretch requirements, no matter how one’s natural fingering of that scale may be, further
rendering each as unique as any other. For example, B major, as used by Chopin for his newcomers, just so happens to appeal to a nybody’s fingers due to its ‘2 black note, 3 black note’ layout;
once the thumb of the right hand has played the B, the index and middle finger are hovering directly above the C# and D#, the latter of which causing the hand to be raised and forward a littl e more than if it were a ‘white note’ being played, giving space for the thumb to swing
underneath and play the E, naturally putting the index, middle and ring fingers above the F#, G# and A# with once again the latter permitting the thumb to swing under and begin the scale again. It is a very fluid major scale to play and a logical decision by the piano poet. However, every single book begins with C major yet this major scale is actually quite demanding because it forces the thumb to travel, with less freedom, under
the middle finger and its precision must be greater than for B major to strike the F, this being even more difficult when the thumb must go from the F to the C again to start a new octave in terms of distance to travel (a fifth) and now the ring finger blocking its path even more than the middle finger was just moments before. The Water Pianist has come to understand that major scales are not only necessary to whichever path is taken but that they can and therefore must be ‘used and abused’.
Because each major scale has its own shape, countless options are available for fingering patterns, hand
independence
exercises,
contrary
motion
challenges, multi-key ideas, stretch repetition and velocity work. Further, the major scales are the absolute basis for any other scale, not including of course the chromatic and whole-tone scales, and is the first of the
three ways the Water Pianist takes benefit from absolute mastery of the twelve major scales.
One would do well to see each perfectly mastered major scale as one of twelve uncut keys on a key ring. Each uncut physical key represents a musical key’s perfected major scale before it gets cut into shape
to create any scale required. For example, the descending melodic minor scale is instantly discoverable in any of the twelve keys because the uncut key only requires one modification. Musically speaking, one plays the major scale exactly as is but instead of the 3 rd degree, it is lowered one halfstep (semi-tone). Thus, to unlock the world of the natural minor scale and its associated chords and sounds, make one notch into the uncut key to represent the 3 rd being lowered. That is all. What about the Hungarian (or Gypsy) minor scale?
From the root:
2nd, minor 3rd, #4th, 5th, 6th,
dominant 7th. This shows that three notes of the seven major scale notes have been modified. The uncut key is thus cut three times: on the third, fourth and 7 th notch. In order not to forget that the fourth is raised and not lowered, simply recognise the illogic of lowering the fourth; it would simply become the third which has already been lowered; this cannot be both major and minor. Once the scale has been identified, preferably on the Internal Piano, time is spent on reinforcing its shape and then allowing the hands to find their own natural fingering over one and multiple octaves, preferably with the eyes closed. The second of the three ways the Water Pianist takes benefit from absolute mastery of the twelve major scales is to execute all the possible finger combinations over them. Most hands have five fingers but even if not, it is still possible to perform these exercises because of the
limited number of possible finger combinations anyway, even when using both hands.
The ultimate level of attainment is that each finger is under absolute control and can function at its optimum dexterity and precision for extended periods of time. In addition, each finger is also able to operate with every other finger without conscious interference. This takes time but is made a lot easier thanks to the variety of patterns and stretches made available by the major scales. By all finger combinations, understand that the human hand’s generally ten fingers can only stretch so
far; of course, this varies from hand to hand but a fair average is a third between two side-by-side fingers and anything from a minor second to a comfortable octave when basing the stretch from the thumbs and involving all fingers. By using each finger as the ‘root finger’ and
performing this exercise with a metronome, with each
hand individually and then simultaneously, even using different major scales for further enhancement and a greater mental challenge, simply alternate between all the possible intervals for extended durations and at different speeds. Note that it is incredibly common that both hands’ complete finger combinations’ interval stretches
match due to their symmetric size and shape. For example, place the index finger of the right hand on any F#. Choosing different starting points across the keyboard forces the wrist into different positions and is also very beneficial. Descending, alternate the index finger with the thumb as it goes as far as possible down the major (or chromatic) scale and back again.
Starting slowly,
increase speed until comfortable and error free and the hand begins to ache. For a second example, place the left ring finger on any A, again choosing different starting points to
force the wrist into different positions for greater benefit.
Ascending, alternate the ring finger with the middle finger as it goes as far as possible up the major (or chromatic) scale and back again. Starting slowly, increase speed until comfortable and error free and the hand begins to ache. Almost no piece of music has ever been written which does not involve any of the finger combinations as performed in this exercise so making them as natural as possible is so very important, primarily because previously considered complex repertoire is suddenly made much more accessible. Once
each
finger
combination
feels
very
comfortable at speed and over extended durations, blend the hands and repeat the above but with the ‘other’ finger coming from the other hand. This can be
done within the same octave or various octave distances apart.
