I was watching a video of the amazing Martha Argerich the other day. Whilst watching her play, she seemed to be almost nonchalantly throwing her hands in the general direction of the notes she wanted to play, yet, of course, landed each one with pinpoint accuracy. This had me start thinking more about what the best approach might be to become more accurate at the piano.
Drawing parallels
I’m always a little reluctant to draw parallels (although did once draw an interesting parallel between piano and scuba diving). We have all heard ‘no pain, no gain’ as a golden rule for anyone attending the gym. However, very few would say it applies in any way to piano. If anything, most agree it is the exact opposite. If there is any pain, something is very wrong!
That said, I think that there are occasions where we can draw some careful parallels. Pinpoint accuracy is of course vital in both darts and snooker. For a snooker player, hitting a tiny spot on a white ball, with an equally tiny portion of the cue tip to send the white propelling towards the target ball so it hits it at a specific point is the aim of the game.
When playing darts, it is necessary to get the tip of the dart into a tiny segment of the dartboard from almost 8 feet away. Therefore, perhaps there are parallels to be drawn here about how to become more accurate at the piano?
Taking aim
When we watch either darts or snooker players, one of the first apparent things is that their hands are not in a fixed or locked position. Snooker players, when lining up a short, will generally be moving the cue in and out. They will also often be making tiny circles with their arm and elbow. It is only at the very last instant that they commit to hit the white exactly where they planned.
Similarly, darts players will make multiple, relaxed movements of the wrist as they take their aim. Again, it is only at the last instant that they commit, releasing the dart with enough force to propel it forwards.
Remaining relaxed
In both cases, to me it appears apparent that whilst mentally they are pinpoint focussed, physically they first ensure they are completely loose. Neither the dart player, nor the snooker player, holds their hand in a ‘locked’ position. When we think about this, it can seem counter intuitive. We might think that accuracy would be improved by physically ‘locking on’ to the target early on in the process. However, they clearly intend to improve accuracy by remaining physically loose and mobile. It appears that only at the last instant do they lock onto the shot so to speak.
To me, when watching Martha Argerich play, she appears to do the same. Her hand seems in no way ‘locked on’ when making even the largest of jumps. Yet, she has clearly learned how to take control of the finest detail exactly when needed. Not only does she hit the correct note, but she does so in the way that produces the exact effect she desires.
How easy is this to do?
I decided to try this out for myself. Chopin’s Minute Waltz is one of those pieces that whenever I get a note perfect rendition end to end, I do a mental ‘air punch’. My left hand is often the cause of slips – especially missed bass notes as it jumps up and down. I gave it a try shifting my focus from the jump (the journey) to the note to be played (the destination).
I kept my mind firmly focussed on the note I wanted to hit and simply tried to ‘nonchalantly’ throw my hand in its general direction and only actively engage my fingers at the last second. To my great surprise, this yielded overall more reliable results than my usual ‘carefully aimed’ approach. Naturally, there is a point at which you need to ‘take control’ or the results would simply be random. This, I found, is the difficult part to judge. Ideally I think it needs to be at the very last instant.
Try it out for yourself
Give this a try yourself to see if it helps you become more accurate at the piano. For example, I have found that when I miss a jump, it’s generally not by much. I may be one note, occasionally two, off target. Therefore, it’s probably not the jump that is the main cause of the issue. Rather, it is the micro adjustments to be made on arrival. This could be a tiny curve of the knuckle closest to the finger tip, a tiny adjustment to the stretch of the pinkie … just a tiny fraction makes all the difference.
So, whilst practising anything that has your hand jumping around the keyboard, try to mentally focus on the note you wish to hit, yet let your hand move in a relaxed manner towards it and at the very last moment, commit.
It’s a little hard to explain in words, however, give it a try and I’m sure you’ll also find it feels much nicer. It’s almost as if by relinquishing some control (keeping loose) you improve your control (are more accurate). Initially, this is not as easy as it sounds, however, with a little perseverance does seem to feel increasingly natural.
Let me know how you get on.
