Effortless and healthy virtuosity. Important principles of a healthy piano technic and the Taubman Approach to piano playing are presented throughout the series. When these principles are applied under the supervision of an expert Taubman teacher, students will discover the greatest success in mastering tension-free, effortless playing, a rich and beautiful tone, exceptional tonal control, artistry, and the foundations of a healthy virtuosity.
We have learned much about ergonomic motion since Mozart’s day yet many unhealthy principles from the 18th and 19th centuries are still being taught and published today. Our bodies, however, are all governed by very definite, universal laws such as the way the human body is built and moves, the way the piano functions, and things like gravity, inertia, equilibrium, mass, and momentum. Whether we are male or female, from Egypt or China, we are all built the same. Assuming there are no physical handicaps, we all have the same bone structure, muscles, ligaments, and nervous system. The anatomical fact is that if we play in awkward positions, (for example, when “twisting” at the wrist or “ulnar/radial deviation”), or use the wrong muscles, (for example, when isolating the finger motion from the hand/forearm or when “curling the fingers beyond their natural curve, as if holding a ball”), or move a limb part beyond the mid-range, (as with wrist and elbow “shaping”), we will experience tension, which causes fatigue and technical limitation.
88 Keys to Mastering the Piano was created to present important principles of the Taubman Approach and healthy technic to younger, pre-college piano students in an engaging, motivating, age-friendly format. A few mottos throughout are
When the Taubman principles of piano playing and healthy piano technic presented throughout 88 Keys to Mastering the Piano are applied under the guidance of an expert Taubman teacher, students will have the greatest success in ultimately obtaining the skills required to be able to play the most challenging literature without tension, fatigue, pain, injury, or technical limitation. An expert Taubman teacher is extensively trained in the Taubman Approach through decades of private study and attendance at teacher training workshops. Beware of teachers posing as "Taubman experts " who have only attended a few workshops or a handful of private lessons and have not completely mastered the Taubman principles both in their own playing and teaching. Look for a teacher who has completed the requirements of teacher certification through the Golandsky Piano Institute. The Golandsky Institute is the preeminent center for the teaching of the Taubman Approach, giving musicians transformative tools for physical health and musical expressivity.
What is the Taubman Approach? Who was Dorothy Taubman? Watch the following video for a brief introduction. To find an expert Taubman teacher near you visit www.GolandskyPianoInstitute.org or www.McLellandPiano.com.
- play with tremendous speed without ever experiencing fatigue
- execute leaps and challenging passagework with ease, clarity, and brilliance
- play with artistry and be able to produce a rich, beautiful tone with amazing tonal control
We have learned much about ergonomic motion since Mozart’s day yet many unhealthy principles from the 18th and 19th centuries are still being taught and published today. Our bodies, however, are all governed by very definite, universal laws such as the way the human body is built and moves, the way the piano functions, and things like gravity, inertia, equilibrium, mass, and momentum. Whether we are male or female, from Egypt or China, we are all built the same. Assuming there are no physical handicaps, we all have the same bone structure, muscles, ligaments, and nervous system. The anatomical fact is that if we play in awkward positions, (for example, when “twisting” at the wrist or “ulnar/radial deviation”), or use the wrong muscles, (for example, when isolating the finger motion from the hand/forearm or when “curling the fingers beyond their natural curve, as if holding a ball”), or move a limb part beyond the mid-range, (as with wrist and elbow “shaping”), we will experience tension, which causes fatigue and technical limitation.
88 Keys to Mastering the Piano was created to present important principles of the Taubman Approach and healthy technic to younger, pre-college piano students in an engaging, motivating, age-friendly format. A few mottos throughout are
- No pain IS your gain!
- Mastering the tools of healthy virtuosity from the start.
- Fun with the fundamentals.
- Virtuosity at the piano and in life ... for a lifetime.
When the Taubman principles of piano playing and healthy piano technic presented throughout 88 Keys to Mastering the Piano are applied under the guidance of an expert Taubman teacher, students will have the greatest success in ultimately obtaining the skills required to be able to play the most challenging literature without tension, fatigue, pain, injury, or technical limitation. An expert Taubman teacher is extensively trained in the Taubman Approach through decades of private study and attendance at teacher training workshops. Beware of teachers posing as "Taubman experts " who have only attended a few workshops or a handful of private lessons and have not completely mastered the Taubman principles both in their own playing and teaching. Look for a teacher who has completed the requirements of teacher certification through the Golandsky Piano Institute. The Golandsky Institute is the preeminent center for the teaching of the Taubman Approach, giving musicians transformative tools for physical health and musical expressivity.
What is the Taubman Approach? Who was Dorothy Taubman? Watch the following video for a brief introduction. To find an expert Taubman teacher near you visit www.GolandskyPianoInstitute.org or www.McLellandPiano.com.