For example, the left hand little finger on F and the right hand thumb starting on G and the two alternated as F major is played ascending and descending. The third of the three ways the Water Pianist takes benefit from absolute mastery of the twelve major scales is to strengthen the Internal Piano. The internal piano is simply the 12-note block from any of the twelve roots. One is then able to learn scores, see scales, play over pieces, work out difficulties, transpose songs, practise improvisation, identify chords and much more, when away from the piano. C to B is the first 12-note block the Water Pianist experiences.
Once this is absolutely internalised, it
becomes very easy to visualise and ‘play on’. One then
simply adds however many blocks are required like Lego to work with the exercise or piece in question whilst maintaining a kind of orientation on the piano and not getting lost of confused in keys.
After a while, it becomes very easy to start the 12-note block, named after the chromatic scale within an octave, on any note desired and be able to work in that key as fluently as any other… because all major
scales are absolutely mastered. Take note of this somewhat secret phenomenon: the fingers can do what the mind can imagine them doing and the fingers cannot do what the mind cannot imagine them doing. Therefore, the Water Pianist practises in the mind at least 50% of the time on both technical demands and to reinforce theoretical concepts. What is then possible at the piano becomes astonishingly easier. Imagine a computer keyboard. Because we use them every day, we know exactly where the letters are subconsciously, even though we never sat down and studied them in order to type quickly. Slow typists still know where to drift the hand to be ‘in the vicinity’ of
the correct letter.
What is remarkable, however, is that even if a keyboard did not physically exist, if the buttons were lasers projected onto a table, a lot of us would have great accuracy in typing on a blank surface and placing our hands and fingers in generally, if not exactly, the right position for the laser to detect the key pressed correctly. To take this further, imagine not even typing at all but just thinking where the fingers would go if actually typing but instead some electrodes were connected to the head and fingers and it could sense the tiny movements? Well, without becoming a scientific journal, this is a real science known as Brain Computer Interfacing and uses a method known as electroencephalography: thought alone controlling what happens on-screen, minus any motor activity. One would also do well to study the very real, applied science of Motor Imagery.
Despite this extreme comparison, it proves that it is what takes place correctly in the mind that dictates what the body then does correctly, albeit when it comes to pianism that a trained and maintained set of muscles and tendons are necessary. So it can be seen that major scales are the foundation to any of the three paths one may choose to take, not only for theoretical reasons but for a huge opportunity to develop other important facets of pianism in general.
The ‘You’ Method
If ten thousand individuals drew a circle freehand, the likelihood that just two of them were absolutely identical is almost zero; such is the uniqueness of each of us and such is the way we approach, learn and play the piano. Not one method book has ever been written which applies to every learner. This means that everybody must spend time discovering their own unique traits and following their own natural path rather than wasting time seeking solutions from outside. Every pianist is distinguished by inherent ability, life experience, piano playing purpose, hand shape, muscle
strength,
personality.
span,
finger
size
and
musical
To believe a book or course has been
written which suits You perfectly is very detrimental to progress and strongly discouraged.
By
inherent
ability,
the
Water
Pianist
understands that what is technically or theoretically easy for one is difficult for another and what is technically or theoretically difficult for one is easy for another. It takes a different approach and period of time for certain aspects of pianism to be acquired by different individuals; there is no right or wrong method and there is no fixed amount of time to achieve anything. By life experience, the Water Pianist understands that each individual has journeyed a very different journey and brings a unique world to the piano in both practice and performance. Some are very patient, others want to play fast to satisfy their uncontrolled ego; some can play Chopin beautifully because they know what it feels like to be dying, others only play triad chords but sing at the same time like Elton John because they had an inspiring
moment in their lives.
No matter, accept and be
grateful for the variety of individuals taking up the piano and do not judge them for their output. By piano playing purpose, the Water Pianist understands that the piano is a very personal affair for many. Not everybody was forced to play the piano as a child by pushy parents; they perhaps discovered it in their twenties and wanted to fulfil a life-long dream. Being able to play songs which have a personal connection to the performer is a beautiful thing; usually, the fixed exam pieces are of no personal interest to the candidate so their enthusiasm or passion is not as high as it could be but they are determined to get a certificate. They are to be encouraged in their noble endeavours. By hand shape, the Water Pianist understands that not one hand is the same as any other so fingering rules go out the window.
The obsession with strict fingering is perhaps the greatest fallacy in pianism and is fervently discouraged by Water Pianism and intelligently disregarded by the Water Pianist. Some people have enormous hands but short fingers, others have tiny hands but longer fingers, rendering
certain
traditional
fingering
absolutely
impossible to execute. With the eyes closed, the hands will find their own positions at the piano without them
being forced into unnatural ways by some impersonal method book recommendation. By
muscle
strength,
the
Water
Pianist
understands that everybody’s arms are different. Most have a stronger side, some have injuries and some are quite weak. It is important to spend time researching, even on the personal advice of a medical professional, how to strengthen the arm muscles because they dictate one’s endurance at the piano and are part of the tendon
network; if the muscles are not strong or tire quickly, the finger tendons simply cannot withstand playing a complex or long piece and this may be a great disappointment even to someone who has all the passion and desire to become great that can be imagined. This is why the energy channel is: Mind, Body and then Piano. By span, the Water Pianist understands that the reach of one’s fingers differs from hand to hand. Many cannot reach an octave yet many can reach a tenth or even more in some unique cases! This span effects fingering choices of pieces and scales but also hand position at the piano; if the span is very wide, one need not move so much left and right to execute certain phrases, thus conserving energy and tiring less quickly.
Small spans require much more
movement, tire more quickly and often cause the upperarm muscles to ache, which is exactly why the muscles
should be strengthened and maintained daily no matter the span, hand or finger size.
By finger size, the Water Pianist understands that sometimes, the space between the ‘black notes’ is too narrow so ‘white notes’ cannot be pressed. This is a
problem if the piece happens to require many ‘black notes’ to be pressed and fewer ‘white notes’.
The only way to overcome this is to move the arm backwards to play ‘white notes’ and then forwards again for the ‘black notes’. This can become very tiring
and can even dictate what pieces one may take on. By musical personality, the Water Pianist understands that everybody has different tastes in music and technique. Within them, some like heavy operatic sounds of Wagner, the fire of Liszt’s Rhapsodies, the poetic beauty of Chopin, the flowing impressionistic style of Debussy, the ragtime of Scott Joplin, the Rock n’ Roll of Gerry Lee
Lewis – it is quite an endless list of opportunities.
What is important to the Water Pianist is a complete understanding of what is naturally enjoyed, knowing that this changes over time in both genre and technique, and that playing within that sphere of musical pleasure is incredibly important and brings about the most marvellous results. In addition to being aware of all the above points, the ‘You’ method also requires consideration of the three parts of the three components to Water Pianism and how they apply to You. As already presented, the Mind component involves the Mind Triangle: Ego, Inspirational Source and Conscious Self. Each of these three parts differ from individual to individual, lending further credence to the fact that not one book could be written just for You. The Ego of the Mind component differs because everyone
has
different
opinions,
desires
and
attachments and are influenced by them at different levels of intensity.
The Water Pianist strives to reject the negative involvement of the Ego so that the journey becomes much more pleasurable and successful; it can then be shared with others either through performance or education. The Inspirational Source of the Mind component differs because what is coming in relates only to that individual and can only ever be truly understood and executed by that individual. The Water Pianist strives to encourage the positive involvement of the Inspirational Source for a purer, more honest output; this can also then be shared with others either through performance or education. The Conscious Self of the Mind component differs because of what is inherent to it and what it has had to deal with from the other two parts until this point. Although we are all human, the Conscious Mind comes
in
countless
forms
that
we
identify
as
‘personalities’. Much like the flame of a candle, it is
recognisably a flame but it is not the same flame as that of the candle next to it, nor any other before or after it. Put simply, we are all different. The Water Pianist follows the teaching of: acquire what is required when it is required. This way, time is not spent on technical and theoretical aspects currently unnecessary to natural progress and instead does spend time on those which are indeed necessary to natural progress. These are different for all. Play You.
Links
To read more about Water Pianism – The Guide, see here: http://piano-jazz.blogspot.com/p/waterpianism.html For a useful article on some of the topics discussed herein, see here: http://pianojazz.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-pianists-checklist.html For a video on ideas to enforce the unavoidable major scales, see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heEVryaj-wI To hear my compositions, see here: https://soundcloud.com/danthecomposer
To enjoy a Water Pianism-based playlist entitled Ten Mins @ the Piano, see here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4cPpPUa6NUFebhir7tx1CrW03zbb0d0
